Thread: Nationalism

Nationalism is a real and powerful force. It creates boundaries and changes not only the landscape, but the people as well. A spectrum of factors come together to give certain Nations advantages over others, as these diffirences become more apparent, one Nation grows in power, others do not. Could we not look at this mathematically, as a nation solar system? The more powerful nations command more gravity, and they all orbit each other, and Nationalism.

Interesting thoughts, and the analogy of a gravity well is worthy of consideration. Up front, though... what exactly is the "mass" in this analogy? What is the gravity attracting, or pulling toward itself?

The mass is Nationalism. The greater the sentiment the more powerful the civilization. After 9/11 and after pearl harbor, the Nationalistic emotion that took over this country was both impressive and powerful in its effect on all of our psyches.

Okay. Thanks. Isn't that gravity... or that attraction of mass... also sometimes useful? Like in keeping a kin unit or family together? Like in assisting a hunting pack to work together on the same plan and agenda, or a building party erect a structure with common approach?

My point is that you are focused very narrowly on nationalism, which I agree can be dangerous when carried too far. However, the same human traits which feed the negativity we often see in nationalistic fervor also feeds the positivity we see in shared survival advantage in a social species.

Now... I suppose this is all off topic, so my apologies. Can we measure it? Sure. Can we do statistics and apply math and formulas? Sure, again. However, what are we measuring, and how do we avoid the inherent subjectivity in such measures?