At a recent political rally, President Trump announced that he was a "nationalist" and encouraged his audience to do the same. Since then, liberals have engaged in all sorts of rhetorical gymnastics to exaggerate their differences from Trump. Keep the following points in mind:
1). Nationalism is not limited to the overt racism espoused by the Ku Klux Klan, the Skinheads, or the Nazis. When ordinary Americans discuss global politics and invoke the pronoun "we" - they are often juxtaposing themselves to a foreign "they" who is typically poor, non-white, non-male, and non-citizen. Therefore, nationalism is not a deviation from Western governance; it is a core principle which shapes the collective sense of being and belonging.
2). Here is a quick, non-exhaustive "Am I a Nationalist?" checklist:
- Do you believe that the United States military keeps you safe from harm?
- Do you believe that U.S. intervention is necessary to ensure world peace?
- Do you believe in the need for a strong national border?
- Do you believe that non-citizens are "criminals" who "cheat the system"?
- Do you believe that capitalism works?
If you answered "yes" to one or more of these questions, you are a nationalist. There is only a difference of degree between you and Trump.
3). Nationalism involves the violence of dividing the entire world into several arbitrary pieces. We are then told to be "patriotic" and pledge allegiance to the nearest piece ... because it is "superior" to all the other pieces who threaten our sense of peace. We must remember that "nations" are a product of politics, NOT nature. The "border" between the United States and Mexico disappears from a bird's eye view. National borders are fictional.
4). The oppressed vastly outnumber their oppressors - a fact which frightens those in power. To prevent global solidarity among the downtrodden, the ruling class promotes a nationalist agenda to drive a wedge between everyone. Nationalism is a "divide and conquer" strategy which forces us to fight each other as opposed to our common enemy. This is why Marx said "the worker has no country" and "workers of the world, unite!"
- Daryl Walker Jr.
Trois navires de sauvetage en Méditerranée immobilisés 
Sea Watch International
