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My thesis is that the West doesn't understand nationalism (any more). It understood it until about the Second World War. The First World War almost shattered our societies, the second one kind of did.
Back in 1950 when North Korea attacked South Korea 'we' interpreted that as the spearhead of communist world revolution, but it was an attempted war of national unification.
When North Vietnam attacked South Vietnam 'we' interpreted it as the spearhead of communist world revolution, but it was a (successful) war of national unification (with an additional war for small farmer liberation from rich landowners).
When the Russian federation attacked the Chechens 'we' interpreted it as a great power's attempt to avoid fracturing, but it really was part of Russian nationalism/imperialism.
All the troubles that the Russian Federation caused in its periphery; Moldova, Ukraine, South of Caucasus region; it was (and is) all about keeping the independent countries from drifting away so they can once again become part of a Russian empire.
Likewise, China is understood as being a country, but it really is the Han tribe dominating a big bunch of actually different peoples, some of which have actually been convinced that they're the same as the Han. Having a script that can be read in any language helped the Chinese empire for thousands of years and was probably the reason why "China" is now considered to be a country, not a continent or subcontinent like fractured Europe.
We don't properly understand nationalism at home, either. It doesn't matter to many of us whether immigrants are useful for elderly care and other vacant jobs. Immigrants in our nation states feel like squatters in an inherited family home; they don't belong there, why would they get to enjoy what's ours by birthright? So basically, modern immigration policy (and European unification ideology/policy) utterly disregards nationalism, which has been designated as a harmful relic rather than a source of cohesion and strength.
I suppose we won't get much better policies on immigration, deterrence&defence, trade or plain foreign policy until our Western societies learn to understand nationalism again. It's a thing, it won't go away anytime soon and to disregard it only builds up huge internal friction and tension. A failure to understand foreign nationalism leads to failures in immigrant integration and in foreign, deterrence & defence policies.
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It's hard to make a man understand something if his salary depends on not understanding it. There are too many enemies of national thinking in positions of power.
ReplyDeleteNot helped by the western (and especially western european) media which basically uses nationalism, racism, fascism and nazism as synonyms.
ReplyDeleteA proper understanding of nationalism is also useful to understand the modern european political landscape. In many countries the old conservative parties of the 20th century have increasing competition from the right because they adopted the lefts idea of equating nationalism and fascism. Which leads to the situation where self-styled conservatives would rather ally with genuine communists than the growing right because that new right still believes in the concept of nation-states.
I would also argue that another reason why the West does understand "Nationalism" is that after WW2, most of the West became vassal states of the American Empire which currently does everything it can to suppress any movements or ideologies that threatens their empire. Previously, the Americans were a lot of subtle with their control but now that the Empire is starting to collapse they are blatantly open with their grand plans of European domination (see Elon thinking he can dictate the politics of England and Germany while Trump is straight up threatening to invade Canada/Greenland).
ReplyDeleteNice to see the dumb is strong here.
ReplyDeleteThe dumb WAS strong here. We had a lot of discussions to undo the brainwashing.
DeleteThe problem was the inherent double standards of the American propaganda machine. Here are some examples:
Israel: We owned this land 2000 years ago.
US: Lol okay go ahead.
Russia: We owned this land 35 years ago.
US: *Incoherent screeching*
West: Men and women are equal.
Ukraine: Men shall reprise their role of dying in war, but women reprising their role of motherhood is oppressive and backwards. They shall have fun in Europe.
There is a limit to how much insult you can take to your intelligence.
The current and soon to be pensioners (boomers) are responsible for one of the lowest ever fertility rates on German soil during their childbearing years.
ReplyDeleteDespite that they didn't lift a finger to change the unsustainable pension system.
For all I care they can wipe their own asses or they will have to pay top dollar for native carers that are paid at the corresponding rates (no cheap Bangladeshi slave labour for you, sorry - after saving on children they should have no problems affording it).
Europeans are perfectally capable of understanding nationalism.
ReplyDeleteNationalism is rooted in biology, it is an extended form of tribalism.
Europeans simply choose to ignore it, in favor of various ideological positions, the reasons for this is that Europe is still dealing with the consequences of WWII and the American occupation that followed.
I think we need a new alphabet that would be equally useful for all European languages which will make it easier for people to start learning other languages. It should be as straightforward as German but capable of describing both French and Polish specific sounds... if that is even possible...
ReplyDelete