Is nationalism always a force for bad, or can it sometimes bring benefits?

Hiren,

The choices should be how much and not If or Bad? One of the root causes of arrogance in office, misuse of authority and lack of people to stand up and say no to corruption is complete lack of nationalism. Let me share a personal experience: Almost three decades back was walking on a street in a village in Germany and carrying the habit threw a piece of litter on roadside. An old lady who was following noticed this. Sped full speed towards me caught my hand and made me pick that piece as also taking me to nearest garbage-bin, reminding for next time and thanking once I apologised. This is why the country is cleaner. Now hear the contrast: An Indian Cabinet Minister spewed PAAN peek on airport walkway wall and none amongst huge army on escort had the courage to say anything. Find out...Why? and you may have all the answers.

Yes : Nationalism is a movement of the past, linked the evils of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The future lies in an internationalist approach that stresses our common humanity, rather than emphasising those small differences that have been used by nationalists to divide us. In particular, nationalism stands against the widespread establishment of human rights, as it places absolute national sovereignty above the individual rights of all citizens. This makes it impossible for the international community to protect properly the human rights of those living under oppression and dictatorship. Supranational organisations such as the United Nations and European Union provide a way forward for the different peoples of the world to cooperate towards common goals of peace and prosperity, while still respecting and celebrating diversity.

No : Nationalism can be misused, but it is an important political fact. Nation states are workable political units. On one hand they are small enough that the people feel a connection to their government and can hold it accountable. On the other hand, they are large enough for those governments to be rich and powerful enough to make a difference (e.g. running a welfare state, transferring wealth from prosperous regions to economically depressed ones, having a meaningful foreign policy). In this way, nationalism, and the nation state to which it aspires, is a force for democracy and good government. International organisations, by contrast, are undemocratic in nature and impossible to hold accountable for incompetence and corruption.