Historian Howard Zinn argues that nationalism and all its symbols should be renounced. Zinn sees little value and immense danger in symbols such as flags, anthems, and pledges of allegiance, which he sees as tools powerful governments use to maintain and increase their power--with murderous and destructive results. According to Zinn, "we need to assert our allegiance to the human race, and not to any one nation."
I don't see flags, anthems, and pledges as mere tools of government power, even if they have a long, bloody history of being used as such. They may be symbols of genuine patriotism, which is a humble patriotism. The patriot is honest about his country's virtues and vices. Patriotism is the love of one's country; nationalism is the hatred of all others. Joe Sobran, following Chesterton, said it well: "You love your country as you love your mother — simply because it is yours, not because of its superiority to others, particularly superiority of power."
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