How do you Define Patriotism?

[Ted King]

At its best patriotism is a feeling that no matter how diverse the groups within a nation that collectively the people of the nation have a justified pride in their nation and in so doing it helps keep a disparate population united. At its worst it is a sentiment used by ideologues to kowtow critics, incipient despots use it to inflame a populous to hand themselves over to him, autocrats use it to deflect people from challanging them, insecure people use it to make themselves feel better by calling others "not one of the real ----- (fill in the blank with a political body).

At its best or worst very few people realize how fleeting it is. In ten thousand years any patriotism from this time frame will be seen as quaint and a historical curiosity.