• Kellamity
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    5 months ago

    Nationalism is inherently concerned with expanding the State through the ostensible ‘reunification’ of ethnic groups, or more overtly at the expense of other nations. Like, yknow, Lebensraum

    This idea that Imperialism and Nationalism are conflicting ideologies is just… so dumb

    • masquenox@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Nationalism is inherently concerned

      Hey, don’t tell me… tell every African nationalist in history that they are doing nationalism wrong because you, an armchair genius, only ascribes to the meaning of the term nationalism as it was presented to you by white liberal western media. Go tell every nation-state in the (so-called) “3rd world” that the nationalists that helped free them from your country’s imperialist yoke cannot possibly be nationalists because you, still an armchair genius, have decided that they aren’t based on internet “definitions” written by people just like you.

      Go on. I’ll wait here.

      This idea that Imperialism and Nationalism are conflicting ideologies is just… so dumb

      Again… don’t tell me - tell it to all the nation states that aren’t fundamentally imperialist, since, according to you (still just an armchair genius) nationalism cannot exist without imperialism.

      Don’t worry… I’m still waiting right here.

      • Kellamity
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        5 months ago

        So you’ve called me an ‘armchair genius’ twice in that comment - I’m sorry that I didn’t fight in WWI, but I am allowed to discuss the definition of Nationalism. You have no idea about my life or my background (or my chair), so leave that out.

        Sure, Post-Colonial Nationalism as a movement played an integral role in establishing independence from European powers. That doesn’t change the fact that Nationalism is a European paradigm that contributed to the exploitation of these places in the first place.

        The fact that Nationalism opposes foreign influence over ones own country - and therefore is an effective ideology of opposition in regions affected by European exploitation - says nothing about Nationalism’s inherent militarism and codification of heirarichal power.

        So yes look at Nationalism as a factor in establishing independence, but then look at where Nationalism leads after that.

        Lets take Nigeria in the 1960s. Nigerian nationalism helped oust the British, cool, that’s great. Then the Nationalist government inflamed ethnic tensions until Ahmadu Bello was assassinated in a miltary coup, and the following ethnic violence led to Civil War.

        While you wait there for me to talk to “every nation state in the (so called) “3rd World””, maybe do some reading that isn’t an internet definition written by people Just like me (whatever that means…)

        https://www.jstor.org/stable/45341491

        And if you come back to me, do it with argument and not random personal attacks next time, thanks