Nationalism – the bonding into a group of a set of people behind an arbitrary concept of self-identification. e.g. I’m white, you’re black, I’m ‘french’, you are ‘not’ …etc

Nationalism is even more arbitrary then rascism, since rascism is based upon sub-species categorisation, whereas nationalism is based upon merely a name or language. In either case, those who defend nationalism, like to claim that critics ‘strawman’ them, and respond ‘my nationalism is not like you described’, alas, the reality is – nationalism is the separation of man from man into distinctive self-interested groups.

If anyone claims there is no self-interest in nationalism, then a french person should be as important to you as an englishman, or an korean or an iraqi. If that was the case, then why separate yourself from them, but make their interests, your interests too? If the answer is ‘they are in another country’, then that is nationalism, and your concern is only rooted in your ‘own people’….

This is the problem with nationalism, it restricts the mind and makes it narrowly focused on the needs, desires or wants of a few. At the same time, it ignores the needs, desires and wants of the rest of humanity. As concerned humanitarians, the life of the average American citizen is no different to us as the life of the average Chinese, aborigine, or dare I say it, even Iraqi and Afghani. In the bigger scheme of things (which is a un-narrowed viewpoint to things I have to say), Obama will continue the same death-laden policies as his predecessor. Thus, we hear him talk about retaliation on Iran, not if it attacks Israel, but merely for possessing a nuclear weapon! (oh the hypocrisy). Likewise, Obama has talked about bombing Pakistan and an increasing troops surge in Afghanistan, which I have no doubt will lead to a death toll measured in the tens of thousands – and those will be just the lucky ones. Soon shall come a time, when the name Obama shall be a curse word about the lips of every justice loving human being in the world.

But my message to nationalists is, go to an Afghan or Iraqi refugee and explain to them how Obama will be a cause for good. Perhaps they might take consolation from knowing that their nations’ resources, blood, abject poverty, extreme suffering and the mass death of friends and loved ones all went to make an American consumer’s life just that little bit more comfortable…

Perhaps when the Huns were at the gates of Rome, the Romans took solace in the fact that Attila would divide up their property, wealth, homes and persons, equally amongst his fellow Huns – what a thoroughly nice chap he was!

Categories: ARTICLES, Nationalism & Patriotism, The Muslim Debate Initiative, WRITINGS

Tags: abdullah al andalusi, The Muslim Debate Initiative