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 Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:27 pm
My English teacher loves to rant. The first half of my class is usually him ranting about one topic or another to the students, trying to start a discussion, and usually failing miserably. During March break, he went on a trip to Hawaii with several teachers. On the first few days back from the break, he continuously brought up problems in Hawaii. One day, however, he brought up a topic that caught my attention; Nationalism. My teacher was surrounded by different nationalities, and eventually met someone who was Canadian. The man he met was from Toronto, an electrician. They instantly bonded and became friends. Quote: "If I were in Canada, I wouldn't have even noticed him, let alone spoken to him. Then why, if someone is in a foreign country, does their sense of nationality grow?" DISCUSS: When is nationalism at it's strongest? Do you agree/disagree with my teacher? Is it a possibility that nationalism can remain dormant while in your own country? Have you ever been in a situation similar to this? Why would you recieve in instant connection, such as the one my teacher recieved?
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Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2007 6:06 pm
I believe it depends on where you are and the circumstances of seeing that different person. In Baltimore we see strange people every day, often from other countries here to go to Washington or the Harbor. Howeverm when one talks to you or you talk to them, it all changes. You become interested. I believe we are only ever curious about other people if it interests us.
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Monkeyinafryingpan Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Apr 07, 2007 8:17 am
nationalism is strongest when we have a strong leader leading us through a catastrophe.
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Posted: Sat Apr 21, 2007 12:50 am
Haha, yeah. I'm from Hawaii. I can tell you that there are lots of problems with nationalism there...though not without reason. I mean, Hawaii is the state that used to be its own nation. There was a royal family and everything and then foreigners came in and tricked the locals, bought up a lot of the land, and then pressured the queen's cabinet at gunpoint as well as putting her under house arrest. The U.S. played dirty when it annexed Hawaii and thus acquired a strategic point in the Pacific. There are native Hawaiian people that feel much like a lot of Native Americans. Of course, looking at average U.S. history textbooks, they probably just gloss over the U.S.'s dirty dealings for the sake of nationalism.
Besides that, Hawaii really isn't like any other place in the U.S. It's like a giant melting pot of culture (especially Asian cultures) and it's not really "americanized." I mean, there are so many people living in Hawaii that can't speak fluent English because it's their second language. With so much distancing HI from the rest of the U.S., it's no wonder that so many people ask me if it's my "first time in the states" when I'm on the mainland. Nationalism isn't very strong back home, but it's understandably so.
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Posted: Fri Apr 27, 2007 8:41 pm
Texas is another state that was, for a time, its own nation. We still have our own pledge (though I personally refuse to say it; I owe little enough allegiance to my country, let alone my state), we still have our own song (I refuse to sing it), and we all know everything there is to know about our state. Hell, we take two years of Texas history in school. We take one of world history, and that not until high school.
So when is nationalism strongest? When you feel that your country has done something to be proud of. When your country meets a disaster and pulls through it. When your country makes the right choice, and does what is best for the world rather than serving its own interests. When you feel that your country is special, unique, and important.
Unfortunately, you mostly tend to feel that while in a foreign country. When you see that maybe, your country might not be so bad.
For me, I have no sense of national pride. I have no patriotism. I go see the fireworks every July fourth, but there's no pride, no joy in them. In my country, I'm a virtual outcast. I have been put down by the government too often to count. Our president says that "witchcraft" is not a religion. But here I am, a Wiccan. Our textbooks still say that Socialism is a horrible thing that could never work. But here I am, a Socialist. Our nation has no concern about what happens to our planet. But here I am, an environmentalist. Our country goes to war over oil. But here I am, a pacifist.
I am everything that my country is not, and my country is everything that I loathe and could never be.
Nationalism occurs when I am accepted by society. And that's not going to happen here.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 1:25 am
But is your country an entity all by itself?
We make our country what it is. You are a part of this nation, and thus is doesn't make sense that you say your country is the opposite of you.
A government is not the entirety of any country I know of. So what if the views projectile vomited at you from your government are not your own? Your country still consists of you and (if your country is big enough) probably more people like you.
Your country is both everything you are and in some cases, everything you are not. Nationalism, therefore, exists like a dollar bill on the ground. It's up to the individual whether or not they feel like picking it up.
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