Thoughts on Nationalism

Is nationalism a positive force in the world? - no
In order to clarify the subject of this debate, we must first define nationalism. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines nationalism as, “loyalty and devotion to nation; especially : a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups .” Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism, which is defined as, “love for or devotion to one's country.” Note that the definition of nationalism places emphasis on the desire of a nation to impose its own culture and interests on other nations.
This aspect of nationalism is what renders it such a detrimental force in the world. Countless examples throughout history have proven that when nationalism becomes a major factor, the outcome is always negative. Let us view the first example of nationalism that has been presented in this class: The French Revolution. Duiker and Spielvogel state that the French revolutionary army that the Committee of Public Safety called for was “an important step in the creation of modern nationalism,” that what had once been dynastic wars, between trained, civilized armies, had become “people’s wars.” These “people’s wars,” they state, increased the “ferocity and lack of restraint” and “opened the door to the total war of the modern world.”
Our opponents will argue that nationalism enhanced the French revolution, paving the way for new political, economic, and social rights, but what it really paved the way for was the deaths of over three million people during the Napoleonic Wars. After the failure of Napoleon’s quest for European dominance, France remained a monarchy for nearly 70 years.
In our own country, Nationalism has marred the history books with some of the most appalling events in our relatively short history. The ideals of Manifest Destiny were directly rooted in the principles of nationalism. Throughout the United States’ expansion across the North American continent, Manifest Destiny provided the justification for the unethical swindling of Native American land. The strong sense of American Nationalism promoted the assimilation of American Indians, which is a political term for the destruction of an entire indigenous culture. While many Americans justify the treatment of American Indians with the goal of civilizing the so-called savages, the reality is that it led to the destruction of 90% of the Indian population, a conservative estimate of which is two million people.
Nationalism struck again in the mid 1900s in one of the most tragic events in human history, the Holocaust and World War II. The Nazis, who held nationalism above all else, believed in the superiority of the Arian race, the systematic extermination of all minorities, and the expansion of Nazi Germany across the entire European continent. These beliefs are the essence of nationalism, “the promotion of a nation’s culture and interests above all other nations’.” The forcing of Arian ideals onto conquered peoples is a prime example of the effects of nationalism. It also is easy to see that without nationalism, the more than 70 million people that died throughout the Holocaust and World War II may not have lost their lives.
In more recent years, nationalism continues to plague American politics. Though one can argue that the initial invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq were with positive moral and ethical intent, it is undeniable that current US occupation of these countries is with nationalistic goals in mind. Attempts to institute a democratic government in these nations have not only proven unsuccessful and costly, but are prime examples of the United States’ promoting its culture and interests above those of other nations. It is not difficult to see that strong United States’ nationalism has had an adverse effect on not only our economy, politics, and society, but also our global reputation.
It is eminently clear that nationalism has had grave affects on global history. Nationalism has proven time and again that it is a negative force in the world.