I am NOT a Patriot!

There, I said it! I am not a patriot and patriotism as a feeling is something I've not really properly understood, at least since crossing my teens or something. Why this, random and even provocative, claim, you ask? I am irritated by the recent flurry of facebook/twitter discussions, surrounding the whole Afzal Guru hanging episode. Anybody who is seen doubting the judiciary/government/popular version seems to automatically fall in the category of 'traitors of the nation', it seems.

First off, I am someone who, in general, considers the judiciary to be much more qualified, experienced <and insert hajaar such similar disclaimers> than I am. I just have principles (or well, stances for economic or philosophical reasons - 'principles' just sounded too big and constraining a word :D) that are different from what I understand as guiding the judiciary system of our country. And I, in general, view the government (of our country and elsewhere) with quite some levels of suspicion, more out of my philosophical stand-point and confidence in human need for abuse of power than any reasons specific to this Indian government itself. Of course, it is a different matter that one might be more sceptical of this particular government, but I am not venturing in that area for now. Coming back to the set of disclaimers I was rambling about, I am against the capital punishment - for pretty much any case - partly for humanitarian reasons and partly for the pointlessness of it (apart from for saving tax-payers' expenses and for minimising the future risk of a Qandahar-like exchange of prisoners, i.e.). The topic of capital punishment in itself is something for a later time, but just a quick response to those questioning the apparent vanishing act of humanitarian-loyalists in times of the killings by the terrorists - I'd simply respond by saying that if humanitarian reasoning of this sort could've worked with the terrorists, there wouldn't have been terrorists in the first place, and, that one 'wrong' deed (of killings by terrorists) doesn't justify another - least of all by a system, apparently validating the thoughts of an entire community of 'civilised' humans. With those disclaimers out of the way, I'd want to expand a bit more on the first para. But, as is my (part Tarantino and part Wasseypuresque-Kashyap inspired) wont, I'd get like to launch into random asides along the way. 

I'd recently stumbled upon in the Bill Gates' review (for whatever funny reason, if you happen to be more interested in my writing than that of Bill Gates, you can conveniently skip the link, for I'd summarise the relevant portions nonetheless) of Steven Pinker's book arguing the reduction of crime in humanity with the rise in civilisation, Gates gave an example of how honour, usually considered such a great value, can at times lead to bad things/decisions. He (from the book) cites the examples of past tribal feuds, present day honour killings etc. arising out of this honour.

Patriotism is apparently a good thing, as we've been taught. It binds a group together and leads people into the thinking of contributing towards the common 'societal' good, when there is a natural human tendency towards purely selfish thinking (aside: I continue to hold that all of human actions are driven by selfish motives). It is probably this feeling that partly contributed to the long-running careers of JP Dutta and Anil Sharma too - and for that alone, I am much thankful.

Now, consider a community that is extremely well-knit. Cares for one another. Looks at each other with a lot of mutual respect, brotherhood, and related virtues. Sounds absolutely superb, no? Now, is it fair to assume that such a community would, arguably, naturally be proud of itself? Not too hard to imagine, right? With this in place, my argument is that such a community, when interacting with another, because of this pride, will be naturally displaced to be jingoistic/passionate/defensive about the awesomeness of their community vis-a-vis the others. At least, if not by default, surely when the pride gets 'poked at' by somebody from another community. This pride or passion, according to me, has a high tendency to lead one onto that track of 'How Could They Attempt Poking a Hole In Our Community' sort of taking offence at others.

Now, this feeling when the community is replaced by a nation is what, I think, becomes patriotism. The problem isn't patriotism, per se. To me, it is this pride and this sense of narrowly defined belongingness that takes one from patriotism to that frothing-over-the-mouth 'How Can They Attack Us' feeling. The belongingness, instead of towards humanity in general, is narrowly defined towards one's own community and when that community is a religious community, I think, it takes form of religious fanaticism, when a nation, becomes patriotism, or when based on one's language, culture, or past heritage may become the basis of cultural-fanaticism.

My issue isn't as much with people having extra love or brotherhood or pride or whatever else positive feeling it is that they have towards people from their concept of community (be it based on religion, common first language, shared geographical border or some such). My issue is more about this generic hatred or dislike harboured towards those not sharing the same sense of belonging to the group (citizens who don't feel as 'patriotic', i.e.) or those not belonging to the group (foreigner murdering a Citizen X v/s Citizen Y murdering X - the public discourse would be considerably different in the two).

I was originally planning to add about the pointlessness of collective pride/shame in India's Cricket/Olympic achievement and the relation that has with patriotism but will probably postpone that to some other day, then.

Additional reference read: This Socratic post by the Libertarian Bryan Caplan.

P.S.: Yes, yes. Like, last time that I was considering, have decided on giving up on the practice of keeping individual timestamps. Works better only in the traditional, hard-bound diary. Not that it matters one way or the other, I am sure :D