Sidney Stadelmann – October 16, 2022
Nationalism and Patriotism are both ideologies relating to identity, and connection to one’s country of origin. Although both encompass a sense of pride, there are also distinct differences between the two. Patriotism encompasses the feelings of love and support for one’s country, and encourages a sense of unity within the country based on shared moral values. To be a “patriot” means to defend one’s country, or to act in service for the community (veterans and individuals who served in the military are often the most common examples of a “patriot”, but it could be as small an act as hanging a flag on the front porch). Nationalism, on the other hand, still embodies certain qualities of pride and support for one’s country, but can also have more negative connotations, especially in regard to isolationism and viewing one’s country as better than other countries. This can often manifest into more intense/ severe thoughts around the priorities of the country, and putting those interests above the interests and needs of other nations.
Being part of Russia, Siberia is no stranger to the effects nationalism can have. The most relevant example of Russia’s nationalism is seen through the war against Ukraine. Russia is attempting to regain control over former Russian states, based on the ideology of reuniting Russian powers. As clearly seen in the war, these ideologies around Russian superiority have extremely negative consequences. Russia’s desire to accomplish its political goals is coming at the cost of millions of lives.
Siberia also suffers from the many inequalities of Russia, one of which being economic inequality and imbalances in wealth distribution. According to The Guardian, “…Russia is the most unequal of all the world’s major economies. The richest 10% of Russians own 87% of all the country’s wealth, according to the report, compared with 76% in the US and 66% in China”. Siberia is a very valuable area for Russia in term of resource extraction. As mentioned in last week’s post, Siberia exports large amounts of fossil fuels and metals, however the people in Siberia do not reap the rewards from these resources. Economic inequalities are only one of numerous disparities within Siberia, but give a clear example of the political and economic state of Russia.
CITATIONS:
Melvin , Neil. “Nationalist and Imperial Thinking Define Putin’s Vision for Russia.” Royal United Services Institute, 2 Mar. 2022, https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/nationalist-and-imperial-thinking-define-putins-vision-russia.
Walker , Shaun. “Unequal Russia: Is Anger Stirring in the Global Capital of Inequality?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 25 Apr. 2017, https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/apr/25/unequal-russia-is-anger-stirring-in-the-global-capital-of-inequality.