About Nationalism

I would like to give a different perspective for nationalism. It is not only a belief but a method of grouping a set of humans. This grouping has it’s advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages stem from resource allocation. Though in theory you may say all resources are equally owned by all humans it is not correct.

A society cannot function like that. If it is the case the society will be a dormant one. There will be no progress.

All humans are not equal in their abilities. More able humans accumulate wealth. Less able humans become poor.

Love of parents to their children is another factor of wealth distribution. Because of this even less able humans can accumulate wealth.

There is another factor wealth also accumulates wealth. When you put money in a bank you get interest. When you own shares you gets dividends and usually the value of shares goes up.

This factors also apply to societies. The love is also there to a lesser extent. But the society as a hole understand if they freely distribute their wealth to outsiders they become poor. So, they try to prevent this distribution.

This creates nationalism.

It is evident that a lions and hyena outsider is not only unwelcomed but killed. This is due to competition for food.

But among themselves they share the food—though hierarchy matters.

So nationalism exist even among animals. Mainly due to the competition for resources.

Therefore nationalism is not man made. It is intra species competition for resources.

But there is a balancing act. Why is the competition among groups and not among each other? There are advantages of a group. A pride of lions can kill larger animals than their size. Group hunt very efficiently where it is unimaginable for a lone lion can do. So grouping is advantageous.

Therefore nationalism is advantageous.

Man has evolved in leaps and bounds than other species because they share, care and help each other than any other species.

But there should be always a balance to win. The two Germanys got together after the collapse of Berlin Wall. Today they are one of the most rich countries in Europe. So in this example sharing was advantageous.

Usually when countries and communities unite they thrive. When they divide they deteriorate. We still cannot answer whether division of Rasia was advantageous or not. Also example of EU is still unclear.

Smart politicians and citizens make correct choices and thrive. Where as dumb people make stupid choices and collapse in the end.

If you are smart these choices should be made on economic factors. Because economic factors are the ones that created the need for nationalism.

If you are blind nationalists you are bound to deteriorate at some point of time. Immigration policies of developed countries is a good example. Countries like Australia, a nation of immigrants model their policies in such a way to sustain progress and protect the ones who are already citizens.

Nationalism for the sake of nationalism is a recipe for doom of a nation.

The dilemma of Boat People.

Financial migrants.

Brain Drain

Deterioration of knowledge

Deterioration of values

Religious fundamentalism

Religions differ only on the aspect of after life. But people fight each other in this life.

America’s debt crisis also connected with nationalism. Ultra nationalist republicans – mostly white do not like the liberal democratic. Liberal republicans loose elections and non liberal  republicans don’t loose elections.

Effect of religion. Only parents should teach religion to their children. Eating or fishing is not bad for Sri Lankan Buddhists. Use mosquito coils don’t crush them or electric ratchet. Rats use a cat not a trap.

Why do we care religious conversions? Only one religion is correct. For instance Buddhists are reborn  and Christians and Muslims go to god after life cannot be true. It is simple logic. Because all humans are same physically and mentally and should be given same treatment by nature.

For us it is our religion and for them it is their religion is true.

So in our perspective a person converted from our religion to another is in trouble.

Is it for the love of them that we fight? It cant be because after conversion he is one of them not one of us. We like to kill one of them if possible. No love is lost to the other.

Then it can be we are not sure of our religion though we believe it. With all the injustices around you it is not strange if we come to such a conclusion. How can we assume a good god karma controls everything? Every on of us have a little bit different religion even if we all believe in one religion. Are we using numbers to convince us that our religion is correct. If more of us believe the something it must be correct is a reasonable presumption. But it may not be the correct assumption. So we don’t like the population believing our religion dwindle.