RE: Patriotism, an Abomination
No one knows how we are going to achieve civilization. It is a work in progress. But we have history to tell us what doesn't work. Any society that worships violence as supreme, over reason, over choice, over conscience, fails. How badly? Look at the degree of violence in a society. That will tell you. Are people dying to escape to N. Korea? Cuba? No, because they are very oppressive, violent. They don't value rights, individualism. Everyone is sacrificed to the collective, no one is safe, except the ruling elite.
What direction is the US Empire moving? Is it toward less violence, or more? Are non-violent people being violated? Are millions in prison who haven't had a complaint against them, haven't aggressed, haven't defrauded? Yes, more so than any other country. This is a national disgrace. So is life in the prison. It's torture.
No one is safe from authority, unless they are authority. It's a small club.