Nationalism involves the identification of an ethnic identity with a state. When nationalism is pushed to an extreme, it not only justifies wars against other nations, but it is also used to justify attacks against ones fellow citizens. National flags, national anthems, and other symbols of national identity are often considered sacred, as if they were religious rather than political symbols. Deep emotions are aroused. Fascism is a form of authoritarian ultra-nationalism.
“Nationalism is an infantile disease… It is the measles of mankind.” -Albert Einstein
Anarchism has developed a critique of nationalism that focuses on its role in justifying and consolidating state power and domination. Through its unifying goal it strives for centralization both in specific territories and in a ruling elite of individuals while it prepares a population for capitalist exploitation.
Colonialism is the building and maintaining of the colonies in one territory by people from another territory. Anarchists see colonialism as a form of capitalism, enforcing exploitation and social change. Working within the global capitalist system, colonialism is closely associated with uneven development.
Corporatization refers to the transformation of state assets or agencies into state owned corporations in order to introduce corporate management techniques to their administration. Also refers to non-corporate entities like universities or hospitals becoming corporations, or taking up management structures or other features and behaviors employed by corporations.
Jingoism is defined as “extreme patriotism in the form of aggressive foreign policy.” In practice, it refers to advocating of the use of threats or actual force against other countries in order to safeguard what somone perceives as their country’s national interests, and colloquially to excessive bias in judging one’s own country as superior to others – an extreme type of nationalism.
