A friend of mine, who is black, said that all of us are racists as we identify with our own groups. My response is that there are miles to go between identifying with one's own group and hating other groups, and that the two sentiments should be separated into benign patriotism and malignant patriotism. Benign patriotism wants the well-being of one's people; malignant patriotism wants the destruction of somebody else. The first is based in love; the second is based in hatred. If such things as love and hatred mean nothing to you, then what should mean something is the results. The results of benign patriotism are peaceful, prosperous, livable countries. The results of malignant patriotism is rape and pillage. And that makes the two as different as night and day. If you are in Syria, it is fine to want the well-being of Syria; it is not fine to want the destruction of Israel. If you are in Russia, it is fine to want the well-being of Russia; it is not fine to want the destruction of the United States. If you are in China, it is fine to want the well-being of China; it is not fine to want to conquer India, Africa or Japan. The first is healthy and constructive. The second is destructive and wrong. No, you don't need to hate France in order to love America, nor do you need to hate America in order to love France. No, you don't need to hate Jews in order to love the Germans, nor do you need to hate Germans in order to love the Jews. Wanting the well-being of one's own people is healthy and righteous, and nobody should be kept from doing that. The problems happen when people decide that loving one's own people means hating other people. And it is then that the healthy sentiment that is benign patriotism turns malignant. Benign patriotism should be accepted and nurtured in people. Malignant patriotism should be suppressed. The reason, once again, is that benign patriotism leads to positive outcomes, and malignant patriotism to negative outcomes. The people of the world - including one's own people - benefit from benign patriotism. They suffer when the patriotism turns malignant. The problem is not patriotism; patriotism is healthy. The problem is malignant patriotism that wants not the well-being of one's own people but ill for somebody else. Benign patriotism should be nurtured; malignant patriotism should be confronted. And then we will get to see all places in the world benefit, resulting in better life for everyone.
