Is nationalism the opposite of patriotism ?

President Emmanuel Macron of France speaking today at a ceremony in Paris to mark the 100th anniversary of the first world war armistice ;

"Patriotism is the exact opposite of nationalism. Nationalism is a betrayal of patriotism,” he said. “In saying ‘Our interests first, whatever happens to the others,’ you erase the most precious thing a nation can have, that which makes it live, that which causes it to be great and that which is most important: Its moral values.”

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CopperCicada · M

Tomorrow's Veteran's Day, and it's clear to me that it was my patriarch's patriotism (higher values) that caused them to enlist and fight nationalism (will to power).

It's sort mind blowing that asserting that is considered transgressive and anti-American in this social climate.

greenmountaingal · 70-79, F

@CopperCicada I don't think anyone who enlisted was doing it to "fight nationalism."

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CopperCicada · M

@greenmountaingal For my patriarchs the difference between "Americanism" (if that's a thing) and nationalism was very clear.

They were going over seas to fight their kin. Still having family in Europe. Still speaking the language of their ancestors and the kin they were going to fight.

They were pretty clear on the nationalism that was destroying their ancestor's homelands.

Their parents saw it a generation before. It was part of why the became American immigrants.

Americanism versus European nationalism was part of their rhetoric in explaining the family history to me.