What is patriotism ? Is it White Van Man ?

What is patriotism? I doubt that it's White Van Man hanging up the flag(s) of St George. He's quite entitled to do this, of course. And Emily Thornberry was wrong to sneer as, it appears, she was doing. But UKIP patriotism is indeed nationalism. As is that of the SNP. And Nationalism kills. You don't need to be any sort of historian to know that, 

The Triumph of the 21st Century (as compared with the 20th) has every chance of being pan-nationalism and unity. At least in Europe. Where the 20th Century had lots of "War War" the 21st will have lots of "Jaw Jaw" as we (at times) struggle to make European integration work. UKIP and their fellow travellers on the Tory Right want to withdraw from the European project. They are ignorant fools. As they wave their flags of St George they should reflect where such similiar national bravado got us in our parents and grandparents generations. 

You can be, as I am, happily English, proud to be British and privileged to be European. There is no paradox in this. If I had to fly a flag outside my house and could only choose one it would be the European flag. Because that is the flag which defines patriotism more widely and which is the future. That's my patriotism. Because it doesn't involve killing people. Or deporting them.