Nationalism

8 Pages 2046 Words

The Global Effects of Nationalism

In a post 9/11 world nothing is more apparent than the resurgence of fervent nationalistic attitudes. This renewed uprising can be viewed in a positive or negative way. Nationalism is favourable on a local scale as it unites citizens, it protects a nation’s identity, and it protects the nation itself. Globally however nationalism is a damaging ideology. This paper explains why the re-emergence of nationalism has severe consequences for the global community.
Nationalism is defined “as a fusion of patriotism with a consciousness of nationality.”(Carlton, 1960, p 2) This quote reflects that nationalism is felt on a much larger scale. Patriotism is loyalty one feels toward their country, it is confined by geographic borders. Nationalism however is not. Nationalism unites people regardless of location. A recent example of this is the Ukraine election. Although the situation is taking place in Ukraine, Ukrainians all over the world are uniting to see democracy prevail. This display of loyalty proves that “the supreme loyalty of man is therefore due to his nationality”(Kohn, 1944, p 16), The phrase ‘supreme loyalty’ describes a type of loyalty that transcends other loyalties. When people in separate nations experience this type of supreme loyalty conflict arrises.
Conflict occurs because of the belief that one nation is superior to another, and this is the underlying current of nationalism. While some rulers may think that this superiority complex is beneficial to their country, in reality it is not. This complex breeds ignorance toward other nation’s traditions and values, which results in hostility between countries. The ‘Freedom fries’ controversy is an excellent example of this. When France refused to support the United States on their position regarding Iraq, two republican lawmakers attempted to change the name of french fries to freedom fries. The ignorance displayed by t...