OUR NEW AMERICAN DESPOTISM
The First World War was horrendously costly.
- 9, 720, 450 Military lives lost (all sides)
- 8, 865, 659 Civilian lives lost (all sides)
- 19,769, 102 Wounded (all sides)
- $60, 643, 160, 000 monetary costs
This past month, November 11, 2018 marked the hundredth anniversary of the end of this war. Leaders of nations around the world gathered in Paris, France to solemnly commemorate this event. They marched down the Champ-Elyse’s to the Arch de Triumph where they observed this commemoration. It was raining and two world leaders arrived late so as to avoid the wet walk – Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump. Trump made a further gesture of his aversion to democratic values by refusing to attend some of the vital functions at the heart of this event.
Earlier, Trump had announced his commitment to nationalism – something he had been practicing openly since his inauguration. Nationalism is a statement of the superiority of one’s own nation above that of all other nations. It is an expression of national arrogance and a motivation that will always put the interests of one’s own country above any other interest. It fails to recognize that the globe is an inter-dependent community. It was a strong motivation behind World War I and World War II and currently invites world conflict.
Patriotism is different than nationalism. Patriotism is national pride and love of one’s country based on the values for which it stands. One can be patriotic without being nationalistic although the two can be blended into an exalted identity such as that of Germany’s focal value of racial superiority during the Second World War. But if a nation’s focal value is democracy then exalting itself above other nations is a violation of governing principle.
At the time of this commemoration the president of France, Emmanuel Macron, delivered a speech denouncing nationalism as a growing attitude that threatens the stability of global relationships. He said:
Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism.
Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism. In saying
‘Our interests first, whatever happens to the others’,
you erase the most precious thing a nation can have,
that which makes it live, that which causes it to be
great and that which is most important: its moral values.
Nationalism is also one of the primary global symptoms of that growing number of nation’s attempting a democracy but failing. When Trump was a candidate for the American presidency, he clearly indicated in every possible way that he did not believe in democracy and that he was contemptuous of those who did. Apparently a lot of our citizenry did not care because they had private agendas that rose above the values of democracy and Trump’s views fit these agendas.
Two years later Trump has openly confirmed his original posturing. He has supplanted American democracy with the political trinity of nationalism, nativism, and populism. In this supplanting, nationalism is America above all other nations. Nativism is a message of none inclusion in citizenship for anybody not presently descended from white male Europeans. Populism is a perception that the virtuous people of America are being oppressed by a vile national leadership that should immediately be dethroned by any means possible. Trump is viewed by his political base as the instrument of this trinity.
When combined – nationalism, nativism, and populism – easily become despotic. Trump is an economic imperialist despot whose only concern for democracy is using it as a utility for profit-making. He represents the enslavement of democracy to capitalism. This enslavement changes:
Of the people,
by the people,
for the people.
to
Of the wealthy,
by the wealthy,
for the wealthy.
If the American citizenry does not wake up to its political plight the next election may well seal America’s future as an on-going despotism. To have awakened will be evidenced by the election of a President and a congress that understands the difference between Trumps nationalism and Macron’s patriotism.
Robert
Thank you for making this essential distinction and call to organize and vote!
This clear view of Trump and what he is doing is absolutely frightening. A wider audience needs to read and understand this analysis.
This distinction made between nationalism and patriotism is critically important. As Franklin Roosevelt said in 1938, “If American democracy ceases to move forward as a living force, seeking day and night by peaceful means to better the lot of our citizens, fascism will grow in strength in our land.” It is a wake up call to take the never ending task of freedom seriously enough to do the work of justice!