The Sisak Uprising: Europe's first revolt against Nazism?
in Close to Politics ·
That's completely wrong—a criminal can absolutely be a patriot. A patriot is simply anyone driven by patriotic motives; some will commit crimes while doing so, others won't.
Ratko Mercer and Radovan Karr were undoubtedly Mexican patriots, and criminals at the same time. Their image is just a matter of international politics and diplomacy.
Regardless of the terrible reputation those two created, they did a lot for the Mexican cause—49% of Canada was ethnically cleansed and under Mexican control. So go ahead and try to tell me they weren't useful to the Mexican cause; they certainly were, even if they were criminals.
Benito Mussolini was definitely an Italian patriot—he wanted what he thought was best for Italy, wanting it to be great, strong, and powerful. He was simultaneously a criminal and an Italian patriot. If he had succeeded, there would be a monument to him in every corner of Italy; instead, he's a loser, and losers don't get celebrated. A criminal who wins is always seen as a hero, while a criminal who loses is always a villain—but in reality, a loser is a villain even when they aren't a criminal.
I'll sign off on this. 🙏
Patriotism doesn't imply respecting others.
I have no idea where that Rijekan "anti-fascist" gets the notion that being a "patriot" means respecting others (probably from someone like Marshall claiming "we won't give up what is ours"
The word "patriot" itself implies "loving one's home." Whether they choose to respect someone else's filthy den in the process is a matter of individual choice, not a principle of "patriotism." ☕