Primordial and Political Nationalism- (p. 418)

- Most of Western writing on the subject of nationalism is a product of the 20th century. Very little was written on this topic outside of the West, except for what was written about Asian countries from a Western perspective. Western writing has proposed realistic, material, utilitarian, primarily non-emotional causes of nationalism that have little to do with ethnic factors. Some examples are: 1. The model of internal imperialism, which is based in Max Weber's theory regarding the economically and industrially deprived periphery. 2. The model of nationalism as a utilitarian system that a person either does or doesn't adopt depending on how well it serves his interests, which is led by the society's elites and not by all the members of the group that is to be declared a nation. 3. The model of ability and economic interest as primary factors in the formation of a nation. According to this model, a nation is formed only if the group possesses the necessary economic capability, and the establishment of a distinct nation is in the group's interest. 4. The model of discrimination and discontentment that follows from Max Weber's system. According to this model, a group will establish a separate national framework only if overcome by feelings of group discrimination. The German Max Weber who wrote in the beginning of the 21st century considered the roots of nationalism to be economic. He initiated a German national discussion that promoted German imperialism and disassociated itself from the issue of democracy. Ernest Gelner, another notable writer on this subject, who wrote in the US in a later period than Weber, based his theory on economic forces that stemmed from modernization and from the development of industry on the basis of a democratic society with a modern advanced culture. He considered discrimination a necessary impetus in the formation of a nation. A later star in the study of nationalism who completed yet also opposed Gelner's theories, was Benedict Anderson. Anderson claimed that the printing industry played a primary role in promoting nationalism by creating a uniform written language that was widely distributed and that unified similar dialects and languages into one language. The industry's goal was to increase its profits by widening the distribution of its printed materials. At the same time, it managed to create a single entity out of wider communities that were united by virtue of common language, common literature, similar ways of thinking, common likes, dislikes, fears, and objects of disdain, thereby facilitating the creation of larger national entities, which constituted the basis for the establishment of large modern states with populations in the millions. According to Gelner's theory, private business and industrial business interests created modern states. Anderson proposed the opposite theory of the modern state as the stimulus, which established advanced industries. According to this theory, the large and developed source of manpower that is essential for industrial growth can only be supplied by a modern state that has the means of establishing public school systems that offer a sufficiently high education to prepare people for these jobs. Therefore, the modern state supported industry and enabled the development of capitalistic industrial interests in the modern world. In this way, of course, the state itself became modernized, and was compensated with modern industry, that led the state to become modern and successful. All these political thinkers, as a rule, do not base the nationalism they have witnessed on ethnic-historical-emotional-or primordial sources - which will be referred to here as 'deep-rooted nationalism'. Deep-rooted nationalism can sustain itself even without economic and political interests and forces. The other form of nationalism will be termed here - 'political nationalism' since it comes about according to the interests of the state that seeks to strengthen its sense of nationalism. In the absence of a deep-rooted nationalism that corresponds to the basic framework of the state, the state promotes a sense of nationalism, whether directly or indirectly, whether as a bureaucratic act or whether by academics, writers, poets, and the like, all acting from different motivations, and not always with the awareness that they are helping create a nation that coincides with the civilian population in the state. Taking Israel as an example: 1. From the outset, the state was declared a Jewish state, a state for the Jewish people. 2. Representatives of the Zionist movement, the Jewish nation's national movement in the diaspora, and representatives of the Jewish settlement in the land in which the state of Israel was established, a population of people of Jewish descent living in the territory of the State, declared the establishment of the State of Israel in Israel's Declaration of Independence. 3. The state was established through the efforts of the Zionist settlers, the Zionists, and members of the Jewish nation's national movement. 4. The Jewish nation is an entity that lives in the consciousness of anyone born to Jewish parents, through the blood relation that has existed over thousands of years. 5. The Jewish people share a common distinct religion, a long history, a separate culture, an ancient tongue, and territorial aspirations to live in their ancient homeland (an aspiration that for many years was expressed only in prayer and no practical steps were taken to implement). This ancient homeland is located in the place that the State of Israel was established. 6. This state is inhabited also by Arabs who have lived there hundreds of years, and who began to experience a national awakening as the Palestinian people. These Arabs, along with neighboring Arab countries fought against the establishment of the Jewish state, while the Jews fought for its establishment. Approximately 50 years after the establishment of the State of Israel, debate has ensued over whether an 'Israeli nation' exists that is composed of the citizens of the State of Israel (political nationalism), or whether two nationalities - deep-rooted ones, based on ethnic-religious ties (deep-rooted or primordial nationalism) exist in Israel. Those who claim and advocate a political nationalism cite the American-French idea of Israel being 'a country of all its citizens'. It should be recalled that both the French people and the American people are 'synthetically formed' nations, which strengthen their respective States. It thus emerges that the nationalism in all American countries is a political nationalism, with the exception of countries - like Mexico - which are united by some ancient tradition (in Mexico - Indian tradition). Further on, the question will be discussed certainly with regard to Mexico, of whether an approach that unites not only people with Indian blood but also those with Spanish blood is true deep-rooted nationalism, or in fact political nationalism disguised as deep-rooted. In the context of this question it will be possible to identify - with regard certainly to specific Latin American countries - which type of political nationalism exists, and what factors led to it - discrimination, economic interest, domestic imperialism, or some other factor not previously suggested. This book will evaluate the nature of the nationalism in Latin America and also attempt to predict what lies in Latin America's future.