Patriotism confers upon nations a degree of protection against attack by indoctrinating citizens into defending their country even at a risk to themselves.
As such, it has its uses, since we crave the security afforded by a stable nation state. In certain circumstances, though, nationalism behaves like a hyperimmune condition, treating benign phenomena as hostileattacks. At that point, patriotism becomes a threat to the nation’s health rather than a guarantor of security.