I used to argue 'til I ran out of breath about how great Romanians were, how Romanians are the first people of Europe - documented by Herodotus, of course, and all the good stuff. To make the mix even better, I explained to anyone who cared to listen (or not) how shitty Canadians were.
Until one day I stummbled upon a pharagraph in book that was mandatory for my college - it was about 1993, at Cap. It was the English Patient by Ondaatje and it changed my life. It goes like this:
"We were German, English, Hungarian, African - all of us insignificant to them. Gradually we became nationless. I came to hate nations. We are deformed by nation-states. Maddox died because of nations..All of us, even those with European homes and children in the distance, wished to remove the clothing of our countries... I wanted to erase my name and the place I had come from."
It was in a context were good friends became enemies once the war broke out. Unbelievable image, where a few guys sit in a tent and find out that they are enemies because someone up there decided to declare war.
Even today, 15 years later, it has the same impact on me. I stumbled upon the book at the local Bucharest English book store, and I bought the thing for my kids.
I am still thankful to Ondaatje that he changed my life. I might have come to the same conclusion some other path, but I'm sure it saved time and energy for me.
Nationalism it's still a disease in some parts of Europe. Very different that what it's in the States, I believe even more harmful. Can't wrap my head around it, but it's important for some people to belong to a nation. Even if it's a shitty one. Whatever that means. I guess it's a bit like religion, we all need to belong to some club.
Well, I guess I'm cured. Or am I?
