Nationalism vs. Patriotism
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Patriotism and Nationalism in Canada
In my opinion,
patriotism is probably inherent to most nations on Earth, Canada and the United States inclusive. It is, as given by
Dictionary.com, one's devotion and love to one's country. Then again, when some people become "too" patriotic, problems can arise; take the United States for example, where in some chatrooms and forums, it is considered "patriotic" to despite persons of the Islamic faith as "enemies of the people" (this is probably an extreme minority of people, mind you).
Whereas
nationalism can be one of many things: (
a) a devotion to the culture and interests of one's own nation; (
b) an assertion that nations should act independently of one another, rather than engaging in any sort of international co-operation; and (
b) an aspiration for independence where one is currently under some sort of foreign domination. While this can sometimes come hand-in-hand with patriotism, this is not necessarily the case.
In its lesser-core interpretations, nationalism is an extremely good thing. Everyone should be interested in their country's own culture, and in its interests; this does not necessarily mean that a country needs to have only
one culture, however. For example, I would submit that Canada has
many cultures. Their co-operation toward a common goal and toward common interests, however, links them into a sort of secular "Canadian culture." Since international co-operation is an important part of Canadian policy and strategy abroad, one who rejects that particular part of nationalism may become less nationalist, but simultaneously more patriotic.
By way of continuing with my example of Canada, Canadians who are devoted to this country are
patriotic. Those who also support the idea of secular multiculturalism within Canada, while supporting international co-operation, are
nationalist only to the degree where it is considered a "good thing." In my opinion, that is how one can strike the balance between the two.
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The Difference Between the Two
Generally speaking,
patriotism can be practiced in quite positive ways through various avenues; being involved in one's system of governance in whatever role, for example, would be patriotic. Standing and singing with one's national anthem would be patriotic. Learning about one's system of governance and the issues important to one's country, as happens a great deal of the time here on the
Canadian Content forums, is patriotic.
Nationalism, however, often requires explicit action, particular with the more hardcore assertions of nationalism. For example, as I have seen a great deal from some citizens of countries like the United States, some believe that their nation should act unilaterally on the world stage without regard for the opinions of other nations — this is extreme nationalism, and can lead to international resentment of one's country. It is particularly important with nationalism that one strike a balance between being genuinely concerned for the interests of one's nation, and becoming an obnoxious and pushy voice with the international community.
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Edit Corrected a typo.
