Incognito
Banned
Thinking about some of the ongoing conflicts around the world recently, I wondered if the world might have been a better place had "nationalism" ideology only taken root? For those of you unfamiliar with it, "nationalism" was an idea kicked around in the 18th and 19th that people should be loyal to groups based on ethnic, linguistic, cultural, historic ties rather than things like religion. However, the idea never gained much ground.
But what if it had? Can you immagine how quiet Central Europe would be if Tutano-Germanic people had decided to look past their different religions and united into a single nation? In all likelihood then the world would not have suffered two global wars in the 20th century.
Or immagine how peaceful the West Africa would be in 1990s if men had felt loyalty to their ethnic groups?
Or what if people in Eastern Europe and Near East had form "nations" based on linguistic groups and historic ties (e.g.: "Ukraine", "Poland", "Belarus", "Russia", "Lithuania", "Turkey", "Armenia", "Georgia", "Azerbaijan", etc.)? Would the area suffer the population exchanges and genocides in the 20th century?
It's such a shame nationalism never grew beyond philosophical debates. It looks to me like it had the potential to bring peace to the world if only people would be willing put loyalty to their ethnicity, language, blood & culture above petty leaders and religious figures.
But what if it had? Can you immagine how quiet Central Europe would be if Tutano-Germanic people had decided to look past their different religions and united into a single nation? In all likelihood then the world would not have suffered two global wars in the 20th century.
Or immagine how peaceful the West Africa would be in 1990s if men had felt loyalty to their ethnic groups?
Or what if people in Eastern Europe and Near East had form "nations" based on linguistic groups and historic ties (e.g.: "Ukraine", "Poland", "Belarus", "Russia", "Lithuania", "Turkey", "Armenia", "Georgia", "Azerbaijan", etc.)? Would the area suffer the population exchanges and genocides in the 20th century?
It's such a shame nationalism never grew beyond philosophical debates. It looks to me like it had the potential to bring peace to the world if only people would be willing put loyalty to their ethnicity, language, blood & culture above petty leaders and religious figures.