Nationalism is a complex entity that is both necessary and dangerous.  It is a popular conviction that nationalism is imperative to unify a country, and to actually form a national identity.  However, when nationalism tips the scale towards a blind support without understanding or reason, it becomes an inherently negative force.  After last week’s discussion about the search for Russian nationalism, I found it very interesting that one of the sources mentioned is the government.  I wonder whether or not true nationalism can come from a nation’s government.

If a society is to have true pride in their country, it needs to be fostered from within.  An outside or higher force cannot conjure a real sense of unity and conviction within the general public, which they are not truly a part of.  A true belief in one’s country must come from the people, it cannot be imposed upon them by the government; if this is the case, it is not a true and natural sense of nationalism.  In fact, this false (and sometimes blind) type of nationalism can become an illogical and dangerous force.

An example of dangerous nationalism can be found in our very own American government.  After the events of 9/11, there was an uproar of nationalism and pride in America.  Although this began in the general public, by citizens whose lives were extremely affected by the terrifying events, it didn’t take long for corporations and the federal government to take advantage of the patriotic upraise.  Not surprisingly, this national notion took a nasty turn.  Flag sales went through the roof, patriotic pop songs were the new sensation, and any statement remotely unpatriotic was deemed socially unacceptable.  Soon, nationalism was used to justify government actions completely unrelated to the terrorist attacks of 9/11.  In my personal opinion, the war in Iraq is an unjust war; our government used the national sweep of patriotism as a ploy to invade a country with our most coveted resource.

Of course, nationalism is not an entirely negative entity.  It can be very necessary to keep a country unified and strong in times of crisis that affect the entire population, such as the Great Depression, and even the recession we are experiencing today.  After our discussion last week, it was interesting to see how the Russian students felt about and deal with the lack of nationalism in their newly formed government.  It clearly is a noticeable void that needs to be filled.  It will take time, but I do believe that it needs to be forged from the inside out, starting in the grassroots and working its way up.