Patriotism: Con V Pro (Short Debate)

Lets briefly argue about the necessity and logic behind patriotism, I will be con, opponent pro.

R1- just acceptance.

R2-3-comments:
actual debate.

Patriotism is essential for any country. Truly patriotic citizens who love the country that they are in will be happier than those who hate or just dislike their country. If you were hiring for a large company and there were two candidates for the same job and both of them had the same skill set but one of the candidates loved the company you were hiring for and were satisfied with how it"s run the best bet is to select the candidate who liked the state of the corporation. Another argument for this would be to hire a babysitter who likes kids. If you are going to be a part of something you have to love the thing you are a part of.

Ok here is my argument. First off i'd like to state that your reasoning is tainted, the opposite of patriotism is not dislike or hatred, but merely indifference and an open mind. So here is my reasoning as to why one should not patriotic, especially considering braggarts like your average stereotypical US sports fan.

To be patriotic means to defend your country right or wrong no matter what. In the case of America for instance, why would you back a nation plagued with a dastardly past and present (slavery, mass genocides, oil theft in Afghanistan etc). Patriots typically back their country because it gives them a sense of strong identity, proclaiming how their army and economy is one of the greatest. But this demonstrates ignorance, just because one is dominant does not make them moral. It feels like patriotism is an excuse to hide behind personal struggles, thus creating bias and self defence mechanisms. To expand, here's a quick quote from Quora; "I think that people who support their country's policies, no matter whether they are right or wrong, usually do so because they don't know much about other people in other countries", Exactly could not agree anymore, I highly doubt patriotic stereotypes spend time studying and learning about other cultures and societies.

I believe the best way forward is to demonstrate understanding and knowledge of your countries policies, but don't use it as an ego boost, and definitely don't back it w/out research, otherwise peoples will come at you with brains and teach you a lesson.