Is there a place for some of what people refer to when the refer to nationalism? Loyalty to place? Loyalty to one's culture? Loyalty to the traditions one was brought up with? The world is full of many cultures. I can't imagine a world free of nationalism unless the world was wholly homogenized such that only one culture existed. Nationalism, as bad as it is, seems like a natural extension of loyalty to culture, tradition, religion, and language. It seems odd to me so say, as was said in an earlier post, that it's a tool of the ruling class. It seems to grow up rather naturally from people's comfort with what they know and distrust of what they don't.
Someone yesterday said the people on this list divide into 2 groups, one of those groups being the rootless cosmopolitans. I think it's fun to be cosmopolitan, in so far as that means living in cities, being inudated with cultural riches, rejoicing in the freedom from tradition and general anonymity offered by urbanism, accepting new ideas, and being exposed to a racially diverse social world, but I wouldn't want to inflict this life style on others who wouldn't like it, and I've met a ton of people in my life who wouldn't like it.
just my 2 cents,
Lawrence Krubner