Nationalism

Nationalism

I was born, grew up and, for most of my life, lived happily in England. I regard it as a moderately well run country most of the time, often beautiful, there are many things within it that I love and its people are generally kind; in fact, it's like many other European countries. I can say that it has served me well, and for my part I always tried to act positively while there, but I have never felt any need or desire to claim allegiance to it in any nationalist sense.

If I view Europe, or indeed the world, in terms of human subdivisions, in terms of peoples' language, work habits, aspirations, culture, cherished traditions and so forth rather than in terms of historical wars and fiefdoms, then regions make far more sense to me as subdivisions than do current countries. Countries are just what we're stuck with. Indeed, most European countries as currently constituted have been so only for the last 150 years or so. In that relatively short space of time millions of people have had their nationality changed, sometimes more than once, without any say in the matter. And various sets of genetic testing sessions reported suggest that during that period or very slightly longer we have nearly all become national mongrels.

I therefore regard nationality as essentially arbitrary and of little fundamental importance, a question of having the right piece of paper.

As an aside I find hilarious the millions of ardent American nationalists who are the most mongrel of all.

All this leaves out the question of education. Prior to 1945 and the advent and threat of nuclear weapons, wars were quite frequent events, even if it was just a question of beating up the natives, of whom there were many, often rebellious, in colonial dependencies. There was therefore a need for troops who would be willing to die for country, God, king/queen, whatever, my country right or wrong. Education inculcated that need and fuelled nationalism. Those educated in the 15 or so years after 1945 were fed that propaganda and many still feel that nationalism and have passed it on to their offspring. Leave aside the rights and wrongs of that but how relevant is that to today's world? I venture to suggest that the current nationalist movements in Europe demonstrate how successful that early propagandist education was and how family loyalty, probably, has passed it on. But it is essentially of the past and not of today.

We need to think differently