I feel a little sorry sometimes for dedicated supporters of "isms"- such as communism, fascism, liberalism etc as it seems to me that you can't be "for" an ism without being "anti" someone else's. 

Romeo & Juliet had family troubles but imagine their problems if they had been Romeo Stalin and Juliet Mussolini. Even today, I don't think many conservatives are happy bed-fellows with staunch labourites, or even Liberals.

No, I am happy with my solitary "ism" which is patriotism. I am a patriot (and a bit of a monarchist too). I believe that those things that the UK does well, it does better than most other countries in the world. Picture a village with yellow sandstone cottages that glistens in the rain; there is a green near the centre, complete with duck-pond & cricket pitch, and the village pub and church are both nearby. The sound of leather on willow and the chimes of an ice-cream van permeate the air .... it could only be the UK.

The UK punches well above its weight at the Olympics, has excelled in music over the last 50+ years and in literature since Shakespeare was a lad. We're second in the overall list of nobel Prize winners and the Industrial revolution was driven by the UK. Something in the order of 30% of world trade came from the UK.

I am happy to agree that the Russian classics are marvelous, and that France produces great cheese, wine & style. Also, the world would be a much poorer place without having been graced by Beethoven, Wagner, Chopin et al, and who could deny the greatness of New Zealand on the rugby pitch?

No, my patriotism lets me accept that other countries achieve greatness too and produce their own patriots. It's just that I am happy with mine as their achievements can never detract from those of my country - they all rank with each other to give us the wonderful world in which we live.