Once upon a time, the tutelary gods of nationalism and internationalism met for a chat. They had a superb perch above the clouds. From there, they could see everything happening on the Earth below and they set to arguing, as they so often did.
Sophia, the goddess of internationalism, began by proudly pointing to the accomplishments of humanity. “Behold the United Nations,” she said, not for the first time. “See how all the peoples of the world cooperate across borders, languages, and cultures.”
Nikolai, the god of nationalism, whose followers believed that fortified borders and high walls make good neighbors, scowled. “It’s just a talking shop where I see lots of my people getting all up in each other’s faces.”
“Then behold the international charities,” Sophia replied with a smile. “People from one country giving to those in other countries.”
“What a waste of money!” Nikolai retorted. “So much lost to overhead and bureaucracy.”
“It’s 2015,” Sophia said, “and I don’t think I’ve ever seen internationalism looking stronger. The Paris climate agreement, the Iran nuclear deal, and how about Germany’s decision to accept a million refugees this year!”
“Nonsense!” Nikolai exploded. “Those agreements are farces and just wait for the German backlash. It’s going to be …read more
Source:: Institute for Policy Studies