Is Nationalism Still a Solution?

In the last decade, also due to the explosion of social media, the identity politics are more visible and vocal than ever. But was it any different or it is only the power of the media which outlines the rapid and sometimes aggressive changes focused on the national redesigned and reinterpreted values and the exclusion of the other? He hear and read not with pleasure about Orban Viktor and the German AfD, but at what extent it is possible to separate the new from the old nationalist elements from the public discourse?

I personally think that there are always some old layers of mentality concept which lay the basis for new interpretations and evaluations, which are circumstantial and possibly in a decade or two becoming the basis for a new conceptual shift. I avoid to hurry up and say if it is good or not to have such identity politics present into the public discourse, but there are obviously some clear limits about what the public discourse should reject as part of the identity politics. For instance, the insistence of AfD politicians in minimizing the Holocaust or the increasing presence of statues of the pro-Nazi Admiral Horthy during the repeated governments headed by Orban Viktor shall be definitely rejected.

John B. Judis is relatively rapidly overviewing the last century of nationalism and the relative failures of creating and enforcing of a European identity which goes beyond the economic and social advantages as well as the current populist outburst in the time of Trump's America. One of the conclusions is that the revival of nationalism is a move forward from the 'illusions and excesses of globalization'. In his opinion, the 'challenge that will determine the future over the reminder of this century' is a 'new international order' that 'acknowledges and doesn't sidestep or discount historic nationalist sentiments'. 

At a certain extent, it is an easy to reach conclusion because, obviously, nationalism is alive and kicking all over the world, but not necessarily as a reaction to globalization. The Russian nationalism always had a global approach, for instance, and elements of the Polish nationalist discourse reiterates elements which historically are at least 2 centuries old. The Austrian nationalism deserves a study in itself and was completely ignored by the author. The Scottish nationalism - also not mentioned - is going through a new stage, with a European - global - approach a couple of steps ahead of the isolationist Brexit mindset. 

The book uses a minimal theoretical apparatus and is jumping too fast to the conclusion, which is nevertheless vague and non-involving. 

I completely agree that there is necessary a most serious consideration of the nationalist/identity policies, including a revision of the theoretical approach, but it should be done with more consideration for details and elaborated explanations. Otherwise, I am completely interested to figure out more discussions and details both based on events and elaborated new and old theories.

Rating: 3 stars

Disclaimer: Book offered by the publisher in exchange for an honest review