Sydney J. Harris once said ,“The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does.”
These lines have been popular since the Second World War and as per Merriam Webster’s definition the word Patriotism has remained unchanged through the years while Nationalism has grown apart.
Nationalism especially in this current worldly scenario carries with it a negative connotation -whether it is Inward Nationalism or Outward Nationalism.
So is Nationalism bad ? Well no. It is used as a strong motivating tool to unite people against the struggle for injustice.
On another hand Nationalism as an idea has a domino effect mainly because of how globalized the world is. But now it seems as if globalization has been put on hold ?
No doubt worldly politics has its upswings and downswings of liberalism and conservatism coupled with many other elements such as population dynamics and cultural dynamics.
A strong national common identity is important for balance and growth. It represents an image which the whole world perceives. A strong image is perceived as an ally and a threat depending on which side of the line a country stands. The smaller alliances automatically fall in line depending upon its image whether strong or weak.
To conclude , Patriotism and Nationalism both seem inevitable. Each plays it’s part at the end of the of the day.
Now, of the two, which one is better ?
