Great and Nation are two words that do not belong together.
A great people? Maybe. A great culture? Occasionally.
Nations, teams, clubs, and religions are defined and falsely elevated by who they exclude, as well as those they include.
They all may have had short-lived times of brilliance and even transcendence that fades under the ossification of acolytes, celebration, and flags.
I have recently discovered that my ancestors on both sides of my family moved to the American continent in the early 1600s from England, Ireland, and Scotland. We have nearly 500 years of history here. One of my ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence, and some of my ancestors were slaveholders and likely murderers of the original inhabitants of this magnificent country. As a nation, we have yet to look into our history and accept it all or try to repair the damage we have done and continue to do. We are the only nation to ever detonate an atomic bomb as a weapon. At the same time, I don’t see other “Nations” as having much better track records.
I have seen greatness in people. I’ve seen real holiness in nuns, monks, and priests. I’ve seen transcendent artists and brilliant athletes. We struggle as groups. We struggle as families and congregations and cities and states, let alone nations. Perhaps it is easier for individuals to become great as they integrate their own failings. For some reason, nations don’t integrate failings well, and because of that are incapable of greatness.
Great Nation is an oxymoron.
— DanielSouthGate
A great people? Maybe. A great culture? Occasionally.
Nations, teams, clubs, and religions are defined and falsely elevated by who they exclude, as well as those they include.
They all may have had short-lived times of brilliance and even transcendence that fades under the ossification of acolytes, celebration, and flags.
I have recently discovered that my ancestors on both sides of my family moved to the American continent in the early 1600s from England, Ireland, and Scotland. We have nearly 500 years of history here. One of my ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence, and some of my ancestors were slaveholders and likely murderers of the original inhabitants of this magnificent country. As a nation, we have yet to look into our history and accept it all or try to repair the damage we have done and continue to do. We are the only nation to ever detonate an atomic bomb as a weapon. At the same time, I don’t see other “Nations” as having much better track records.
I have seen greatness in people. I’ve seen real holiness in nuns, monks, and priests. I’ve seen transcendent artists and brilliant athletes. We struggle as groups. We struggle as families and congregations and cities and states, let alone nations. Perhaps it is easier for individuals to become great as they integrate their own failings. For some reason, nations don’t integrate failings well, and because of that are incapable of greatness.
Great Nation is an oxymoron.
— DanielSouthGate
I'm afraid I agree with you. However, the idea of a "nation" (and a lot of the realities of "nations") continue because of the machinations of those who benefit from the powers and profits a "nation" (with all its resources and habitual authority) can provide. The notion of a nation is really a way to collect influence and wealth, and so those in power in "nations" build upon what they've already got, and upon the backs of the less greedy residents of "nations." The ways that the less greedy residents are made to feel PRIDE and PATRIOTISM about their "nations" are myriad and often effective, and are getting more sophisticated all the time while the naivete and ignorance and susceptibility to bias of the "people" seems to be increasing. (from "Macoff")
ReplyDeleteExcellent. We do not integrate failing well at all. What wisdom to see that as one of the planks of the platform - or, better, one of the stakes in the defensive wall - of nationhood.
ReplyDelete