Australia’s Largest Christian News Site

This is the finale of my exploration of Globalism and Nationalism.  When I found this video of John Anderson interviewing Yoram Hazony, I could not have been happier! It is a tremendous capstone to what I would argue is one of the most important issues of our day: are we globalists or nationalists, and why?

Our journey began with the Tower of Babel, man’s aspirations without God. Then we explored how nationalism can transform into globalism, but then celebrated the resurgence of nationalism in Italy under Giorgia Meloni. And from a totally different perspective, we looked at the role of censorship in the crafting of the utopian dream of the globalists.

Here I am using the interview about Yoram’s book, Conservatism: A Rediscovery (2022), as the stage for this, my closing piece. However, I must add quickly that I don’t believe the battle between globalism and nationalism will ever be over in this world!

I have selected six themes from the discussion that invite us back to nationalism.

1. Sovereignty of the nation-state

The date of our Australia Day celebrations has been under ‘review’ for some time, but recently I learned that one of the architects of the Voice to Parliament would like to see Australia Day scrapped altogether!

It seems to me that the push from the globalists has had the effect of eroding our sense of pride and allegiance to our land and our people. Hazony believes that we need to take a stand. We need to assert again that each nation has the right to chart its own course and reclaim its own sovereignty.

Hazony went on to say that there are no legitimate reasons why individual nations can’t negotiate mutually beneficial trade deals between each other. The nation-state doesn’t need to rely on globalists to handle this.

2. China joins the World Trade Organization (WTO) — 2001

In the context of the globalists’ laudable role in pulling millions out of poverty, Anderson and Hazony discussed the rise of China.

China’s acceptance into the WTO saw millions of Chinese lifted out of poverty. But this achievement for China crippled manufacturing industry across the developed world. These sovereign nations barely raised an eyebrow as millions of jobs and skills were lost to the Chinese. As a result, these nations were no longer able to chart their own future — they were dependent on globalism.

This imbalance plunged the world into a dangerous strategic standoff with one of the world’s aspiring imperial globalists. Hazony is calling for a resurgence of nationalism to start to clear up the mess.

3. Nationalism is the only bedrock for a healthy democracy

We need to believe in ourselves again as nation states, our identity. As we seek to preserve those things that are good, we should centre on rebuilding our own societies, (A 27m)

Western societies are not in a good shape. We have multiple crises that are interlocking, the family, the attenuation of religious tradition, which was the central part of maintaining a just society for centuries. The crisis of governments that don’t understand that they have a purpose, first and foremost, of making sure that their own people are well off, or at least improving. In a democratic country if you’re not concerned to make sure that most of your people are satisfied with the way things are, then they will throw you out. (H 29m)

Both Anderson and Hazony agreed that our world is in a mess. In contrast, mainstream media never acknowledge this.

Tragically, the mainstream media newsfeeds keep the majority of the population unaware of reality. I think it is telling that both these men were acknowledging the mess, and both were calling for the resurrection of nationalism as the antidote.

Imagine a world where we recognise the mistakes of the past but, as one people, we are allowed to celebrate the great things about Australia and her people. Imagine being able to talk about one people without having to constantly highlight each other’s racial differences.

Imagine witnessing the rising generation as the one with the greatest optimism, energy and drive. The generation that is most generous and self-deprecating. Wouldn’t they be great for lifting the joie de vivre of the nation?

Hazony bemoaned the current state of democracy in many Western nations, where the losing party can’t accept defeat. Here, he says, the dominant ideology, Neo-Marxism, has trumped democracy, with the result that the nation-state is divided more than ever before. A healthy democracy should be given the opportunity to unite as a nation, with trust reestablished in their institutions.

4. The failure of multiculturalism

I am wondering whether multiculturalism has damaged nationalism. (A 44m)

The problem is that the intellectual idea of multiculturalism is hostile to having any dominant culture, or any kind of central culture… Immigration can be very beneficial when you have a strong national inheritance, a dominant religious tradition, a dominant group that is generous, and capable of allowing other things to flourish. (H 47m)

They discussed the push from multiculturalism to be accommodating of all, with the nation-state losing identity and core values. It seems that with eyes fixed on being welcoming to all, the globalists now advocate for nations without borders. Nationalism is incompatible with multiculturalism.

5. What is conservatism?

Finally, the discussion wrestled with the term conservatism. Hazony set this up by beautifully describing two views that might be described as conservative. First the classical liberal:

Today we have a whole range of liberals, but all liberals would espouse individual liberty, individual equality, consent, reason, that’s their worldview. But none of that is necessarily conservative! (H 52m)

Secondly, conservatives:

English conservatism, British conservatism, and its variations in the Anglosphere… It developed over more than a thousand years, through the common law tradition, is rooted in the Bible and Christianity. And I would say the best way to understand conservatism, is that it begins from a different ‘place’… It begins with my existing nation, my existing people, its existing traditions, the inheritance that has developed over centuries.

Then, what do I need to do is to make sure that it propagates through time. That my children and grandchildren and great grandchildren will benefit from the good aspects of this inheritance. And, that repairs will be introduced, so that it’s improved in places where the system is running down or where we see injustice. (H 54m)

I find it liberating to think that conservatives recognise the importance of somewhere, that place is important. Whereas for liberals, borders are meaningless, place is irrelevant, tradition means nothing. It’s all about me, all about now, all about ideology.

6. Globalism has all but destroyed us

Identity politics has been allowed to run rampant through the West. But I am thrilled that the globalist agenda has not been totally global, as there are many nations that have not been touched and can still boast national pride.

Anderson and Hazony called for the rediscovery of the conservative. They called for the rise of nationalism again, for the regaining of national pride, for the celebration of our rich Judeo-Christian traditions and the rule of law in a fair and just, generous society.

In this context, Hazony described the path for young people who might be lost:

If you’re a young person, that Durkheim (1858-1917) called ‘anomie’, the aimlessness, the despair, the depression, of not knowing a direction, not being able to invent a direction for yourself…

The first step to health is to go to a local congregation, Catholic or Protestant, Orthodox Christian, or Jewish. As a functioning tradition, a congregation can offer you adults, married couples, who have stayed together for their whole lives, who have raised children, sometimes many children, who know how it’s done. You can join, you can begin participating. You don’t have to begin as a believer…

You just have to say, I am coming here to learn, to give honour to those who have achieved something. You yourself then become a part of the chain of transmission. (H 1h 8m)

Globalism and Nationalism will continue to battle for supremacy. Let’s lend our shoulders to nationalism and see the tide turn.

___

Photo by Porapak Apichodilok.