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The Oxford English dictionary defines Nationalism as the “advocacy of or support for the interests of one’s own nation, esp. to the exclusion or detriment of the interests of other nations.” Nationalism remains a vital part in a country’s development and a citizen of their particular country should believe in it. I have recently discovered that the United States is quickly losing its nationalism and it could yield dangerous results. Before I get into that, allow me to discuss the angles of nationalism so one can get a clear picture of what I am trying to convey.

Nationalism is something a nation’s citizens should embrace.  A person who lives in a particular nation will survive and thrive if the nation makes the right decisions. A nation’s administration should embrace it’s people and look out for the interest of their people and for the good of the nation itself. If it continues to thrive and continues to have the ability to protect the people from it’s enemies then the nation must look out for its own interests, and its own interests alone. That is not an evil thing if the nation does not get too aggressive. Yet the people in the U.S. seem to feel that this is the thinking of evilness. Now it is true that the abuse of a country’s nationalism can lead to bad things.

Like everything in this universe, too much of anything is bad. To be fair, the same goes with nationalism. Historically nations that become too wrapped up in being nationalistic can absolutley yield dangerous results. Take early to mid 20th century Germany for example. One of the biggest reasons for the rise of  the Third Reich and Nazi Germany is nationalism. Nazi Germany felt that they were better than every other country and that it was their right to take over Europe to try and create the perfect race of human beings. Nationalism lead them to that, and genocide is something that no country should ever commit. However to abandon nationalism is wrong and just as dangerous.

The goal for a country and it’s nationalism is really should be a slightly tilted balance. A c0untry and its citizens should not become so nationalistic to become labeled an evil country that commits atrocities, but at the same time a country shouldn’t lose its nationalism because the country will no longer be looking out for number one, or in other words, that particular country. There is nothing wrong in a country that looks out for its own good before it looks out for the good of other countries. For a country not to embrace nationalism at all will bring that country down. It is simple, if a country does not look out for itself it is fundamentally saying that other nations are more important than their own country; they are putting themselves at #2 or #3 on the priority list.

What the United States seems to be embracing is the opposite of nationalism and that will guide this country away from what our founding fathers embraced, or even worse destroy the country. I talk to a lot of people about the state of this nation. Generally it is not face to face, but over the internet. However the posts I read online come from the ideas and thoughts of real human beings. These people who I debate world events with, feel that it is evil for the United States to be nationalistic at all. They state items like that the U.S. should allow Iran to have nuclear weapons for now, and the U.S. to immediatley disarm all of their own. They don’t consider that leaving the U.S. defenseless because they do not see any need to be nationalistic. The view that the people have is one of a collective world. They feel, that the U.S. should give back the whole west coast to Mexico because it was once theirs to begin with. These same people feel it was wrong for the United States to strike back at Afghanastan and if anything the U.S. deserved what it got on 9/11. These  people feel that defending ones own nation from attack is not acceptable. Why? Because it harms the outside world.Thoughts by these people truly do scare me. If the masses do think this, the United States is doomed. Most other developed nations are very nationalistic. Whether it is England, Ireland, Japan, China, Russia, Germany, Iran, or Brazil, they all want there own country to prevail and keep it’s people a priority over the rest of the world. And that is how a Government should act. However people in the United States have become so global that the people would rather develop the rest of the world than there own place that they live in.

There was once a time when people were very nationalistic. Pretty much all throughout history until mass media took over in the 1960’s. Before then people embraced nationalism. There was enough to fight a war to break away from England in a conflict that succesfully claimed our own independence. They were nationalistic enough to claim neutrality in the conflict between England and France in 1793. France had helped the U.S. win its independence and George Washington felt they needed to focus on their own developing country rather than pick a fight with either Brtitain or France. Even throughout history when the U.S. did meddle in the events of international affairs they felt that it was their duty to claim the glory because they had suffered throughout the war – even if other contributors deserved it more than the U.S. did (for further reading research General Mark W. Clark and his decision to drive on Rome in the Italian Theater of WWII).

The reality is that if I were to go into a local coffee shop and say that I am proud of this country and what it has accomplished I would probably get some fairly ugly looks from its inhabitants. Some might even call me a racist because I appreciate this country over others because I choose to live here. Although those same people wouldn’t be racist because they might like another country over the one the provides them SAFE land to live on, and an opportunity to work hard and obtain riches. I just now I am happy to be an United Statesian and I think it is alright if this country looks out for its own inhabitants. That is what it is supposed to do in the first place.

I feel that this current presidency of Barack Obama and his administration still care about nationalism, just as George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Sarah Palin, Mitt Romney, and Hillary Clinton all still understand this fundamental nationalistic necessity. However the people who are my age, or a bit younger, will one day be the leaders of this country and it is unclear if they understand about the importance of nationalism. Each country must put themselves on the very top of the list of who to look out for. Not the rest of the world before their own country. It is how great nations like the Roman Empire fall.

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