Blood and belonging : journeys into the new nationalism

If the twenty-first century has already begun, as some people say it has, then it began in 1989. When the Berlin Wall came down, when Václav Havel stood on the balcony in Prague’s Wenceslas Square and crowds cheered the collapse of the Communist regimes across Europe, I thought, like many people, that we were about to witness a new era of liberal democracy. My generation had almost reconciled itself to growing old in the fearful paralysis of the Cold War. Suddenly a new order of free nations began to take shape— from the Baltic republics to the Black Sea, from Tallinn to Berlin, from Prague to Budapest, Belgrade, and Bucharest: In August 1991, when Muscovites defended the Russian Parliament against the tanks, we believed that the civic courage which had brought down the last twentieth-century empire might even be strong enough to sustain Russia’s transition to democracy We even thought, for a while, that the democratic current in the East might sweep through our own exhausted oligarchies in the West.We soon found out how wrong we were. For what has succeeded the last age of empire is a new age of violence. The key narrative of the new world order is the disintegration of nation-states into ethnic civil war; the key architects of that order are warlords; and the key language for our age is ethnic nationalism.With blithe lightness of mind, we assumed that the world was moving irrevocably beyond nationalism, beyond tribalism, beyond the provincial confines of the identities inscribed in our passports, toward a global market culture that was to be our new home. In retrospect, we were whistling in the dark. The repressed has returned, and its name is nationalism. Winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize and the Gordon Montador Award for Best Canadian Book on Social Issues Until the end of the Cold War, the politics of national identity were confined to isolated incidents of ethnic strife and civil war in distant countries. With the collapse of Communist regimes across Europe and the loosening of the Cold War's clamp on East–West relations, a surge of nationalism swept the world stage. In Blood and Belonging , Ignatieff makes a thorough examination of why blood ties—in places as diverse as Yugoslavia, Kurdistan, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Germany, and the former Soviet republics—may be the definitive factor in international relations today. He asks how ethnic pride turned into ethnic cleansing, whether modern citizens can lay to rest the ghosts of a warring past, why—and whether—a people need a state of their own. Blood and Belonging is a profound and searching look at one of the most complex issues of our time. "Ignatieff's probing analysis of the meanings and consequences of 'the new nationalism' provides crucial insights into the fragility of 'civic nationalism' and the 'liberal virtues [of] tolerance, compromise, reason.'" — Booklist Until The End Of The Cold War, The Politics Of National Identity Were Confined To Isolated Incidents Of Ethnic Strife And Civil War In Distant Countries. With The Collapse Of Communist Regimes Across Europe And The Loosening Of The Cold War's Clamp On East–west Relations, A Surge Of Nationalism Swept The World Stage. In Blood And Belonging, Ignatieff Makes A Thorough Examination Of Why Blood Ties—in Places As Diverse As Yugoslavia, Kurdistan, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Germany, And The Former Soviet Republics—may Be The Definitive Factor In International Relations Today. He Asks How Ethnic Pride Turned Into Ethnic Cleansing, Whether Modern Citizens Can Lay To Rest The Ghosts Of A Warring Past, Why—and Whether—a People Need A State Of Their Own. Blood And Belonging Is A Profound And Searching Look At One Of The Most Complex Issues Of Our Time. Winner Of The Lionel Gelber Prize And The Gordon Montador Award For Best Canadian Book On Social Issues Ignatieff's Probing Analysis Of The Meanings And Consequences Of 'the New Nationalism' Provides Crucial Insights Into The Fragility Of 'civic Nationalism' And The 'liberal Virtues [of] Tolerance, Compromise, Reason.'— Booklist Until the end of the Cold War, the politics of national identity were confined to isolated incidents of ethnic strife and civil war in distant countries.With the collapse of Communist regimes across Europe and the loosening of the Cold War's clamp on East–West relations, a surge of nationalism swept the world stage. In __Blood and Belonging__, Ignatieff makes a thorough examination of why blood ties—in places as diverse as Yugoslavia, Kurdistan, Northern Ireland, Quebec, Germany, and the former Soviet republics—may be the definitive factor in international relations today. He asks how ethnic pride turned into ethnic cleansing, whether modern citizens can lay to rest the ghosts of a warring past, why—and whether—a people need a state of their own. __Blood and Belonging__ is a profound and searching look at one of the most complex issues of our time.Winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize and the Gordon Montador Award for Best Canadian Book on... The author examines nationalism as it is manifested in Croatia and Yugoslavia, the reunified Germany, the Ukraine, Quebec and Northern Ireland. WILD strawberries were served in a silver cup at breakfast, I remember, followed by hot rolls with apricot jam.