Quote:
Originally Posted by M.R.
As for that Jew who doesn't want to have anything to do with Germany... I guess it's not in his interest to have a strong Germany again and one way to weaken Germany is to have German population living in different (small) countries as opposed to idea of 'grossdeutschland'. Germany has a long history of anti-Semitism (not Hapbsburgh monarchy/"Austria" though).
|
There was more Anti-Semitism in "Austrian-Hungarian Empire", the whole Empire and all its nations, than in "the German Empire". One of the few things with which you could unite most ethnicities of the Habsburgian Empire was Antisemitism actually.
The Habsburgs themselves, very Catholic, were not that philosemitic neither, but their attitude changed over time, especially when they came into close contacts to Jewish families and financiers and saw that some of their "best subjects" - which were bound to the ruler, like it was so many times in history - were Jews actually, which knew they had the least to win, by nationalist states and the destruction of the empire. Therefore many Jews had, especially after its breakup, a rather romantic view on the Empire and its "just rulers" from the Habsburgian line, primarily because of the comparison with the nationalist Antisemitism and Fascism.
Nationalism without a "Socialist" component, "Socialism in the way Americans perceive it" at least, is pretty much worthless, since if you dont control the state, economy and social standards for the strength of your nation and the well being of your people, what are you doing at all?
Some of the Liberal Nationalists just sold their people in the end, but still used worthless phrases about "the great nation and its position".
Nationalism if making sense, should make the nation stronger and the life of its people better, for that a "Socialist" component, in the widest sense and surely far away from Marxism, is irreplaceable. A Nationalist who doesnt care for the social well being of his people and an economy which serves the interests of his nation and people rather than controlling its fate is definitely on the false track this or that way. And patriotism in the negative sense I perceive it ("holding up the banner and shouting "hooray" no matter what your state is actually doing") is the lowest of all nationalist feelings.