America is known as the “land of the free.” Where supposedly we put our trust in “God.” America is more diverse than ever, with cultures, races, religion, sexuality, political sections, and even gender. People in America are free to believe in what they want to believe and say what they want to say about it. That’s their freedom of speech going into play. That’s to say, to not confuse it with hate speech. But in today’s political divide, we are more concerned about ourselves than others. To understand what it better for America, in the long run, we must understand what Globalism and Nationalism is. How they affect us and why one would be better than the other.
First off, Globalism is putting the interests of the whole world above individual areas. “[T]he attitude or policy of placing the interests of the entire world above those of individual nations” (Globalism). It’s basically “… an attempt to abolish barriers, especially in trade. Globalization is an elimination of barriers to trade, communication, and cultural exchange. The theory behind globalization is that worldwide openness will promote the inherent wealth of all nations” (Jones).
Nationalism is almost the opposite. It’s loyalty to a nation and placing it above others. The direct definition of it is: “loyalty and devotion to a nation; especially: a sense of national consciousness exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotions of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations” (Nationalism).
Now that we know what each is, we should look at what they involve. America “has built much of its foreign policy around the idea of globalization” for about 80 years (Jones). Not all people like this idea because of the jobs it will decrease. “Many American opponents of the idea say it has destroyed many American jobs by making it easier for companies to make products elsewhere, then ship them into the United States” (Jones). That is a very concerning argument.
However, Globalism can also make open communication with the rest of the world. Making no barriers between us. It’s also “the only way to enhance the trade relations between any two countries” as well as understanding other cultures and accepting them (Globalization). Without some sort of Globalism in our America, we wouldn’t have many products that we use. Plus, we might not have allies amongst those countries we trade with.
With Nationalism, holding one nation above others seems to not be a good thing, in my eyes. Personally, I feel that we should accept everyone, as long as we remain safe. There is a good side to nationalism though. The pride in your nation and economic authority with only themselves. Both positives, require equality and understanding within them. The bad side is the intolerance of other races or religions and the creation of fake opponents.
What is better for America in the long run though? Globalism seems to be the way to go because of how open in communication it is. It’s always good to come together, instead of opposing others. Nationalism is okay for America when it comes to patriotism. Having pride with your country alone is understandably okay, but to oppose others just for their views, race, or religion, is wrong.
America needs open communication and acceptance with other nations to establish trade and beliefs. In the long run, it may decrease the chances of war. In actuality, both sections need to come together to form a new one. Globalism and Nationalism have negative and positive sides to them. It’s a matter of what is best for us long term and a matter of working together as a nation.
References
Globalism. (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2017, from http://www.dictionary.com/browse/globalism
Globalization Vs. Nationalism . (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2017, from http://careerride.com/view.aspx?id=14793
Jones, S. (2016, October 05). Globalization and Its Effects on the United States. Retrieved June 05, 2017, from https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-globalization-3310370
Nationalism. (n.d.). Retrieved June 05, 2017, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nationalism
