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Zionism, Germanism, Italianism (Robert Whealey, USA, 09/04/16 5:05 am)

I agree with John E on the history of German and Italian national unification, 1848-1871. One problem with Luciano Dondero's essay of September 2nd, is that it begins with the 1975 debate between the US and USSR about Zionism and racism at the UN.

Luciano answers his own questions about the UN Resolutions of 1975 with the statement of George H.W. Bush in 1991. Bush, after the Soviet Union collapsed, was able to recommend to the GA "to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors." Bush was a good Episcopalian and international lawyer.

I think JE and WAIS should now stop talking about the obsolete red flag words racism and Zionism. The reality is that all nations, the Germans, the Italians, the Israelis, the English, all began as tribes which over the centuries gradually unified. The 10 tribes of Israel have been "lost"--i.e. integrated, assimilated. The British Isles also killed some of the Celts, Britons, Danes, Angles, and Saxons over the centuries to create the UK.

American nationalism was created by the United States Constitution and was fortunate to have inherited the English language as the predominant language, 1776-1783.

JE comments: I'd say we Americans were more fortunate to inherit English institutions, not necessarily our unphonetic and often illogical language.

What do WAISers think?  Is "racism" an obsolete word?  I'd say not at all.  But Zionism is a different case.  Given that Zionism was the movement to create a Jewish state, didn't it achieve its goal in 1948?

Luciano Dondero has sent a further comment on Zionism and nationalism.  His post is next.

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