Nationalism is good

I affirm the resolution: Nationalism is good. I will state my arguments in the Lincoln-Douglas format, but my opponent does not need to. Nationalism is good, because it offers a motivation to help the country improve. My value for this debate. is Loyalty. This is the best value for this round because it explains that if people were not loyal to the country, they would not obey, or help the country to become better. My value criterion is maximizing National Pride. By maximizing national pride, it will make a greater variety of things that would benefit society. Before I refute my opponent's case, I offer a few definitions for clarification. Nationalism - a feeling that people have of being loyal to and proud of their country often with the belief that it is better and more important than other countries [1]is - the act of beingGood -correct or proper [2]So another form of this resolution would be, being loyal and proud of ones country is correct or proper. I shall state my arguments before rebutting my opponent's. My first contention is that nationalism and pride encourages people to do the right thing. As I am sure my opponent and the audience already know, in September 9th, 2001, a tragic event occurred in New York City. The event came to be known as 9/11, and I assume that most people are familiar with this tragic event, so therefore I do not need to state the details. The important part of this event is the amount of nationalism and pride portrayed. After the two planes hit the twin towers, people were shocked and in great fear. "All of a sudden there were people screaming. I saw people jumping out of the building. Their arms were flailing. I stopped taking pictures and started crying" - Michael Walters. [3]But what happened after, was something extraordinary. People, knowing it might be their last choice, chose to go into the blazing fires to help their fellow citizens. It was national pride that motivated those people into doing so, and that national pride saved many peoples lives, while ending others. Many people gave their life to save just one more life in the falling towers. I offer a few quotes as evidence. "You can be sure that the American spirit will prevail over this tragedy. " - Collin Powell [3]"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children. " - President George W. Bush [3]This leads to my second contention, that national pride helps countries recover from tragic events. The national pride, pushed America to its' limits to fulfill its destiny. In the example I offered above, it made America work harder to resume its ways. But in the passed, the national pride of America spread from sea to shining sea, literally. In 1812, John O'Sullivan coined the term "Manifest Destiny. "By definition, Manifest Destiny is "the belief or doctrine, held chiefly in the middle and latter part of the 19th century, that it was the destiny of the U. S. to expand its territory over the whole of North America and to extend and enhance its political, social, and economic influences. " [4]The manifest destiny was national pride itself, that motivated the American people to expand their territory. The famous picture provided by link [5] is a famous picture, which was the most powerful, during the manifest destiny. America went through wars and created friendships, doing any thing they could, to expand the country. The belief that the United States had much more potential than they used was what drove them to fully succeeding their goal of connecting the Atlantic to the Pacific. "Our manifest destiny [is] to overspread the continent allotted by Providence for the free development of our yearly multiplying millions. " - John O'Sullivan [6]National pride has pushed America to the breaking point, causing it to go to extreme measures to fulfill its goal. It has inspired people to do anything in their power to progress in the Manifest Destiny. It has driven many people to risk their lives to help other citizens in need in the blazing fires of 9/11. It has made America what it is today. For these reasons, "Nationalism is good"Now to my opponents arguments"It is what fueled everyone to an extent where past that they feeled the urge to hurt others in order to be the best. "Other than the grammatical awkwardness of this sentence, (and how feeled shuold be felt), i agree with my opponent that nationalism can do harm. My opponent explains that nationlaism helped cause WWI. But what he hasn't considered, is that One war can not define one extreme part of humanity. According to my opponent, because of one war, nationalism is bad. Overall, nationalism has done much greater than the one war my opponent states about. Citations[1] . http://www.merriam-webster.com... [2] . http://www.merriam-webster.com...[3] . http://www.veteransunited.com...[4] . http://dictionary.reference.com...[5] . http://www.ushistory.org...[6] . http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu...