Hm … I can’t say that this interview with Benedict Anderson (via … and) provides that much of revealing information nevertheless it lists a lot of careful provided links. And the theme of ‘nationalism’ which by nature is a very complex one is always worth to be reflected from various angles. Thus this post does not want to support his opinion in general though I would agree that despite talks on transnationalism and fluid identities there is a lot of new forms and occurances of nationalism around – and also lingering as suppressed bits in defining an identity. My issue here is to rethink the points Anderson addresses and add it to my ongoing thoughts.
Especially sentences like If you feel no shame for your country you cannot be a nationalist, … sound highly interesting, but yet I am not sure if I really want to agree. There might be a even more ambivalent background to it as he already hints to. The reiterations of these now occuring forms like long-distance nationalism, email/Internet nationalism seem to have some similarities to the strange sentimentalism a lot of people develop after a longer period away from their ‘original country’ by neglecting their own as well as the ‘country’s’ development. ..
.. to be continued …