The tillerous Colors of nationalism

Throughout history, nationalism, defined as loyalty and devotion to the nation, has been the government's clever tool of producing popular preference. Despite wars, taxes, imperialism, spying, or censorship, the tyranny of government can always rely on blind nationalism to turn attention away from individual rights violations.

With “patriotism”, I mean commitment to a particular place, and a particular way of life, believed to be the best in the world, but not meant to be imposed on other people. Patriotism is of protective nature, both on the military and cultural plains.

In the meantime, nationalism is inseparable by the desire for power. As George Orwell says, the “sustainable goal of each nationalist is to ensure more power and more prestige, not for himself, but for the nation or the other entity in which he has chosen to plunge his individuality”.

One thing many people fail to understand is that there is a big difference between patriotism and nationalism. Patriotism is love of a country, primarily its culture, land and people. At the same time, nationalism is love, usually in the form of fanaticism, toward the nation, which means that the government rules because of it.

While patriots treat their country with respect, and usually think of themselves, instead of blindly following propaganda, nationalists worship the government, usually of the tyrannical kind, actively destroying their country. And that's because nationalists think the government is the country itself, or at least its manifestation, and that all those who oppose its decrees actually oppose the country.
Patriots are usually willing to fight against a tyrannical government that threatens their rights. By contrast, nationalists are easily hypnotised by all propaganda, politics and the lies of their government. They are then easily manipulated by giving up their rights, privacy, weapons and money to the government, blindly thinking that they are acting like patriotic “citizens”.

Nationalists continue to worship its government and symbols through endless praise, flag worship, and belief that it is a powerful being that brings freedom and prosperity (when in fact, it actively destroys both).

Then, with one hand in the heart and their eyes on the flag, they will gladly give up their children for senseless imperialist wars, their money for the hire of tyrants, their weapons for “nation security”, and their privacy for “fighting terrorism”.

No wonder popular nationalism has always brought tyranny: from the religious nations of medieval Europe to modern America. Nationalism, is essentially a white “@x1> for the government to get as much power as it wants.
With the major twist of reality known as nationalism, government imperial mercenaries become <x0patriots fighting for our freedom”, and its army and militarized police become a symbol of “crenity and national force”.

In the last decade, nationalism has found a new method of popularity among the current generation. Instead of mass propaganda of the 20th century and the period following the September 11th attacks, nationalism was used as a means to supposedly fight “globalism”.

This has created false nationalism vs globalism, which is ironic because of the problematic statistics of both. And as with most false counterbelievers, this also results in expanding statistics in both ways.

Globalism is probably a popular term for most people. Yet, nationalists have completely redefined this term to embody everything they despise. Globalism in general means expanding foreign and economic policies on a global scale, which usually means only related trade through agreements and organisations like the European Union.

Although many defects themselves, nationalists add a whole new meaning to globalism in order to create their enemy. While nationalists favour closed borders, protectionism and their concept of “protecting the nation”, supposed globalists, who are usually a form of the wealthy elite, plus any plot of nationalists that decide to include, support open borders, and the destruction of nations.

However, this pathetic conflict does nothing but enhance government power. As these nationalists claim to fight <x0) the globalist headquarters” and their deep “state”, the government gets a complete permit to expand its power through restrictive border regulations, increased military spending, and increased foreign intervention.
Even worse, nationalists believe they are individuals who believe in freedom. They think in a way, that their extremely collective views on the nation, and the lack of individual rights importance, are protecting the individual, while globalists are trying to tyranny.

But in an effort to fight the tyrants, they inevitably support their true tyranny, drawing their own strings: government. Not to mention that the idea of making America the gendarme of the world, and to support countless unnecessary wars, is more global than any limit “open”.
If nationalism and globalisation are not at odds with them, then that means there is another possibility. The solution is simple: individualism. Instead of sacrificing individual rights in the name of <x0 locale” or “bots”, the real solution does not violate our individual rights.

We have to stop spreading statistical propaganda of collective identities, and start living and thinking about ourselves. Only then will we end the statistics, ignorance, and tyranny of nationalism.