Is Nationalism Treason?

“Nationalism is treason,” says French President Emmanuel Macron.

Is he right?

It depends on how you define nationalism.

To socialists like Macron, there is only socialism. It’s either global socialism or national socialism. The most infamous example of national socialism? Nazism. The term “Nazism” is short for “National Socialism”.

Socialists like Macron and other European leaders don’t like national socialism. They associate it with racism and xenophobia, an irrational fear of people from other countries.

However, Macron’s premise is wrong. The defining issue is NOT narrow-minded national socialism versus enlightened and rational global socialism.

The defining issue is socialism versus freedom. It’s the dominance of the state versus the rights of the individual.

Macron is trying to characterize President Trump and his supporters in America as national socialists. That’s rather funny. Trump’s policies have been dominated, so far, by things like tax-cutting and regulation reduction. Although the President does favor tariffs, he has also declared the ideal of abolishing all tariffs, something a socialist like Macron would never, ever endorse. Nor would a national socialist.

In a world where one nation respects individual rights and freedom much more than others, it’s rational to be nationalist. Nationalism, in this context, does not mean xenophobia or national socialism. It means supporting the country with the most freedom, while advocating for even more freedom.

Ultimately, the ideal is a Constitution and Declaration of Independence — respectful of individual rights — for the entire world. Economic and personal freedom for everyone on earth? Now THERE’S a globalism worth fighting for. We’d be living in a Star Trek-like future if we had that. That future is possible, but not so long as most of the world keeps supporting fools like Macron.

 

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