Taking nationalism too far.

Some of my readers might wonder whether I am guilty of doing just that: taking nationalism too far. When I first started using the alias ‘littlebelgianwriter’ I just wanted to point out that I am Belgian as opposed to any other country in the world.
Nowadays I am not so sure. Frequently I find myself blogging on Belgian matters and to tell you the truth, that is also the reason why I created this blogspot. While writing on Belgium and Belgian matters in particular I do want to make sure that I do not take nationalism too far.

Some of you might wonder what nationalism means to me. Nationalism can be about one’s feelings for a country, a culture of a language. Nationalism can also have its roots in the fact that one ethnic group is being discriminated against. I guess that is where Irish nationalism and Flemish nationalism originated from. Sometimes nationalism is needed to secure human rights. Once those rights are well established, in my view, there is no use in taking nationalism any further.

When taken further, once healthy nationalism may lead to discrimination and the violation of basic human rights of other ethnic groups in society. In other words, the victim becomes a culprit himself.

In my view and experience this is now happening at times in contemporary Belgium where once Flemish nationalists rightly so fought to establish educational and cultural rights. In my view those rights have been long established. Taking nationalism any further in contemporary Flanders in my view may lead to the discrimination of other ethnicities.

Nowadays I feel they are taking nationalism one step too far. Born out of a Dutch speaking mother and a French speaking father, I do not want to take nationalism too far. To me all Belgians are equal. I do not care whether they speak Dutch, French or German. I now call myself a Belgian because I do not want to take nationalism too far.