Indic World View

Almost everyone who is a citizen of a nation is a nationalist. How?

As a citizen of a nation one contributes to the pool of resources of that nation and draws benefits from that pool of resources. Resources could mean physical resources, human capital, education, knowledge and ideas, morality/ethics, laws, administration, internal and external security etc. Contributions can mean money, public service, labor in the economy, consumption, production of value, electing leaders, providing internal or external security etc. This idea of contributing to a pool and withdrawing benefits when needed is the most general principle of human societies from the smallest unit – the family – to every other larger grouping. The largest grouping that we have developed is the nation, which is administered by what we call the nation-state. Any citizen of a nation wants to support that nation so that both contributions and withdrawals can continue. Therefore, every citizen of a nation is a nationalist because he or she supports that nation, the common pool of resources that every other citizen has contributed towards and which can be withdrawn from.

If you disagree with the above statements I invite you to read the FAQs below. It may help to understand the point of view if not fully convince you of it.

FAQs:

1. But what about those who don’t pay income tax?
   Response: Well, everyone pays taxes. If not income tax which is a direct tax, then everyone pays indirect taxes like GST and other taxes such Securities Transaction Tax, for example. Taxes are meant to have people contribute to a common pool which is then redistributed for various common purposes that are meant to benefit the citizens and residents of a nation. And even if you don’t pay any tax, by the process of withdrawing benefits from the common pool of the nation, you are supported by it and want to see that support continue. A nation is a lot more than just a common pool of monetary resources – it provides other benefits such as security, education, human capital etc.
2. But I consider myself a Global Citizen in a Global World. I reject the nationalist ideology!
   Response: You may consider yourself a global citizen, but don’t you derive benefits from the nation that you are a part of? Everyone in your nation, past and present, has contributed to the nation in various ways. You benefit from those contributions. If you are a citizen of India, for example, does the United States provide any benefits to you merely by being a citizen? Does the European Union or the United Kingdom provide benefits to you? Or conversely, does a citizen of the US derive benefits from India? Do you as a citizen of India have a say in electing the leaders of the US or UK or any other nation? Being a Global Citizen does not nullify the fact that you are a nationalist. The only people who are not nationalist are those who are stateless, not a citizen of any nation who derive no benefits from any nation and who have no say in how any leaders are selected or elected.
3. I travel frequently outside my country and have interests in various countries. How am I a nationalist?
   Response: Do you have no interests in your country? Do you not pay any taxes in your country or derive any benefit at all from your country? Do you not vote to elect a leader in your country? Does everyone in a nation have the same outside interests as you do? Where do the interests of most of the people of a nation reside?
4. I can change my citizenship to another country! How am I a nationalist then?
   Response: So long as you are a citizen of a particular nation, contribute to that nation and derive benefits from it, you are a nationalist of that nation. So if you change your citizenship to another country you then become a nationalist of that nation.
5. But nationalism means putting the nation above everything else! How can I put the nation above myself, my family or my community?
   Response: This idea is imprecise. Nationalism means not going against your nation. It means protecting or supporting the common pool of resources that supports you. It says nothing about how you prioritize your specific life. Some people prioritize their family, some their community, some themselves, but in various ways contribute to the nation and derive benefits from it. Yes, some people do put their nation above everything else. If that is what moves you, then you can do that. Otherwise, you can set your priorities accordingly so long as your activities do not go against the nation that you are a part of.
6. How do I know what activities go against the nation?
   Response: Ask yourself some important questions before you embark on an activity: Is my action going to harm some person of my nation or some group of persons of my nation? Is my inaction going to harm some person or some group of persons of my nation? Is my action or inaction going to harm the common pool of resources of my nation in a way that diminishes it?
7. Being a nationalist means that I am anti-peace and support war between nations!
   Response: Nationalism doesn’t mean that you go against another nation per se. The nation states of today are largely peaceful. There are many ongoing conflicts but out of 195 nations only a handful are in conflict. Most nations are at peace with most other nations. Trade, diplomacy, cultural and civilizational connects are some of the ways in which dependencies are created and peace is maintained. A nationalist can also be a globalist. There are global problems in the world which require multiple nations to work together to solve. But becoming a globalist does not negate your nationalism. In fact, if you allow your globalism to negate your nationalism, your national pool of resources diminishes. There is no real global pool of resources, and no global administration of it. The people of the world are too diverse and life is too local to come under a single global administration. The largest unit where a common pool of resources can be maintained is the nation. Attempting to create a global pool at the cost of the national pool is ultimately self-defeating.