{"id":137447,"date":"2018-11-08T14:57:18","date_gmt":"2018-11-08T21:57:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2018\/11\/08\/on-nationalism.html"},"modified":"2018-11-08T14:57:18","modified_gmt":"2018-11-08T21:57:18","slug":"on-nationalism","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2018\/11\/08\/on-nationalism.html","title":{"rendered":"On Nationalism"},"content":{"rendered":"

As pertinent today in principle as it was in 1945 when George Orwell first wrote it. Worthy of a read or re-read when suddenly "nationalist" has become a vogue among certain individuals:<\/p>\n

❝ By <\/i>‘nationalism’<\/i><\/b> I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole blocks of millions or tens of millions of people can be confidently labelled ‘good’ or ‘bad’. But secondly \u00ad– and this is much more important – I mean the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of advancing its interests.<\/i> <\/p>\n

Nationalism is not to be confused with <\/i>patriotism<\/i><\/b>. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By ‘patriotism’ I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people.<\/i> <\/p>\n

Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.<\/i> ❞<\/p>\n

The only caveat I'd give regarding Donald Trump as a "nationalist" is that, as he as taken on the L'etat c'est moi<\/i> approach to being the US President, he need not abandon his own individuality behind a nationalist impulse; indeed, it means the power and prestige he claims on behalf of America also redounds directly to himself, which strikes me as pretty much the only reason he's wrapped himself in the flag for the last 3-4 years.<\/p>\n

The full essay can be found at the link.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\n
\n
\n<\/a>
\nThe Orwell Foundation<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Original Post<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As pertinent today in principle as it was in 1945 when George Orwell first wrote it. Worthy of a read or re-read when suddenly "nationalist" has become a vogue among certain individuals: ❝ By ‘nationalism’ I mean first of all the habit of assuming that human beings can be classified like insects and that whole … Continue reading “On Nationalism”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[106],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137447","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-plusposts"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3931,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2003\/03\/08\/what_we_have_he.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":0},"title":"What we have here is a failure to communicate","author":"***Dave","date":"Sat 8-Mar-03 4:55pm","format":false,"excerpt":"This one will take some pondering, but I think this is one of the better explanations I've read for the rift between (roughly) the US and Europe over Iraq and...","rel":"","context":"In "Geopolitical Brouhaha"","block_context":{"text":"Geopolitical Brouhaha","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/geopolitical-brouhaha"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":50980,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2015\/05\/12\/in-which-i-perhaps-betray-a-bit-of-nationalism.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":1},"title":"In which I perhaps betray a bit of nationalism","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 12-May-15 4:21am","format":false,"excerpt":"I certainly agree that US police and justice system actions against the poorest and most disadvantaged populations within the country are in serious need of review and reform.However, forgive me if I find the \"vociferous\" criticism from China, Russia, Turkey, and Pakistan to be ... schadenfreudenisch. Originally shared by +Al\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":134633,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/09\/11\/9-11-sixteen-years-later.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":2},"title":"On 9-11, sixteen years later","author":"***Dave","date":"Mon 11-Sep-17 8:12am","format":false,"excerpt":"As I look around at posts and shares and tweets this morning saying, \"Never forget,\" I have to ask, \"How could I?\" I've started and discarded over a dozen posts on 9-11 over the years, mostly because they got into too-tangled webs of blame and accusation and grief -- grief\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/09\/911_wtc.jpgimgmax%3D660.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":49604,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2015\/02\/17\/the-war-on-history-et-al.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":3},"title":"The War on History (et al.)","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 17-Feb-15 8:13pm","format":false,"excerpt":"Because you know that Advanced Placement US History is just evil and mean and treasonous. Oh, and those other AP course are pretty darned suspicious, too, since they were made by folk outside of Oklahoma, just like common core.Just give 'em a Bible and set 'em in the corner --\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":39643,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2013\/11\/12\/rt-bassooncpa-america-except.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":4},"title":"RT @BassoonCPA: America except…","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 12-Nov-13 5:32am","format":false,"excerpt":"RT @BassoonCPA: America exceptionalism. The rest of the world waits a month. RT @jeremyhobson Happy 11-12-13!","rel":"","context":"In "~Tweets"","block_context":{"text":"~Tweets","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/tweets"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":135716,"url":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/2017\/12\/19\/identity-politics-around-macedonia.html","url_meta":{"origin":137447,"position":5},"title":"The Identity Politics around Macedonia","author":"***Dave","date":"Tue 19-Dec-17 7:17am","format":false,"excerpt":"I recall this debate back in the post-Yugoslavia break-up days, but had no idea it was still festering. It all boils down to the question of who \"owns\" a national name, how such names can (or cannot) be duplicated, how fluid borders and history scramble such discussions, and why ethnic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "~PlusPosts"","block_context":{"text":"~PlusPosts","link":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/category\/blogging\/plusposts"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/unnamed-39.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137447","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137447"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/137447\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137447"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=137447"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hill-kleerup.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=137447"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}