I wonder how the foreign policies of the United States would look if we wiped out the national boundaries of the world, at least in our minds, and thought of all children everywhere as our own.
Howard ZinnRead
Is not nationalism - that devotion to a flag, an anthem, a boundary so fierce it engenders mass murder - one of the great evils of our time, along with racism, along with religious hatred? These ways of thinking - cultivated, nurtured, indoctrinated from childhood on - have been useful to those in power, and deadly for those out of power.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Nationalism can lead to violence and division, serving the interests of the powerful while harming the powerless.
Howard Zinn critiques nationalism by highlighting its potential for fostering extreme loyalty to symbols like flags and anthems, which, when taken to the extreme, can result in devastating consequences such as war and genocide. He argues that such fervent national pride, rooted in indoctrination from a young age, primarily benefits those in power while endangering marginalized groups, revealing nationalism as a dangerous ideology akin to racism and religious hatred.
Themes
NationalismViolencePowerIndoctrinationEvil
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about the dangers of extremist ideologies, one could cite Zinn's words as a warning against excessive nationalism.
More from Howard Zinn
All quotes →History can come in handy. If you were born yesterday, with no knowledge of the past, you might easily accept whatever the government tells you. But knowing a bit of history--while it would not absolutely prove the government was lying in a given instance--might make you skeptical, lead you to ask questions, make it more likely that you would find out the truth.
Howard ZinnRead
Objectivity is impossible and it is also undesirable. That is, if it were possible it would be undesirable, because if you have any kind of a social aim, if you think history should serve society in some way; should serve the progress of the human race; should serve justice in some way, then it requires that you make your selection on the basis of what you think will advance causes of humanity.
Howard ZinnRead
The historian's distortion is more than technical, it is ideological; it is released into a world of contending interest, where any chosen emphasis supports some kind of interest, whether economic or political or racial, or national or sexual.
Howard ZinnRead
Americans have been taught that their nation is civilized and humane. But, too often, U.S. actions have been uncivilized and inhumane.
Howard ZinnRead
The challenge remains. On the other side are formidable forces: money, political power, the major media. On our side are the people of the world and a power greater than money or weapons: the truth.
Howard ZinnRead
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