An Open Letter to Nationalism

Dear Nationalism,

Welcome back, you slimy excuse for hate.

This week, Donald Trump declared himself to be a 'nationalist,' clearly indicating that he has no understanding of the historical ramifications of doing so. But, is anyone really that surprised?

If you've ever taken a world history class, you've probably heard the word 'nationalism' being thrown around a couple times. In my history classes in high school, nationalism was something often associated with the First and Second World Wars as a primary cause. As a matter of fact, nationalism is the 'N' in the acronym M.A.I.N. (Militarism, Alliance system, Imperialism, Nationalism), which is a mnemonic device for ninth graders trying to remember why World War I even began.

It's an understatement to say that nationalism has a complicated history. Nationalism as a political system emerged in the 19th century, around the time of that the United States was coming into its own and when Europe was in the midst of its own revolutions. This period pushed for popular sovereignty over the monarchical structure that resided in Europe at the time. To be a nationalist then was to be dedicated to one's country, yes, but at the turn of the century, it was to a point of extremism.

As Charles de Gaulle put it, "Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when the hate for other than your own comes first."

After World War I, nationalism took a dark turn. Dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini began to capitalize on nationalist attitudes. With a rise in nationalism, we also see a rise in nativist attitudes, xenophobia, corruption, oppression, and violence.

Nationalism dangerously walks the line of fascism. The authoritarian regimes of the 20th century relished in the explosion of nationalism, and used it as a justification for hateful propaganda, absurd military conquests, and blatant disrespect of international agreements. In Germany, for example, nationalism led to a desire for a 'pure, Aryan race,' which inevitably caused the Holocaust. It also rallied national support for Hitler's quest to conquer Europe as well as a desire to withdraw from the League of Nations.

Nationalism did not disappear with the conclusion of the Second World War. Many of the conflicts in the latter half of the 20th century, such as the Communist revolution in China, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War were at least in part motivated by nationalism. Each of the leaders of these conflicts (Mao Zedong, Kim Il-Sung, and Ho Chi Minh, respectively) manipulated the patriotism of their citizens into nationalistic fervor.

So, for the president of the United States in the 21st century to just throw this term out there is absolutely terrifying. Trump has made it pretty clear already that he has nationalistic views between his anti-immigration policies and his attempts to delegitimize the media. But, for him to outright say it? To a crowd of jeering supporters? That's something else entirely.

That's telling the world that we have no regard for the tragedies that occurred not even a century ago. Eighty million people died in the Second World War, and fifty of those were innocent civilians. For Trump to claim that he is a nationalist - the very thing that American citizens fought against - is extremely alarming.

Look at all those white people.

The sad part is that his fanbase enthusiastically supports this claim of his, and that's what makes me even more angry and terrified. We've seen time and time again that all a crazy dictator needs is a fanbase, and Trump has that.

He also has control of all three branches of government.

He also has repeatedly attacked the media.

And, for those of you out there saying that just because he is spewing all of these lies doesn't mean that anything could actually happen.

Explain that to Barack and Michelle Obama, Bill and Hillary Clinton, John Brennan, Eric Holder, Maxine Waters, George Soros, Joe Biden, Robert De Niro, Dianne Feinstein, and Debbie Schultz, who all received packages containing bombs from who is believed to be a devout Trump supporter.

Don't let this statement of Trump's go by unnoticed.

Words matter.

Yours truly,

P.S. Oh, Megyn Kelly, blackface was never okay. I guess you can take Megyn Kelly out of Fox News, but you can't take the Fox News out of Megyn Kelly.