"The greater the state, the more wrong and cruel its patriotism, and the greater is the sum of suffering upon which its power is founded"

In this quote, Leo Tolstoy appears to reveal his important viewpoint on patriotism and state power. He suggests that the larger a state becomes, the more damaged and inhumane its patriotism tends to be. By associating patriotism with wrongness and cruelty, Tolstoy mentions the unfavorable effects of blindly supporting one's nation. Additionally, he suggests that the power of a state is built on the suffering of its people. This notion challenges the extensively accepted notion that patriotism and state power are virtuous and beneficial. Tolstoy's words welcome us to assess the possible dark side of patriotism and to question the structures upon which specifies obtain their power.