Reply To: Nationalism

#20133
murphy560
Member

Dan (great name by the way), in my humble opinion, I don’t feel there’s anything wrong with nationalism per se. Quite the opposite, I think a feeling of belonging to a community and love of one’s family, culture, geography, way of life, etc. is a natural and important part of any thriving human life. Where the problem arises, in my view, is when one confuses blind obedience to the state with “doing what’s best for my country” or confuses the will of the few in control of the state mechanism with “the will of the people.” When this sense of community drives people to join together to do great things, build everyone’s standard of living, break down barriers for those whose rights have been infringed, etc. this is no doubt a wonderful thing. However, when one makes the argument that “nationalistic pride” requires the committing of atrocities or the destruction of the rights of others, whoever they may be, it’s not “nationalistic pride” that is wrong, it’s the argument.

Best regards,
Dan M.