Quote:
Originally Posted by wdmso
Stay focused not talking Animal Farm
Just Nationalism and Patriotism and 1 fitting description ...
theres no hidden message
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So you want to avoid Orwell's novels
1984 and
Animal Farm which depict the how and why we are headed in the direction we are, and, instead focus only on Orwell's essay defining Nationalism and Patriotism. OK, let's disregard interconnected themes that exist in the essay and the novels.
Let's start with your selected quote “Every nationalist is haunted by the belief that the past can be altered,”--by this Orwell is referring to how a Nationalist:
"spends his time in a fantasy world in which things happen as they should . . . and he will transfer fragments of this world to the history books whenever possible."
I don't see that Trump sees our world as a place in which things are happening as they should. Nor is he making changes to our history books. In general and in detailed specific instances Orwell gives examples of Nationalists basically rewriting history to suit their view as to how things should be or how things are and have been. This sort of Nationalism is a hallmark of Progressivism. Progressives have rewritten our history and replaced older history books in our schools with new ones which make old "heroes" to be either bad or less significant than modern ones who espouse "social justice" rather than "traditional American values." Of course older heroes like FDR and Woodrow Wilson and LBJ and various minorities are given accolades and larger mention as well as made to be the true models of how things should be. And they minimize or distort the records of those in the past whom Progressives don't approve of like Joe McCarthy. Not only was he right, but the communist infiltration in our Federal Government was more expansive than he thought, and was used to influence our policies, domestic and foreign, and especially to favor the Soviets economically, militarily, and in their takeover of Eastern Europe, as well as the Communist conquest of China and in influencing us into war with Japan. And to this day McCarthy is a bad guy for whom the pejorative "McCarthyism" is named. And to this day many Progressives believe that those who were eventually proven to be Soviet agents or fellow travelers were treated badly and falsely accused. They still insist on re-writing history. And insist on changing the names of things like mountains. And removing historical statues. And tearing down various monuments. And even changing the meaning of words like racist. They are redefining history and language as part of their quest to fundamentally transform this nation. It is a very powerful form of nationalism. And it's not Trump that's doing it.
And this is just one facet of what Orwell defines as Nationalism. He lists different types of Nationalism, and he defines it very broadly, not as merely a jingoist for a specific nation, but more as a state of mind which, broken down to its most basic, simplest concept is the emotional, unobjective favoring of one "unit" (a human group or ideal, etc.) over another "unit"--that one is "simpler, more creative, less vulgar, less snobbish, etc." than another. I don't see Trump as any more "nationalistic" than Hillary in that respect. She certainly has her vulgar moments in calling women trashy names, and snobbish moments with categorizations such as "deplorables," and calling Republicans or "Conservatives" mean-spirited, racist, homophobic, sexist, etc. I think both can be "nationalistic" in thinking they are better than the other in these respects.
wdmso, do you believe that your unit is superior, simpler, more creative, less vulgar, less snobbish, than the Trump unit? If so, you are a Nationalist. Anti-Trumpism, according to Orwell's definition, is itself a nationalist feeling.
And in the essay Orwell says about Nationalism: "There is no crime, absolutely none, that cannot be condoned when 'our' side commits it. Even if one does not deny that the crime has happened, even if one knows that it is exactly the same crime as one has condemned in some other case, even if one admits in an intellectual sense that it is unjustified--still one cannot
feel that it is wrong." I don't think Hillary supporters are less nationalistic then Trump supporters in this regard.
Orwell's definition of Nationalism is so broad that very few of us are not guilty of it. Orwell corroborates that by saying: "As for the nationalistic loves and hates that I have spoken of, they are part of the make-up of most of us, whether we like it or not."
As for Patriotism, he doesn't really elaborate in depth what that is. That is why I said that sometimes Nationalism and Patriotism are compatible, even though Orwell might disagree. And even though I respect and agree with much of his writing, he is not my be all and end all definer of all words.
That's why I pointed out the examples of Tom Paine and Patrick Henry. They shouted slogans and proclaimed their country’s righteousness. And my Orwellian nationalism agrees with them. And it agrees with the Constitution as written rather than the one that has been rewritten by Progressive judicial fiat. Is "America first" nationalistic or patriotic or both?
That's why Trump is not, as you put it, my man. Who he will nominate to the Supreme Court is "my man." I voted for Cruz in the primary. I voted for the Constitution in my early voting ballot. Although, it looks like that is going down to defeat. It looks like your nationalism will win.