Ok. So, something of a conspiracy IMHO.
I see patriotism as one of the most ridiculous examples of brainwashing around. Only caring about the people inside your imaginary boundary lines isnt just tribal, it's backwards.
Honestly nothing funnier than a bunch of idiots staring at their flag singing their 'theme tune'.
Dont get me wrong, i like preserving traditions, but if your country is like a few hundred years old and founded on immigration it is pretty fucking dumb to be overtly patriotic. Not to mention the govt bootlicking side of it, which is of course, tragic.
I'm being facetious, hoping to hear both sides- i am definitely not a globalist!
One could say the same thing about religion. Isn't it brainwashing too? A religion any person follows is almost always a result of where they are born, rather than a logical evaluation of its beliefs by said person. If their belief precedes their justification for it, then it is brainwashing by definition.
However, patriotism has its uses. Generally if country X is not united but country Y is, country Y will use its collective strength to extort/subvert/exploit country X.
The same dynamic is seen in religion. Islam and Christianity vs Hinduism or Buddhism for example. Which has replaced which?
Yes. Religion and patriotism are both forms of brainwashing. It's no surprise that the most religious Americans are also the most patriotic and the most likely to believe in things like flat earth and QAnon. They're simpletons and don't have what it takes to not become taken advantage of.
There are definitely parallels between organised religion and patriotism. You are generally indoctrinated in some way into both, likely since the day you were born, making it very difficult to lift the veil later on, especially if you live in an echo chamber of MSM bullshit, or only read your own country's news reports...