[Prodigal Son]

For what it's worth, The Times is not a leftie paper and Simon Barnes is a sports writer. I seriously doubt he is a commie wanker. His article is celebratory in nature. You have to place his comments in context. Overt patriotism is not really "in style" in the UK and much of Europe. In fact, it's often frowned upon. It seemed to me that Barnes was pointing out that patriotism doesn't have to be ugly- indeed it can uplifting.

[hellinahandcart]

It seemed to me that Barnes was pointing out that patriotism doesn't have to be ugly- indeed it can uplifting.

Well, I guess that when a sports writer starts out with the belief that patriotism IS ugly (or as he put it, needing to be cleansed of its intrinsic malice), and that "nationalistic celebrations" are rooted in "hatred or bile or bitterness or resentment or defiance or bigotry or boasting", inevitably evoking the Nuremberg rally he can't help but mention even in a sports article-- I suppose that when such a person admits that patriotism doesn't have to be all bad, it could appear to be quite open-minded and benign to some of his readers.

But not to me. What a miserable puke...

Overt patriotism is not really "in style" in the UK and much of Europe.

OK, he's a miserable puke AND a slave to fashion. Lousy left-leaning metrosexual...