Mar 23rd, 2006, 04:51 AM
I cannot write philosophies or words anymore coherently, because the ideas that I have cannot fit into words. There are no proper words to describe the Nationalist feelings. But I can try to explain a general thought process. Here are a few concepts vital to Nationalism.
(1) Man is weak without his nation. He is divided and incapable of actual progress. He has to depend on himself or a small clan to scrounge by. He is incapable of real progress because the economy is too narrow [no room for specialized jobs on mass scales, let alone technological development], there is a lack of true security due to the perpetual threat of other tribes and clans (or individuals).
(2) A nation is weak without unity. Any nation that lacks a national identity and a national direction, any nation that proceeds without a viable goal in mind, is a nation that is not fit to compete with others who do have a national direction and unity.
In WWII it did not matter how large China was in comparison to Japan. Because of a total lack of national unity and a war between Communists and loyalists and ethnic division between Manchurians, proper Chinese, Xin-jiang peoples, etc. there was no comprehensive fight against the Japanese, though the Chinese nation's potential was far greater due to richer resources and numbers.
(3) Unity is rooted in common culture, values, history, and customs. Nations like India have been historically weak because, historically, i ti snot a nation but rather a collection of independnet peoples on the subcontinent and only recently has there been an attempt to carve a national identity, yet it is daunting.
Unity can be rooted in values, as often we see an United American front in the name of the higher values of the American people (that motivated American war-fighting prior to Viet Nam). Even if a nation is divided by values, values that are polar opposities, it is true that there is even still a sense of national unity (take Korea as an example -- there is no question about the division of values, but at the same time no question about a desire for unity on both sides).
These three principals make up the corps of what a Nationalist ideology is based on, and they urge a nation to become more united and move towards a national goal. Some goals are temporary, such as a national struggle for liberation of imperialists or such as a national struggle for the destruction of a foreign power, but certain goals are eternal such as the achievement of a better economy and a more comfortable lifestyles.
Thus, a Nationalist would encourage a unity amongst the people through a common culture and value system, as well as promote direct movement towards strong ideals.
The major problem that a Nationalist has with the contemporary nations is the same problem that destroyed Greece and Rome (as was observed by Will Durant). It was a lack of national unity that lead to the fall of the state and the general decadence of the nation.
The thoughts of the people became tolerant of deviance, and even generally practicing of deviance, from the culture and values of the people. Thus, when an alien force fought with the Romans the nation was unable to fight back -- there was no unity amongst the Roman people, and they could not be goaded into defending their own nation.
A strong nation cannot tolerate its' disunity. The cause of division does not matter, being that the end results always become the same: the diluting of the nation that threatens its' strengths.
It does not matter so much what a nation stands for, for the human being is a social creature, and it does not matter what he lives or stands for, but he cannot stand alone. In his solitude, he is weak, indignant, and unfulfilled -- living amongst animals. It is only through a family and a role in a society can he feel content.
Can a man feel content if his wife's attentions are divided amongst men? Can a man feel content if his children do not respect him?
Nor can a man feel content if his nation is divided, nor can a man feel content if his nation does not respect him.
A common virtue amongst a nation must be preserved, whether by heritage of the national offspawn or of education of the immigrant.
I do not believe that there is a better ideology than My Friends, and there is no better way to live than My Way, and there is nothing else to take pride in except for My Own.
Nationalism is a unique ideology because subscription to it is not necessarily a subscription to an economic platform or necessarily a political platform; nationalism is embodied in the simple guidance of the nation towards whichever is most beneficial.
Sometimes a Nationalist is a socialist, and sometimes a Capitalist. Soemtimes a Nationalist believes there must be a single, strong, unifying leader to guide the nation (such as no longer having elections during America's WWII, or such as Park Jung-hee in Korea), and at other times a democracy (both of these nations restored the national ideals after the war was essentially won).
It is a simple philosophy that as a united state, we must take action to remain united and not fragment, and to furthermore promote only ideologies logically and practically beneficial to ourselves.
That is why I dislike the people who promote moral relativism, and feel we must abolish social standards. A nation that does not have agree'd conventions and values to live by is not united, and is displaying the signs of rotting.
National unity ought to be restored in countless states (i think that Europe is most sore, but I have never been, I just judge from the news).
Your nation will fall apart if you do not support its' heritage, its' values, its' customs. It is like your wife no longer loving you or your children no longer respecting you -- it is a nation that has abandoned you and went the course of Greece and Rome, and is merely waiting for the other nations that do have values and national direction to inherit the power.
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