[Editor's note] "Are you patriotic? If you love your country, don't eat KFC." "Does patriotism have anything to do with eating KFC?" Such conversations are familiar to everyone recently. So what exactly is patriotism? Recently,Professor Xiong Lili, Director of the Department of International Politics, w88 casino of International Relations, w88 casinoAccepted the theoretical micro-interview program "Let's Theorize!" of "People's Forum" 》, point out:What is patriotism? First, we must love our country in a legal way and be a law-abiding citizen; second, we must love our compatriots and respect everyone’s freedom. Third, do your job well and make your own contribution to the development of society.

w88 casino Xiong Lili: Be careful of forcing yourself in the name of patriotism

(Source: People’s Forum Network 2016-7-22）

Is w88 casino irrational for an individual not to eat KFC?

There is no direct causal relationship between patriotism and eating KFC. We don’t talk about rationality, nor about irrationality. For example, if a person particularly hates the United States and therefore chooses not to eat KFC, this does not mean that he is irrational; while others insist on eating KFC, this does not mean that others are not patriotic. Simply equating whether or not to eat KFC with patriotism is truly irrational. Individuals are free to choose to eat or not eat KFC, and w88 casino would be irrational to impose their will on others.

Some media commented that in terms of capital structure, KFC in many places has already received Chinese capital injections and may be acquired by Chinese state-owned capital. If the acquisition is successful, w88 casino would be quite ironic to boycott KFC. The logic behind this statement is that if KFC is a foreign-owned enterprise, then boycotting KFC is patriotic. In fact, this is not the case. Whether or not KFC should be boycotted and in what manner have no causal relationship with whether w88 casino is a foreign-owned company. Even if KFC is a fully foreign-owned enterprise, as long as w88 casino abides by Chinese laws and operates legally, we cannot use illegal means to interfere with the normal operation of the enterprise. There is only one situation in which KFC's business operations should be stopped, and that is when the country needs to stop or restrict the business operations of the company in order to safeguard national interests in accordance with the provisions of current international law. In this case, the business activities of the enterprise should be restricted.

Patriotism is personal freedom, but where is the bottom line?

How to pat one’s country in specific ways is an individual’s right to choose freely. As a modern citizen, abiding by national laws and regulations is the most basic behavioral requirement. How can we be patriotic if we don’t abide by the laws of the country? On the basis of respecting the law, we can express our own patriotic enthusiasm, but we must also respect the patriotic freedom of others. Anyone must express their patriotic enthusiasm within the scope of national laws. This is the bottom line for people to express their patriotic feelings.

For a citizen, whether to eat KFC or not does not involve legal issues, w88 casino is just a free choice in personal life. However, if you force others to follow your own preferences, w88 casino is illegal. So, in what way am I patriotic? As an individual, I feel that not eating KFC is patriotic, and that’s okay. If, therefore, you force others not to eat w88 casino in the name of patriotism, w88 casino will infringe on others' right to make free choices.

As for whether patriotism means punishing a certain country, from a personal level, if you particularly dislike a certain country because of patriotism, that is your freedom, and there is no need for others to criticize you for this. Because that is everyone's freedom to choose the patriotic way. For example, in this KFC incident, some people think they are patriotic, but still eat KFC. That is their freedom; some people choose not to eat KFC because of their patriotism. That is also personal freedom, because a person expresses his patriotic feelings and expresses his dislike of a certain country. These are all issues of people's choice of lifestyle.

Where are the boundaries of collective patriotic behavior?

In addition to individuals expressing their patriotic enthusiasm, there is another phenomenon worth thinking about. We often see group patriotic behavior in media reports. This kind of group patriotic behavior is only feasible under one condition. In today's world, the free w88 system is quite developed, and the relevant international legal system is also relatively sound. This order is generally accepted by all countries in the world, and our country will definitely follow it, because China itself is a country that abides by international law. However, if a country decides to impose w88 sanctions on a certain country in order to safeguard national interests in accordance with the provisions of current international law, in this case, a collective form of patriotic behavior will occur. As citizens, we should also respond to the country's decisions.

Every behavior has boundaries, and collective patriotic behavior is no exception. There are several principles for this type of expression. First, all participating members must be voluntary. Second, it must be within the scope permitted by law. For example, if we simply express our views on boycotting Apple phones for the sake of patriotism, there is nothing wrong with the boycott of Apple phones that has been causing quite a stir these days. But if it goes so far as to destroy the Apple store, it would exceed the limits of patriotic behavior. Moreover, as a sovereign country, any country must abide by the provisions of current international law. No one can confiscate the property of an enterprise or stop its operations at will because of a w88 dispute.

How to be truly patriotic now?

Patriotism is the consensus of the people.

Proposed by the 18th National Congress24The core values of socialism, patriotism is a very important one. Patriotism, dedication, integrity, and friendliness together constitute the basic moral norms of our citizens. This shows that patriotism has become the consensus of contemporary Chinese society and the expression of the common aspirations of the people across the country. w88 casino is a profound national emotion.

So, what is patriotism?

First, we must be patriotic in a legal way and be law-abiding citizens; second, we must love our compatriots and respect everyone’s freedom. Within the scope of the law, everyone has the right to choose a lifestyle, and we must respect this right of others. If someone chooses an illegal lifestyle, such as theft, robbery, etc., of course we can intervene. If w88 casino is just morally unqualified, we can only condemn w88 casino through public opinion. Third, do your job well and make your own contribution to the development of society.

(Compiled by interview with Li Dong of People’s Forum)

Attachment: Original report link

http://politics.rmlt.com.cn/2016/0722/434023.shtml

Micro interview video address