Beware of the Fallacy of Nationalism

While white supremacists defend racist rhetoric or attacks out of fear and hate of being outnumbered in a diverse society, while discriminatory and even cruel policies are established evidencing protectionism outweighs humanistic principles, and while white terrorism rampages in the United States -- it is crucial to reexamine nationalism and discern its implications for the world. Nationalism could relate to the feel of patriotism and pride about one’s own country, culture, ethnicity, values, or achievements. It could lead to superiority complex or to an extreme degree, justification of supremacy. Nationalism advocates development of national infrastructure and economy, provides motivations for hard work, strength and success. On the other hand, nationalism induces alienation from the global community due to isolationism and self-interest. It also evokes further separation of individuals based on finance, ethnicity, religion, or social status. In its severe form, nationalism leads to warring cliques, race groups, sub-nations and countries.

Without careful deliberation and discussion to balance nationalist outlooks, unity in diversity will break as in modern-today America, where white nationalism grows and intolerance increases. The extent of resistance, prejudice or bigotry could lead to hate and instigate treacherous catastrophes. Albert Einstein determined in his lifetime: "Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind." He also declared: "I am against any nationalism, even in the guise of mere patriotism. Privileges based on position and property have always seemed to me unjust and pernicious, as did any exaggerated personality cult." History is full of examples to verify Einstein’s remark. German leaders, such as Hitler, instituted anti-Jew laws, brainwashed citizens, and was able to rationalize one of the worst genocides in the history of mankind.

One imminent task of every responsible citizen is to detect the fallacy of nationalism, condemn dangerous nationalist movements or trends, and to avert new hate by learning from America’s entrenched old hate. 600 extremists around the country attended the white supremacist “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, on August 11-12, 2017. Its deadly violent end did not “save” the white race, but incited crime and unspeakable animosity. According to ADL’s report, “White supremacists have killed more people in recent years than any other type of domestic extremist (54% of all domestic extremist-related murders in the past 10 years). They are also a troubling source of domestic terror incidents (including 13 plots or attacks within the past five years).” Incidents of white terroristic mass shootings, for example in El Passo, TX in August 2019, are signaling alarming social trends. If this is not the time to review the lessons of history, when would it be?

White nationalism may be different from “white supremacy,” but the unrealistic desire to live among and with only their own race, in a so-called white “ethnostate,” can be just as misleading and fallacious. While one acknowledges this type of ideology, one needs to recognize that ethnic dominance must not lead to vicious exclusion of others. As a matter of fact, racially homogenous societies simply do not exist and need not die or kill for. The enterprise of our time should be one that seeks to dissolve and resolve conflicts and disagreements derived from diversity, or any such disparity existing in any community, be it homogeneous or heterogeneous. Boundaries of races or nations need not and could not be built only to deny its essence and existence; they are better to be bridged with gumption, integrity, and soul.

谨防民族主义的谬误

时值白人至上主义者因恐惧并怨恨其在多元化社会中的势力衰退而大力捍卫种族歧视性之言论和攻击，时值不平甚至残狠的政策建立而证明了保护主义胜过人道主义原则，时值白人恐怖主义在美国肆虐之际 -- 重新审视民族主义、并辨别其对世界的影响实为至关重要。民族主义可能与爱国主义有关，对自己的国家、文化、种族、价值观或成就感到自豪。它可能导致民族优势情结或更极端地成为某些人认为本身至高无上的理由。民族主义倡导发展国家基础设施和经济，为工作、力道和成功提供动力。另一方面，由于偏向孤立主义和自身利益，民族主义可引发人们对全球社会的疏离感，并基于财力、种族、宗教或社会地位对个人进一步进行分离。民族主义之严厉形式能导致集团派系、种族群体或国家之间的战争与分歧。

如果不仔细考虑平衡民族主义观点，人们将目睹更多现代美国的悲剧，白人民族主义正在增长、而容忍度也极度降低，多样的美国社会已呈现破裂状态。抵档外人或移民之偏颇程度可能导致人与人之间的仇恨并煽动危险的灾难。阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦在他有生之年决定：“民族主义是一种像似婴儿般的幼稚病态。它是人类的麻疹。”他还宣称：“我反对任何民族主义，即使只是以爱国主义为幌子也会带来思想偏差。基于地位和财产特权来裁判他人在我看来总是不公正和有害的，就像任何夸张的个人崇拜一样。”历史上充满了验证爱因斯坦言论的例子。像希特勒的德国领导人制定了反犹太法律，向人们洗脑灌输不平的概念，其残杀民族实例乃为人类历史上最严重的种族灭绝惨案之一。

每个负责任的公民皆有一项迫在眉睫的任务：谨防民族主义的谬误，谴责危险的民族主义运动或趋势，通过学习美国根深蒂固的仇恨情结来避免新的种族仇恨。2017年8月11日至12日，来自全美各地的600名极端分子参加了在维吉尼亚州夏洛茨维尔举行的白人至上主义者之“团结右翼”集会。其致命的暴力结局并未“拯救”白人之种族（实际上白人并不需要拯救），而只是煽动了种族罪犯和无法形容的敌意。根据ADL的报告，“白人至上主义者近年来杀死的人数超过任何其他类型的国内极端分子（占据过去10年中所有与极端主义有关的谋杀案的54％），也是国内恐怖事件的一个令人不安的来源（过去五年内发生13起袭击事件）。”白人恐怖主义大规模枪击事件，例如2019年8月德克萨斯州埃尔帕索的事件，正在展示惊人的社会趋势。如果现在不是回顾历史教训的时候，那么何时才是人们该觉悟之时？

白人民族主义可能与“白人至上主义”不同，但所谓的白人“民族主义”具有生活在白人纯种之社会的不切实际的愿望，可能同样具有误导性、其中之谬误不容忽视。虽然人们可以认同这种意识形态，但人们需要认识到，种族主义不应导致对于其他人种的恶性排斥。事实上，种族同质的社会根本不存在，也不需要以死亡或残杀他人来保卫。当今时代的企业应该着重于寻求解散和解决多样社会的冲突和分歧，或者任何社区中所存在的任何此类差异所带来的问题。无论是同质的还是异质的社会皆有人与人之间的不同。种族或国家的边界不需要、也不能仅仅为否定人们之存在本质而建立。界限设立的最佳方式：发扬人类之勇气、正直和人道精神来联系世界。