Nationalism

Segregation is the adultery of an illicit
intercourse between injustice and immorality.
               Martin Luther King Jr.

Patriotism is when love of your own people comes first; nationalism, when hate for people other than your own comes first.

                    Charles de Gaulle

Whether it is called patriotism or nationalism, both words are used by people referring to the same meaning, in general, with nationalism depicting more of a geographical area. According to Webster Dictionary, Nationalism is: ”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” and Patriotism is: “love for or devotion to one’s country”. For the purpose of this article, let us assume that patriotism and nationalism have the same general meaning of loving one’s country or nation. The question is, whether nationalism leads one to a process of racism and chauvinism, or it is the tool in pursuit of independence and democracy. Deposed kings or those who are exiled from their countries take a fistful of dirt with them to remind them of their homeland, or to get a whiff of their glorious past when they are homesick! This obviously is not nationalism, but idiocy or deceit. The odor of earth is probably different depending on the chemical compound of it, and whether it is picked up from the city ground, or outskirts, or villages, or Home Depot! One may carry with him a rock or a handcraft that is unique to his beloved society, instead. In addition, race, language, custom, tradition, climate and nature are varied in different places on earth. Different countries may have different climates, but a country may have variety of atmospheric changes in different regions. Nature may also be different in parts of a country, while people more or less adapt to the environment easily. Language and looks and attire or fashion may also be different, but one can see variety of tongues and customs and races in a multi-cultural or multi-national society, and within the same border.

نیمچه سواد

بقول مشیری، هیچ کسی‌ بدتر از آدمی‌ نیست که نیمچه سوادی دارد! اشکالِ آدمهائی که نیمچه سواد دارند این است که فکر میکنند که همه چیز را میدانند و علامه دهر هستند. بنا بر این از تدقیق و مطالعه در مورد مطالبی‌ که اطلاعات کمی‌ دارند گریزانند. نمونه بارز آن دوست صمیمی‌ من است که بیشتر از ۵۰ سال از عمرش می‌گذرد، و احتمالش کم است که تا کنون هیچ کتابی را بغیر از کتابهای درسی‌ خوانده باشد. اخبار خود را هم یا از روز نامه های اینترنتی و یا از گویندگان ماهواره های فارسی دریافت می‌کند. گر چه قبلا کمی‌ تمایلات ترقّی خواهانه داشت، از زمانی‌ که شروع به دیدن برنامهٔ یاران میبدی کرده است، افکارش در گوشه راست سیاسی به دام افتاده است. البته اشخاصی‌ چون این دوست گرامیِ من با دیدن یک برنامهٔ منحط تلویزیونی یک مرتبه تغییر جهت نمیدهند، و زمینهٔ قبلی‌ برای پناه بردن به دامانِ امنِ “راست” را همیشه داشته ا‌ند. دوست من هم نخست تمایلات مذهبی‌ داشت، چرا که خاستگاه خانوادگی‌اش مذهبی‌، و از یکی‌ از شهرهای مذهبی‌ خوزستان است. پس از کنکاشِ بسیار و مشاهده اثراتِ ویرانگرِ مذهب در ایران (که جمهوری پُر برکت اسلامی به اکثر اشخاص ماهیت مذهب، بخصوص دین ارتجاعی اسلام را بخوبی نشان داده است) زمینه مذهبی‌ او سست شد. گر چه، کماکان به حکومتِ خالی‌ از تعقل و نابود گر اسلامی ایران، بسیار بیشتر از آنچه که لیاقت داشت بار سیاسی میداد.

The Drum of War

The government owned media is beating the drum of war again. This time, the direct insult is on Syria while preparation is made for Iran to be the next in line. The history of the control of media by the US and its allies goes back to the begining of the union. However, it has never been in such total domination. From the time when people of like-minded in the Right used their money and their influence to control the media through takeovers and acquisitions, a monopoly of far Right controlled media was established. Media became the mouthpiece of conservative ideology, and Western governments banned together behind conservative agenda and established their policies on such ideologies. Taking over worldwide trade through IMF and World Bank has gained many advantages, however direct attack on other countries is the next and vital step. No one can forget the big lie of “Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction”. After Iraq attacked Kuwait, a weeping innocent little girl, went on national TV and horrified everyone by a disclosure that she witnessed Kuwaiti babies taken from incubators and thrown away by Iraqi soldiers with the intention of stealing those machines. It was discovered later that the girl was the daughter of the Kuwait consulate in Washington, and the whole story was a big fabrication. Bush’s lies about Saddam, Osama Bin Laden, and Taliban leaders sound very much like every other US president’s, who fabricated (or in some instances created) a story in order to plan a war, from the war in Hawaii and Philippines, to the war in Libya. Syria is next in line to be dismantled as a country and to be turned into rubbles by American and NATO soldiers, like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Libya. The citizens who do not allege their alliances to the super powers will be murdered and urinated on by American and NATO soldiers. Unfortunately, in spite of all the disclosures, majority of Westerners are still fooled by their leaders, into wars. Notwithstanding, many books have been written on the subject; from Chomsky’s “Manufacturing Consent” to Parenti’s “Monopoly Media Manipulation” to Bagdikian’s “Media Monopoly”, and the one in favor of the media monopoly “The Media Monopoly Myth- How new competition is expanding our sources of information and entertainment” by Benjamin M. Compaine! But the saga of war mongers continues.