@Ball Fondlers, it's the same in most European countries. Many of the western ones have a colonial history that they tend to sweep under the rug. Australia seems to at least publicly process its history.

It's mostly just brainwashing. They don't know why they are proud, they are just told to be. Turn on the tv. Go aussie go. Proud aussie. 100% australian. blah blah blah

Still I expect the people I respect to have these things in mind and question where such pride comes from and what it can be used for.

Yes, most (or at least many) aussies ignore the past. My parents for example don't acknowledge it

But I can acknowledge the difference between an intrinsic bond with your local region and politically instigated national pride like we see in India for example. To bring the topic back around.

I do see a lot of parallels, yes. And I tend to despise all of the things you just named. And very often the lines are so blurry that they tend to mutate into the same thing.

@corrupt: OK, but you seem to think that one inevitably leads to the other. Local patriotism, patriotism, national identity, chauvinism, nationalism and fascism may have a common root, but IMO they are fundamentally different.