Christian Defense of Nationalism
Guest Article by Darrell Dow The last decade has seen the global emergence of nationalism and populism. From Japan to the Indian subcontinent, from the Middle East to Europe and the Americas, the global political divide is increasingly defined by the chasm separating corporate global elites from a rising tide of nationalism expressed via populist […]
“Make America Great Again” and Other Stupid Nationalist Songs
For a song that refers to itself as a “mighty melody,” it’s about what you’d expect: a florid piece of music, full of bombast and clanging cymbals. The Independent, a British newspaper, said that the production “has a strong North Korean vibe.” That may be overstating it, since the lyrics are more anodyne than jingoistic. But still, what are we supposed to do with a song like this? Will it join the great tradition of martial American songs that paint the aspirations of our nation as pre-blessed by an omnipotent and Americanized creator (cf. Battle Hymn of the Republic)? Or, as seems more likely, will it fade from our collective memory sooner than the swine flu hysteria?
