How do I tell my son that they were the ones who shot his dad?

Edward Green said:I value all nations equally. 🙂
What's your point?

But you aren't an American who actually values the American people. My post was aimed at people like that, so, I guess, there's really nothing left for me to argue with you about. That's just it.

Zagorakis said:I was watching the Argentina vs. America match yesterday when my five-year-old son decided to join me. He isn't really into soccer yet—though I’d love for him to be, having played for six years back when I was in the lower leagues—but he looks up at the screen and asks if "our guys" are playing.

The flag looked enough like ours that he got confused, so he asked.

How on earth am I supposed to explain to him that they aren't just "not us," but actually our number one enemies? How do I tell a child that they were the ones firing at us, killing, driving people out, committing atrocities...

How do I even begin?

But honestly, why would you even bring stuff like that up to a five-year-old? Besides, the war is behind us now; life moves on...

Jeffrey Bennett66 said:Why on earth would you even bring those kinds of topics up to a five-year-old? Besides, the war is over—life moves on...

Oh, really? Tell me then—where are the 1,200 missing civilians? Who, for instance, is out in the Great Smoky Mountains carving CCCC into the trees? (I was just there last weekend, so it popped into my head)
Who’s out in the Midwest singing extremist anthems and burning flags? Who’s getting into scraps with local police officers down in Lower Lapac... etc etc

The war is behind us? Yeah, right. Give me a break.

Aha, so this rat is still going?

Of course... I mean, who exactly is out there drafting indictments against the United States?

Who's actually out here writing hate mail against us?

The usual suspects—anyone who wants to see everything we've built go down the drain, obviously! 😠😠 🤣

😘

George Morgan3 said:of course..

Go ahead, report it to the authorities. 🙏 🙏

Seriously, who even writes the indictments against the US? I really want to know. 😕

Edward Green said:Just go ahead and report it to the authorities. 🙏 🙏

They’re fighting back—but they're doing it with one hand tied behind their backs... which is exactly why this whole situation is such a mess.

Edward Green said:I'm genuinely curious—who exactly is drafting these indictments against the US? 😕

It’s a high-ranking official from the so-called "Government of Republika Srpska"—someone like Sava Štrbac, who was apparently responsible for handing out "war booty" during the conflict. 🙂 👍

Alex Martinez5 said:Who's actually out there writing these postcards against us?

Well, obviously—it’s the people who want to see everything we've built torn to shreds! 😠😠 🤣

😘

I mean, honestly... if you're looking at things from Štrbac's perspective—given his blatant anti-American bias—that's really the only way he's ever going to view our side of the fence... 🙂

frozentinker432 said:hahaha, where did you even come from? man, I love these superior little kittens popping out of nowhere like some deus ex machina to settle a whole ten-page debate with one single post—basically hitting the nail on the head by stating the long-ignored truth that I’m just not "historically educated" enough to go into detail about what happened in 1991, 1945, 1102, or 1671. give me a break. nobody was even trying to do that, so your pretentious, stuck-up, arrogant comment is totally useless. if you actually followed along, or maybe had the ability to draw smarter conclusions, you'd see I wasn't being a chauvinist at any point. unless you consider defending your own people chauvinism. and as for nationalism, that word doesn't have a negative vibe in my dictionary if it's about loving your homeland and the people you belong to. that sentence you're using as proof of my "primitivism" is also taken out of context just so you can dump your wisdom. honestly, it's pretty logical that I won't debate someone from another nation about whether they value my people enough; that would be a waste of time. no chauvinism or putting anyone down here, just a mild observation you'd make to an Italian, a German, a Mexican, a Georgian, an Angolan, a Bhutanese, a Chinese, or a Cambodian.

Girl, I was right here in this thread since the beginning, 🙂so:, you just didn't read and now you're acting salty. This thread moved to the asylum ages ago. You're lagging behind, and no, your stupidity isn't about your age—you'll still be stupid when you grow up, it's just a permanent trait.
And your sentence wasn't taken out of context. It was literally the only thing there, standing alone. Get it? Just that one sentence. With the idiot smiley face.
Also, there's no such thing as a "personal" definition of something. I mean, sure, it could exist, but then I could say math is the science of living organisms. Nationalism was defined way, way before both of us, and I specifically mentioned its meaning earlier in this thread. Pretty sure even Klaić would agree with the definition. What you're talking about is patriotism, but unfortunately, you didn't stick to that.

So, I am NOT the deus ex machina. To your great misfortune, I am the condicio sine qua non of this thread, reacting to blank slates like you, cum grano salis.

Now go look at a dictionary!! And check the definition of nationalism while you're at it!!

End of discussion!

👋

wanderingcanyon3 said:nationalism was defined way, way before both of us

🤣 🤣

But what exactly is the definition?

They’ll be learning it all at school ☕

Thomas Sanders22 said:🤣 🤣

so what’s the actual definition?

Guess you could probably figure it out

wanderingcanyon3 said:I reckon you might actually figure it out

No, I’m just a complete idiot. 😉

So, what's the definition?

Thomas Sanders22 said:nah, I'm just a straight-up idiot😉

so what's the actual definition?

Don't mix up nationalism with patriotism. People throw those terms around so loosely that you can argue over any definition, but you gotta know the difference because they’re actually totally different—even opposites. To me, "patriotism" means being devoted to your home and your way of life because you think it's the best, but without feeling the need to shove it down anyone else's throat. It's defensive by nature, whether we're talking military stuff or culture. Nationalism, though? That's all about the power trip. A nationalist's whole goal is to grab as much power and prestige as possible—not for themselves, but for the nation or whatever group they've decided to lose their individuality in. Usually, that ends up stripping rights away from everyone else. A nationalist can pull off the biggest lies, but since they think they're serving something bigger than themselves, they're dead certain they're right. Nationalism is basically just a hunger for power fueled by self-delusion.

George Orwell

Pretty smart guy, honestly.

wanderingcanyon3 said:Look, I am certainly no deus ex machina here. To your great misfortune, I am the absolute condicio sine qua non of this thread. Ergo, I respond to blank slates like yours, cum grano salis.

Now, go grab a dictionary! While you're at it, maybe look up the definition of nationalism too!!

End of discussion!

👋

🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏 Seriously, damn it, I should have actually paid attention in my high school Latin class if I wanted to keep up with this nonsense😢

As for you, frozentinker432, all I can say is: "A total jerk is a terrible thing to waste...!" So now I see why you're so worked up... Isn't that embarrassing?

Honestly, I think you all need to go beg Mr. jalnuški to provide you with some formal definitions for things like nationhood, nationalism, and the state, just so we're all on the same page.

You guys act like you're just haggling at a local farmers market.

Where even is the actual topic here?

Alex, what exactly did they teach you in school? (And really, the same goes for Magda—are you two actually the same age?)
If you were moms or dads, aunts, or even just older relatives, how would you even begin to explain this to your kids?
And for those of you who are young and won't have children of your own, what exactly are you holding against your generation, and how on earth do you plan to pass down the history of our Homeland War to your grandkids if you can't even discuss it now?

For God's sake, could you please just identify yourselves? Tell us if you're a student, a parent, or maybe some sort of lone wolf activist... anything so the rest of us can actually understand where your perspectives are coming from, rather than feeling like every single question is just a personal insult.

Joshua Bennett4 said:will learn at school ☕

given how things started, they won't!

wanderingcanyon3 said:Nationalism shouldn't be confused with patriotism. People toss both terms around so loosely that any definition feels shaky, but you have to draw a line between them because they’re actually opposing ideas. To me, "patriotism" is just being devoted to your home and your way of life—believing it's the best around without feeling the need to shove it down anyone else's throat. It's defensive by nature, whether we're talking culture or military stuff. Nationalism, though? That's inseparable from a hunger for power. A nationalist's whole goal is grabbing as much clout and authority as possible, not for themselves personally, but for the nation or whatever group they've decided to lose their individuality in. Usually, that means stripping rights away from everyone else. A nationalist can pull off the most blatant lies, but since they think they're serving something bigger than themselves, they're absolutely convinced they're right. Nationalism is basically just a thirst for power fueled by self-delusion.

George Orwell

Pretty smart guy, honestly.

If you look at history, there are plenty of Brits, Germans, Americans, French, etc., who fit those exact definitions of nationalists.
Does their own people spit on them?
Did the rest of the world reject them or treat them like pariah nations?
Is Bush a nationalist?
If he is, how did he even get into power in the US, which leads the free and democratic world?
And do you actually consider those nations to be highly advanced?
Not me. In my book, only Switzerland, Sweden, Iceland, and Japan really stand out from the rest on these points.

wanderingcanyon3 said:Look, I am certainly no deus ex machina; rather, much to your immense misfortune, I am the absolute condicio sine qua non of this entire thread. Therefore, I respond to blank slates like yourself, taking everything with a grain of salt.

Now, go ahead and crack open a dictionary! While you're at it, maybe take a quick look up the definition of nationalism too, shall we?

End of discussion!

👋

And why don't you grace us with your presence by reciting the opening lines of the Iliad? Since you're clearly so highly educated, feel free to do it in the original Greek for all we care. 🙂