Patriotism: Discussion for the twelth week.

A lot have been said obout the virtue of patriotism, it is time we look into the adverse effects of this extreme(?) emotion. Emotion or quality, in whatever manner you wish to describe it, it has been the cause of the most brutal wars. It has been the cause of unspeakable crimes against humanity. It has divided humankind into numerous groups called nations or countries and pitted them against each other, sometimes for centuries. Today when we talk about globalisation is not patriotism one of its grimmest oppenents. How can humankind dream of becoming one country or one global unit, when patriotism is tearing it right at its core. Is not patriotism a close cousin of racism or fundamentalism on a huge scale? For the twelth week it would be ideal to discuss the moral status, if it has any, of patriotism!