Historically, the human race aims to establish superiority. Each and every human has radically different beliefs, and many feel the need to enforce them. The fundamental reason why arguments occur is this need. More extreme manifestations of this very enforcement recur throughout history, from concentration camps in Nazi Germany to the recent White-Nationalist attacks in New Zealand. All of us, in some way or another, feel an urge to prove that our beliefs and actions are better than others’.
But how does this influence internationalism? Many argue that internationalism is not contradictory to nationalism and to having a nationalist identity. Globalists question why an international and national identity cannot coexist. It’s quite rational to understand that one can wear American clothes while following Indian traditions. I beg to differ. It is imperative to understand that this coexistence is not so simple. If a foreign culture penetrates a country that has its own culture, the final outcome will be the establishment of cultural superiority.
This was seen in the Imperialist era. Take the example of British colonialism, wherein British culture percolated down to the core of Indian society. Language is a major aspect of culture. When English was spread, numerous indigenous Indian languages became endangered or extinct. Indian traditions that defined our culture were wiped out by ‘modern’ British culture. All this was due to a British belief that their culture was superior and more civilised.
As a result, internationalism and nationalism cannot coexist due to friction between cultures. In the instant that international culture supersedes national culture, the national culture will be eroded. The spread of internationalism will result in the gradual loss of national culture and identity to the extent of everyone identifying as ‘human’ with a single, international culture. This erosion of culture actually contradicts the internationalist spirit which aims to preserve and embrace people of various ethnicities.
Theoretically, internationalism is a developed idea that ensures world peace and achievement through international cooperation, but in practice, the idea gets warped and becomes an oppressive mechanism that enforces a single belief. To conclude, ideal globalist statements about how cultures are not mutually exclusive can only actualise in a Utopia wherein there is no need to establish superiority, wherein everyone can ‘live, and let live’. In that Utopia, internationalism may be practical.
If any readers disagree with the opinions expressed in this article, please feel free to leave comments or post questions below.
