In his brief TAC essay “In Defense of Ethnic Nationalism”, Skomantas Pocius, a Ph.D. candidate in the Committee on Social Thought at the University of Chicago, and a native Lithuanian, riffs on this venerable theme:
The story of Lithuania should help us see that ethnic nationalism is not inherently dangerous. Acknowledging this is not to deny that horrible things have been done in the name of ethnic groups. But it is wrong to conclude that ethnic nationalism as a whole deserves blame, rather than extreme versions of it and the people who use it for evil purposes. The same is manifestly true of other ideologies. After all, the civic nationalism of the French Revolution led to a period that was among the bloodiest in history, while one of the most influential forms of internationalism led to Stalin’s pogroms.
… but then cucks out when it comes to the U.S.:
Nor am I claiming that ethnic nationalism makes sense always and everywhere. Some countries, such as the U.S., are not based on any one ethnic identity, and in such places nationalism should not—could not—be ethnic. Every country is different, and before making universal judgements based on one’s own experiences, it’s always wise to consult the counsel of others.
