British Empire Nationalism

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The early 21st century, in all of its rising cultural globality, is the first period of stagnating economic and political globalization since the end of the Second World War. The world has become more closely knit as a single cultural entity due to the rise of social media, the expansion of transnational business, and the strengthening of the internet as an equal ground for all people. Cooperative cultural events such as Olympic competitions, FIFA World Cups and even international eSport competitions have brought individuals within nations closer together, benefiting transnational corporations, while nations have become more politically and economically divided. The current schools of thought for nations are a reaction to the fading power …show more content…

Nationalism emphasizes the power of a central state, similarly to a Marxist school of thought, and the interconnection between a strong economy and a strong state (Gilpin, 1987). There is precedent for this claim as many successful states throughout history have been economically dominant, such as the British Empire’s massive trade empire and the rise of America as a manufacturing superpower following the economic boom during World War II; However, the efficiency and effectiveness of aggressive economic nationalism has faded as the technological gap between global military powers has closed. The British Empire was built on a large technological advantage over the countries which became its colonies; However, Hitler took an aggressive economic nationalist stance when he rose to power, but he was opposed by an equally technologically advanced opposition which prevented the expansion of Germany under the Nazi party. The failure of Nazi Germany highlights the shifting global stage due to the rapid development of large portions of the world, specifically in the economic sphere, allowing for the diffusion of military technology, in the mid to late 20th century. As more countries develop, economic nationalism becomes less viable outside of protectionist policies like raising barriers to trade to protect domestic …show more content…

As shown by the global financial crisis, national economies now rely on each other to maintain stability and for goods and resources which are produced abroad. Just as financial and material capital have become more liquid, human capital is also flowing between nations more easily. The flow of people, goods, and resources is responsible for and a product of the transnational corporations which drive the political decision making of many nations due to the capital they produce. However, developed nations like America and the United Kingdom, which have seen jobs leave due to cheaper labor available abroad, have begun to move toward protectionist policies as shown by the popularity of nationalist candidates and the Brexit vote. Public discontent with liberal trade agreements which would further open markets like the Trans-Pacific Partnership has grown within nations which do not gain the most from these deals. These trends are human nature to want personal gains and an effort to protect the nation state as an independent political actor, as a remnant of the Westphalian model in which states recognize no superior power. The first two decades of the 21st century have shown the potential failures of economically liberal policies which have caused

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