We have a guest staying with us from Spain, and he revealed something to me that I thought was interesting. In Spain, nobody likes being Spanish. I am told that people cling tightly to their personal ideals and beliefs, but that your country as a source of pride is considered “fascist” (His words). Maybe it’s because they’re one of the few nations without words to their national anthem, I don’t know. He did mention that when he’s traveling outside of his country, it’s completely different, as Spain is the symbol of your home and it’s ok to feel some affinity to your country.

We, as United States Citizens, would never do this. Patriotism is equally valued by almost everyone, from Michael Moore to John Ashcroft, and everyone claims they would rather be in the United States than any other nation in the world. In this way, the United States is quite the opposite of Spain: Spaniards shun their nation as a way of highlighting their personal ideals, while Americans embrace their nation by assuming it stands for whatever they happen to believe in.