The definition of a nationalist

It dates back to the 17th century and took on prominence during the 18th century uprisings that produced the American and French revolutions. But the word became more and more negatively connoted during the twentieth century, as it joined the nationalist movements in Europe that contributed to the First and Second World Wars. Today, the word is often associated with racist far right ideologies of white nationalists.

Nationalism is on the rise worldwide, as evidenced by the success of nationalist political parties in Europe. And he had a double shot in 2016, since he propelled Brexit to the UK and Trump's election to the US presidency. Steve Bannon, Trump's former strategist, said that Trump used a "nationalist economic program" to win.

It's also a word that means different things to different people.

"Scholars generally make the difference between civic nationalism and ethnic / sectarian nationalism, that is, between rooting American identity in the ideals of the American experience and rooting it in." an aspect of our culture, our heritage, our history, our language or our ethnicity What I would call patriotism is essential for a healthy democracy The second type of nationalism – sectarian nationalism – is pernicious and dangerous. "

But Raheem Kassam, former senior advisor to Brexit leader Nigel Farage, rejects this second, more negative definition of nationalism.

"Nationalism is a philosophy based either on the nation-state, which we familiarly know as" country ", or on another factor of identity, which could be religion, religion or religion. ethnicity, geography or even interests, "he told CNN.

"In the case of President Trump, he probably uses the word to describe his belief in a nation of peoples unified by beliefs, interests, and a common history." This is typically what nationalism has meant since the first references to human history, although there have been periods when nationalism, like socialism or other philosophies, has been used to divide rather than unite, which is paradoxically the 'antithesis of its purpose.'

How do nationalists believe?

The first conviction of the nationalists is that members of similar societies benefit from the union of their values ​​and a common belief system.

"Uniting people – whether under flags, banners, hymns or constitutions – is conducive to a stronger civil society and stronger communities," said Kassam.

But Miller rejects this as an "incoherent" ideology.

"No one has ever been able to agree on what defines the nation.This is not practical because there is no feasible way to ensure that governments exactly overlap with all the supposed nations in the world today, "Miller said.

Nationalists are also populists and see themselves as defenders of the common workers against elites and globalists. There are voters in both US political parties receptive to this kind of message, and that is why the fiery populist rhetoric of Bernie Sanders and Trump during the 2016 campaign ended up appealing to groups of overlapping voters.

Nationalists are also extremely protectionist, preferring to look from the inside in matters of foreign affairs and foreign trade.

Trump's political positions have changed his whole life, but his mistrust of international trade agreements and his belief that they are ultimately bad for the United States have been a constant.

This type of thinking is typical of nationalists.

Does the term automatically mean "white nationalist"?

The term white nationalism derives from a euphemism for white supremacy, the belief that whites are superior to all other races and therefore should dominate society, according to Oren Segal, director of the Anti's Center on Extremism -Defamation League.

People who share these beliefs sometimes carry other names, including alt-right, identitaries and realists. However, it is simply a brand new image – "a new name for this old hate," said Segal.

White supremacists and their peers view diversity as a threat, Segal said. A popular slogan of white supremacy is "Diversity is a code word for white genocide".

Kassam does not accept the idea that it is white nationalism, pointing out that the term does not mean what people think it means.

"White nationalism could mean one of two things," he said. "It may mean ethnic protectionism or ethnic supremacy, but none of this seems to fit the tradition of economic or civic nationalism adopted by President Trump."

The words nationalist or white nationalist may seem harmless to some whites, said Miller of the Scowcroft Center of the Atlantic Council, but they do not realize how much these terms can be insensitive to racists for non-whites because they misunderstand the fact that they are uncomfortable. American history and culture.

"That's why patriotism can be and is universal across racial, ethnic and religious boundaries, but American nationalism is almost entirely restricted to white Americans," said Miller. "They do not necessarily defend the white identity, but the borders between American, Protestant and White are too often blurred.

George Hawley, a political scientist at the University of Alabama, said the feeling of being a white victim was the key to the move.

"There is a feeling that whites are besieged and deliberately dispossessed by hostile elites who want to create a new multicultural order," Hawley said. "They do not like immigrants of cultural origin entering the United States and working for low wages, they do not like the political and economic elites who invite them in. They are also hostile to the media and academia, which they believe is pushing an anti-white message. "

Is it good or bad that a self-appointed nationalist sits at the White House?

Kassam said it was good because it would ensure that the ideology of globalism would be "controlled".

Miller had an answer in one word: bad.