“Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious”

“The greatest patriotism is to tell your country when it is behaving dishonorably, foolishly, viciously.”

“Patriotism is proud of a country's virtues and eager to correct its deficiencies; it also acknowledges the legitimate patriotism of other countries, with their own specific virtues. The pride of nationalism, however, trumpets its country's virtues and denies its deficiencies, while it is contemptuous toward the virtues of other countries. It wants to be, and proclaims itself to be, "the greatest", but greatness is not required of a country; only goodness is.”

“Patriotism is as much a virtue as justice, and is as necessary for the support of societies as natural affection is for the support of families.”

“Patriotism is a virtue of the wicked.Irreverence is the champion of liberty, it's only sure defence.The Golden eye of justice sees, bequites the unjust man”

“It was only after I'd grown up and left that I developed an attitude [towards the South]. And at first my attitude was that I was ashamed of it. But the older I got the more I realize that the transgressions of the South were the transgressions of mankind, and that there were certain things that were superior. There is a cultural attitude in the South that embraces respect for family...and in some ways for country. Although patriotism is not among the highest virtues on my list, still, the patriot believes in something larger than himself, and it is therefore a virtue. There is an attitude in the South that there is more to life than the moment.”