Nationalism: Insidious...racist?

Insidious? Sure. In my book anyway. Being an humanist I believe Nationalism flies in the face of the betterment of the human condition. It sets boundaries; not only physical but sociological and societal. Essentially it boils down to "them versus us".

You see. There is no "them". There is only us: humanity.

Here is one definition of insidious: "operating or proceeding in an inconspicuous or seemingly harmless way but actually with grave effect: an insidious disease."

Nationalism is seemingly harmless and inconspicuous because we've been led to believe that national security and the like are pertinent to our survival as a nation. That our national identity is threatened by outsiders. What is this "identity"?

I was taught that the United State was a "melting pot". Is this somehow wrong now? Is a pluralistic society somehow base and objectionable? Illegal citizenry or otherwise?

People play head games in this matter. Complaining about the "raghead" running "every" convenience store in their area. Guess what!? They are here in this country legally! I see no difference in the attitudes in regards to illegal "spics" and "wetbacks" and complaints about legal "ragheads", "gooks", "slopes" or whatever!

This country is despicably racist. And I believe that the "national identity" problem is a myth; a fabrication. By whom? By my bigoted white male brethren (who seemingly are in the death throws of unmitigated power). We are on the cusp of having our first non-white President and I think a lot of "whities" and "honkies" are not liking it.

We often equate Nationalism with Fascism and we equate Fascism with Nazism (which was the German Nationalist Party of Adolf Hitler). One can't separate the coincidence of the racist ideological fervor inherent. Am I speaking out of my ass? Possibly, however I see what I am expressing here as more of a warning because I believe we are also on the cusp of a turning point in the history of the United States; by which white men are symbolically out of the picture.

Symbolically? Yes, the image of the United States of America as a country run by white men will be gone.

So where do these people bitching and complaining about the loss of "national identity" get their arguments from? I can only guess, but I'd wager that most of it is natural. Meaning that it's biologically/sociologically evolved. Secondly I would say that it's largely illusionary, much like the "Oz curtain".

"Illegals" in this country come here for a reason. To get a leg-up, risking their lives and livelihoods, where their own country has FAILED them. They come here to do "shit" work so they can send their earnings back home to help their lesser-to-do families. Would anybody else do anything less faced with such circumstance? Then we must ask how their country is failing them. How? Can it not be from our very own trade policies whereby we subsidize just about every industry in this country? This drives down competition abroad making it virtually impossible for citizens in other countries trying to make just one buck to get by. Farmers in Africa are in dire shape from our agricultural subsidies. If there were a land bridge from Africa to here you'd better bet we'd see Africans "illegally" crossing the border as well.

My view is that there should be no national boundaries. I consider myself a global citizen.

So what of "our" economy? What economy? Essentially there is no national economy. All of the mega-corporations of this country aren't even remotely "American" anymore. They span the globe and have no vested interest in American Nationalism. These monolithic economic entities have no interest in promoting the American "brand". They want to make money and profit; like everybody else.

So where did this "nationalist identity" begin? For a long time since our Founding we had a reputation for non-intervention in foreign policy. Until WWI and II and the rise of the communist state of Russia; and communism elsewhere we had no particular gumption to exert our national identity as a force to be reckoned with. The Cold War exacerbated our "national identity"; how so? Essentially we could ask Joseph McCarthy for his explanation. Deeply rooted in the opposition to communism is the Soviets identification as an official "atheistic" state. It was "godless". Don't get me wrong; I'm no communist (though I have socialist leanings), but the fervor by which the knee-jerk reaction of the "Red Scare" materialized is inherently ideologically and religiously based.

The notion that we are a "Christian nation" falls quite neatly into this premise. Which brings me back to the despicable racist nature of this country. Slavery is mentioned in the Christian scripture. Does it say that it's wrong? Nope. Your bible will actually tell you that it is condoned and will actually tell you how to manage your slaves. This was the basis by which the South rejected the Emancipation Proclamation put forth by Lincoln. The basis for our Civil War.

By letting this country (who love their bibles) be subjected to such insidious rhetoric as putting forth the peculiar notion that the United States was founded as a Christian nation only goes to show how easily religion can be used to foment the people into disregarding...nay; discriminate against their fellow human beings.

These are only some of the problems facing this country facing nationalism today and yesterday. I only bring these topical points up to outline the general atmosphere by which we find ourselves.

I will let you all help me in hashing the rest of this out...