Burn The Boundaries: The End of Nationalism

The Necessary Illusions
by Brother14x

How did the Bush Regime get Americans to support what is now an undeniably unjustified war? What would make a millionaire football player quit and join the army to die? How do the Republicans get the white working class and poor to consistently vote against their material self-interest? The answer lies in necessary illusions of nationalism, religion, and racism.
A human is interplay between individual morphology and social constructs. There is no society without individuals…and no individual would be “human” without cultural lessons and nurturing of the people around her. This is why group identity is so important to us…right or wrong it is much of who we are.
The challenge for progressive minded people is to construct and propagate healthy group identifications for humanity. The current group identities mostly serve the interest of oppression, domination and exclusion. Take for instance nationalism.

Nationalism is the Grand Faloon
Racism has been unanimously and universally condemned as a justification for domination by the power elite; however, its ideological maternal twin has been stressed by the American power class. Nationalism subverts the idea that all humans are of equal value and have equal right no matter their geographical location. Nationalism leads to nationalist competition and conflict. It misleads working people into believing that their interests lie with the national ruling class rather than with working people around the world. All the while, the ruling class shares no such respect for borders.
A Mexican worker, a Chinese worker, an American worker, an Indian worker are all there to be exploited equally. As a matter of fact, a national working class can be pitted against another national working class to gain extra compliance and docility. This is the true magic of Nationalism in securing oppression. It uses the people’s own minds against them. (Thank you George Orwell for clarifying how this all works)
Once a people have been given an empty but controlled group identity they can be manipulated into untold irrationality. The unfolding of events following the 9/11 incident is a text book case. The media implied that membership to the group identity of “American” entailed the massive bombing of Muslim peasants. The double jeopardy of nationalistic and religious bigotry was evoked…and of course a tinge of racism just to make it American. In no instances was proof of allegations required or calm analysis of the situation encouraged…only nationalistic reaction. The American people danced to the songs of patriotic mass murder. It wasn’t the first time…we can only work to make it the last.

Toward a Positive Group Identity
Changes are to be made in how humans identify with one another if we are to reach a more healthy level of interaction. Respect for life, environment and universal education are some basic values that will improve the human condition. Old ideology that justified domination and oppression must be replaced by life affirming identities of liberation. Nationalism must be replaced by Cosmopolitanism. Religion must be replaced by Spirituality. Racism must be replaced by a multicentric view. In this way, we will leave behind the shell bigotry and start to bloom into our godhood.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosmopolitanism

http://www.colorado.edu/Sociology/Mayer/Contemporary%20Theory/Critical%20Theory_files/frame.htm#slide0026.htm

http://www.geocities.com/rhihawk/godhood.html