Without religion, nationalism can easily turn into racism. This obvious in modern China, USSR, Nat`l-Socialist Germany. The French mostly avoided both religion and racism by elevating "civilization." But it is an imprecise concept. For those who acknowledge canon law, nationalism can`t be racism: People of every "race" can convert to Judaism. The problem Hass outlines is one every European nation confronts today. "Lex sanguinis" was the standard definition of citizenship in most countries. Rate of flow was slow, due to technology, and in England, for example, Flemings and others were assimilated into local "civilization."
But it is a circular problem. China has no problem imposing its culture on conquered Tibetans and Xinjiang people. The compassion Hass expresses is peculiarly emphasized in Jewish "civilization," and a culture-blind society is not likely to maintain such values. Nasrallah and Ahmedinejad examples of notable lack of empathy, not rare in Arab & Iranian cultures. |
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