The Kurdish people’s struggle to become a self-governed nation has been long and difficult.
    Kurdish people live in the mountains of Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Armenia.  This land is informally referred to as Kurdistan.  Kurdish people are predominantly Sunni Muslim and have their own language, culture and traditions.  Their physical appearance features brown skin, hair and eyes.  Kurds are known for their music, poetry and dancing along with being fearless warriors who will sacrifice their lives for the good of the community. Trousers are the common choice of attire by Kurdish men whereas women wear embroidered robes that are belted at the waist.  Unless they live in the country helping with the farm, women stay inside the house except to attend religious festivities.  Kurdish mothers are often the matchmakers for their children’s marriages.  Their effort to create an independent nation for themselves continues to develop their sense of nationalism.
    Covering approximately 250,000 square kilometers, Kurdistan is an unofficial region where the Kurds reside.  It stretches through eastern Turkey, northern Iraq, northwestern Iran and northern Syria.  An estimated 25-30 million Kurdish people form the majority of the population of the region.  The other major ethnic groups residing in Kurdistan consist of: Arabs, Armenians, Jews, Persians and Turks.  Most of these groups are of the Islamic faith, but other smaller religious groups are present including Christians and Jews.  The people of this region have always spoken the Kurdish language As long as they have lived in this region their identity has been found in the use of this common language.  However, different groups such as the Guti, Mannaeans, Armenians and Hurrians lived in the area long before the Kurds.  The mountains in the area create a geographical feeling of nationalism for the Kurds.  The mountains contain a wide variety of vegetation including: poplar, oak, fir, conifer, willow, and platanus.  They also act as reservoirs for the large amount of rainfall that the land receives each year, (up to seven hundred fifty millimeters). The water captured in the reservoirs is not only good for consumption but it is also used for the production of electrical power.  Other ample resources Kurdistan contains include: copper, iron, gold, coal, limestone, marble and zinc.  The climate in Kurdistan varies widely as temperatures can reach up to fifty degrees Celsius in the summer and descend as low as two degrees in the winter. The vast resources and fertile farming land create a sense of pride in the land for the Kurdish people.
    The Kurdish people have been governed by many different groups of people but yet remain unable to accomplish their ultimate goal of creating an independent Kurdish nation.  During the Middle Ages Kurdistan was made up of many independent states called emirates.  Through their religion and politics Iranian monarchs influenced the emirates of Kurdistan.  In the 16th Century wars between the Ottoman and Safavid empires divided Kurdistan into separate areas where the Kurds roamed the mountains herding sheep and goats.  Three hundred years later the first nationalist movement took place in an effort to create a Kurdish state.  Sheik Ubeydullah led the movement, demanding that the Kurdish people be granted the sovereignty of an independent Kurdish state.  He was unsuccessful.  In 1908, just prior to the First World War, the Turks tried to eliminate ethnic minorities.  Fortunately for the Kurds, the Turks lacked the resources to continue the campaign against the minorities. 
    When World War I took place, things started to change for the Kurds living in the Middle East.  The fall of the Ottoman Empire left in its wake many small Kurdish nation-states. As a new Republic of Turkey was created, Kurds feared they would be pushed to the side. Western European groups, such as the United Kingdom, were against the Turks during this time and promised the Kurds they would provide them with freedom.  Britain also encouraged their nationalistic ideals.  However, they broke their promise to maintain the Kurds freedom.  Expanding borders of Turkey, Iraq and Syria took much of the Kurd’s land.  In 1920 the Treaty of Sèvres was written with the intention of establishing a country of Kurdistan but it never worked out.  When it finally got signed in 1923 it mentioned nothing about the Kurds.  Kurdistan was split among the nations of Turkey, Iraq, Syria and Iran.  Turkey, Iraq and Iran all agreed to not recognize Kurdistan as an independent state. 
    The Kurds living in Turkey were subject to the worst treatment.  Turkey took away their identity by forbidding their language and traditions.  Turks even moved to Kurdish cities to even out the population.  In the 1950’s the Kurds in the Republic of Turkey were allowed to work in political office.  By 1961 they received freedom of expression, the press and association.  However, when the government of Turkey changed a few years later all the Kurdish people’s rights were once again taken away.  The condition worsened in 1972 when the Law of Association was passed. This law prohibited Kurds from meeting with certain people.  In 1983 Kurdish provinces fell under Turkish military rule to quell the increasing terrorist activity of radical Kurdish separatist groups.  The military continued to increase in power until 1990.  They had the power to kick citizens out of their homes and shut down media sources, using any force they felt was necessary.  In 1991 the Kurdish language could be spoken casually and expressed through music but its use was forbidden in politics, education or media.  Finally in 2004 Kurdish people were permitted to broadcast in their language and to give Kurdish names to their babies.  Turkey still does not consider the Kurds as a recognized people group.
    Iraq, after WWI, was controlled by Britain.  To avoid stirring up the people they allowed the Kurds to govern themselves and recognized their culture.  The land was divided evenly between the Arabs and the Kurds.  This lasted until 1950 when the Arabs wanted to create a united Iraq.  The Arabs considered the Kurds the wrong religion and ethnicity so they took away their rights and the Kurds were governed by the military.  In 1970 a peace agreement between the Iraqi government and Kurdish leaders was formed, giving independent status to the Kurds.  The treaty was to take effect in four years time, but before it was enacted, a worse replaced it.  In the 1980’s, during the Iraq-Iran war, the Kurds supported Iran.  500 000 Kurdish people were placed in detention camps by Saddam Hussein and he attacked their villages with chemical weapons.  Many Kurds fled to Iran. Kurdish nationalism grew and they proceeded to rebel after the Persian Gulf War but their efforts to achieve freedom failed.  Since 2003 Kurds have been moving back to Iraq because of promises of a self-governing nation-state.  In 2005 a new Iraqi constitution proclaimed Kurdish as an official language alongside Arabic.  It also granted complete equality.  Kurdish nationalism can now continue to grow in Iraq as they govern themselves and cease to be marginalized by the Arabs.
    France gave considerable rights to the minority groups such as the Kurdish in Syria as part of a divide and conquer battle plan.  Kurdish people there made up a large portion of the armed forces.  However, many Kurds had their rights taken away because they were thought to have come over from Iraq and Turkey.  The Kurdish rights of language and expression were banned and remain so even today in Syria.
    Iranians find their identity in their religious affiliation.  Because the Kurd’s religion was one of the three major religions in Iran, (Sunnis, Shias, and Shia, Kurds being the Sunni Islam) they were considered a majority.  The Kurds have many rights in Iran.  They are able to buy land, reach high military ranks and be recognized in politics.  
    The Kurdish people’s sense of nationalism comes from a shared sense of history because they have all endured similar hardships as they sought independence.  Ethnicity and geography also shape the Kurds nationalism.  Where they live is important to them because it has always been their homeland.  It is where their language and identity has always been found.

Bibliography

Ager, Simon, “Kurdish” 2011, <http://www.omniglot.com/writing/kurdish.htm> 12 December 2011, 1.
GamingGeeks, “Kurds” <http://gaminggeeks.org/Resources/KateMonk/Middle-East/East/Kurds.htm> 12 December 2011
Geyer, Flora, Saladin: the Muslim Warrior Who Defended His People.      Washington     D.C. National Geographic: Marshall Ed, 2006.
“Kurdish Nationalism” 4 October 2011     <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/        Kurdish_nationalism> 6 October 2011.
Kurdistan Regional Government, “Geography” 2011     <http://krg.org/articles/detail.asp?lngnr=12&smap=03010300&rnr=140&an    r=18656> 12 December 2011.
“Kurdistan” 4 October 2011 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurdistan> 6 October 2011.
VBulletin Solutions, “French Project for water supply in Kurdistan” 2011 <     http://www.investorsiraq.com/showthread.php?164084-French-project-for-    water-supply-in-Kurdistan> 12 December 2011.
Washington Post, “Who Are the Kurds” 1999     <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/inatl/daily/feb99/kurdprofile.htm> 28 September 2011.

 The words that we use in our everyday lives are actually the products of a mixture of languages.  This is because since the dawn of our civilization, when we have already developed our own tradition including language and culture, we have been either visited or colonized by the foreigners who went to the shores of our country.  There were the Indonesians and the Malayans who spoke in Sanskrit language and the Chinese with their Mandarin as they interacted with our ancestors for the sake of bartering.  There were also the Spaniards whose language made a big contribution to ours, the Americans who taught us of proper English, and the Japanese who communicated with us in Nihongo.  Each of them played a vital role in the evolution of the language that we are using today, which is Filipino.  This proves, then, that language is changing.  It is dynamic.

 The influence of the foreign countries in terms of language doesn’t end in the colonization period—it is still in an on-going process.  As British movies like Harry Potter and Korean songs by famous Korean singers (who among you still remember the song Nobody by Wondergirls?) are being played all around the globe, it is true that its impact to the people, particularly for the Filipinos, is big.  Because of this impact, some of us yearn to learn of their language.  We try to speak in their accent, and we also think of studying their alphabet. 

 In addition, do you notice how our language is still evolving?  There were the emergences of the Jejemon and Bekimon languages in the Philippines, which both introduced the use of sTiCkY cApS where letters are shifted from lowercase to uppercase, and the use of keme, kemberloo, chorva for the gay lingo. 

 Because of these factors, it just proves us that there is an influx of foreign languages in our country.  We have become a country with flowing knowledge of other countries.  However, as there is an influx, there is also an efflux or an outpour of our very own language, which is Filipino.  How come?  For me, there are two reasons.

 First, because of the dynamism and flexibility of our language, we tend to forget what our original language is.  Have you ever had an assignment wherein you were tasked to do an essay in Filipino, but in the middle of writing you suddenly pause and think, “Ano nga ba yung Tagalog ng ____?”  At some times, we forget which is actually ours because of its evolution.

 Second, due to the impact of foreign languages, some of us think that theirs are better than ours.  We take our language for granted, thinking that since we’re natives, we have already mastered Filipino.  Because of this thought, we explore more of the languages of others, which some of us think are better than our own.  We imitate them and as for our own language? Well, it is being somewhat neglected.  Usually, we praise someone for his/her prowess in speaking in other language, while we make fun of someone who is skillful in Filipino, thinking that it’s corny.  We make fun of them and of the language that s/he is using.  We make fun of the original Filipino.

 Because of the inflow of the foreign factors that affects our aspiration for our country’s own richness, we tend to become weak in terms of our patriotism and we get blinded by the things that are foreign.  Dinudumog nila tayo.  Tayo naman, nagpapakuyog.

 Actually, it is not bad to be interested to the foreign languages—I have nothing against it.  I am just like those typical students who like watching foreign dramas.  Actually, I love Japan and its culture, and I am currently doing my best to learn their language.  Learning what’s foreign is like obtaining another soul:  it is the process of exploring outside what’s usual and mundane.  However, we must know that because of this exploration, we forget how to appreciate what’s really our own because of astonishment towards what we have explored.

 We could not have obtained the kind of Filipino language that we have today without the help of the other languages.  Without these languages, there would be no ease in communicating with other countries.  In line with this, we must expand our knowledge not only on these foreign languages, but also our own—the Filipino language. 

—
You might also like:

• The Proud Kayumangging Kaligatans
• Dear New Philippines
• To Write or To Not: The Risks of Being a Journalist

If you take the time to actually listen, what these so-called “liberal extremists” say isn’t really extreme at all. Is it really “extreme” to suggest that secret conspiracies are not responsible for all of our problems? Or that maybe, just maybe, military officers have not alwaysmade the wisest decisions? People aren’t advocating an athiest Marxist-Leninist revolution. They’re notanarcho-syndicalists who want to replace the Parliment with afederation of worker’s councils. Could it be that the right wing findsthem far more threatening because when they speak, they actually makesense?

If someone says something the religious or millitant wing doesn’t like, they don’t offer a reasoned counter-argument – they resort to characterassassination. 

It’s easy to dismiss such threats as online taunting, but this right wing mindset has a bad habit of crossing the line between uncivil talkand uncivil behaviour. What starts as character assassination toooften escalates to just plain ‘assassination’.

In a way, it’s rather ironic. The self-appointed defenders of Religion have replaced the central message of Prophets  withcentral message of cold war era. They’re replaced reconciliation withmilitancy, reason with guns. Similarly, these same self-appointedguardians of the national honour  are turning countries into apariah state, increasingly isolated from the rest of the world.

        The spread of such U.K.-controlled and –owned overseas branch networks was a natural concomitant of the extension of colonization and the consequent domination of the administration, trade and commerce of the Commonwealth countries by the British. However, with the achievement of independence from the U. K. by successive members of the Commonwealth since the Second World War, the environment in which U.K. Commonwealth banks operate has changed markedly.

        The nationalism which gave rise to independence is not, of course, confined to the political sphere but also extends to a desire to increase local control over all areas of the economy, including the banking sector. The desire to eliminate foreign control associated with the colonial past was aggravated in many countries by the feeling that the banks’ lending policy was insufficiently geared to their development needs, being too heavily biased in favor of safe lending to traditional industries and against longer term commitments to assist agriculture  and industrial innovation.

            I was also one of those children who dreamed to live in a foreign country where there will be snow and other things that is not present in the Philippines.  I even envy my relatives who used to live there or to have vacation there.  I even told myself that I will earn so much money just to go in the other countries to experience snow, gorgeous places and high-tech facilities.  It also came to my imagination as if I were in other country.

            As years go by, I realized that being a Filipino is truly great. Being a co-countryman of the world’s greatest boxer, Manny Pacquiao is really a pride.  Another instance that we are to be proud of is our excellent talents, for example, Charice Pempengco who is now being respected in singing and the first Asian to be in the renowned Hollywood series, Glee.  Then we have Ms. Lea Salonga who was also well-known in the field of performing arts. Maria Aragon, the fan of Lady Gaga turned celebrity when she was able to have her own version of Lady Gaga’s ‘Born This Way’.  This little girl made a name in YouTube channels and even performed in her idol’s concert in some foreign countries.  In sports, we also have the Azkals who are well performing in different football competitions. They are just few of the Filipinos who are giving us reason to be a proud Filipino.  We have our national hero who is really the best asset for every Filipino, Jose Rizal.  In their time, Rizal showed unconditional love to our country that he dedicated his last breathe to the Pearl of the Orient Sea. 

            We must also be proud of our Overseas Filipino Workers who are considered to be the modern heroes, their sacrifices to leave their families behind is such heroism. Personally, my father is one of them, it is really hard for us to be away from our beloved father but we have to accept the reality that we all need it to continue a well and progressive life.  My mother’s income is not enough to sustain the studies of two college students, and two basic education students simultaneously.  Life is really full of challenges that there will always be one family member who needs to leave and to sacrifice for the betterment.  I know that we are not the only Filipino family who suffers from this, by that; I salute all the Overseas Filipino Workers and their loving families.

            We should not look at ourselves as inferior to the foreign people because we can compete with them as what Evangelista said, “But this is a border-less world, where no individual can claim to be purely from where he is now.”  Whoever you are, either you belong to a third world country or in a richer country; the important thing is you have the guts, abilities, talents, and faith.  We also should never forget where we came from, who raised us and where we got such talents and intellectual abilities.  We have this saying in Filipino that whoever does not look back from where he is will not get his destination. Whatever happens, wherever my fate brings me, I will always feel joy to be backed home.

            Imagine yourself in a forest, you are entirely alone, you are lost, and what are you going to do?  Probably, you would follow your footsteps or any marks you made way back home.  As what Chris Daughtry’s song states, “I’m going home to the place where I belong where the love is always been enough for me.” You will always be going home because it’s the only place that can make you endlessly happy. Being a free Filipino will definitely gives us the happiness we are searching for in this border-less world. As I end this, I want to say, “Thank God, I will always be a Filipino.”

This book is a concise summary of the major contemporary political ideologies, and provides plenty of information. Each chapter also provides details of further reading should its readers wish to study any of the ideologies in greater detail.

Over all Eatwell and Wright along with the other contributors make this an excellent tome for those interested in studying ideologies, ranging from Communism, Conservatism, Ecologism, through to Nationalism.

This is the last stanza of Kuh Ledesma’s song, Ako ay Pilipino, which was composed by George Canseco. If you are going to listen to this song thoroughly, you will notice how much the composer wanted to tell us how good it is to be a Filipino. It describes how proud Filipinos are, not only of their country, but also of their nationality. You might wonder, why is it that Filipinos are very proud, and not to mention, too patriotic of their country and nationality? Weren’t Filipinos only colonized by the conquistadores of Spain, the military of America, and the power of Japan? Weren’t they the conjuncture of both East and West, which means that they don’t have their own identity and culture? What is there to be proud of?

Early Filipinos, as often described, have curly hair, light-to-dark brown complexion (or kayumangging kaligatan), small or flat nose, and a not-so-tall height. They are often called the ‘Negritos’ or the ‘Nomads’ who don’t have a permanent settlement—this means that they came from somewhere else. Eventually, new races came to the country like the Indonesians, Malayans and Chinese (all from the Eastern part of the world), who started to influence the early Filipinos with their own cultures. Trade routes were opened, and because of these the Westerners, particularly the Spaniards, came to learn the existence of the Philippines. Spanish colonization had started, and the mixture of culture that the early Filipinos had with the Indonesians, Malayans and Chinese were once more sprinkled, or rather, showered with a new type of tradition—the Spanish tradition. More so when Spanish colonization had ended, the Americans came to conquer the country, followed by the Japanese. All these conquering and colonizing led to the hybrid of traditions of both East and West. As they say, it’s in the Philippines where you can see and prove the line, “the place where east and west meet”.

Because of all these changes and struggles in their culture, the Filipinos were able to learn and improve a lot of things, not only strategically or economically, but also, behaviorally. Since the beginning of their heritage, the Filipinos were already known for their respect of elders. In the field of religion, they were the ones who were very indulged in faith, and their fatalistic views would be the proof. Also, hospitality has become one of the greatest trademarks of the Filipinos since the early times. Resulting from the wars and because of the constant struggle for centuries, they have become strong. Valiant. Braver than before. As General Douglas McArthur of America had said, “The Filipino is one, mean warrior”.

Can we call it ‘fair’ if we will call the Filipinos as mere children of the East and the West? I think, no. As a Filipino myself, it is undeniably true that we are the product of different civilizations, and of foreigners who came to our country for the sake of expanding political power and territory; it is also true that the language that we use nowadays are very different from the language that the early Filipinos had used before, with the emergence of ‘taglish’, ‘jejemons’, ‘bekimons’ and the like; it is correct that the modes of clothing that they have before had been and are being modified in line with the evolving fashion of the modern world; we drink coke and eat pastas instead of water from clear brooks and fresh, hunted meat from the forests. But, come to think of this: Which is more important? Is it the group of people or the country which influenced us, or us who molded and made something new from those which were given? Isn’t it us who gave birth to our own nationality? Isn’t it us who fought for freedom, the valiant, brave and courageous Filipinos? Isn’t it us who were able to get out of the claws of the conquerors? Isn’t it us, the Filipinos, who must be and should be proud of the achievements that we have grasped in our hands?

We have struggled and fought, and we are continuously doing so. Our hearts throb at the littlest way of showing love for the country, just like how a taxi driver would show honesty by returning a large amount of money, how Manny Pacquiao would showcase his Filipino pride through boxing, and how Charice Pempengco, Kuh Ledesma or Regine Velasquez would sing to the world how great being a Filipino is. We are the Kayumangging Kaligatans, the light-to-dark brown skinned Filipinos whose nationality is not merely based on mixed blood and culture, but on how we do and feel things, the proud, Filipino way. The Kayumangging Kaligatans, who, have our Filipino nationality and definitely, identity and culture that we can proudly call our own.

             How Filipino am I?  Is it enough that I speak Tagalog at often times?  Is it enough that I know the national symbols such as Jose Rizal as the National Hero, Sampaguita for Flowers and Mango for Fruits?  Is it enough that I sing Lupang Hinirang and place my right hand on the left part of my chest?  Are these enough to say that I am proud Filipino?  Can we call these Filipinism?

             When will we have the guts of saying, “Filipino Ako!”?  We can barely say those two words but they should intimately come from our hearts for the true Filipinism would sprout.  How will it happen?  Primarily, we must have the passion and love for the country where we are born, the Philippines. Our country is rich in culture, history and traditions. There is nothing to be hesitated for loving our own.  Let us show our love for our country by treating ourselves and our co-countrymen properly and respectfully.  Does it show love if we throw our wastes everywhere we wanted?  Did it ever come to your mind that every waste you rudely throw is like dumping into our pride as a Filipino?  Does it also show love if we spit on public places?  Doing this disgusting act makes us a less-dignified Filipino?  The act of spitting in public places is like disrespecting the bravery that our heroes had to fight for our freedom.  Even the words that utter to our mouth reflect to our True Filipinism and a basis of showing our true love for our dear country.  These offensive words make us an insolent Juan Dela Cruz.  We may not obviously see that we are diminishing our pride as Filipino but it reflects on how we show love for our country.

             We have some public figures that made us proud to be Filipino once again.  We have the late Francis Magalona who introduced his own-designed shirts also known as Three Stars and A Sun.  I admit that I was once a fan of these signature shirts, even bags from Kultura which states of being proud Filipino.  “Did I really become proud Filipino or I just go with the trending fashion?” I asked myself.  After several months, I am not using these stuffs anymore for there is a new trend.   Otherwise, I felt shame of being a Filipino when the Quirino Grandstand Hostage Taking happened especially when I am meeting Chinese and Koreans in subways.  How can I fully say that I am proud Filipino?  But then, I realized that a Filipino is a Filipino, no matter what happens I will always be a Filipino.  I just thought that God challenged the loyalty of every Filipino.

                 If we have reasons to reject our Filipinism, we may have more reasons to be a proud one.  We must be proud because no matter what happens, we always look at positive sides and find more reasons to smile.  We are one of the happiest persons in the world.  Just like the Ondoy Tragedy, we were once drowned but through the help of our countrymen we stood up and started something new.  We must be proud as well that we have our great nurses and caregivers in the other countries; we have our great performers such as Lea Salonga, Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda.  How can we not be proud of our national hero, Rizal, who is respected in most places in Europe?  How can a Filipino not be proud of Manny Pacquiao who is idolized even by the NBA players?  Who can eat with their hands only? Only Filipinos can!  We Filipinos can stand out in the crowd and that’s the best thing we can be proud of.

            “Ang mamatay ng dahil sayo…” – It shows the bravery of our heroes, in return let us be braver and tougher by just saying “Filipino ako, sa isip, sa salita, at sa gawa.”  Let us fight against the criticism from other countries.  Let us protect our own because you will always be a Filipino after years. We will always be a Filipino by heart and not just by name.  As I end this, let me leave a simple message, “Tayo tayo lang din ang magtutulungan, tayong mga Filpino.”

Interpretations of history, or the past, are another characteristic of ideology, because the events of or pasts tend to influence the beliefs an values that we hold. An individual whose life has been difficult may have a pessimistic view of life and consider that life is a struggle against the odds. Other individuals may grow up believing that it is their duty in life to help people who are disadvantaged because they themselves have been privileged. Their views of the past affect their identities and the way they interpret the world.

Countries also have ideological interpretations of their histories that affect the identities of their citizens. This is sometimes manifested as demonstrations of patriotism, in which the citizens tell their stories to themselves and the world. Remembrance Day ceremonies are an example of such an event, as Canadians pay tribute to the men and women who made sacrifices to protect the liberal democratic traditions of Canada.

These stories inform a nation’s or a country’s historical interpretations, which provide it with an ideology that guides its subsequent actions.

Adolf Hitler believed that there were two great reigns for his country in European history: the first World War I. Hitler wanted to creat a third reign for the German empire, what he called the ‘Third Reich’. This was his interpretation of history and his vision for the future.

Do you have an interpretation of history that has an impact on your ideology? (Hint: think of the World Wars)

I do have an interpretation of history that has an impact on my ideology and that is the role that Canada played in World War 1 and World War 2. This achievements gives me a strong sense of pride and belief in my country.

Culture wars are a political fabrication meant to incite a political base, but never to resolve anything.  The failure to resolve is perfect because it guarantees unending support by true believers, who care about culture, but are misguided to believe there can be a political solution.  Politicized xenophobia reflects the ugliest spirit of nationalism and should always be condemned.  What was the legacy of Germany’s kulturkampf?

In those days, German conservatives viewed the greatest threat to German culture as “The Jew.”  Richard Wagner is credited with inventing modern ant-semitism in 1850, initially attacking Jews anonymously, but republishing an essay in 1869 in his own name since the views had by then become widely accepted.  In 1855 Gustav Freytag’s “Debit and Credit” uses a Polish Jew character as the villain.  By 1874, an anti-semitic article was regularly published in a popular weekly paper, The Gartenlaube.  Written by Otto Glagau, it was called ‘The Stock Exchange and Foundation Swindle in Berlin.’  In 1879, Heinrich Von Treitschke, editor of Preussiche Jahrbucher published ‘Our Opinions,’ blaming Jews for the economic collapse of 1873, and everything else.

Sadly, a true believer in the rhetoric of the kulturkampf would eventually take power.  Adolf Hitler decided to implement the hatred and self-righteousness that German conservatives had been spewing for almost a century into a policy of genocide.  The result was one of the greatest crimes against humanity ever committed, as well as the destruction of Germany.  What Bismarck had perceived as politicking as usual, turned out to be devastating for millions of people.  Bluster has consequences.

With complete historical ignorance, American conservatives have been waging culture wars for years.  Again, there are those who don’t understand that political rhetoric doesn’t always translate into the greatest policies.  Just as Hitler built concentration camps, Republicans have built more prisons in America over the last twenty years than have been built at any time in human history.  Even now, with budgets being gutted, Republicans are holding the line.  Rather than close prisons, they are laying off school teachers and shutting down schools.  If you want to understand why turning America into a police state has had little impact on our actual culture, read my book Essays of a Penitentiary Philosopher, the first chapter is, Culture.  For culture to be truly valued and preserved, it must be understood.

The culture wars have been used to distract Americans from the real issues, allowing our schools, economy and infrastructure to collapse.  The way we are destroying ourselves is a lot less obvious than the way the Germans did it.  The reason culture wars can never be successful is because they are a war against ourselves.  Politicians use the disenchantment of the populace to justify extreme counteractions that result in more harm than good.  While we know what Hitler’s idea of victory would have been, what would Republicans be satisfied with?  Is their cultural vision realistic, if fathomable?  A culture war means victory for one culture.  Isn’t that contrary to the ideas that America was predicated on?  That’s why the second chapter of my book is Multiculturalism.

To see a different approach in how we address our problems, read my book and my blogs for free at www.politicsandjustice.com.