The Revolving Illusion and the Unfortunate Demise of Reason

The Revolving Illusion and the Unfortunate Demise of Reason

By -- Saw Kapi

A few like-minded individuals, completely blinded by self-glorifying passion that revolves around touchy subjects such as nationalism and national revolution, seem unable to get out of fallacious paradigm. Apparently, those individuals do not think beyond what seems to be self-defeating negativity.

We should not be misled. Nationalism by all means is a fine notion, rich in perspectives of historical events, numerous in kinds, and countless characters involved therein. When nationalistic sentiment is driven constantly by reasoning – of learned individuals – and guided precisely by the realities of environment, it can instigate endless creative power of nationalities, thereby transforming itself into unstoppable driving force for change. This sort of nationalism is capable of advancing a nation forward, not driving her backward – politically and economically. However, there are some of us, who habitually misuse the concept of nationalism mainly to propagate, frustrate and alienate others and pitifully keep themselves afloat, to some extent politically, in the midst of this virtual community.

Should sitting and "wondering" – about what other must do or, in this case, must "celebrate"– be one's singular trademark of "nationalism", then those who had sacrificed their blood in defense of our people's liberty must have done so utterly in vain. We often heard of nationalists and revolutionaries alike standing up against unimaginable odds and fought against what – to many ordinary others – may seem undefeatable. But at least to the one who pens this note, simply wondering and complaining about what others don't do seems completely antithesis of what a true nationalist should do.

It is unsurprising that from such ilk of man come repeated questions, but not a single answer. And from such mind breeds only negative thoughts, never a positive view. It sounds, after all, more like the young man is in a revolving illusion rather than revolution. On a much broader note, such a lamentable intellectual poverty among the so-called nationalists among us may help explain why the struggle has been taking extraordinarily long. Let's hope that this seemingly unfortunate demise of reason in this youthful but illusionary mind does not discourage us from doing meaningful things in our own ways, wherever we are, for the people we care and with whom we share our inalienable affinity.