What is Ultranationalism?
Key Terms: ultranationalism, propaganda, appeasement, conscription
Some people believe that nationalism is the most powerful political force in the world - even when they do not agree on exactly what nationalism is...People also disagree on when nationalism becomes ultranationalism, an extreme form of nationalism. At some point, ultranationalists move from valuing their own nation and its interests to hostility toward people of other nations. This hostility can endanger international peace.
Some background information...
- people may agree that ultranationalism includes elements of racism and fanaticism and that it can lead to conflict, but they disagree on where the line between the two is drawn
- some people may believe their actions are patriotic, but the same actions by another group as ultranationalistic
- may be associated with a fanatical belief in the rights of your own group and a fear and loathing of anyone who challenges those beliefs
Hrant Dink had angered some nationalists in his country by writing about the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Armenians by Turks in 1915, under cover of World War 1. Because of this writing, the journalist had been convicted in 2006 of publicly insulting "Turkishness, the Republic or the Grand National Assembly of Turkey" and had received a six-month suspended sentence.
Dink's conviction and murder sparked heated debate in Turkey about free speech, ethnic tensions, and extreme nationalism. Would you describe Dink's murder as an act of Ultranationalism? Does discussing this issue help you decide where to draw the line between nationalism and ultranationalism? Assassination of Hrant Dink - Click Here to Read |