Your country vs your government

C

Ceol Mhor

New member
Seriously, I don't see any difference between country and government. There are plenty of people who say things along the lines of loving the country but not the government. When I try to come up with a definition of the country, though, I really draw a blank.

I can't think of any factor that enncompasses the whole US, but isn't directly related to government. If you distrust the government, then what is it about the US as a country that holds your loyalty?
 
The Government is composed of elected people.....

The country is made up of those Citizens who give the Government its legitimate power.
 
I see "country" as referring to the people. The government is nothing more than a group of people that we give power to. I like the country, the ideals it's supposed to be fostering, the concepts it was founded on, and most of the people I know in it. But I do not like the government, more specifically the decisions that the people running the government have made. Nor do I like the fact that the basic ideals behind the creation of the country - life, liberty, yada yada yada - are quietly being trampled on.

Then again there are facets about the people that I don't like either. I don't like that many of them will gladly give up freedoms for a false sense of security. I don't like that many of them don't bother to vote yet still complain. I don't like that most of them are so easily turned by a few eloquent words. I don't like how so many of them want to stop others from living however they please and I don't like how some of them persecute others based on religious ideals.

I'm never one to say "This is the greatest country in the world!" because I don't subscribe to the theory that any country can meet that standard for everyone nor do I believe that any one country can offer everything I want. But I still like the country. I don't know about love; I have love for my friends, my pets, and yes even some inanimate objects like my car because I've put so much time and effort into building a machine to my liking that I consider it a part of me. I hold the ideals of freedom and equality close to my heart but I kinda don't get the concept of loving a country.

:confused: Not saying that anyone is wrong in doing so, I just haven't quite figured out how to approach it. I'd be willing to lay my life down for those ideals that this country represents (at least, most of the ideals...policing the world is not one I approve of) but then again I don't feel I have to love something to risk my life for it. I have a very clinical definition of love anyways so I guess that somewhat alters my perception.


WHere was I? Oh yeah, love of country. I'm cool with anyone that says he loves his country or his government or his flag. I do, however, feel it's rude to call someone "unamerican" for not saying the same.
 
I liken country to gov as patriotism to nationalism.

""By "patriotism" I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseperable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality. ""

-George Orwell
 
I can get back up on my soap box and give ya the long winded version....or just check out some of my old posts...The bottom line is, you ARE a member of the government if you vote.

And remember....vote....a lot....when ever you can....
 
I hope I remember these right.
Country is a casual/popular term for a geopolitical entity.
Nation is an artificial entity comprised of a body of like-spirited people
State is an artificial entity comprised of the official political apparatus of a geographical area
Government seems to be the collection of people (elected, appointed, and hired) who receive a paycheck from the treasury, as well as all the internal rules, regulations, laws, etc. promulgated by the state.

(I sort of made up the country and government definitions, but I think they're accurate. The nation and state definitions are fairly standard.)

Usually when someone wants to be specific about meaning, they specify nation, state, or government, because country is rather nebulous.

A nation is not attached to any geographical boundaries, unlike the other three. It's more of an ephemeral common spirit... e.g. the "nation of islam"... Though a country with a coherent national identity is also a nation.

When people who differentiate between government and country, I think they intend country to mean nation.

The trouble is, when someone says "I love my country", you can't immediately tell whether they mean "I love my government" ["It's my country, right or wrong..."] or "I love my nation" ["I love what this country stands for"], or even "I love my state" [which these days would have international relations connotations: "I love how my state is participating in world affairs"]
 
Maybe this will help:

I love my country, as it was founded.

I don't like my country, as it is now.

I don't trust the government, as it stands.

I support the troops, in anything that they do, because I was one of them.

I will not support our troops, if they fail to uphold their oath.

I stay with this country, because it's better than the alternative at this moment.

Wayne
 
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