Absurdity of Nationalism

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I've never much cared for nationalism either. Last 4th of July I was talked into going to see the fireworks with my family. When everyone stood up (and I continued to lay on the grass) for a song about being proud to be an American...I couldn't help but think how they would all be equally proud to be born on some other landmass and how utterly pointless it all was.[quote]

My sentiments exactly.

The lines between nations are very blurred.In the Olympics,Georgia has been represented in
the beach volleyball by 2 girls from Brazil who have only visted Georgia twice (and probably won't want to go back there in a hurry at the moment anyway ! ) .
Even when you look back in history,during the Roman Empire their armies comprised of
men from all over Europe and north Africa who were sent to outposts around the Empire,
some of them settling in their adopted countries and adding to the melting pot.

Exactly.

Not caring is one thing, but hating the celebration of achievement? Ridiculous.

You act as if you have never known what it is like not to fit in because of your "race" and I hate to say "race" because I don't even know if that word applies to me. I prefer "ethnicity". I don't know what your last name is but imagine being the only person in your entire school that isn't one of, lets say, three ethnic groups. My school, especially grade school, was mostly WASPy anglos which I am definitely not.

Even nomads belong to a tribe. Few people are "free agents" who move from place to place alone.

The modern nation-state is a continuation of the human idea of community that goes back to the primitive family. The patriotism or sometimes nationalism and jingoism that disgusts many here is an outgrowth of the natural pride people have for the community (people and place) they grew up in. This is only usually missing when some major blotch makes the nationality nothing to be proud of (as were many Germans following World War II). The communal pride can become arrogance and hatred if the person feels the community is threatened or simply much better than everywhere else. Some of these communal or pseudo-communal associations are frowned upon because they result in discrimination or pride we collectively consider unfair or harmful (e.g., racism and sexism). Discrimination by nation-state has a long and engrained legal basis, however, (at least to the extent that we distinguish between citizens, legal residents, visitors, and illegal aliens). It is the sentiment that causes people to help their neighbors, especially in times of crisis.

If our sentiment for the nation were to vanish, we would need to replace it with something less divisive rather than more so: citizen of the world. That may be too abstract and unmanageable for most.

I have to say it again, America f**k Yeah!



because of the people enslaved and killed off to make room for that

Hmm. I apologize if my posting style is different or weird or if you think I am trolling, believe me; I'm doing this on all the sites I'm posting on today.



technically the USSR was a union of various nations united under a single state. And at the time The US was divided into 'Black' and 'White' America. It still is now to a certain extent.



this site is friendly. I don't see too much "Off-topic" things, arguably I do it worse; or something similarly/



it is, a sense of community with other humans. It can also be a community with humanity as a whole-seen in cosmopolitanism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmopolitanism



The same applies in "Low-functioning" Autistic people too.



I'm not caucasian



say that to the black guys in South Central Los Angeles, Compton in California, Englewood in Chicago and Camden in New Jersey (and do it inside the house-you don't want go get shot in a accidental drive-by which is a real threat in Englewood). When they're trying to get an education in old, dilapidated, overcrowded, understaffed schools.



well; you can look at the funding of suburban education vs the City
This is getting to the point that state representatives and religious leaders (mainly black prechers/reverends) are calling boycotts of the Chicago Public School system fo rthe first week)

More accurately, in Chicago you can look at the Debate Teams; AA teams tend to be in the South Side in not the best neighborhoods. Single-A Teams tend to be in better neighborhoods in the North Side-AND THIS IS URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE.

There's a big difference between black and white neighborhoods. Drive through them!




which "respected president"?



Didn't Martin Luther divide up Germany with the Protestant Reformation and end up provoking the hundred years war? lol.

but yah weird

No, that's fascism.

It is possible to be a nationalist and still believe in democracy, liberty, truth and freedom ya know.

As you earlier pointed out, nationalism does NOT equal fascism. So, IMHO, yes.

Fascism exists in nationalism. A major part of being a nationalist is being a fascistic as*hole that is intolerant of anyone who doesn't fit into a perceived standard, one that is often distinguished by racial characteristics alone.

Warsie,
As we all know slavery is an ugly, horrible part of human history but do not forget that ancient civilizations enslaved millions in order to build their cities, public buildings, monuments, tombs, whatever. It's not just an American phenomenon. Actually, it is something that has affected the entire human species.

Most of us alive today are descendants of slaves.

And it still continues today. Hopefully, one day, the exploitation of humanity will discontinue and will just be another shameful page in history.

I guess I'm a fascist then. I'd better go and have myself shot.

Nationalism and fascism are seperate. While fascist ideologies often contain elements of nationalism, this does not mean that Nationalism is inherently fascist.

How can you deny that nationalists are the most fascistic intolerant people around? They don't see anyone else's point of view.

All nationalism does is divide people and breed hatred.

I am not talking about a nation, I am talking about Nationalism. Nationalism as a concept has proven, time and time again, that it is evil and spreads misery.

People living inside a nation can become nationalistic, or nationalists, but I don't believe every nation is nationalistic. There are elements of nationalism in nations, that, if left unchecked, can lead to extremism in their populations.

To burnse22: do labels mean so much to you? Why not having your own opinion - and all??

To ooOoOoOAnaOoOoOoo: you seem to know nothing about Nationalism, because you can't define what is Nationalism and what is National-Socialism, and name it all fascism.

Chaotica: I can define Nationalism just by looking at it's history on this planet! You don't need Webster's for that!