[starkd]

A lot of that is just patriotism, which is perfectly necessary for any country that hopes to thrive. But it's not just a matter of paying your taxes, as the government is a very different entity than the country itself, though they do overlap to various extents.

[palmetieri2000]

I entirely disagree with the perspective that patriotism is necessary for a country to thrive. There may be some argument that it is beneficial but I would like to see evidence of its necessity.

[starkd]

Then what you are thinking of is not so much a country but an economy.