How nationalism and globalism can coexist | Wanis Kabbaj

Summary

The speaker explores the dichotomy between nationalism and globalism, questioning the need to choose one over the other. They argue that people can simultaneously hold nationalistic pride and a global identity, citing examples of how many national traditions are shaped by global influences. The talk challenges the audience to rethink binary thinking and consider how to embrace both nationalism and globalism effectively.

Takeaways

• 😀 The speaker humorously illustrates the extreme and negative labels associated with both 'nationalist' and 'globalist' on social media, highlighting the intense debate surrounding these ideologies.
• 🌐 The script poses a fundamental question of our time: whether to prioritize nationalism or globalism, and how this choice affects various aspects of society.
• 🏛️ Nationalism is defined as a devotion to one's nation, often prioritizing national interests over international ones, and is seen by some as essential for maintaining social stability.
• 🌍 Globalism, on the other hand, focuses on global economic and foreign policy operations, aiming to address large-scale issues that transcend national borders.
• ⚔️ The speaker points out the historical dangers of extreme nationalism, referencing the devastating effects of 20th-century fascisms.
• 🏙️ Globalists argue that global governance is necessary to tackle global problems like climate change, terrorism, and refugee crises, which cannot be addressed by individual nations alone.
• 🌟 The speaker, having lived in multiple continents, questions the binary choice between nationalism and globalism, suggesting that it's possible to have multiple identities and loyalties.
• 🤔 The script challenges the audience to rethink the dichotomy between nationalism and globalism, proposing that we should not have to choose between loving one's country and caring for the world.
• 🌈 The speaker uses examples from history and culture to show that many elements of national identity have been influenced by or originated from outside sources, emphasizing the role of globalization in shaping national traditions.
• 🌟 The script concludes with a call to action for creative, nonbinary solutions that embrace both nationalism and globalism, rather than forcing a choice between them.

Q & A

What are the two main ideologies discussed in the script?

The two main ideologies discussed in the script are nationalism and globalism.

How are the terms 'nationalist' and 'globalist' portrayed on social media according to the script?

On social media, the terms 'nationalist' and 'globalist' are portrayed with strong negative connotations, often associated with derogatory labels and intense criticism.

What is the definition of nationalism given by Collins in the script?

According to the script, Collins defines nationalism as a 'devotion to one's nation' and also as a 'doctrine that puts national interests above international considerations.'

What concerns do globalists have about nationalism as mentioned in the script?

Globalists are alarmed that self-centered nationalism can turn ugly, as seen in 20th-century fascisms, leading to bloody wars, millions of deaths, and immeasurable destruction.

What is the definition of globalism according to the Oxford Living Dictionary in the script?

The Oxford Living Dictionary defines globalism as 'the operation or planning of economic and foreign policy on a global basis.'

What are some of the global issues that globalists argue can only be addressed through global governance?

Globalists argue that global governance is necessary to tackle issues like nuclear proliferation, the global refugee crisis, climate change, terrorism, and the consequences of superhuman AI.

Why does the speaker question the need to choose between nationalism and globalism?

The speaker questions the need to choose because they believe that people already have multiple identities and that it is possible to love one's country and care for the world simultaneously.

What percentage of people in the World Values Survey felt 'very proud' or 'quite proud' of their country?

According to the World Values Survey mentioned in the script, 88.5 percent of people felt 'very proud' or 'quite proud' of their country.

How does the speaker suggest we should approach the relationship between nationalism and globalism?

The speaker suggests that instead of choosing between nationalism and globalism, we should seek creative, nonbinary solutions that allow us to embrace both ideologies.

What is the speaker's perspective on the relationship between national identity and globalization?

The speaker believes that many key ingredients of national identities come from outside national borders, and that globalization can actually help national traditions to be questioned, regenerated, and reinterpreted, keeping them vibrant and relevant.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Nationalism vs. Globalism: The Debate

The speaker begins by sharing their personal exploration of the terms 'nationalist' and 'globalist' on Twitter, revealing the polarizing and often negative connotations associated with both. They humorously recount the harsh labels each side throws at the other, setting the stage for a deeper discussion on the fundamental question of whether nationalism or globalism is the better path for the future. The speaker emphasizes the impact of this choice on cultural identity, prosperity, political systems, and the health of the planet. They define nationalism as a devotion to one's nation and a doctrine prioritizing national interests, while globalism is described as the operation and planning of economic and foreign policy on a global scale. The speaker points out the historical dangers of extreme nationalism and the potential erosion of national solidarities by globalism, highlighting the complexity of the issue.

05:00

🏆 The Power of Nationalism and Globalism

In this segment, the speaker challenges the audience's preconceived notions about nationalism and globalism. They argue that nationalism is not just about exclusionary or negative sentiments but is also about a sense of community and pride in one's nation. The speaker cites a World Values Survey indicating that a vast majority of people feel proud of their country, suggesting that nationalism is a powerful and enduring sentiment. They also discuss the positive correlation between national satisfaction and individual happiness, which counters the idea that nationalism is an outdated concept. The speaker urges globalists to recognize the value of nationalism and to focus on addressing the shortcomings of globalization, such as income stagnation in the Western middle class, rather than fighting against nationalism.

10:01

🌍 Embracing Both Nationalism and Globalism

The speaker concludes by advocating for a non-binary approach to the nationalism-globalism debate. They argue that it's possible to be both a nationalist and a globalist, and that many elements of national identity have been shaped by global influences. The speaker provides examples of how various national symbols and traditions, such as the Latin alphabet, the British monarchy, the Eiffel Tower, and Italian cuisine, have roots in other cultures and historical periods of globalization. They emphasize that globalization can enrich national traditions and make them more vibrant. The speaker calls for creative solutions that allow for the coexistence and mutual enhancement of nationalism and globalism, rather than forcing a choice between them.

Keywords

💡Nationalism

Nationalism, as defined by Collins in the script, is a 'devotion to one's nation' and a 'doctrine that puts national interests above international considerations.' It is central to the video's theme as it represents the belief that national identity and interests should be prioritized. The speaker uses examples from the script to illustrate how nationalism can foster a sense of community and belonging, as seen in the excitement for an unknown athlete representing one's country in the Olympics.

💡Globalism

Globalism, according to the Oxford Living Dictionary as cited in the script, involves 'the operation or planning of economic and foreign policy on a global basis.' It is juxtaposed against nationalism in the video, representing a worldview that emphasizes international cooperation and interconnectedness. The speaker discusses globalism as a necessary approach to address global challenges such as climate change and terrorism, suggesting that it complements rather than contradicts nationalism.

💡Cultural Identity

Cultural identity refers to the set of cultural references and social practices that individuals use to define themselves as members of a group. In the video, cultural identity is tied to the broader debate between nationalism and globalism. The speaker argues that national identity, which is a form of cultural identity, is enriched by elements from outside one's borders, challenging the notion that globalization erodes cultural identity.

💡National Populism

National populism is a political ideology that combines nationalism with populist rhetoric, often emphasizing the will of the 'ordinary people' against 'elites.' The video touches on the rise of national populism and its potential implications, such as the speaker's concern about losing citizenship or facing discrimination based on ethnicity or nationality.

💡Global Governance

Global governance refers to the mechanisms, norms, and rules that guide relations among different countries and global actors. The speaker advocates for strengthening global governance as a means to tackle 'supernational' problems that individual nations cannot solve alone, such as nuclear proliferation and the global refugee crisis.

💡Social Media

Social media is a platform for social interaction using the internet, and it is highlighted in the script as a space where the harsh language and extreme views associated with both nationalists and globalists are expressed. The speaker uses social media as an entry point to discuss the intensity of the debate between nationalism and globalism.

💡National Solidarity

National solidarity is the unity and mutual support among the members of a nation. The video discusses how nationalists view national solidarity as essential for social stability, while globalists see it as potentially excluding or undermining global cooperation.

💡Global Refugee Crisis

The global refugee crisis refers to the large-scale movement of people fleeing their countries due to conflict, persecution, or natural disasters. The speaker mentions it as one of the problems that require a global approach, emphasizing the need for global governance to address such complex issues.

💡Nonbinary Thinking

Nonbinary thinking challenges the idea of strict categorizations and binaries, advocating for a more nuanced and inclusive perspective. The speaker encourages the audience to reject the binary choice between nationalism and globalism, suggesting that one can be both a nationalist and a globalist, reflecting nonbinary thinking.

💡Globalization

Globalization is the increasing global interconnectedness of people, places, and processes. The video discusses globalization as a force that has both positive and negative impacts, such as reducing poverty and increasing cultural exchange, but also leading to income stagnation for some segments of society.

💡National Traditions

National traditions are the customs, beliefs, and practices that are part of a nation's cultural heritage. The speaker argues that many national traditions, such as Italian cuisine, are actually the result of historical globalization, showing that what we consider 'national' is often a product of global influences.

Highlights

The speaker humorously recounts the harsh language used on Twitter when searching for 'nationalist' and 'globalist', setting the stage for a discussion on the heated debate between nationalism and globalism.

Nationalism is defined as devotion to one's nation and prioritizing national interests over international ones.

Globalism is described as operating or planning economic and foreign policy on a global scale.

The speaker expresses concern over the rise of nationalist movements and their potential impact on personal freedoms and citizenship.

A challenge is posed to the audience to rethink the binary choice between nationalism and globalism, suggesting a more nuanced view.

Nationalism is portrayed as a natural feeling of pride and belonging to a national community, using the example of watching Olympic athletes.

Globalists are encouraged to recognize the positive aspects of nationalism, such as happiness and community, rather than dismissing it outright.

The World Values Survey is cited, showing that a majority of people feel proud of their country, indicating nationalism's enduring relevance.

The speaker argues that globalization has both positive and negative effects, and that efforts should be focused on addressing its shortcomings.

The audience is reminded that many national traditions, such as the Latin alphabet, have origins outside of their countries, challenging the notion of pure national identity.

Examples are given of how national symbols and traditions, like the Eiffel Tower and Chinese Marxism, are influenced by global exchanges.

The evolution of Italian cuisine is used to illustrate how globalization can enrich and transform national traditions.

The speaker concludes by advocating for a non-binary approach to nationalism and globalism, suggesting that they can coexist and complement each other.

A call to action is made for creative solutions that embrace both nationalism and globalism for a more complex and interconnected world.

Transcripts

So two weeks ago, I searched the word "nationalist" on Twitter.

The results were quite colorful,

with expressions like, "Emboldened Racist Moron," --

(Laughter)

"White Supremacist Idiot,"

"Fascist Sock Puppets," --

(Laughter)

"Orwellian, Hitlerian, Terrifying."

I then searched the word "globalist"

and got things like, "Socialist Sell-Outs,"

"Disgusting Corporate Propaganda,"

"Elitist Financial Overlords,"

"Ruthless Cosmopolitan Rats."

(Laughter)

Even by social media standards, the words are cruel and disgusting.

But they reflect the intensity of one of the most fundamental questions

of our times:

Nationalism or globalism -- what is the best path forward?

This question impacts everything we care about:

our cultural identity,

our prosperity,

our political systems --

everything -- the health of our planet -- everything.

So on the one hand, we have nationalism.

Collins defines it as a "devotion to one's nation,"

but also, a "doctrine that puts national interests

above international considerations."

For nationalists, our modern societies are built on national grounds:

we share a land, a history, a culture, and we defend each other.

In a big and chaotic world,

they see nationalism as the only sensible way to maintain social stability.

But alarmed globalists warn us:

self-centered nationalism can easily turn ugly.

We've seen it with 20th-century fascisms:

bloody wars, millions of deaths, immeasurable destruction.

On the other hand, we have globalism.

The Oxford Living Dictionary defines it as:

"the operation or planning of economic and foreign policy

on a global basis."

For nationalists, globalism is rapidly deconstructing

what our ancestors took decades to build.

It's like spitting on our soldiers' tombs;

it's eroding our national solidarities

and opening the doors to foreign invasions.

But globalists make the case that reinforcing our global governance

is the only way to tackle big supernational problems,

like nuclear proliferation,

the global refugee crisis,

climate change or terrorism

or even the consequences of superhuman AI.

So we are at the crossroads,

and we are asked to choose:

nationalism or globalism?

Having lived in four continents,

I've always been interested in this question.

But it took a whole new level when I saw this happening:

the biggest surge in nationalist votes in Western democracies

since World War II.

All of a sudden, this isn't theory anymore.

I mean, these political movements have built their success with ideas

that could mean, down the road, losing my French citizenship

because I'm North African

or not being able to come back home to the US

because I come from a Muslim-majority country.

You know, when you live in a democracy,

you live with this idea that your government will always protect you,

as long as you abide by the laws.

With the rise of national populism,

despite being the best citizen I can,

I now have to live with the idea that my government can hurt me

for reasons I cannot control.

It's very unsettling.

But it forced me to rethink

and rethink this question and try to think deeper.

And the more I thought about it,

the more I started questioning the question.

Why would we have to choose between nationalism and globalism,

between loving our country and caring for the world?

There's no reason for that.

We don't have to choose between family and country

or region or religion and country.

We already have multiple identities, and we live with them very well.

Why would we have to choose between country and world?

What if, instead of accepting this absurd choice,

we took it on ourselves to fight this dangerous, binary thinking?

So for all the globalists in the audience,

I want to ask:

When I say the word "nationalist," what image comes to your mind?

Something like this?

Believe me, I think of that, too.

But I'd like you to remember that for most people,

nationalism feels more like this.

Or maybe like that.

You know, it's that thing inside you

when you accidentally watch an obscure Olympic sport on TV --

(Laughter)

wait --

and the mere sight of an unknown athlete wearing your national colors

gets you all excited.

Your heartbeat goes up,

your stress level goes up,

and you're standing in front of the TV

and screaming with passion for that athlete to win.

That's nationalism.

It's people happy to be together,

happy to belong to a large national community.

Why would it be wrong?

You know, globalists, you may think of nationalism

as an old, 19th-century idea that is destined to fade.

But I'm sorry to tell you that the facts are not on your side.

When the World Values Survey asked more than 89,000 people

across 60 countries

how proud they felt about their country,

88.5 percent said "very proud" or "quite proud" --

88.5 percent.

Nationalism is not going away anytime soon.

It's a powerful feeling that, according to another study,

is a strong predictor of individual happiness.

It's crazy, but your happiness is more correlated with national satisfaction

than with things you would expect, like household income

or your job satisfaction

or your health satisfaction.

So if nationalism makes people happy,

why would anybody take it away from them?

Fellow globalists, if you are like me,

you may be attached to globalization for humanistic reasons.

And you may take great joy in some of its accomplishments since 1945.

After all, major regions of the world have been exceptionally peaceful;

extreme poverty rates around the globe are trending down;

and more than two billion people, most notably in Asia,

show spectacular improvements in their standards of living.

But studies also show that globalization has a dark side.

And left on the side of the road

are hundreds of millions of people in Western middle classes

with anemic income growth for more than two decades,

possibly three decades, according to some studies.

We cannot ignore this elephant in our room.

If anything, our collective energy would be better used

finding ways to fix this aspect of globalization,

instead of fighting this polarizing battle against nationalism.

So now, the nationalists in the audience,

I have some crusty, nonbinary nuggets for you.

(Laughter)

When I say the word "globalist," what comes to your mind?

Out-of-touch, one-percent plutocrats?

(Laughter)

Or maybe the heartless, greedy Wall Street type, right?

Or maybe people like me, with multiple origins,

living in a big, cosmopolitan metropolis.

Well, you remember that World Values Survey that I mentioned earlier?

It showed another fascinating finding:

71 percent of the world population agreed with the statement,

"I am a citizen of the world."

Do you know what it means?

Most of us are simultaneously proud of our country

and citizens of the world.

And it gets even better.

The citizens of the world in the survey show a higher level of national pride

than the ones that rejected that label.

So once and for all, being a globalist doesn't mean betraying your country.

It just means that you have enough social empathy,

and you project some of it outside your national borders.

Now, I know that when I dig into my own nationalist feelings,

one of my anxieties versus the globalized world

is national identity:

How are we going to preserve what makes us special,

what makes us different,

what brings us together?

And as I started thinking about it, I realized something really strange,

which is that a lot of the key ingredients of our national identities

actually come from outside our national borders.

Like, think of the letters that we use every day.

I don't know if you realize,

but the Latin script, the Latin alphabet that we use

has its origins thousands of years ago,

near the Nile River.

It all started with a cow just like this,

that was captured by a scribe into an elegant hieroglyph.

That hieroglyph was transcribed by a Semite in the Sinai

into the letter aleph.

Aleph traveled with Phoenicians and reached the European shores in Greece,

where it became alpha,

the mother of our letter A.

So that's how an Egyptian cow became our letter A.

(Laughter)

And same thing with the Egyptian house that became bet, beta and B.

And the Egyptian fish that became daleth, delta and D.

Our most fundamental texts are full of Egyptian cows,

houses and fish.

(Laughter)

And there are so many other examples.

Take the United Kingdom and its monarchy.

Queen Elizabeth II?

German ancestry.

The mottos on the royal coat of arms?

All written in French, not a single word of English.

Take France and it's iconic Eiffel Tower.

The inspiration?

The United States of America --

and I don't mean Las Vegas,

I mean 19th-century New York.

(Laughter)

This was the tallest building in New York in the mid-19th century.

Does it remind you of something?

And you may think of China as a self-contained civilization,

protected behind its Great Wall.

But think twice.

The Chinese official ideology?

Marxism, made in Germany.

One of China's biggest religions?

Buddhism, imported from India.

India's favorite pastime?

Cricket.

I really love this quote from Ashis Nandy,

who said, "Cricket is an Indian game accidentally discovered by the British."

(Laughter)

So these are good reminders that a lot of what we love in our national traditions

actually come from previous waves of globalization.

And beyond individual symbols, there are whole national traditions

that could not have existed without globalization.

And the example that comes to my mind is a world-beloved national tradition:

Italian cuisine.

My friends, if you ever have a chance

to go to a superauthentic Italian restaurant

that only serves ancient Roman recipes,

my advice for you is: don't go.

(Laughter)

You'd get very, very disappointed.

No spaghetti, no pasta --

that really started in Sicily in the eighth century,

when it was under Arabian rule.

No perfect espresso, no creamy cappuccino --

that came from Abyssinia via Yemen in the 17th century.

And of course, no perfect pizza Napoletana --

how would you make it without the tomatoes of the New World?

No, instead, you would be served probably a lot of porridge,

some vegetable -- mostly cabbage -- some cheese,

and maybe if you're lucky,

the absolute delicacy of that time --

mmm, perfectly cooked fattened dormice.

(Laughter)

Thankfully, it was not a close tradition preserved by fanatic watchdogs.

No, it was an open process,

nourished by explorers, traders, street sellers and innovative home cooks.

And in many ways, globalization is a chance

for our national traditions to be questioned, regenerated, reinterpreted,

to attract new converts to stay vibrant and relevant over time.

So just remember this:

most of us nationalists in the world are globalists,

and most of us globalists in the world are nationalists.

A lot of what we like in our national traditions

come from outside our national borders.

And the reason we venture outside our national borders

is to discover these other national traditions.

So the real question should not be

to choose between nationalism and globalism.

The real questions is: How can we do both better?

It's a complex question for a complex world

that calls for creative, nonbinary solutions.

What are you waiting for?

Thank you.

(Applause)