Clueless Nationalism Day

Two years ago, the people of New York City demonstrated that they were better than their reputation. In the wake of a disaster they showed courage and compassion for each other that surprised a lot of people. But in contrast, over the two years since, the people of the United States have demonstrated that we're not all we're cracked up to be.

On September 12, I wrote an essay, soft-peddling the argument a little for publication in my local newspaper. It read, in part:

We've been hearing a lot about "America", and how this disaster will draw us together and unite us. This is good, but again, we have to keep an eye on the whole picture. In the same way this attack affected more than just the dead and injured, more than just their families and friends, and more than just those in New York and D.C., it also affected more than just the United States.

I'm a participant in several discussion groups on the internet, which include people from numerous countries, and suddenly the usual topics have been brushed aside as people literally from around the world have spoken of how devastated they are by these attacks. The financial and military capitals of the United States may have been the physical targets, but the philosophical targets were global, and the whole world has been shaken by the impact.

So as we wave the Star and Stripes and sing "God Bless America" we need to remember to also include peace- and freedom-loving people from across our borders and overseas. Not just because we need their help to win a war, but because they're hurting too. We all need each other, and this is no time to draw lines between us.

But that's exactly what the United States went on to do. The TV news media ignored the fact that the primary target had been the World Trade Center, and (Fox especially) plastered the screen with U.S. flags. Ordinary folks followed suit with their cars and homes, to the point that I couldn't go outside without seeing red, white, and blue. George W. Bush later declared September 11 to be "Patriot Day", a bizarre non-sequitur. After all, a large number of the victims weren't even Americans, let alone "patriotic" ones. And the heroes of the day (some of them victims as well) weren't doing it "for America", they were doing it for their fellow human beings. Would they have done the same thing if they'd found themselves in the middle of a similar disaster in another country? Of course.

But our leaders cast the conflict in nationalist terms, and the public has all too willingly gone along with it. We idealise patriotism and national pride... which are in fact key parts of the problem. Take a look at any armed conflict in the world today (e.g. Israel/Palestine, the Balkans, Northern Ireland) and you will almost always find some form of nationalism at its center. (That's a whole topic in itself, for another day.) Two years ago almost the whole world was sympathetic toward the American people. We quickly alienated them, swinging our big American dick around and telling them all - including some of our strongest allies in NATO and the UN - to fuck off. So now it's the US against Them, and the would-be beacon of freedom and democracy is instead stomping through Central Asia trying to install new governments like Marvel Comics' sociopathic anti-hero vigilante the Punisher, with the apparent blessing of the American people. Is it any wonder the UN is reluctant to help clean up our mess?

Back in the 1990's I used to travel around Europe from time to time, and I've wanted to visit other parts of the world as well. I'd be very hesitant to do so now. Not because of 9/11 and the threat of terrorism, but because of how the people of my nation are perceived by the person on the streets elsewhere. If I did go overseas again, I'd probably sew a Canadian flag or something on my backpack, and travel incognito. Not so much for safety reasons (though that's part of it) but because the patriotic nationalism of my fellow Americans has actually made me ashamed of my country.

# 2003-09-11 10:54 AM | TrackBack