Patriotism and nationalism are visibly spreading, see Trump's America first, the developments in Europe - see Germany's AFD, but also France, Poland, Hungary, now also Italy - show a picture of increasing approval for reactionary ideas and convictions.
Of course, this also means that small-minded populists - such as Weidel, Höcke or Merz, who basically only call a selfish, egocentric motivation their own - are once again appearing in the public square and presenting themselves.
I don't think it makes much sense to leave the field of values to them, since values are superordinate and free of evaluation.
A good upbringing is a value in itself and independent of the attitude, I think.
A social cooperation and consideration for others applies regardless of the place.
Being proud of achievements can be a value in itself, for example of poets and thinkers like Schopenhauer, Schiller, Goethe, Hegel, Kant, Raiffeisen, Roentgen, just to name a few from our own country.
In this respect I am proud to grow up and live in the country of these outstanding personalities.
But does that make me a German nationalist?
I am also proud of Marie Curie, Albert Einstein, Henry Dunant, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Samuel Beckett, Oscar Wilde, to name just a few.
Am I now a European nationalist? Is that even possible?
No?
Then I am not a German nationalist, I am not a Rhineland-Palatinate nationalist, then I am probably a Hunsrück nationalist!
What is a nation? A larger group or collective of people with common characteristics such as language, tradition, customs or ancestry. Is ergo one characteristic enough or does it require all characteristics? → then there would be no nation in the actual sense worldwide!
So then patriotism after all? The emotional attachment to one's own homeland, so here then again rather Hunsrück instead of Germany or Europe? Who specifies this spatial delimitation with a kind of general validity?
These definitions are therefore a) individual and b) time-dependent (after all, the Hunsrück was once French, for example, but also Bavarian, but only in part, etc. etc.) and can therefore NEVER develop a general validity.
Values, on the other hand, can! Values cat hauto are not nationalistic, patriotic, political, or otherwise evaluated.
Can we therefore return to values and focus, please!
Let's agree on values and strive for them, please! Everyone, at any time and everywhere.
And I do not mean egoism, egocentricity, power, splendor or the other pseudo-values, which are permanently shown to us and are presented as desirable.
Let's start again with AUFKLÄRUNG, this important idea through rational thinking (!) to overcome all the progress, or better the further development for the better, hindering structures.
By the way:
This also includes: Let's give the sciences back their independence and truth!!!
