The next few decades will see an ideological and economic struggle in which nationalism is the most important weapon. Hyper-nationalist states like China have a huge advantage over neurotic self-loathing post-nationalist Western nations that have unilaterally disarmed themselves.
All conflict is a test of will. The battle ends when the enemy loses his will to fight. Nationalism is a vital reservoir of will for ideological conflicts. The new century's authoritarian horror, Communist China, is determined not to be defeated as the Soviet Union was.
Meanwhile, the West is filled with teams that can barely take their own side. The very concept of national cohesion is under sustained, blistering attack all over the "free world" - and it is very clearly becoming less free as that scorched-earth campaign proceeds.
As China demonstrates, nationalism can blend with authoritarianism to eradicate freedom - but the sadly forgotten truth of the previous two centuries is that nationalism is also a vital component to establishing and preserving freedom.
This is especially true when freedom is under attack worldwide by totalitarian ideologies. Without nationalism, society collapses into tribalism and bitter internal feuds. Countries in chaos cannot defend themselves against highly organized and determined tyrannical enemies.
Nelson Mandela once observed that nationalism - patriotic spirit, a sense of belonging, shared love of country - was the only way to improve and evolve a society. Only patriotic people will stand united in the difficult struggle to preserve freedom and individual dignity.
Nationalism is also a vital check on the ambitions of the ruling class and its partners in corruption. Absent nationalism, the ruling class feels no great sense of duty to the people. The gap between the common folk and the elite widens into a chasm.
We see this all the time with globalist elites. The story of the past few decades has been hyper-nationalist China robbing the West blind because its globalist elite saw no reason to protect the interests of nations they loathe and populations they despise.
Look at the air of self-loathing and despair hanging over the political class of Canada and the U.S. on their national holidays, vs. China's exuberant declaration of power and national will on the CCP's 100th anniversary. Which side looks like it wants to win the 21st Century?
For the love of God, Xi Jinping is telling his people how China plans to conquer the world and redefine the terms of human existence, while Joe Biden tells Americans to thank him for shaving 16 cents off the price of ketchup. I'm NOT KIDDING.
https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse/status/1410709115333234691
America's very language has been so debased we can no longer communicate grand ideas to each other, never mind work together to make them real. We're busy fighting each other for reparations and concessions, afraid to say something as simple as "men and women are different."
How can people wholly preoccupied with silencing each other respond to the challenge of hyper-nationalist authoritarianism? We can't even ask the big questions any more, let alone answer them. Our society is already changing to resemble China's, far more than the reverse.
"Engagement" with China failed so miserably because we gave the CCP everything it needed, but gained no leverage and forced no changes. Our political and business leaders didn't stick up for their own nations and principles. They could scarcely conceive of doing so.
China is asking why it shouldn't become the dominant power on Earth while American kids are taught the very founding of their country was a hideous mistake, a racist atrocity they should now be forced to atone for, a crime that should be punished for a hundred generations.
Post-nationalism enables the political elite to teach their people to view themselves as criminals, as illegitimate, as systemically guilty so they will accept the limitless expansion of the punitive State. It always ends with a weakened nation devouring itself.
Such a weakened nation is in no shape to fight a great century-long ideological battle for the future of the human race. That battle will be over before it even begins. Empires on the march have little to fear from people who won't even rally beneath their own flag.
Nationalism is a potent fuel. It matters very much what sort of engine it is poured into, but without a drop of that fuel, every social engine will die. The opposite of patriotism is not enlightenment, but anarchy, strife, and then tyranny - from either within or without.
"One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
The divided nation stands not under God. It cannot defend liberty from those would take it, and sees justice as one faction defeating and looting another - an endless war, not a universal aspiration. /end
The divided nation stands not under God. It cannot defend liberty from those would take it, and sees justice as one faction defeating and looting another - an endless war, not a universal aspiration. /end
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