George Orwell, "Notes on Nationalism," May, 1945

Central Historical Question:

Since the nationalistic loves and hatreds are part of the make-up of most of us, whether we like it or not, and Nationalism is similar to Patriotism, is being Patriotic is a bad thing? "Nationalism" is the habit of identifying oneself with a single nation or other ____________________________________________________________ unit, placing it beyond good and evil and recognizing no other duty than that of ____________________________________________________________ advancing its interests. Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. ____________________________________________________________ "Patriotism" is devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other ____________________________________________________________ people. Nationalism is inseparable from the desire for power. The goal of ____________________________________________________________ every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but ____________________________________________________________ for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality. ____________________________________________________________ The nationalist persuades himself that his side is the strongest, and is able to ____________________________________________________________ stick to his belief even when the facts are all against him. Nationalism is power____________________________________________________________ hunger tempered by self-deception. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ No nationalist ever thinks, talks, or writes about anything except the ____________________________________________________________ superiority of his own power unit. It is difficult if not impossible for any ____________________________________________________________ nationalist to conceal his allegiance. The smallest slur upon his own unit, or any implied praise of a rival organization, fills him with uneasiness and anger. All ____________________________________________________________ nationalists also have the power to ignore the realities that go against their ____________________________________________________________ beliefs. One might defend actions by countries in Europe, but oppose them in ____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________ India with no feeling of inconsistency. Actions are considered good or bad ____________________________________________________________ according to who does them, not what the actions were. There is almost no kind ____________________________________________________________ of outrage -- torture, the use of hostages, the bombing of civilians that ____________________________________________________________ becomes forgivable when it is committed by "our" side. Historical events can ____________________________________________________________ even become excusable when it is felt that they were done in the "right" cause. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________

In nationalist thought a known fact may be so unbearable that it is ignored, or denied. Lies can be so well placed in a newspaper that the ordinary reader can be forgiven either for swallowing lies or failing to form an opinion. The general uncertainty as to what is really happening makes it easier to cling to lunatic beliefs. Moreover, although endlessly brooding on power, victory, defeat, revenge, the nationalist is often somewhat uninterested in what happens in the real world. Some nationalists are not far from schizophrenia, living quite happily amid dreams of power and conquest which have no connection with the physical world. First, we have many tendencies in all our minds that pervert our thinking, but no one has any right to assume that everyone is infected by nationalism. Second, nationalism can develop quickly at any certain time, for a man may act in a way he previously knew was absurd, but in moments of anger he may become nationalistic. Thirdly, a nationalistic creed may be adopted in good faith from non-nationalistic motives. Fourthly, several kinds of nationalism, even kinds that cancel out, can co-exist in the same person. Let a certain note be struck, let this or that corn be trodden on -- and it may be corn whose very existence has been unsuspected hitherto -- and the most fairminded and sweet-tempered person may suddenly be transformed into a vicious partisan, anxious only to "score" over his adversary and indifferent as to how many lies he tells or how many logical errors he commits in doing so. One prod to the nerve of nationalism, and reality can vanish, the past can be altered, and the plainest facts can be denied. There is no limit to the follies that committed or believed if one is under the influence of nationalism. However, the nationalistic loves and hatreds that I have spoken of are part of the make-up of most of us, whether we like it or not.