Conversation

At some point in my 14-year limbo between student visa and citizenship, my attitude towards nativists everywhere on earth flipped from fear to contempt. All that remains is a healthy fear of guns, paperwork backed by guns, and respect for the principle of rule of law. That’s it.
2
49
I suppose at some point, as a kid before I learned the word nativist, I had respect for people who embody a deep sense and history of place. Even awe sometimes. But the older I got, the more I began to see that the majority who larp this are just incumbency bullies
1
42
When I find people who genuinely live the deep time of a place, I usually find that they are the opposite of nativists. They are broad minded, often know a shit ton about distant places as well, and exhibit a sense of having earned rather than inherited a connection to a place
4
69
Incidentally this means being careful about arguments about historical wrongs. Europeans colonizing Americas by force/disease was wrong because of the violence/cruelty of process. Not because “native” Americans have a special spiritual claim merely by being first by 10-20k years
Replying to
My previous rant on this subject from 10 months ago. 🤣
Quote Tweet
I get patriotism. That’s recognizing and appreciating the abstract principles a state is founded on, and occasionally making courageous choices to defend them. Nationalism though is a weird symbols-and-history emotional apohenia. Personalizing impersonal meta-institutions...
Show this thread
3