In other news, I made awesome shrimp ravioli last night. Tasted even better for lunch today.

Whats going on here, someone just took a late night class in philosophy?

indeed

I believe that mutual rapprochement should be a desirable goal, not the opposite.

Mentioning both terms in the same breath only hardens political fronts and widens the gap between "left" and "right", which is a serious social issue of our time.

However, I think it's wrong to view fascism as the logical consequence of patriotism.

You can only be proud of something that you have created, played a significant role in, or fundamentally influenced, which is why patriotism on a national level is completely alien to me.