ABSTRACT
Patriotism and its resulting wars give an enormous revenue to the newspaper trade and profits to many other trades. One would expect the harmfulness and irrationality of patriotism to be evident to everybody. But the surprising fact is that cultured and learned men not only do not themselves notice the harm and stupidity of patriotism, but resist every exposure of it with the greatest obstinacy and ardor and continue to belaud it as beneficent and elevating. That horrible measure, outraging all man's best feelings in the grossest manner, was acquiesced in without murmur by the people of Germany under the influence of patriotism. And therefore emancipation from patriotism and the de-struction of the despotism of government that rests upon it, cannot but be beneficial to mankind. A government therefore is the most dangerous organization possible, especially when it is entrusted with military power.
