Nationalism: A Question of Morality
Every day the world’s interconnectivity grows as barriers like spatial consciousness and cultural differences are diminished by the intensification of our global imaginary. Like the latest trend on Twitter, globalism has found a home amongst the “woke” community. But what these newfound social justice warriors advocate for and describe as the perfect world, in which there is no war, hunger, and disease, is unattainable. Problems do not end; they just improve. Consequently, the best way to improve our problems starts in our homes. This is where nationalism comes into the picture. Nationalism, by definition, is the identification with one’s nation and support for its interests. Although it is argued that globalism instills higher values than nationalism, such as empathy, I believe it is important to identify as a national citizen because it creates a strong sense of identity that will give people a stronger foundation for building their morals.
Nationalism provides its agents with self-identity, sets of characteristics through which they can recognize themselves and be recognized. Having a group of people through which one can recognize themselves easily leads to a sense of security. In his theory of human existence, Anthony Giddens explains how this combination of self-identity and security leads to the creation of trust. In one of his writings he states, “Obtaining such trust becomes necessary in order for a person to maintain a sense of psychological well-being and avoid existential anxiety.” Ontological security, comprising in the feeling of assurance in being and believing that the world is what it appears to be, the drop that could potentially spill the glass between us being the architects of our futures and having an existential crisis; this circles back to the idea of security.
Conversely, globalization threatens basic identity questions, such as who we are and where we come from, making this topic subjective and impossible to arrive at a concrete conclusion. Kind of like that stoner friend we all have who lives on his parents’ couch and tries to convince you that having a steady job with a good salary is just another way to give in to the system where you will only be a number. But sometimes, being part of a reliable system is good, and so is showering once a day. Although possibly appearing as the perfect solution to the typical idealist, globalism jeopardizes our sense of identity as a whole and, with it, our hopes and ambitions to solve our problems as a united country by reconstructing conventional social conditions that have proven to be reliable from time to time into an uneven process with no set goal in mind. The rise of globalism is in parallel to the rise in uncertainty within ordinary citizens, with their life being in a constant state of flux and insecurity as life the way they knew it has the potential to change every day; making it harder for us to focus on our identity. Ironically, this is the same psychological process refugees and immigrants face in narrative changes within their lives as they suffer from severe anxiety before entering into homelessness.
Furthermore, the factors globalism brings to the table increases blurs the line of morality from those who benefit from a global economy and others who do not, or local businesses. Sure, one may argue in favor of globalism’s efficiency in reducing world time and space, as anyone can now call their friend Afghanistan and rant about America’s major inequality issues or post a petition in their Instagram bio to restore a newly bombed city that we don’t know how to pronounce. However, the truth of the matter is that globalism has consequences; and while spreading our life-changing capitalism around the world and privatization and overflowing the media with catchy headlines sounds great, this is causing us to lose a grip of what is truly important. It is our own attempt at achieving globality and creating social and economic stability in other places that result in Apple lasting over three years in cutting ties with one of its many foreign suppliers after being exposed to employing 14-year-olds and Jimmy’s dad getting cut back from his job at the Ford assembly line because it is cheaper to manufacture their product in China. This disregard for traditional structures in our society, such as shopping local, is what has many mom-and-pop shops’ sanity hanging by a thread, and it is the cause for many protests in response to our nations’ desire for welfare security.
Admittedly, the misconception of nationalism has had its drawbacks and developed negative connotations over the past. Before I dive into this topic, I would like to say that identifying as a nationalist is not related to any political party. Until recent years, the left and the right have differentiated with their use of “nationalism” at their own accord, and each has given it a particular meeting to their audience. Nationalism, in its very essence, is caring for your country. However, like any medicine, it can turn into poison when consumed in excess. In the past, we have seen how Left-Wing Nationalism has led to a socialist economy. Not less than a month ago, toxic displays of loyalism to the Right-Wing have been displayed across the country as Trump supporters have stormed the capital after a long series of tweets inciting this incident following the former President’s election defeat. This has led to an ultimate state of friction between people with different ideologies. Suddenly everyone has the right to be disgusted and indignant by others and their different beliefs, and it is now more common to attack them for it than have a civilized conversation. To these people and many others who do not understand nationalism’s true meaning, I say: take responsibility. We are where we are because we put ourselves here. “How can we improve then?” you may ask. Responsibility, thus, makes an entrance here. With the addition of responsibility into our lives also comes the power to change things, thus, being the first step to create solutions.
This leads me back to nationalism. Each and every one of us can point out the many fallacies in our government, economic, or socio-structural systems. In fact, it is easier to point out problems than it is to solve solutions. Right now, it is probably a good reminder to say that nobody is perfect. However, we can and should begin taking responsibility for our actions. Nationalism is a great place to start. Therefore, if you want better people in office, laws enacted, and action, the only way you can start making a change is by becoming an active member of your community. Your opinion matters; however whether people will get to hear it or not is up to you. In a world that’s always buzzing, you could have life-changing ideas and keep them to yourself, scream them into the abyss, or find others who share the same values and you amongst your community, join in voice, and be the change you want to see in your country and ultimately the world. Because change starts at home. Think global act local.
