Flashpoints

The New Nationalism: 'Brand My Country Keen Again'

Xi's China Dream meets Trump'south "Make America Swell Again."

The New Nationalism: ‘Make My Country Great Again’

Credit: Wikimedia Eatables/ Angélica Rivera de Peña

While speaking with a Chinese journalist recently about the American presidential election, he asked me what the all-time mode was to translate Donald Trump's election slogan, "Brand America Great Once more!" The 2 of us discussed several Chinese wordings that might be a suitable translation of this saying, and I suddenly realized this slogan is actually the exact same equally Chinese president 11 Jinping's slogan of "realizing the peachy rejuvenation of the Chinese nation." Rejuvenation, of form, ways the aforementioned as to make great again or to revive past greatness. And then I also realized "make my state neat over again" is actually a popular political slogan globally. Nippon'southward Shinzo Abe, India's Narendra Modi, and Russia's Vladimir Putin all often mention something similar to this. What we are actually experiencing is a "make my land great again" nationalism that exists in several major powers of the world.

Effectually the earth people always speak of China'due south rise, just the Chinese like to use a unlike discussion: rejuvenation. Xi called information technology the greatest dream of the Chinese nation. This slogan, referred to every bit the Red china Dream, has become the political manifesto and signature ideology of Eleven'southward administration since he came into power three years ago. The employ of this word "rejuvenation" underscores a very important point: the Chinese encounter themselves as returning to greatness or past glory, rather than rising from nothing. I believe this is also the aforementioned reason that Trump says "make America corking once more" rather than "make America swell." In the last few decades China has been developing at a tremendous speed. For example, China's economy now is 24 times larger than information technology was in 1989. However, the Chinese are even so unsatisfied with this progress and still believe they are on the way to restoring their by greatness. And for many Americans, including Donald Trump, "Make America Corking Once again" is to signify the end of America's turn down in power, and to make efforts in restoring the United states' past greatness.

11'southward "China Dream" is often labeled as Chinese nationalism, and to some extent Donald Trump's campaign represents a ascension of new American nationalism. The Trump campaign indeed emphasizes a strong U.S. get-go and protectionist policy, and underscores an "us versus them" mentality. However, information technology should be noted that while the term nationalism is often associated negatively, it can actually play a positive role. Positive nationalism has driven many good social changes in the world. And in fact we tin can run into the banners of nationalism are currently flying highly in many major powers. Abe is working hard trying to stop Nihon'southward stagnation and to jump-start Japan'southward economy to return to its former might of the 1970s and 80s. In New Delhi, Modi is also calling for a national campaign to button India on to a faster runway of development. And in Moscow, Putin has been trying for many years to mobilize his people in the wake of the Soviet Spousal relationship's fall and to restore the luster and strength associated with the czarist era of the Russian Empire and Peter the Great. It'south a global wave of nationalism associated with the rise and fall of the dandy powers.

It is completely understandable that each land strives to make itself ameliorate and greater for its people. Yet, there are two concerns in terms of "make my state great over again" nationalism. First, the varying contents of each nation's dream could lead to a "clash of dreams." When countries' dreams differ, and specially when nations view ane another every bit beingness an obstacle in the path of rejuvenation, there exists the possibility of conflict. We can see this type of clash of dreams at present between Red china and Japan, and China and the United States. The 2nd business organization is that while strong leaders may play a very powerful function in moving their state forward, when there exists a group of aggressive leaders in power at the same time, history states that in that location could be unsafe outcomes.

Backside the slogan of "make my country corking again" what is really beingness said is that a group of countries are not satisfied with their current status and status and want to alter the state of affairs. In other words, not being satisfied with the status quo, these states are preaching revisionism. In the past, conflict has often arisen between revisionist and status quo nations. Just now the situation is even worse because no country seems fully satisfied with the condition quo. Even more than, each country has a different agenda, priorities, and methods for its idea of revision. This is a huge problem for the hereafter of international relations.

Moreover, in that location are major debates within each of these powers. While people are unhappy with their country's electric current situation, they also disagree on the issues for change. Equally Senator Marco Rubio has said, the 2016 election is an election virtually American identity. From Donald Trump'due south campaign to Bernie Sanders' campaign, we tin can actually see there is a major internal debate and disagreement in the Us near the bones question of identity—what is the United States? At that place are also very contentious debates within People's republic of china, Japan, India, and Russia regarding their country's future orientation. For example in Prc people are discussing whether the "China Dream" is simply about wealth and power, or if it should too include constitutional democracy. In the Usa people are also debating whether Washington should follow an "America first" policy concentrated on domestic problems, or if the U.S. should be a globally oriented globe leader. In fact, the unabridged world is closely watching the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign, as the upshot of the election will indeed have a major and profound bear upon on the hereafter global diplomacy.

Zheng Wang is the Director of the Middle for Peace and Disharmonize Studies in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University in New Jersey. He is too a Carnegie Fellow at New America and a Global Boyfriend at the Kissinger Institute on China and the United states of the Woodrow Wilson International Centre for Scholars.