Curt Mills Blog 7

In reference to ch7, what is
American Nationalism? Within its
geography, what does it expect of its
citizens? Globally, how does it
contextualize the rest of the world?

As has been mentioned, Anderson defines the nation as an “imagined political community that is imagined as both inherently limited and sovereign.”  This extends of course to the discussion of nationalism.  American nationalism is of course a very broad, wide ranging topic.  

Many news sources have reported and speculated that American nationalism, and the violent, extremist variant has actually been on the rise in recent years.  The rise has been speculated for a number of fronts.  I agree with some of those speculations.  Post 9/11, there is little question America is a changed land.  Further, the downturn in the economy makes many blame those in far away lands.  Need budget cuts?  Cut foreign aid, even though that accounts to a minuscule fraction of the federal budget.  Finally, globalization has also likely stoked some paranoia.  1992 and 1996 US Presidential candidate Ross Perot famously warned of the terrifying, dire consequences that would occur if the US signed onto NAFTA, the North American Free Trade Agreement.  "The phrase, coined during the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign, referred to the sound of U.S. jobs heading south for Mexico should the proposed free-trade agreement go into effect." (Wiki)

NPR profiled US nationalism's recent spike as well.  "Picture this: An alternate-reality, suspended-in-space American metropolis where steampunk contraptions — like propeller-driven dirigibles, squeaky trolley wires and clunky robotic creatures — operate against a backdrop of clanging liberty bells; red, white and blue powder kegs; and jingoistic posters warning: "Patriots! Arm Thyself Against the Foreigners and Anarchists!" OK. So you can't quite picture it. No sweat. It's the surrealistic setting of Bioshock: Infinite, a video game."  NPR uses the video game story to profile further the rise of nationalism.  

The crux of the feeling of course that America was great, but has somehow now lost its way.  Foreigners, and outside forces, are largely to blame.