Nationalism
February 28th 2008 05:56
Sorry if I've covered this topic already, I seem to have misplaced my brain.
Nationalism can be very generally described as love of one's country but how it is expressed and what is thought of nationalism varies remarkably. One person may feel expressing pride for one's country is a must, while others may be slightly embarrassed by such a display of love for one's Motherland. There are multiple reasons for this.
Take Germany for instance. After WWII being proud of being German could due seen as a racist endeavor. As such, many Germans abstained from flying the German flag at every opportunity or speaking with excess pride of their Motherland when abroad. That isn’t to say they weren’t proud of being German, simply conscious that their nationalism had negative associations.
Until the FIFA World Cup.
The German flag became associated with the German team, and since Germany was playing host to the 2006 World Cup, it was all eyes on Deutschland for a sporting spectacle. Being German and proud was no longer a dirty thing- nationalism was no longer tainted.
This scenario differs greatly from a surge of 'Aussie Pride' that was on display in Australia predominantly in Sydney after the Cronulla riots of 2005. The Australian flag and national anthem became symbols of war and nationalism was evoked aggressively. This isn’t to say Australians suddenly became racists, simply the Australian way of life was deemed to be under threat and the nation's citizens came out to show they would not stand by and let that happen. Certainly there were arrests and certain actions and chants were deplorable, but in comparison to nationalism in Germany in decades past, national pride was not being suppressed, it was encouraged.
Of course there are nations where nationalism has never been relegated to the darkest corners of one's mind and is so commonly on display, surges of it have become commonplace. Okay, obviously there was hyperbole in that sentence but nonetheless I'm sure you can pick that I'm referring to the USA. Do I really need to point out why? Come on, the Revolution, the constant references to the 'American' language. A US citizen not shouting about their nationality form the rooftops? Pah, perish the thought! This is a country where nationalism is pretty much a prerequisite. Again, hyperbole, don't kill me.
So there you have it, a rather uninformative, unrehearsed blog entry about the living circumstances of youth around the world. Proof, dear readers that I am well and truly back.
Nationalism can be very generally described as love of one's country but how it is expressed and what is thought of nationalism varies remarkably. One person may feel expressing pride for one's country is a must, while others may be slightly embarrassed by such a display of love for one's Motherland. There are multiple reasons for this.
Take Germany for instance. After WWII being proud of being German could due seen as a racist endeavor. As such, many Germans abstained from flying the German flag at every opportunity or speaking with excess pride of their Motherland when abroad. That isn’t to say they weren’t proud of being German, simply conscious that their nationalism had negative associations.
Until the FIFA World Cup.
The German flag became associated with the German team, and since Germany was playing host to the 2006 World Cup, it was all eyes on Deutschland for a sporting spectacle. Being German and proud was no longer a dirty thing- nationalism was no longer tainted.
This scenario differs greatly from a surge of 'Aussie Pride' that was on display in Australia predominantly in Sydney after the Cronulla riots of 2005. The Australian flag and national anthem became symbols of war and nationalism was evoked aggressively. This isn’t to say Australians suddenly became racists, simply the Australian way of life was deemed to be under threat and the nation's citizens came out to show they would not stand by and let that happen. Certainly there were arrests and certain actions and chants were deplorable, but in comparison to nationalism in Germany in decades past, national pride was not being suppressed, it was encouraged.
So there you have it, a rather uninformative, unrehearsed blog entry about the living circumstances of youth around the world. Proof, dear readers that I am well and truly back.
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