Richardcyoung.com

The Online Home of Author and Investor, Dick Young

  • Home
  • How We Are Different
  • About Us
    • Foundation Principles
    • Contributors
  • Investing
    • You’ve Read The Last Issue of Intelligence Report, Now What?
  • Your Survival Guy
  • The Great Reset
  • COVID-19
  • My Rifles
  • Dividends and Compounding
  • Your Security
  • The Swiss Way
  • Dick Young
  • Debbie Young
  • Key West
  • Paris
  • Dick’s R&B Top 100
  • Liberty & Freedom Map
  • Bank Credit & Money
  • Your Survival Guy’s Super States
  • NNT & Cholesterol
  • Work to Make Money/Invest to Save Money
  • Your Health
  • Ron Paul
  • US Treasury Yield Curve: My Favorite Investor Tool

What is Nationalism?

September 26, 2012 By The Editors

After we posted last week’s quotes from Cato Institute President Ed Crane, we received many letters regarding his comments. It is always great to hear from subscribers and thank you to everyone who wrote in.

Garth wrote in saying, “Ed Crane carries his libertarianism a bit too far……He is wrong in my opinion. We need nationalism as well as exceptionalism…Why doesn’t he just check with the founding fathers. I agree we do not want to meddle in other countries affairs but we will defend our country.”This gives us an opportunity to examine what nationalism means, and how Ed Crane was using the word.

Nationalism, as defined by Merriam Webster : 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

Ed Crane Quote: “I’m a great believer in American exceptionalism, which needs to be distinguished from nationalism. Too many conservatives conflate the two. American exceptionalism is not based on our superior military capability (as the neocons would have us believe) or our material abundance (as too many conservatives focus on). Rather, it is based on the idea that we are a nation created to have a government for the purpose of allowing us to live our lives as we damn well please. Look at world history and tell me that isn’t exceptional. It is incredibly exceptional. Now we are clearly losing all the things that make American exceptionalism exceptional.”

Our take: What Garth and Ed Crane are saying are perhaps more similar than Garth suspects. Garth says he doesn’t want us to meddle, but wants to be strong. Ed implies America should be great, but shouldn’t base its power on the projection of superior military capabilities. These two points of view are fundamentally the same.

The Merriam-Webster version of Nationalism seems a bit watered down compared to the common understanding of the word today, and that which Ed is probably using. Today the word nationalism connotes, in Americans’ minds, the idea of national dominance, presumably via militarism. We believe that is how Ed is using the word, and how the majority of Americans would interpret such a reference. Garth is hewing closer to the dictionary definition of the word. In any case, it seems that conservatives or libertarians are loath to meddle in the affairs of other nations without a justifiable reason of national defense (not offense). Thanks to Garth for the opportunity to examine nationalism and to all our subscribers for writing in to discuss.

 

Related Posts

  • Liberty & Freedom Map
  • Doubling Down on America’s Liberty
  • Announcing the Liberty and Freedom Initiative
  • Author
  • Recent Posts
The Editors
Latest posts by The Editors (see all)
  • California Unions Could Spike the Slowly Recovering Supply Chain - January 26, 2023
  • Ukraine Filled with Russian Sympathizers and Collaborators - January 26, 2023
  • India Sucking Up All the Russian Oil - January 24, 2023

Dick Young’s Must Reads

  • FARM AMERICA: New York City’s Finest Cheesemongers
  • 751 “No-Go” Zones in France
  • You Need to Seek Some Shelter for When Things Get Ugly
  • Who Is Alex Jones?
  • You’ve Read The Last Issue of Intelligence Report, Now What?
  • Why Investors Should Forget Prices and Focus on Income
  • Meet Me at Freddy’s June 2022
  • A Look at the Future of Main Street America
  • Is Rutin Useful in Preventing Blood Clots?
  • Boom—Your Life Changes

Our Most Popular Posts

  • Pfizer CEO Terrified of Real Questions About His Vaccines
  • America's Super States and Stocks that Respect YOU
  • Give Me Clean, Efficient Gas
  • How the Biden Administration Is Destroying Our Energy Infrastructure
  • The Rich Seek More from Bank Accounts
  • Artificial Intelligence Is Coming, But It's Not Quite There
  • Is Kevin McCarthy’s GOP Willing to Do What It Takes on Debt?
  • The Sound of Silence
  • Strengthen Your Defenses Against Stroke
  • Forty Years Ago, Jogging a Mile a Day and Still Going

Disclosure

RSS Youngresearch.com

  • 4 Life Changing Words for Your Survival Guy: “You Should Try This”
  • Suddenly, Holding Cash Looks Good Again to Many
  • Anti-Carbon Crusaders in Davos Talk ESG and OPM
  • Is Passive Investing Already Passé?
  • Welcome to Hotel California, Where You Can Never Leave
  • What You’re Telling Me Matters
  • Can Banks Compete with Apple Pay and PayPal?
  • America’s Super States and Stocks that Respect YOU
  • Markets Are Calling the Fed’s Bluff
  • Don’t Let Your Lazy Cash Eat all Your Food

RSS Yoursurvivalguy.com

  • 4 Life Changing Words for Your Survival Guy: “You Should Try This”
  • Anti-Carbon Crusaders in Davos Talk ESG and OPM
  • Welcome to Hotel California, Where You Can Never Leave
  • What You’re Telling Me Matters
  • The Rich Seek More from Bank Accounts
  • California’s Wealth Tax Will Drive Out Remaining Rich Residents
  • Political Establishment Irate over Conservative Challenges to ESG
  • Congratulations Mikaela Shiffrin on 83rd Win
  • America’s Super States and Stocks that Respect YOU
  • NYC Bleeding Revenue as Wealthiest Flee the City

Will Western Tanks Be a Game Changer in Ukraine?

The Power of Words

4 Life Changing Words for Your Survival Guy: “You Should Try This”

Is Putin’s Meat Grinder Working?

California Unions Could Spike the Slowly Recovering Supply Chain

Ukraine Filled with Russian Sympathizers and Collaborators

Copyright © 2023 | Terms & Conditions | About Us | Dick Young | Archives