It is no accident that Burnham marked the beginning of America’s descent toward suicide in the early 20th century. Anti-nationalism, to paraphrase Burnham, is now the ideology of Western suicide.
The American Spectator "If there is one idea that unites the American Left and motivates its public policy positions it is anti-nationalism. Anti-nationalism pervades the Left’s domestic and foreign policy preferences. This is one reason why the Left so vigorously opposed President Trump’s “America First” agenda, but the Left’s antipathy to nationalism precedes Trump and what some call “Trumpism.” In fact, the Left has used Trump in an effort to delegitimize nationalism, and it appears to be working.
"President Barack Obama wore his anti-nationalism on his sleeve. He derided the notion of “American exceptionalism.” He went on an apology tour to the Middle East, professing contrition for America’s past and present sins. Shortly before he left office, Obama warned against the rise of “a crude sort of nationalism” that was taking root in the United States. After his presidency, he repeatedly spoke out against nationalism.
"And the Biden administration in this respect is simply the third Obama administration — the same elites are in charge using the same anti-nationalist rhetoric and pushing the same anti-nationalist policies. But the Left’s attitude toward nationalism long preceded Obama and Biden.
"In 1964, the political philosopher James Burnham diagnosed the ideology of liberalism in Suicide of the West. He described the liberal ideology as “rationalist,” rooted in reason and science as opposed to faith, custom, or intuition. Liberals, he explained, believe therefore in “progress” based on the spread of education and enlightenment. And they believe in progress not just for their nation but for all mankind. A key tenet of liberalism is “equality,” both domestic and global. The American Left frequently criticizes its own country for the disparities in wealth between rich and poor at home and abroad. Burnham noted that Americans for Democratic Action (ADA), an influential liberal organization of the time, included in its platform “support of the principles of the United Nations” but made no reference to America’s national security interests. ADA’s founding charter, Burnham also noted, stated the following: “The establishment of a world government with powers adequate to prevent war must be an objective of the United States foreign policy to be achieved at the earliest possible date.” Though leftists today rarely openly espouse world government, they do favor “global governance,” especially in the areas of climate, human rights, peacekeeping, arms control, and global economic disparities.". . .
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