British Prime Minister Theresa May said recently, “If you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere.”
The Hoover Institute has a great discussion on the revival of nationalism around the world. Takeaway:
The current resurgence of populist nationalism in the United States and Europe reflects the pushback against these long-held dogmas of transnationalism, and resistance to the denigration of national identities. In the United States, Donald Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton in the presidential contest confirms that for now at least, populist nationalism has deep and wide support. In Europe, national elections during the next year will reveal just how widespread and vigorous this resistance is beyond America. Facing global threats from rivals and enemies passionate about their own national or religious identities, the interests and security of the West will be better protected if its citizens are allowed to express without recriminations their national pride and autonomy.
The article also discusses the difference between what the progressives pejoratively call “nationalism” (it’s all Hitler!) and local control, live and let live, give me liberty, type of self-control.
The Nationalist Revival
The British vote in June to leave the European Union brought the long-simmering revival of nationalism to a boil. Passions aroused by the 2008 economic crisis, anger over the indiscriminate admission of nearly a million mostly male Middle Eastern refugees in 2015, and the carnage of the terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, and Nice have intensified the resentment of many Europeans.