Before you give an answer to that question, let’s take a look at what the terms globalist and nationalist mean.
If you are a globalist, you believe:
- Globalism – a national policy of treating the whole world as a proper sphere for political influence (Merriam Webster)
- Globalist – Someone who believes that economic and foreign policy should be planned in an international way, rather than according to what is best for one particular country. (Cambridge dictionary)
- Globalist – A person who advocates the interpretation or planning of economic or foreign policy in relation to events and developments throughout the world. (Oxford dictionary)
If you are a nationalist, you believe:
- Nationalism – loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially: a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups. (Merriam Webster)
- Nationalist – a) A person who wants their country to be politically independent b) A person who believes their country is better than others. (Cambridge dictionary)
- Nationalist – A person who advocates political independence for a country. (Oxford dictionary)
Before we move on, there’s one more definition we need for absolute clarity and that is what is meant by “politics.”
Politics:
- The art or science of government. b) the art or science concerned with influencing government policy c) the art or science of winning and holding control over a government.(Merriam Webster)
- The activities of the government, members of law-making organizations, or people who try to influence the way a country is governed. (Cambridge dictionary)
- The activities involved in getting and using power in public life, and being able to influence the decisions that affect a country or society. (Oxford learners dictionary)
I personally believe that to be a pure nationalist or to be a pure globalist equates to being a pure idiot. If you believe that that the pollution in China doesn’t affect us on a national level, you would be sadly mistaken. If you believe resources elsewhere in the world that are needed to manufacture products here in the U.S. wouldn’t have a national effect, you would also be sadly mistaken.
On the other hand, it’s tantamount to political suicide if you support the U.S. involvement in global problems while not attending to the problems right here in the good old U.S.,
Okay, where does that leave us? We need to be globalist nationalist or nationalist globalists. Take your pick.
Think of it this way. Say your first concern is the well being of your family, but you know that air pollutants blowing over from China or radioactive debris floating onto our beaches from Japan will put them in danger. You now understand how what happens in the rest of the world touches you. That’s the nationalist globalist perspective.
Now let’s say you hold down a job with a company that requires one or more of the minerals or manufactured parts exclusively imported from around the world. Now let’s say one of those minerals or parts suddenly become unavailable due to trade restrictions. This forces the company you work to go out of business. There goes your job. Think you might develop more global thinking? You would then become a globalist nationalist pretty damn fast.
The reality today is different than it was when we first immigrated here and started the process of stealing this gorgeous land from the Native Americans. We are economically and environmentally attached to one another both at home and abroad. What affects us, affects the world and what affects the rest of the world also effects us.
So I ask you once again. Are you a globalist or a nationalist? If you consider yourself either one, you are living in la la land and you better start doing some serious rethinking. Our modern world is a muddy, complicated complicated place replete with serious problems.
Whining about the problems doesn’t help. Do you know what does? Getting involved in whatever concerns you the most.
