I think it's extremely offensive for immigrants to come to our nation and be blasted by unwanted nationalism. We should ban U.S. flags to be more welcome towards foreigners. I think it's extremely stupid and Republican-like that we still wave our U.S. flags without knowing how uncomfortable it makes foreigners (Europeans, Asians, Australians, illegal immigrants, etc.) feel.
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The first governments were kingships, probably for this reason, because of old, when cities were small, men of eminent virtue were few. Further, they were made kings because they were benefactors, and benefits can only be bestowed by good men. But when many persons equal in merit arose, no longer enduring the pre-eminence of one, they desired to have a commonwealth, and set up a constitution. The ruling class soon deteriorated and enriched themselves out of the public treasury; riches became the path to honor, and so oligarchies naturally grew up. These passed into tyrannies and tyrannies into democracies; for love of gain in the ruling classes was always tending to diminish their number, and so to strengthen the masses, who in the end set upon their masters and established democracies.