Necessary Nationalism — Simply and Nakedly a Problem!

2006/4/2 22:05:52

In the world, among those topics most frequently and most difficult to discuss, so-called nationalism has always been present. A person is "nationalized" from the moment of birth. Nowadays, gender can be changed at any time, any place, at will; nationality can be changed even more freely — yet ethnicity, it seems, has not yet evolved to the point where it can be changed at any time, any place, at will. A Chinese person who sharpens their head to a point, willing to use every overt or covert channel to become a non-Chinese Chinese, can readily change gender or nationality at will in a non-Chinese place — yet they are still called "ethnic Chinese" and, as a minority group, relegated to the non-Chinese Chinese circle.

Ethnicity is more tenacious than gender or nationality. Probably the only thing that can rival it is so-called religion. And nationalism has always been taken for granted — even those who oppose it carefully confine their opposition to the "extreme" variety.

Just like all religious and non-religious religions, extreme nationalism has always been a breeding ground for war. Nationalism has always been a non-concept concept, a non-ism ism. Because of this, nationalism often becomes the most direct, most fanatical religion — the thing most easily ignited. Ignited nationalism, apart from fanaticism, seems to have nothing to do with anything.

Pure nationalism is like exposed electrical wire — when these wires become entangled with one another, everything becomes uncontrollable. Nationalism is necessary, but pure, naked nationalism is a big problem. If a nation truly needs any ism, then nationalism can only be a constituent part, never the whole.

Yet history proves at every moment that nationalism is often exploited by those with ulterior motives into pure, naked nationalism — then ignited, then exploded, then everything turns to ash. A rational nation, a truly powerful nation, must be one that practices nationalism in a non-nationalistic way. When pure, naked nationalism is no longer ignited by history — only then will nationalism truly become nationalism.