Can one be patriotic but not xenophobic, or are they two sides of the same coin? I was wondering about this yesterday: in saying ”I love my country”, does one automatically imply that one likes the other countries less? I love Britain: it’s fields, hills and streams; it’s mighty capital, literature and culture. Yet I love other places too; I love to travel, to meet new people and to experience new things. Do these two loves contradict, or do they complement each other? By saying ”I love the uk”, am I implying that I think it is superior to all other places? That’s what worries me about the current wave of patriotism – yes, we have a great country, but other countries are just as great. I would sing the praises of the uk more if I thought it didn’t carry overtones of xenophobia – increasingly so since Brexit. By the same token, what makes other countries special are the differences between them, so perhaps to prefer one country over another is to appreciate those differences. After all, there are some very bleak places in the world, so one cannot possibly love everywhere. Moreover, how can one love everywhere without having been everywhere. What worries me about patriotism is that people seem to think it means independence, refusing to work with other countries and shunning other cultures. I on the other hand think it means wanting your country to flourish as part of a community of nations; appreciating one’s country and culture, but still being hungry to experience those of other nations. I do not object to british culture being influenced or changing, as I know all cultures change over time as people mix. Thus, for all it’s faults, I think I can say I love the uk, although that is not to imply I think any less of anywhere else.