Even if we take this characterisation at face value,i n this context patriotism, nations and States are a disease in the same way viruses that can kill cancer cells are . The cancer that is colonialism and imperialism has never historicaly been comprehensively defeated by a people at large enough scales and long enough durations without a patriotic/national liberation character and without utilization of statist structures.

Well irl we do have alternative treatments that have shown that they work against the cancers some virus also kill but in this parallel there has only been the "disease" that has worked