Can nationalism be progressive in a neo-liberal society?

[howblackisyourflag]

In the last 30 years, capital has become more fluid than ever because of neo-liberalism, and nation states are weaker than ever, almost completely powerless to international markets, especially in smaller countries such as my own of Ireland.

So if a large part of the economy has moved from been publicly owned to being privatised, is the answer to how can people regain control over the economy, to try and put neo-liberalism in reverse, possibly by supporting nationalism and state control as a first step, or to go forward and try something completely new?

[Zanthorus]

Trying to roll back the clock to a world of autarchic nation states against the rule of international capital is the mainstay of petty-bourgeois reaction.

The globalisation of capital shows the futility of social-democracy and points the way forward to realising a real alternative to capitalism instead of just regulating it.

[BLACKPLATES]

Global capitalism as it exists is made possible by the transportation revolution.I wonder what will hapen to global capitalism when the cost of transportation, which is kept unnaturally low,becomes too expensive again as the last oil reserves are used up? there are no realistic portable alternatives to petroleum products, when it comes to, air, train, and ship travel.coal only, but that takes us back to 1920.

[Q]

Global capitalism as it exists is made possible by the transportation revolution.I wonder what will hapen to global capitalism when the cost of transportation, which is kept unnaturally low,becomes too expensive again as the last oil reserves are used up? there are no realistic portable alternatives to petroleum products, when it comes to, air, train, and ship travel.coal only, but that takes us back to 1920.

While cheap transport has certainly been a factor, to say that capitalism is global mainly/only because of this would be very wrong. Accumulation of capital, monopoly forming, states acting like huge companies in their own right vying for hegemony, etc are all very intrinsic characteristics of capitalism. Lenin wrote an easy to read book on the subject which give a good intro on the subject (but is not a complete overview): Imperialism, the highest stage of capitalism (http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1916/imp-hsc/).

[Queercommie Girl]

The only form of nationalism that would be partially progressive in this case would be the nationalism of genuine national liberation movements against colonialism and imperialism.

[Taikand]

There's only one problem, when does nationalism stop being for national liberation and when does it start becoming national supremacy?

[Proletarian Ultra]

The only form of nationalism that would be partially progressive in this case would be the nationalism of genuine national liberation movements against colonialism and imperialism.

Also...

Without strong, broad international alliances between anti-imperialist forces, national liberation movements are either futile or a fig-leaf for reaction. This is why the global pro-Palestinian movement is so important. This is why what Comrade Chavez is doing is so important. This is why, for the moment, China is playing a progressive role in Africa.

[howblackisyourflag]

Trying to roll back the clock to a world of autarchic nation states against the rule of international capital is the mainstay of petty-bourgeois reaction.

The globalisation of capital shows the futility of social-democracy and points the way forward to realising a real alternative to capitalism instead of just regulating it.
What is this alternative?

[Boboulas]

There's only one problem, when does nationalism stop being for national liberation and when does it start becoming national supremacy?

I too would like the answer to this. Progressive nationalism achives its goal, then what?

[Devrim]

Also...

Without strong, broad international alliances between anti-imperialist forces, national liberation movements are either futile or a fig-leaf for reaction. This is why the global pro-Palestinian movement is so important. This is why what Comrade Chavez is doing is so important. This is why, for the moment, China is playing a progressive role in Africa.

Yes, basically that is true. I would also add often used as proxys by local, regional and even major powers.

Devrim

[Andropov]

There's only one problem, when does nationalism stop being for national liberation and when does it start becoming national supremacy?
They are not comparable.
One seeks to remove injustice and imperialism, end exploitation and champions emancipation of the working class from the foreign yoke of imperialism.
While the other seeks to subjugate "inferior" peoples and races or even annihaliate them because of the ideological corner-stone that they are somehow "superior".
The two are at opposite ends of the spectrum.
If there was such fluidity between the Nationalism of the oppressed and the Nationalism of the oppressor then the likes of Cuba now would be a hotbed of skinhead Neo-NAZIism since there were such strong currents of National Liberation in their struggle for Working Class emancipation, but that is evidently not the case.
The fact that also this Nationalism of the oppressed is able to assosciate so easily with other instances of descrimination and injustice bears witness to this.