[QUOTE=Surya Deva;73463]A comment on Nationalism
Nationalism is a very seductive ideology, and many of us will be surprised how close we have come to becoming nationalist. I was very close to becoming Hindu nationalist, but sense prevailed in the end, and I realized the falsify of it. Nationalism gives us a false sense of belonging and group identity, the same kind of psychology that is behind supporting a football team. Individually we feel weak, but when we are part of a huge group of people with a common ideology we feel stronger. The psychological benefits of belonging to a group identity is that it gives us confidence, security and the feeling of belonging to something wider and bigger. Invariably, this also create the us and them dichotomy between other groups and this leads to conflict. Again, this can be seen between rival football fan groups, in how hostile they are to each other and the occasional fights that break out between them.
Nationalist groups are the biggest kind of groups you can have, because they attempt to bring people together in the name of race or religion. This creates an ever bigger psychological high, because you are identifying yourself with the accomplishments and achievements of an entire race of people and leeching of it. It creates feeling of supremacy(super-confidence) righteousness and more lasting security. They also create the biggest us and them dichotomies, whose manifestations we can in the form of wars, genocide, civil wars etc
Take the recent example of the genocide of Muslims in the Gujurat riots. Hindu nationalist mobs butchered so many Muslims in cold blood in the most inhumane manner. As individuals would they have done the same? Most likely not - but because they were part of a Nationalist group mentality they were confident in doing it and even felt justified and righteous. These people thought nothing as they went about massacring women and children, because they did not see women and children, they saw “them”
Psychological studies show the kind of people who tend to join Nationalist groups are psychologically weak, disadvantaged, frustrated, emotionally unstable, criminals or failures in society. We are all at the risk of being lured into Nationalist groups when we are at low points in our life. This is why nationalist groups can rise all of a suddenly into power during times of crisis. People will actually vote for them. In recent times for example the BNP has gained more power in the UK, and more and more people are starting to vote for them. One of the reasons for this is growing unemployment in the UK and tax cuts.
People need to be careful not to let themselves fall for the seductive trap of nationalism. Nationalism leads to wars, genocide and all round destruction. Be globalists; resist nationalism.[/QUOTE]
I couldn’t agree with you more Surya. It is true that the BNP are rising for the reasons you have pointed out. However, we must also point out that the BNP are ridiculed within Parliament and they carry no respect for their views amongst the decent folk of Britain. They appeal to the weak and ignorant for the reasons you have stated.
Those who speak up against genocide and make a stand against it are not being violent to those who support genocide. They are simply being human. To take a stand against nationalism is the most human thing to do.