Trump says he is a nationalist

[Stevicus]

Beware football fans.
(I never was one.)

Down in Texas, football is a religion.

 

[Revoltingest]

Down in Texas, football is a religion.

And I'm an atheist.
But I hear they're charitable towards us ferriners.

 

[Cacotopia]

seriously why would you take anything he says seriously, he will waffle on it later.

 

[Augustus]

Indeed. It all ties in with the same basic idea that "we are special" and distinguishing ourselves from those who are "not one of us."

In contrast to the assumption it is divisive because it doesn't unite everyone in the entire world, nationalism can actually be thought of as a highly inclusive ideology, especially when it is based on citizenship not ethnicity.

An identity that transcends ethnicities and cultures within a nation creates a diverse 'in group', and encourages empathy with such people. The national level is a really large scale to be working at.

To some extent, we give preferential treatment to those in our group, and we discriminate against those not in our group, this is the inescapable reality of our evolved cognition (we even do it when assigned to completely arbitrary groups like 'red shirts v blue shirts).

If you wanted to reduce divisions within a society, then you would need a transcendent ideology/identity that includes as many people as possible.

Religions and nationalisms can be good for this as they create allegiance to a fiction, which allows differences to develop between people on tangible issues yet still remain part of the same group.

One problem with issues like this is that many people seem to assume that ideologies divide humans who would otherwise be some united Humanity. The correct way to look at it is that they actually unite ever increasing groups of humans from the small groups we evolved to live in.

A country with a strong, positive national identity is much better placed to handle all kinds of domestic problems, especially discrimination and the integration of minorities.

 

[metis]

Trump is doing the opposite of what the Democrats and Obama did. The Democrats and Obama went on an apology tour, blaming America for all the woes of the world. They then attempted to dissociated America back into ethnic and racial diversity, and make America the world's guilty piggy bank funding a new world order. This was a larger scale demagoguery full of thieving middle men. Trump is reversing the dissociation by allowing all the dislocated groups to come together again, so they can avoid the new world order, that was conceived in guilt and scams.

False on all counts, especially through your use of stereotyping.

BTW, Trump does not reflect Catholic values as you can see for yourself if you google what the Church determined to be the "Seven Deadly Sins" that can separate us from God.

 

[Stevicus]

A country with a strong, positive national identity is much better placed to handle all kinds of domestic problems, especially discrimination and the integration of minorities.

If it's kept under a certain positive control, then I could see it. That would depend on various factors, but the same idea can also get out of control, such as during times of economic or political instability.

 

[Stanyon]

I would hope every U.S. president was a Nationalist in the sense that they were putting the interests of the U.S. and it's citizens above all else. If we have excess after we do all we can to help out our own people and interests then we help others.

 

[Rational Agnostic]

WASHINGTON — As a general rule, presidents do not refer to themselves as a “nationalist” given the freighted history of the word. But as President Trump tries to galvanize his conservative base to turn out in the midterm elections, he has adopted the label as a badge of honor.
‘Use That Word!’: Trump Embraces the ‘Nationalist’ Label

What do you think he meant? That N word has become quite ugly and controversal.

I don't think he knows the implications of identifying with "nationalism." Remember, he also saluted a North Korean official out of ignorance, thinking it was just an act of diplomacy, and not understanding what a salute actually means, so.....

 

[Revoltingest]

I would hope every U.S. president was a Nationalist in the sense that they were putting the interests of the U.S. and it's citizens above all else. If we have excess after we do all we can to help out our own people and interests then we help others.

Your hopes will be dashed.
It appears that they all love to wield the power of policeman to the world.

 

[Cooky]

WASHINGTON — As a general rule, presidents do not refer to themselves as a “nationalist” given the freighted history of the word. But as President Trump tries to galvanize his conservative base to turn out in the midterm elections, he has adopted the label as a badge of honor.
‘Use That Word!’: Trump Embraces the ‘Nationalist’ Label

What do you think he meant? That N word has become quite ugly and controversal.

The word "Nationalist" is a European invention, which makes sense in Europe, where many small nations exist side by side, that are pretty much equal economically and culturally.

It means nothing here... We are already united.

 

[Cooky]

Any American who speaks about Nationalism is basically a tool for Europe.

 

[Cooky]

I don't think Trump saying he's a nationalist is anything new.

I mean saying "America First" is in itself an endorsement of a very crude nationalism.

I take it you're a European?

 

[pearl]

That Trump is a nationalist is clear if the motives of Steve Bannon are believed, that he is a 'leninist'.

 

[Cooky]

I would hope every U.S. president was a Nationalist in the sense that they were putting the interests of the U.S. and it's citizens above all else. If we have excess after we do all we can to help out our own people and interests then we help others.

Yes. We can have our own American version of what a nationalist is... Just like we have our own versions of conservatives and liberals. We're different.

 

[Stanyon]

Your hopes will be dashed.
It appears that they all love to wield the power of policeman to the world.

Unfortunately, yes we seem to and it has been that way as long as I can remember.

 

[Estro Felino]

That Trump is a nationalist is clear if the motives of Steve Bannon are believed, that he is a 'leninist'.

Steve Bannon has moved to Europe, to people that understand him and support him.

 

[Twilight Hue]

WASHINGTON — As a general rule, presidents do not refer to themselves as a “nationalist” given the freighted history of the word. But as President Trump tries to galvanize his conservative base to turn out in the midterm elections, he has adopted the label as a badge of honor.
‘Use That Word!’: Trump Embraces the ‘Nationalist’ Label

What do you think he meant? That N word has become quite ugly and controversal.

There's nothing wrong with national pride. It's what identifies us as a people.

I'm proud to be an American.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

He meant what he said -- though I doubt he understood what he'd said.

I hope you’re not defending his willful attempt to show his racism

 

[Epic Beard Man]

Trump is a white supremacist. There is a difference between a nationalist and a patriot at least if you consider the history of the concept of Nationalism.

 

[Epic Beard Man]

There's nothing wrong with national pride. It's what identifies us as a people.

I'm proud to be an American.

But there is a fundamental difference between being a nationalist and patriot