The difference is that states rights was a common cheer by Southerners in the war of northern aggression. Since, at 1860, southerners owned slaves(or for the vast majority, aspired to one day own a slave), while northerners wanted blacks out of the country altogether, modern progressives have associated the mantra of states rights with slave-holding as opposed to the virtuous non slave holding racism of the north. Because of this interpretation of history, states rights has been associated with conservatives and a strong federal government has been associated with progressives. This is, of course, an oversimplification (and somewhat tongue in cheek). Having a strong central government also helps progressives implement programs and taxes which cannot be escaped from by the rich who don't want them and must pay for them. Meanwhile having small state governments gives people the option to leave their state and move to one where the liberties conservatives are always droning on about are better preserved.

Since states rights are associated with conservatives in American politics, they are also associated with the flag waving, support our troops chauvinism you described. Unless of course you're in the deep south, in which case they still support the troops, but they're often waving confederate flags.

This kind of makes sense in the context of Euroscepticism, though. The kind of people who are sceptical of European central power often flag wave for their home country. I think the difference is that in the United States the home countries (states) have been so reduced in power that the symbol of ones homeland is the American flag, no longer any individual state flag.

The difference is that states rights was a common cheer by Southerners in the war of Northern aggression. Since, at 1860, Southerners owned slaves(or for the vast majority, aspired to one day own a slave), while Northerners wanted blacks out of the country altogether, modern progressives have associated the mantra of states rights with slave-holding as opposed to the virtuous non slave holding racism of the north. Because of this interpretation of history, states rights has been associated with conservatives and a strong federal government has been associated with progressives. This is, of course, an oversimplification (and somewhat tongue in cheek). Having a strong central government also helps progressives implement programs and taxes which cannot be escaped from by the rich who don't want them and must pay for them. Meanwhile having small state governments gives people the option to leave their state and move to one where the liberties conservatives are always droning on about are better preserved.

Since states rights are associated with conservatives in American politics, they are also associated with the flag waving, support our troops chauvinism you described. Unless of course you're in the deep south, in which case they still support the troops, but they're often waving confederate flags.

This kind of makes sense in the context of Euroscepticism, though. The kind of people who are sceptical of European central power often flag wave for their home country. I think the difference is that in the United States the home countries (states) have been so reduced in power that the symbol of one's homeland is the American flag, no longer any individual state flag.