Nationalism is ok isn't it? During the world cup it is anyway. It's a time when you can unashamedly hang your flag out of your car window and shout at passersby, safe in the knowledge that they know the context - there's a football tournament on and you want your country to win.
If it was a war and those people were on the opposing side then it would be a bit different - the car would be chased like it was an ice cream van on the hottest day of the year.
So anyway it's not a war, everything's hunky dory, no-one's singing 'how do you solve a problem like Korea?' but if they were you wouldn't hear them for the Vuvuzelas. Incidentally, I disliked them at first because I wanted to hear the crowd noises, but I have since grown to enjoy them for no other reason than I know I'll miss the world cup when it goes off to hibernate for four years and one of the things I've learned in life is that nostalgia tends to drag a little, so appreciate what you've got while it’s there.
Flags, nationalism, World Cup, nostalgia. "But what has this got to do with animals?" I hear you shout over the din of the Vuvuzelas.
Well, the other day on the news there was a report on a proposed re-introduction of sea eagles to the Suffolk coast and a debate over whether it’s right to re-introduce this 'native' species (native is generally held to mean 'was here before the end of the last ice age 10,000 years ago). They have already done it on the East Coast of Scotland and now if you're lucky you can see these giant birds of prey on our shores for the first time since they became extinct in the UK at the start of the 20th century.
The beaver is another high-profile example of a reintroduced native species with three families being introduced to Argyll in May 2009.
These reintroductions are not without controversy (Suffolk pig farmers opposed the Sea Eagle reintroduction), but there seems a generally held belief that the subtle balance of life on our island will not be upset as there is a distinct 'Britishness' about these creatures, a niche in nature that has been left unfilled can now be made whole again.
Are there then no animals or plants that say 'Dam (sic) its those beavers again'? Likewise there'll be small seabirds on the coast of Scotland that will hastily be retreating back to their nests as the great shadow looms overhead - 'The party's over - check out the wingspan on that guy'!
The American Mink and Grey Squirrel fall into a different category - the 'non-native' species (introduced mainly by man over the last two thousand years). For these and many other animals such as the Ring-Necked Parakeet (gone from hero to zero in 40 years!) and the Red-Eared Terrapin great challenges lie ahead.
If these animals keep their heads down, don't mate too much and certainly don't eat too many of the natives, we'll just about tolerate them. My cat is ok as even though she's descended from North African stock, she now considers herself Scottish and bears an uncanny resemblance to ginger ex-footballer, Gordon Strachan.
Using football terminology, once an animal starts throwing its weight around and having a detrimental effect on our native flora and fauna, it will find itself relegated to the 'invasive species' category and before you know it, people are walking around like Daleks shouting 'exterminate, exterminate'.
Unfortunately the grey squirrel has proven to be a great survivor and is making life difficult for the reds and the American Mink which was introduced in the 1800s, so we could farm its fur, is feeding on ground-nesting birds in the Hebrides.
These aren't just any birds though... these are our birds or so we believe. Native birds. British Birds. Likewise, the red squirrel couldn't be any more British in our eyes if he stuffed his cheeks with acorns, donned a union-jack cape and did an impression of a bulldog humming the Eastenders theme tune. Grrr woof!
"So, what has all this got to do with football?" I hear you shout above the din of the Vuvuzelas. I'm not sure exactly, sorry, but I'll have a go (in the manner of Jerry Springer).
We live in a world in constant flux, some natural, some manmade. We've tampered with nature and many creatures are paying a high price for this - it’s our fault not the greys' that the red squirrel is in peril so let's not punish them for our misdemeanours.
Likewise I feel for the American Mink who has been unlucky enough to be made into clothes for a good number of years and then as soon as they get a taste of freedom, they're being clumsily wiped out, one by one, till in the words of the body looking after this project, they 'Eradicate American Mink from the entire Western Isles Archipelago'.
Let’s find a way to help the reds that doesn't involve slaughtering countless greys and lets also not be so certain that some animals deserve our care and others elimination. We should celebrate these more recent additions to our lands, after all if they were footballers they'd be eligible to be picked for our national team.
Just try explaining offside to a squirrel though.