One hundred years ago, after WWI ended, getting the leaders of France and Germany together to seriously contemplate the brutalities of war and how to end them, was not possible. The failures of the Treaty of Versailles (1919) makes that abundantly clear. Today it's possible because another "great war" forced a new generation to develop a more sophisticated understanding of power.
Donald Trump has no clue about any of this, or why he's living in the ugly shadow of the past.
French president Emmanuel Macron explains what's wrong with both Trump's nationalism, and Trump's misinformed world view.
And, for those who haven't taken a political science class in a while, the sectarian nationalism that Donald Trump embraces emphasizes the uglier side of America's ethnic, religious or even regional (i.e. European) roots. Trump's world view promotes white nationalism, and even cultural supremacy. There is no unifying sense of inclusion or community in what Trump embraces.
Patriotism, on the other hand, generally references civic pride (community), common historical achievements (e.g. the 4th of July), and a genuine embrace of a broader set of ideas (e.g. life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness) that bring people together.
In even simpler terms, patriotism is FDR and Lincoln. Nationalism is Trump.
- Mark
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