RUSSIA'S JEWISH PEOPLE 91 



of other evils are wrought, and sufferings are inflicted 

 by Christians against Christians, who, religiously, 

 are taught to love each other, to do good to one 

 another, and who patriotically are taught to despise 

 or hate or overreach each other. He regarded patriot- 

 ism as both stupid and immoral, stupid because every 

 country regarded itself superior to all others, and 

 immoral, because it lures nations to possess themselves 

 of advantages at the cost of the others, thus violating 

 the fundamental law of morality, that of not doing 

 unto others that which we do not want others to do 

 unto us. When rulers or diplomats have certain ends 

 in view, some land greed to gratify, they excite 

 enthusiastic patriotism at home by inciting hatred 

 against the country to be victimized, and deluded 

 citizens murder and cripple each other by the thou- 

 sands, paralyze their respective country's commerce 

 and industry, bring untold sufferings upon countless 

 innocents, in the belief that they are serving their 

 own best interests, when they are only gratifying 

 diplomats' ambitions, or rulers' covetousness, or 

 assuring the permanence of parasitical dynasties. 

 Patriotism, therefore, is the strongest ally of rulers 

 in the promotion of war, and in the prevention of 

 the earth-wide establishment of the brotherhood of 

 man. 



I must confess that I was somewhat taken aback 

 by his severe strictures on patriotism, which I had, 

 up till then, regarded as one of the noblest sentiments 

 of the human heart, and I, therefore, ventured, later 

 in the evening, when seated with him in the arbour, 



