Mike Lawrence

lawrencemike@gmail.com

AN interesting image of nationalism came out of the proton-colliding news from Sweden last week.

CERN physicists’ discovery of the long-sought Higgs boson, thought to give mass to fundamental particles of existence, likely made people around the world think about what, exactly, holds us all together.

In many countries, one answer to that question increasingly is national pride.

Because just as the Higgs boson emerged after its unifying field was struck hard enough by pulsating bits of energy, solidified bosons of nationalism have been emerging in countries around the world lately, triggered by dramatic pulses of crisis and change.

With historic elections in Egypt and Libya, devastation in Syria, financial turmoil for euro zone countries such as Greece and Spain, island disputes in Asia, and looming political change in the United States — nationalistic passions around the globe are boiling.

And that’s not even mentioning Euro 2012.

In the United States, the Higgs boson announcement coincided with Fourth of July celebrations, blending physics and protons with fireworks and flags. Discussions about pride in one’s country, that great unifying force field, were pervasive in American media during the holiday.

A July 4 column in The Washington Post’s “Right Turn” blog, for example, began with the question: “Is America worth celebrating?”

“Should the shortcomings of America, the blemishes on our past — which are numerous, but acknowledged, investigated and debated — always outweigh its great achievements?” columnist Michael Moynihan asked.

That topic recently arose in a Facebook debate after a friend of mine posted a criticism of national pride by the late American comedian George Carlin.

“I could never understand ethnic or national pride,” said Carlin, who died in 2008. “Because to me pride should be reserved for something you achieve or attain on your own, not something that happens by accident at birth.”

The post proved to be a pretty fast-moving proton. Boson-like responses solidified quickly.

“I actually agree with (Carlin), in the sense of an improper sense of pride some people have for being of a certain race/nationality,” one commenter wrote. “But I don’t think that necessarily rules out a feeling of pride one can gain from being associated with a certain group of people for what they stand for or represent, whether that be one’s family or one’s fellow citizens.”

Another commenter countered by noting the dangers of extreme nationalism.

“I completely disagree with taking any pride in things that people of your nationality or ethnic group accomplished unless you are willing to also take responsibility for the horrendous things that people from said groups did, as well,” that commenter wrote.

Moynihan addresses that issue in the Post and ultimately takes an optimistic tone, saying that while “there are few countries whose recent history isn’t sullied by some lamentable combination of bigotry, racism, imperialism and war,” dealing with those issues and moving forward can lay foundations for great achievements, cultures and nations that, as a whole, are worthy of pride.

Questions of what we take pride in and what brings us together — nationally and globally — are worth debating, or at least thinking about, because nationalism in many forms will be shaping news worldwide in the weeks and months to come.

And unifying forces, whether fueled by protons or patriotism, can be as destructive as they are creative.

(The author is a Shenzhen Daily senior copy editor and writer.)