Most political philosophers, I try to keep at an arm’s length. This is especially true when they are alluring, like the Sirens who can invite us to crash into the rocks willingly.
Max Stirner is one of those for me. I don’t judge anybody who follows or admire or quotes but I myself can’t look because I don’t want to adopt somebody else’s philosophy nor do I have a thick enough wall to hold my own simultaneously when they’re conceptually alluring.
All can be ‘spooks’ while still being pragmatic. The concepts facilitate functional work through use even if they are no substance themselves. Can war be abolished with abolishment of patriotism? I don’t think so for something else would replace it. Rather, a sense of being able to laugh at yourselves is necessary. Can you view the absurdity of patriotism while still maintaining it? Absolutely.