Mick -- yes, you may safely assume that I regard the self-glorification of empire of any stripe as bullshit. Extremes of Nationalism and Patriotism are what have brought the world to its present sorry state. My suspicion is that it's too deeply rooted in human nature (read: reptilian brain) to change.

Nationalism/Patriotism is the mistaken notion that the accident of the geopolitical location of one's birth has higher meaning than membership of the human race and citizenship of Planet Earth.

Cheers,
Michael