61–70 of 224 posts
The world needs to be rid of Nationalism sooner rather than later. The narrative is changing slowly but surely. Our ability to use the internet, aside from obvious propaganda, has made the world smaller yet more interconnected than ever.
Something else will replace it. Tribalism is built in to our ‘firmware’.
> As the nearest existing equivalent I have chosen the word ‘nationalism’…
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Something else will replace it. Tribalism is built in to our ‘firmware’.
Unfortunately in the West I think this might be identity politics. There is very much a "us Vs them" attitude with the whole thing. To give an example I see a lot of LGBT "allies" with pin badges, flags, etc. To label oneself as being part of that group. Without flying the flags you are seen as an outsider.
Not my sense at all.
The world needs to be rid of Nationalism sooner rather than later. The narrative is changing slowly but surely. Our ability to use the internet, aside from obvious propaganda, has made the world smaller yet more interconnected than ever.
Something else will replace it. Tribalism is built in to our ‘firmware’.
Amplified or quenched.
Applied in harmless ways like having a favorite musician or sportsball team or in very harmful ways like racism/nationalism/ethnocentrism/sexism.
Also for those who might be mislead by the title, Orwell is discussing something much broader here:
>But here I must repeat what I said above, that I am only using the word ‘nationalism’ for lack of a better. Nationalism, in the extended sense in which I am using the word, includes such movements and tendencies as Communism, political Catholicism, Zionism, Antisemitism, Trotskyism and Pacifism. It does not necessarily mean loyalty to a government or a country, still less to one’s own country, and it is not even strictly necessary that the units in which it deals should actually exist. To name a few obvious examples, Jewry, Islam, Christendom, the Proletariat and the White Race are all of them objects of passionate nationalistic feeling: but their existence can be seriously questioned, and there is no definition of any one of them that would be universally accepted.
It frustrates me to no end when people confuse patriotism with nationalism, some even cite this essay! They say despicable things (in my view) like "patriotism is the root of all evil" while enjoying the lifestyle/security provided by the altruistic patriotism of many others.
But this is anecdotal and I could be wrong. Like a Christian that does not proselytize, it is probably difficult to even identify the "quiet patriots" and so it is only the more militant of patriots (perhaps with a bumpersticker along the lines of U.S.A. Love It or Leave It) that get my attention.
(Yes, that’s all kinds of ironic for what is at the same time essentially a feature-length commercial.)
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Contrary to common believes, that a fascist society must visually similar to what been portrayed in a WW2 movie, a real fascist society now days hides behind layers of outlooks that makes them look normal. People in a fascist society may work a well-paid job in a clean glassy high-rise, and their government and law might be structured like a normal one. The most obvious difference between a fascist society and a norm…
> People in a fascist society may work a well-paid job in a clean glassy high-rise Just like under fascism in Italy and Germany. Most people would spend their attention on work and entertainment, often avoiding discussing politics and ignore dissenting voices outside of the overton window. Sounds familiar?
And most of their life would be normal, happy, even fulfilling until the very moment they "stepped over the red line".
I've observed many instances in the past, so yes, I'm very familiar of it. In fact, people has invented a term for it already, it's called *** ****.
It frustrates me to no end when people confuse patriotism with nationalism, some even cite this essay! They say despicable things (in my view) like "patriotism is the root of all evil" while enjoying the lifestyle/security provided by the altruistic patriotism of many others.
Even more frustrating is confusing nationalism with chauvinism, nacism and fascism. Nationalism as nations’ right to self determination and self rule is great. And that’s what brought down the old empires. While now empires are rebuilt under anti-nationalist slogans and we are sliding back to multinational behemoths. Good case why healthy dose of patriotism-nationalism is necessary is Ukraine war.
Orwell seems to describe what you’re defending as patriotism, not nationalism.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I remember watching it as a teenager back in 1997. I was the only one laughing in the cinema, it was just hilarious. It immediately dawned on me after though: why was no one else laughing, really? In Austria of all places. Hadn’t anyone else paid attention during history classes - at all? Continuously chilling yet I’ve never been really surprised by the creeping normalcy of fascist thought since the 90s - in part bec…
I think that's the mark of effective satire though - or it can be, I'd say there's a spectrum. Some satire needs to call itself out to the audience - make it clear what it is going after, and why. Others is the latter half of it - and Starship Troopers is definitely in this category - play it so straight that you do have to actually key in to it, and it might not hit right away. I was early teens when I watched it, s…
How often do we accept the story or the identity we are already part of?
For instance in the current conflict I wonder how language plays a part. Many Russians speak no to little english, and vice versa I/we often don’t speak Russian. I wonder how much this insulation adds to our conflict. I can’t learn from their viewpoint and they not from mine. Which leaves us with a one sided view like in the movie.