Is Nationalism Good or Bad?

the AZEL PERSPECTIVE Commentary on Cuba's Future, U.S. Foreign Policy & Individual Freedoms - Issue 409 B

José Azel's latest books "On Freedom" and "Sobre La Libertad" are now available on Amazon.  Is Nationalism Good or Bad? (Previously published) Share Tweet Forward

I am reluctant to discuss nationalism in a short newspaper column. Nationalism is complex, misunderstood, and often abused. Yet, I will give it a try in my allotted 680 words. Let’s begin by clarifying that nationalism is not synonymous with patriotism. Nationalism and patriotism are often found together, but they are not the same. Just as importantly, we should not equate the nation, or the state with each other or with the government. Being a patriot does not imply one must offer unwavering support for all government policies as implied by the phrase, “My country, right or wrong.”  That phrase, by the way, is attributed to United States naval officer and commodore Stephen Decatur Jr (1779-1820). This young patriot, and hero of the Barbary Wars, and the War of 1812, played a significant role establishing the identity of the United States. Regarding the phrase, the English polymath G. K. Chesterton noted: “My country, right or wrong is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case.” His meaning was that we should not be indifferent to the policies undertaken by our nation. As good citizens, we should seek to change what is wrong in our country.  In unadorned terms, patriotism is defined as love or devotion to one’s country. Similarly, nationalism also reflects loyalty and devotion to a nation but, and this is a critical difference, nationalism also seeks to build and maintain a single national identity.  Nationalism seeks to foster a single national identity on shared social characteristic such as culture, language, religion, politics or history. This makes nationalism exclusionary and disenfranchising of those who do not share such characteristics. The definition of nationalism includes “exalting one nation above all others...” Unchecked, nationalism can easily turn into Fascism or Nazism as happened in Italy and Germany. As Charles De Gaulle defined it, “A patriot loves his country, a nationalist hates everyone else’s.”  Historians trace the origins of modern nationalism to the political upheaval of the 18th century associated with the American and French revolutions. In the 19th century, nationalism became one of the most influential political and social forces in history. Historians have also identified several types of nationalism, three of which, civic, ethnic, and economic nationalism I will introduce here for clarity.  Civic nationalism defines the nation as being made up of people who have equal and shared political rights, and creates a political identity centered on political rights. Civic nationalism was inspirational for the development of representative democracies in multiethnic countries such as the United States.  In contrast, ethnic nationalism is a form of nationalism where the nation is defined in terms of ethnicity. The central theme of ethnic nationalism is that the nation is defined by a shared heritage of characteristics such as a common language, a common faith or a common ancestry.  Economic nationalism is an ideology that favors state interventionism in the economy, with policies that emphasize domestic control of the economy. My Latin American readers are very familiar with this form of nationalism.  In my Cuban tribe, nationalism began with the Wars for Independence, and was patently present in the early days of the Republic. The Cuban Revolutionary Party -commonly called El Partido Auténtico- had its origins in the nationalist Revolution of 1933 and had as its slogan, Cuba para los Cubanos (Cuba for Cubans).  Auténticos argued that the economy needed to be managed by tripartite commissions made up of labor leaders, government bureaucrats and businessmen. In 1933, a provisional government headed by Auténtico leader Ramón Grau San Martin enabled a law requiring that no less than fifty percent of all the employees of national or foreign firms had to be Cuban. Cuba’s famed 1940 Constitution was heavily influenced by the Auténticos nationalist ideas.  Cuban nationalism carried into exile, and in the early 1960s was represented by a movement called Nacionalismo Realista (Realistic Nationalism) headed by Rafael Luis Serralta Nogues.  Nationalism may mean different things to different people, but to be an American has always meant to identify with a set of ideas expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  Please let us know if you  this article. We welcome your feedback. Abrazos, Lily & José (click on the name to email Lily or Jose) José Azel, Ph.D. José Azel left Cuba in 1961 as a 13 year-old political exile in what has been dubbed Operation Pedro Pan - the largest unaccompanied child refugee movement in the history of the Western Hemisphere.   He is currently dedicated to the in-depth analyses of Cuba's economic, social and political state, with a keen interest in post-Castro-Cuba strategies. Dr. Azel was a Senior Scholar at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies (ICCAS) at the University of Miami, Jose Azel has published extensively on Cuba related topics. In 2012 and 2015, Dr. Azel testified in the U.S. Congress on U.S.-Cuba Policy, and U.S. National Security.  He is a frequent speaker and commentator on these and related topics on local, national and international media.  He holds undergraduate and masters degrees in business administration and a Ph.D. in International Affairs from the University of Miami. José along with his wife Lily are avid skiers and adventure travelers.  In recent years they have climbed Grand Teton in Wyoming, trekked Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Machu Pichu in Peru.  They have also hiked in Tibet and in the Himalayas to Mt. Everest Base Camp. They cycled St. James Way (El Camino de Santiago de Compostela) and cycled alongside the Danube from Germany to Hungary and throughout southern France.  They have scuba dived in the Bay Islands off the Honduran coast and in the Galapagos Islands. Most recently, they rafted for 17 days 220 miles in the Grand Canyon.  Their adventurers are normally dedicated to raise funds for causes that are dear to them.  Watch Joe & Lily summit Kilimanjaro. Books by Dr. José Azel José Azel’s writings are touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone who wishes to understand why countries do, or do not, progress will find in this book the best explanations. And, from these readings emerge numerous inferences: How and why do the good intentions of leftist collectivism lead countries to hell? Why is liberty not a sub product of prosperity, but rather one of its causes? If it was in my power, this work would be required reading for all college and university students, and I would also recommend its reading to all politicians, journalists, and policymakers. With his writings Azel accomplishes what was achieved in France by Frédéric Bastiat, and in the United States by Henry Hazlitt: Azel brings together common sense with intelligent observation, and academic substance. Stupendous, Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                                    BUY NOW Los escritos de José Azel están tocados por la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquiera que desee entender por qué los países progresan, o no, encontrará en este libro las mejores explicaciones. De estas lecturas surgen numerosas inferencias: ¿Cómo y por qué las buenas intenciones del colectivismo de izquierda llevan a los países al infierno? ¿Por qué la libertad no es un subproducto de la prosperidad, sino una de sus causas? Si estuviera en mis manos, esta obra sería de obligada lectura de todos los estudiantes universitarios, pero además, le recomendaría su lectura a todos los políticos, periodistas y policy makers. Con sus escritos Azel logra lo que Frédéric Bastiat consiguiera en Francia y Henry Hazlitt en Estados Unidos: aunar el sentido común, la observación inteligente y la enjundia académica. Estupendo. Carlos Alberto Montaner                                                            Compre Aqui "Liberty for beginners is much more than what the title promises. It is eighty themes touched with the wisdom of a master, and the charm of an excellent communicator. Anyone that wishes to understand why countries do, or do not progress, will find in this book the best explanations. Stupendous" Carlos Alberto Montaner Buy Now "Libertad para novatos es mucho más de lo que promete el título. Son ochenta temas tocados con la sabiduría de un maestro y la amenidad de un excelente comunicador. Cualquier adulto que desee saber por qué progresan o se estancan los pueblos aquí encontrará las mejores explicaciones. Estupendo." Carlos Alberto Montaner Compre Aqui In Reflections on Freedom, José Azel brings together a collection of his columns published in prestigious newspapers.  Each article reveals his heartfelt and personal awareness of the importance of freedom in our lives.  They are his reflections after nearly sixty years of living and learning as a Cuban outside Cuba. In what has become his stylistic trademark, Professor Azel brilliantly introduces complex topics in brief journalistic articles. Buy Now En Reflexiones sobre la libertad José Azel reúne una colección de sus columnas publicadas en prestigiosos periódicos. Cada artículo revela su percepción sincera y personal de la importancia de la libertad en nuestras vidas. Son sus reflexiones después de casi sesenta años viviendo y aprendiendo como cubano fuera de Cuba.  En lo que ha resultado ser característica distintiva de sus artículos, el Profesor Azel introduce con brillantez complejos temas en  breves artículos de carácter periodístico. Compre Aqui Mañana in Cuba is a comprehensive analysis of contemporary Cuba with an incisive perspective of the Cuban frame of mind and its relevancy for Cuba's future. Buy now Pedazos y Vacíos is a collection of poems written in by Dr. Azel in his youth. Poems are in Spanish. Buy now