- What Characterizes Latin American Nationalism? So many Western, African and other countries are endeavoring to establish their own nations - not capriciously - but because feelings of nationalism are a country's source of strength, without which it is destined to disintegrate. Western Europe's efforts to unite, therefore, are a clear indication that the nationalistic sense in each of the individual Western European nations is in the process of crumbling or at least weak. Western Europe is seeking to revitalize itself by creating a political nationalism that can take the place of a non-existent deep-rooted nationalism. 1. A serious problem exists both with the imperialist borders that separate the African states and those that divide the Arab states. These states were not formed on the basis of deep-rooted social (primordial) differences, yet the states are very cautious not to open any Pandora's box by breaching any of these borders. This pretense is maintained because it is in the common interest of all the governments. This same pretense is maintained in Latin America and is reinforced by the many interconnected interests that exist within each state. Even the media is recruited in order to deeply implant this rootless, political nationalism. 2. There is an opposing side that must be considered also. It has been demonstrated here that the story of the Mexican people is not a fa?ade, a popular invention, but a true story. The emancipation of the slaves in Brazil was a real event, not a fabrication thought up in order to create a nation where one did not exist. Yet even though nationalism is an abstract reality, a matter of faith, nearly almost every Venezuelan citizen will emphatically affirm the existence of a Venezuelan nation. His answer will be less clear-cut if asked his feelings about Latin Americanism, and about his connection to Latin America. There were political thinkers who shared Simone Bolivar's perceptions regarding the unity of all Latin Americans. It is important to emphasize before taking this discussion any further that nationalism is a subjective conception that can not be established according to objective concrete facts [that is why there is no point in arguing that the Palestinian nation does not truly exist, since the very claim for its existence was made as the anti-thesis to an exclusive Jewish nationalism. The only relevant question is how do the 'Palestinian people' view themselves and feel?]. Yet, in addition to the determining subjective side, there is an objective reality that can be examined as a portent of what lies ahead? In regard to Western Europe, for example, certain objective facts indicated that unification was likely, just as the ties between Bush and Putin are likely to be the foundation of an alliance that is part of the nation of White Christian man, and not simply the relations of two former enemies trying to reconcile. A careful reading of the world map, an analysis of potential common US-Russian enemies or factors that will threaten their economic supremacy, combined with an assessment of the ethnic-religious history that plays such a significant role in building nationalism, will demonstrate the great likelihood, or even certainty of such a possibility. The same question applies with relation to Latin America, after comparing certain basic Anglo American fundamental concepts to Latin American ones - is it possible, and even very likely that Latin America is already in the midst of the establishment of one united nation. When the US declared its independence, there were thirteen colonies that established a confederacy between them, or in other words perceived themselves as thirteen independent political entities, which shared one congress. The colonies had their differences and their separate interests. Some were more puritanical than others, some supported slavery while others opposed it - yet it was possible to ascertain at the time that their unification was not only possible but certain. It is the institutions of patronage, corporatism, hierarchy, and a society built on personal commitments and trust and an estrangement from the English conception of democracy based on parties that do not necessarily act according to self-interest, the willingness to use the army to topple a democratic government in a time of crisis, and the preference for a presidential form of government- all in combination with the special mixes of Indians and Blacks and interracial marriages that do not contradict the feelings of hierarchy - all these aspects and more that create the uniquely Latin American rhythm that any outsider would have trouble comprehending but that will be the basis for a unified Latin American nation. In addition, however, to the objective reality, there is the matter of internal national strength and ability to endure in times of trouble and turmoil. This internal strength is related to how deeply-rooted feelings of solidarity with the State are, and to what lengths the citizens of the State will go in order to contribute to the State over and above their civic duties - to what extent they are 'rooted citizens with a national consciousness and readiness to give to their country over and above what is demanded by law. An additional assessment that must be made is how well the citizens of the country have proven themselves in the past. Cuba, for example, showed great strength in standing up to the US, and in standing firm even when Russia withheld aid in the early 90's creating such an economic crisis that there wasn't even gasoline for cars to run on and they were compelled to start riding bicycles instead of automobiles and to adopt a system of food rationing of fewer than 2000 calories per person. Other Latin American countries have not held up as well as Cuba. While most maintained stability so long as the government had the means to provide a certain minimal standard of living to most of its citizens, as soon as economic problems arose that were far less severe than those Cuba endured, internal terror, uprisings, and riots erupted. In Cuba, in contrast, the people stood loyally behind their charismatic leader, Fidel Castro.What Differences Are There Between US Nationalism and Latin American Nationalism? Both nationalities are political ones, and both nations are composed of all the citizens in their respective countries. While a certain degree of 'discrimination' takes place in both countries, the Anglo-American seeks to deny the existence of bigotry in his country, while the Latin American feels no compulsion to do so. It is likely, however, that this situation will change if and when the Latin American countries unify into one nation. The conditions for inclusion in a particular nation will not be based on political borders, since the nation will not be the outgrowth of a certain country or countries, but of a culture, a tradition, a uniquely Latin American approach to social interaction, a common history, language, and religion. Since Latin Americanism will be rooted in fundamental traits, rather than political interests, there won't be a need for a system of separation of Church and State. Since Latin American culture derived so much from Catholicism, Catholicism will naturally become the dominant religion. The shared history is one of similar circumstances and realities that ultimately led to the establishment of military regimes, which were backed by the US because they suited her political global interests and her economic interests (the critical factor as always in shaping American policy). In general, nationalism that is based in deep-rooted fundamentals (ethnicity, integration of ethnic groups, a long shared history, significant events that constituted pivotal national experiences) is generally also connected in some way to religion. This is true in India, where in conjunction with the formation of a deep-rooted rather than political nationalism, the Congress party that supported political nationalism ceded control of the government to the Nationalist Hindi party. This nationality -initially a relatively small minority in India - attracted other cultural groups, which spoke languages other than Hindi - a fact that set them apart for a long period of time from those who were Hindi both in religion and language. A growing number of groups joined the new Hindi nation, many of which spoke different languages, but all of which shared the basic Hindi religion. As a result of these developments, the Hindi religion forms the very backbone of the Nationalist Hindi nation, though it did not attain official status. Thus the new ever-growing Hindi nation includes within it even Muslims, as Ashutosh Varshney depicts in his essays. All this seems to reflect that a unified Latin American nation is a realistic, likely possibility. It will be a nation rooted in Latin American values, culture, history, and customs. Any citizen of a Latin American country that does not share all these will continue to be a citizen of his country, but he will not belong to the Latin American nation. Most Latin American citizens, will in fact though feel connected to the Latin American people. Since nationalism exists in the minds of those who feel connected to it and is not dependent on the objective conditions that simply serve as basis for projections regarding the likelihood of the formation of a nation, Latin American governments will not need to make any official declarations in order to make the Latin American nation a reality. No treaties between countries or formal accords will be necessary. All that is needed is that the feelings and thoughts of the people and their very way of life will turn this deep-rooted national sentiment into a living breathing reality. These beliefs must be rooted both in fundamental similarities and a pressing reality - in the form of a common enemy or civil war (like the US in its Civil War, and Western Europe and the World Wars, if it manages to unite). It is of course possible that political nationalism in Latin America will prove to be a bitter disappointment and result in a social crisis, like that taking place in Argentina, or in feelings of rootlessness and utter pessimism, like those felt in Brazil, that bring abject poverty and the dissolution of the family structure. While in the past the solution to such hopeless situations in Latin America was revolution and military regimes, this option no longer exists. It seems likely, if not inevitable, that out of the ruins, a new nation will arise that will unite the forces, informally at first, and ultimately in a formal political manner. There is a difference between a political (artificially constructed) nationalism and a deep-rooted (primordial) one. Though it is natural and anticipated that when an all-inclusive Latin American nation comes into being, initially there will be conventions, conferences, and even various academic institutions that will promote this nationalism, ultimately, a more formal stage, such as the one described by Simone Bolivar, will be reached.