Budney,
I appreciate your analysis and comments. I don't know if we each are applying a different definition to nationalism, however. I'll do my best to illustrate what I am getting at, and I hope I do it well enough to make sense:
Bombing the crap out of dusky Middle Easterners would be one aspect of it
Perhaps. Perhaps not. Our relations with other countries is born of economics often enough. Would we bomb the crap out of someone if we were more nationalistic? Maybe. But this is hardly different that what we are doing currently.
as well as harassing Muslims domestically, so there is a racist component to it.
Not necessarily. My view of nationalism is representing the interests of US Citizens. We are a melting pot of cultures, religions and ideologies. I am speaking of citizenship, not religion. A muslim US citizen is a US citizen. Period. The same may be said for a Methodist, Hindu, or anyone else.
But the bigotry would also embrace Mexicans and Canadians, and anyone else not born here.
I disagree here as well. A naturalized citizen is exactly that-- a citizen. A person not born in the US but has become a citizen has essentially tied his future, his fate, and his loyalty to the US. They have "chosen a side" and invested of themselves into this country as well as accepted the responsibilities of such.
A "nationalist" would also regard "lack of patriotism" as a crime--and anyone who doesn't support his policies would of course be unpatriotic.
Again, this is presumption that seems to draw on totalaritan governmental entities as inspiration. What makes someone unpatriotic is when they have chosen to advance another country above that of their own. Disagreeing with policies is hardly unpatriotic-- this is one of the cornerstones of our history. I disagree often with some of the policies of our administration as well as the past few.
It is obvious that too many History Channel programs on Nazi Germany has usurped the definition of nationalism. Sad, really.
I look at nationalism similar to my owning my own firm. I paid a small fortune for my building, signs, advertising, keeping the bills paid, etc. If I found out one of my employees was selling the products of my competitor out of my office, his butt would be on the street. You see, I am the one who has invested into this company. I must place the interest of my firm over that of my competitor. And an employee who has no invested interest in my firm who advances the position of my competitor at my expense has NO right to be part of my firm.
This notion seems to be lost in the US today. When we place the interest of others who have no vested interest in this country-- or other countries themselves-- over those of US citizens we have lost everything our founding fathers bled and died for.
-- John
