Nationalism Flashcards
What is late capitalism?
- A form of capitalism which emerged in the 70s-80s which is not 19th century capitalism. It is production-line capitalism whereby we are much more deeply invested in the line of production of things
What is nationalism according to Orwell?
The habit of identifying oneself with a single national/unit, whereby we place it beyond good and evil and recognising no other duty than that of advancing its interests.
What is the difference between nationalism and patriotism according to Orwell?
- Patriotism: is devotion to a particular place or way of life that one considers the best, but does not wish to impose upon another, but only to secure it.
- Nationalism: The purpose of a nationalist is to secure more power and prestige for the state, no matter what needs to be done to do it.
What are some Pros and Cons of nationalism?
- Pros: Liberation and national unity
- Cons: Xenophobia, conflict and conquest
What are Heywoods 4 types of nationalism?
- Liberal Nationalism
- Conservative Nationalism
- Expansionist Nationalism
- Anti-Colonial Nationalism
What are the core tenets of Conservative Nationalism?
Two examples?
❖ Threat from abroad: That the nation is under threat from abroad – immigration and foreign people who don’t share the same values, history, traditions, and appearance
❖ Threat from within: That the nation is under threat from within – because newcomers don’t feel part of the nation through a shared history and past
❖ Right-winged: Expressed by Right Wing politicians who feel that national identity and hence security are under threat by immigration – weakens sense of belonging
Examples:
❖ Cricket Test: ‘Cricket test’ - Controversial phrase coined in 1990 by British Conservative politician Norman Tebbit in reference to the perceived lack of loyalty of immigrants and their children from South Asia and the Caribbean to England cricket team… to say if you know cricket, you may be understood as British
❖ Locke’s Toleration: Similar to Locke’s argument regarding tolerating everyone but Catholics and atheists… as you do not pay fidelity to the king so how can you be tolerated inside the state?
Where is Japan today?
❖ Leader: Japan is in a state of redefining itself as a leader in Asia, but has China emerging as a rival
❖ Redefine: Japan is trying to redefine its role on the global stage but Japan has a Constitution which forbids it from having an army because of Article 9
❖ Polls: Japan is a country whose public opinion still sways towards pacifism
❖ PM: Japan has a PM trying to change the constitution with a clear supermajority
What is the Public Opinion on Japans Constitution and what does this tell us about Japanese nationalism?
- Split: Responses split around 50/50
- More say change, but not completely (v. pacifist): Rise in people who think it should be amended but arguably population is unsure as to how. They realise there is a need for change but remain pacifistic in their nature and are not attempting to push for strong international action and/or strong military presence
- Article 9 and 67%: Article 9 (right to a military) had overwhelming 67% of Japanese citizens saying it should not be amended and is the crux to which one may argue that the Japanese population do not have a rise in conservative nationalism, and whilst remain open to the change on the constitution, it seems they want an open national debate about it, therefore making them far more liberal.
- Abe: differs greatly from the view of Abe and his administration who are pushing for stronger reform for a stronger military and international presence.
What factors are there to take in to account when discussing Japans nationalism?
- Nationalist on the face of it: Japan seems to be becoming a more nationalist country, whereby Abe as a face is preaching that they wish to increase their military… but behind this, the citizens seem to be against this movement.
- 1% GDP: 1% GDP limit on defence policy since 1986
- Global Presence: There have been no long-range or tactical/strategic ability to military.
- Shrine: Accusation of political move by Chinese of Japanese ministers visiting Nakasone shrine (war criminal shrine) who accuse them of being very nationalistic (could be that Chinese government display this as nationalistic as it suits them to do so)
- Military aggression?: Japanese first sinking of ‘alien’ N. Korean ship in Dec 2001 after being asked to stop
- Abe’s defending of WW2 revisionism: Abe denies that comfort women were forced to satisfy Japanese men during world war two (relates to Oswell’s definition of nationalism)
- Migrants: Refusal to give unemployment benefit to migrant workers
- Youth nationalism: is at a generational low (20%), but this has risen in the last few years
- No to military, yes to affection to nation: No real evidence of youth nationalism, but 95% profess affection for their country (so low amount of people supporting militaristic nationalism but have affection to their country which we may call nationalism)
What does Takahara’s review on youth nationalism say about this youth nationalism affection?
- Unrest and dissatisfaction: the youths internal dissatisfaction with _____ manifests itself outwardly as nationalism
- The point of this is the fact that young people are internally upset and feel a sense of problem that they turn to the nation as a form of identity… nationalism is the expression of an internal discontent. This pins to all types of nationalism… so what is this type of discontent that they have…?
What are the two views to explain contemporary Japanese nationalism?
- Yukio Mishima and Nationalism
- Muarakami Haruki – Norweigan Wood
Yukio Mishima and Nationalism?
- Right-winged nationalist
- Japan as culturally nationalist: Concerned about Japans future and assumed Japan needed strong military to protect it. Mishima represents the concept of Japan as a culturally nationalist entity and pushed for it to expand beyond its borders culturally as to protect its identity.
How does Yukio Mishima’s book ‘Runaway Horses’ portray Japanese nationalism?
- Uses Military and Nationalist sentiment to reinvigorate Japanese identity
- Japanese greatness: Written as a somewhat autobiography in third person whereby he foregrounded Japanese greatness
- Hero Character: Isao’s (the character in the book) death (man creating coup d’etat) is a self-fulfilling prophecy of Mishima
- Purity of Emporerer rule without article 9: form of correct direct democracy
- To consider: However, this article was written when Japan WAS far more left-wing – both when Mishima is alive and when article is written – before Nakasone pushes various military points in ‘85 and goes to Yasukuni and certainly before changes we see
How does Murakami Haruki’s ‘Norwegian Wood’ portray Japanese nationalism?
- Overview, consumerism vs. nationalism: tells story of disconnect from peers and nation whereby the 1960s left-winged movement which came to no avail led to a sense of a losing of Japanese identity whereby capitalism fragmented the people as it forced them to be competitive. Consumerism replaced nationalism
- Autobiographical: Largely autobiographical based on the author’s life although he underplays this: “it is not autobiographical at all. My own life was far less dramatic, far more boring than his” Murakami in Jay Rubin’s translation (Murakami 2003: 388)
- Disconnect: People disconnected from society, alienation and potential loneliness. Focuses on one student being disconnected by his peers in the 1960s.
- Protests: Left-wing Student radicalism of the 1960s as to push against capitalism
- Life and death: Themes of life versus death and suicide (sad and bleak portrayal)
- Japan as a nation: Nationalistic movement within Japan and concern about it.
- Not knowing where he is: Worrying end? Bad from Naoko, optimistic with Midori? But Toru not knowing where he is…
What is the core difference sbetween the two authors?
Mishima: nation state as tool to find oneself
Murakami: search for individualisation away from the new capitalist nation-state
