The sounding words from every nationalist's mouth. And also the underlying message that got America into a war that's left them knee-deep in debt, fallen soldiers and a very very unpopular national image amongst other things, that have coagulated into very thick shit indeed.

I often pondered if nationalism should be viewed the same way as racism. Globalisation seems to blur the borders of the world today and I wonder if there is any real need to proclaim how great one's country is considering that everyone's patriotism and loyalty soley depends on the soil on which they were born. But ultimately, I believe the world would be a severely uninteresting place without pride of such individualities, and perhaps like everything else, nationalism should be used in moderation. The line is crossed when supremacy is claimed in the realms of nationality, race, gender, etc.

It is evident from the example of the Iraq war that such self-proclaimed patriots of America will easily heed to immediate retaliations against foreign aggression and only leave them as blind followers and softer targets for support of Bush's ultimate agenda. Like the analogy mentioned in my previous post, a blind man will go out fighting and everything and anything without knowing what it is exactly he's fighting for. Nationalism brings with it arrogance and ignorance. Disregard for public opinion in spite of mass protests on a global scale, disapproval by the UN and even when weapons inspections showed nothing. To say the least, nationalists, just like racists, can never be persuaded by any amount to think otherwise.

And in the wake of Van Nguyen's set date for execution, an Australian drug trafficker arrested in Singapore, the similar stench of nationalism fills the air. The dissent by Australian media and campaigners has incited and brought forth chest-thumping ape-like nationalists hollering "I will not be intimidated!" It's a reflex action of such types of course. Similar to the renaming of 'french fries' to 'freedom fries' amongst other French put-downs by Americans when the French did not show military support for the war. Ultimately, I wonder if Singaporeans will face retribution in Australia. When the world is kicking up political awareness and the Nguyen case in Singapore, only silence is heard from the student societies (and indeed ambassadors of their country). Are the future leaders of the country earning an overseas education lacking spirit to defend their country's name or campaign against it? Or is it more worrying that they are quite comfortable sitting on the fence? The lack of opinion or ability to engage such issues when foreigners clearly have one only seems to highlight an embarassing level of apathy.

Now with calls for boycotts of several Singaporean industries within Australia, there is a mounting tension. Australians are dead serious about the death penalty (no pun intended) enacted on a man who cooperated 100% and even leaked information to authorities. While Singaporeans still seem oblivious. Silent by apathy. Silent for fear of retribution. Life goes on. Only time will tell if boycotts will amount to anything more than a dent in the economy. And if it should snowball such that Singaporeans overseas will face the consequence of their past silence, then you cannot complain except to start stitching the Malaysian flag onto your bagpack.

"Some say better early than sorry. I say better late than never."