As we near the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States, it's time that we, the American people, have a deep conversation about what it means to be a patriot and what it means to be a nationalist. It is essential not to conflate the former with the latter, not just for our own understanding, but for the sake of democracy in this world. With Trump's elections, Brexit and the imminent repudiation of Angela Merkel in Germany's next election, it is indisputable that nationalism is on the rise on the western part of the globe. That’s not to say that these events are entirely bad. The citizens of Great Britain had every right to declare its sovereignty from the corrupt, bureaucratic nightmare known as the European Union, and Merkel has shown what a dangerous combination open borders and political correctness can make for, but these events have also revealed the dark underbelly of nationalism which is naturally divisive, as opposed to patriotism which seeks to include everybody in a larger, shared dream.
In America, Trump’s election and his movement have already demonstrated nationalism at it’s worse. Trump’s populist movement led to the rise of the alt-right, a group of online trolls and white supremacists. The rise of the alt-right has shown yet again, that while, certainly not all nationalists are racist, all nationalist movements eventually get taken over by racists, because nationalism always needs a scapegoat. Real patriotism needs no scape-coat, because patriotism is defined by individual responsibility, and the embrace of equality and opportunity. While many nationalists want to close the border and launch mass deportations that would tank the economy, and deprive many of our fellow Americans and humans a real chance for a better life, patriots understand that while we must increase border security for national security purposes, we also must continue to take in the tired, the poor, and all of the huddled masses yearning to be free. Patriots realize that America is the greatest country in the world, not because God loves us more than he loves everybody else, but because he has enshrined us as a shining city on a hill that is meant to lead in a troubled world, and give refuge to our neighbors who don’t have anywhere to go.
Nationalists also tend to be for strict trade protectionism, and isolationism, which forces America to withdraw from the world and destroys business opportunity and innovation. This is dangerous, because without an America that leads on the world stage, we as a planet, and as a people are doomed. America is truly the last great home for democracy and humanity in this world.
This is why real patriots must oppose the dangers of nationalism and protectionism, whether it be mass deportations, a religious test or ban, or increased tariffs that lead to a trade war. Under an administration that has promised to “Make America Great Again,” by threatening the fulfillment of its promise, real patriots must be willing to stand up for these values, even at the cost of money, friends, and their career, because the shining city that we share is that important, and if we put ourselves ahead of our country, we will lose it.
