Imperialism and Nationalism

Imperialism and nationalism are deeply intertwined historical forces that continue to shape contemporary global and societal issues. They both drive profound change and are sources of ongoing conflict, dysfunction, and challenges to modern governance.
I define imperialism as the extension of power by one group of people over another. This can take formal modes, where the imperial flag flies over a territory (e.g., British in India, French in Algeria), or informal ones, where a country is nominally independent but under the influence or domination of an imperial power (e.g., Soviet Empire in Central Europe, US in Central America).
Historically, empires have been driven by various factors:

• Economic Aggrandizement and Exploitation: European empires, especially from the 17th to 19th centuries, profited by extracting raw materials from dominated areas and selling manufactured goods back. This involved coercive labor regimes (e.g., slave labor for sugar in the Caribbean, tobacco in the US South, rubber in the Congo and Indonesia) and the monetization of extractable commodities like coal, silver, gold, and oil. Modern capitalism leveraged human greed for personal economic accumulation far beyond individual needs, influencing international economics and politics, and underpinning Western domination.
  
• Power and Self-Perpetuation: The doctrine of "raison d'etat" (reason of state) allowed those in power to act without regard to traditional morality, focusing on the self-perpetuation of the state.
  
• Resource Acquisition and Trade Routes: The Ottoman conquest of Constantinople in 1453 forced Europeans to seek new routes to Asian riches, launching overseas empires and trade. The British insisted on opium imports to China, leading to wars in the 19th century under the guise of "free trade".
  
• Geopolitical Strategy: Empires were seen as a way to project influence and compete with other great powers, as exemplified by Mackinder's "heartland theory" concerning Eastern Europe and Western Asia.
  

However, formal empires are largely dysfunctional in the modern world. They are expensive to operate and defend, raising problems and distractions. The post-WWII decolonization saw European empires shed their formal holdings, partly due to moral and economic exhaustion and the hollowness of "Western civilization's" claims to moral superiority after the brutalities of the World Wars and the Holocaust. The "war for freedom" propaganda of the Allies rang hollow for millions denied self-determination. Despite this, the concept of "informal empire" persists, often through economic (e.g., corporate control of jobs, investment, culture) and cultural means (e.g., linguistic dominance of English) rather than direct military control.

The legacy of imperialism continues to affect global issues:

• Arbitrary Borders: Many current countries, especially in Africa and Latin America, inherited artificial borders drawn by imperial powers with little regard for social, economic, or cultural sensibilities, leading to ongoing disputes and internal conflicts.
  
• "Failed States": Countries with limited history of coherent political community, often a result of colonial imposition, struggle with governance and frequently experience civil wars and social collapse, leading to the concept of "failed states". A new "trusteeship" model may be best for such states.
  
• Historical Claims: The tendency to justify current geopolitical actions (e.g., China's claims in the South China Sea, Russia's in Ukraine, Israel/Palestine) by invoking centuries-old historical claims is a distraction from present realities.
  

I define nationalism as the desire of a culturally coherent people (usually an ethno-linguistic group) to organize themselves politically as a formal state encompassing that group and excluding others. It is intimately linked with the rise of democracy and the idea that political power resides with "the people" rather than monarchs or aristocracies.
Key aspects of nationalism include:

• Nationalism arose in the 19th century as traditional local identities proved inadequate for the challenges of modernity (industrialization, capitalism, communication), prompting political structures to adapt to new economies of scale. It was initially seen as a progressive force for coherence and integration.
  
• Despite some ideologies of that period,  national identity is a human cultural construct, not a biological reality. Genetic and paleogenomic evidence increasingly shows the "thin" and relatively recent differences between so-called national identities, challenging populist oversimplifications.
  
• Nationalism reached its peak after WWI with the creation of new "national" states from the remnants of disintegrated empires (Russian, German, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman). However, the empires of the victors eventually followed suit in the mid-20th century.
  
• In the face of increasing globalization, nationalism has morphed into a reactionary ideology, often characterized by protectionism, xenophobia, and anti-immigrant sentiment. It fuels a "blame game" politics, particularly aimed at immigrants, without offering coherent policy solutions.
  
• Nationalism, in its more extreme forms, provides a vehicle for "othering," defining a group by its difference from a core group, making the "others" suspect. This manifests as racism, misogyny, and broader tribalism, with historical precedents in witch hunts and modern genocides.
  
• Nationalism often ties societies to a romanticized, myth-based past, hindering adaptation to present realities. The English, for example, are described as "overly focused on the past," contributing to the "Little England" mentality of Brexit and difficulties in integrating diverse cultures. Leaders like Putin exploit historical myths to justify geopolitical actions.
  

Imperialism and nationalism are deeply woven into the fabric of modern global and societal issues:

• The focus on national sovereignty and "honor" often hinders necessary collective action on global problems like climate change, trade, and migration. Political gridlock and the inability of governments to address complex issues are exacerbated by nationalist sentiment and short-term "presentist" thinking.
  
• While globalization has driven interconnectedness, nationalism serves as a powerful counter-force, leading to movements like Brexit and "Trumpery" that resist integration and seek a return to autarky, often based on mythical versions of national "greatness".
  
• The historical exploitation inherent in imperialism contributed to current global wealth disparities. Modern capitalism, decoupled from moral constraints, continues to prioritize profit and privilege, exacerbating inequality both within and between nations.
  
• Nationalism often relies on a "deconstruction of our shared social picture of reality," where political polarization leads to "epistemological silos" and a preference for "fake news" or comforting myths over complex truths. This undermines the informed electorate essential for democracy.
  
• The traditional nation-state, a product of 19th-century nationalism, is facing pressure from global issues like climate change and new diasporas, which challenge fixed territoriality. The concept of smaller, localized governance units is explored as a potential alternative to the struggling nation-state model.
  
• The modern state, like capitalism, developed "amorally," detaching governance from traditional moral structures. This creates a vacuum where self-interest and the "maintenance of privilege and wealth" often drive policy, with little regard for social justice, children's well-being, or future generations.
  
• While technology accelerates daily life, the "slow, almost glacial, pace of social change" (especially in attitudes like nationalism) means that aspirations for a more cosmopolitan, global culture are often out of sync with reality.
  

In conclusion, imperialism and nationalism, while historically significant in shaping the modern world, now contribute to a "general crisis of ungovernability" and profound societal challenges. There is a fundamental tension between global interconnectedness and deeply entrenched nationalistic identities, often rooted in historical myths and resistant to the collective action needed to address existential threats like climate change. The path forward, if any, requires a radical rethinking of governance and a move beyond short-term, self-serving political attitudes