Countries are always judged by their people. I've got a theory that I want holes shot in so I'll put it out here. Lesser (hideous vile) people naturally associate themselves with things that will hide their quality of character. They lose themselves in the group - the KKK, Nazism, bad cults. Often they misappropriate a good cause and turn it into shit - I'd say the Black Panthers might fall here. Nationalism is no different. It can attract highly outspoken morons easily. Like moths to light, and they swarm to it in clouds. Patriotism is generally viewed as a good thing so it gives them a mask to wear. Meanwhile the good people - by their inherently tolerant nature - tend to rise above national boundaries and instead focus on people. Because they're concerned with everyone, it's hard to tie a nationality to them. Eventually this translates into a global redefinition of what an American patriot is where the loudest group dominates the news people see.
once you let the vampire in... I think you're neglecting the relativism of morality. Those you view as lesser are often those that consider themselves the most pure - the KKK aren't a bunch of nefarious racists in their minds, they're Aryan purists out to unify and preserve the hegemony of the master race against the lesser species of God. The Nazis were only creating lebensraum for the Ubermensch. Aum Shinrikyo didn't spread nerve gas on a Tokyo subway because they were supervillians; they were hastening the coming of the apocalypse and the enlightenment of all mankind. I think you're closer to a defensible argument if you state that those without a strong internal moral compass seek strong external reinforcement. "Lost" people "find" themselves in strict organizations all the time - it's an organizational trope. This is why shiftless adolescents are often shunted into the military. There's nothing inherently bad about nationalism. Problems occur when it transcends morality. You're right - for those with a stunted internal compass, it's a lot easier to argue that torture is OK because The President Said So than to bulk up your conscience and decide you've been following the wrong leader. But that doesn't mean Scientologists join Scientology because they're shady.I've got a theory that I want holes shot in so I'll put it out here.
I think you're right. That's a pretty important distinction to make too. This doesn't make everyone who joins a group like the Manson Family a shit person. It also explains whistleblowers and informants as people who grow stronger moral fiber - or had it to begin with - and become dissatisfied with the organization. That's much more inclusive. I like it.
Just my two cents, I think that kind of sentiment is pretty new. Nationalism in my mind is at an all time low in favor of trans-nationalism, or more generally humanism.Meanwhile the good people - by their inherently tolerant nature - tend to rise above national boundaries and instead focus on people. Because they're concerned with everyone, it's hard to tie a nationality to them.