Originally Posted by hairymarx

An old Scottish socialist by the name of Jimmy Reed rather wisely remarked that nationalism is like electricity. There is good, positive electricity that when put to use saves and nurtures life like the electricity that powers a babies incubator. Conversely, there is bad, negative electricity that is used to end life like the electricity used to power the electric chair. In other words, nationalism can be either a progressive force for good and the precursor for freedom and liberty, or alternatively a reactionary force for bad depending upon where one is situated in the debate. In this way, a good positive form of nationalism is a nationalism that attempts to overthrow the tyranny and oppression of, for instance, the racist apartheid regime in South Africa as it once was. On the hand, a bad form of nationalism is the petty bourgiose nationalism perpetuated by those whose aim it is to undermine such resistance to authoratitive forms of power.