The problem is compounded by the tendency among leftists in the West to think that peoples in the South ought to have the same attitude toward patriotism as the one they have toward patriotism in the North.
But things don't work that way in the South.
[WS:] So you are swapping Southern exceptionalism for American excpetionalism, huh?
I find it amusing that someone like you lectures me about having a 'western' or 'northern' perspective. I spent considerably more time outside the influence sphere of the United States and its Western European allies than most US- or Canada resident members of this list (with the possible exception of Ravi) - including places in Asia and Africa. In my experience, US intellectuals going native and being more "global southern" as you say it or "eastern" is one of the most ridiculous sights one can encounter in those places - second only to those US-ers who rigidly and arrogantly refuse to go beyond their US lifestyles and thinking.
The trick, Yoshie, is to maintain a balance - something that US-ers are not very good at. A "western" or "northern" intellectual will always be a western or northern intellectual, no matter how much he/she prostrates him/herself before the "global South." In fact, the more he/she prostrates him/herself, the less respect he/she earns from the people in those areas. He/she may be a useful idiot for the propaganda machines of "southern" or "eastern" regimes and earn some flattery that way, but he/she is seen as either being a fake or a star-eyed naïve ignoramus who does not know any better by the local populations.
Respect is given only to those who respect themselves, who are proud of who they are and their own heritage (pardon that dreadful phrase), but at the same time respect others and their heritage. Eagles do not shit in their own nests - as they say in the old country - and that is why they earn so much respect.
Unlike you (and perhaps others on this list) I am not an intellectual quisling - I am pretty much proud of my "northern" or "white" heritage (as you would say), and my Eastern European heritage as well, because this is what I am, whether I - and anyone else - like it or not. This, however, does not prevent me from looking at that heritage in a quite critical way, or from respecting what is worth respect in other cultures while being critical of what is not.
With that in mind, let me say for the record that the US or EU are a pretty good places to live, and I pretty much appreciate that. I also believe that most people outside those areas would like to have - and deserve! - the same quality of life for themselves - and that is why they pursue economic development, emulate "northern" or "western" institutions, fight for democracy and human rights and, for that matter, emigrate to the US or EU when they have a chance. This is pretty obvious for everyone with open eyes and minds. Only hack propagandists (here and abroad) who make their careers on kvetching about "northern" and "western" institutions can deny that with a straight face.
I also believe that people of all nations and cultures want pretty much the same - a decent quality of material life - similar to that in the EU or the US (even though the latter is falling behind) - and regardless of what hack propagandists for the regimes claiming to 'represent' these people say. True, people can be often brought to nationalistic frenzy, but at the end of the day most of them (save a few crazies) want peace, prosperity and good relations with their neighbors. They do not give a flying fuck about -"isms" that their leaders tell them to believe, let alone wanting to die for them, even though some of them are brainwashed to do so. All they want is to live in an "America" - either by creating it in their own places or by moving to the places where it has already been created. Any "western" or "northern" intellectual telling otherwise and expecting people to thrive on this or that ideology simply lack basic credibility.
Wojtek