 | Loerke (46)
11/11/2007 | The countries which had the capacity to realize a sense of national destiny on a global scale are no longer much interested in the process. In German politics, for example, declaring a desire for Lebensraum is is now verboten. Even Russian nationalism, with its dangerously wounded tone, is more rhetorical than real. Nationalism will always play a major role in regional conflict but I can't see it destroying the planet in the way that religious fundamentalism can. Probably the only country today whose nationalism can be as dangerous as theocracy on a global scale is the United States, where a sense of national destiny and historical exceptionalism remains extremely vibrant and extremely dangerous.
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 | CleverElsie (12)
11/09/2007 | On the surface, there's nothing wrong with having a sense of
pride in one's country of origin. As humans, it's only natural to
band together and support our tribe as a means of ensuring
survival. But nationalistic extremism of the type that regards
one's own country as "the best," bar none, can be dangerous,
particularly when accompanied by the belief that other groups don't
have the right to exist. A problem that's growing worldwide.
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