From: sherwani@sol.cs.wmich.edu (Naveed Sherwani)
Subject: Nationalism (was : ISS creeping into Karnataka ?)
Summary: Nationalism is meaningless in the new world
Organization: Western Michigan Univ. Comp. Sci. Dept.
Date: Sun, 22 Nov 1992 22:03:12 GMT

In article <By3r5q.Ex7@ns1.nodak.edu>, sivaram@plains.NoDak.edu (The Purple Bleeder ) writes:
> 
> I would like to take this occassion to salute the vigilant
> patriotic people who opposed this brazen anti national
> act with firmness and kudos to all those lawyers who
> did  not take up this case.
> 
> Ofcourse, what more can one expect from the Cong-(I)
> with its time honored principle of appeasing anti-national
> elements. I am also apalled at the Cong-(I) MLC
> moving bail for these criminals and it is shocking that
> one of the anti-national culprits involved is a member of the Cong-(I).
> 
> Pathetic....I should say at the least.
> 
> S.H
> Jai-Hind!
> 

Human race started as a group of people trying to 
defend against the elements and many of cultural and
religious beliefs still stem from that survival period.

As we grew as a race, and acquired hunting skills, 
survival skills and elements of the nature became less of
a concern and soon, language and cultural values became
the key focal point of defining our identity. Again, 
there was competition for resources, so the larger
groups had better chance, but there was a need to
define groups/tribes/countries. 

In the new world, the definition of country is going to 
become vague. The physical boundaries will be of less
importance. The key would be the economical survival of
the people, which is not a competition anymore. The
competition has to be replaced by cooperation. The reason
is interdepence of economies. 

The idea of one nation trying to survive against all
others is not a valid model. The correct model for the
new world is all the nations trying to survive on this
planet. If Brazil does something stupid and effects the
world atmosphere, USA WILL be effected. 
In this new world, to think of brazil as independent of
USA would not be valid, they depend on each other.

Our forefathers(and foremothers) created the flags and 
other symbols of national idenity to distinguish us from
them. Very soon there will be no US and no THEM, it is
just going to be WE.  We, as a human race, must learn 
to accept our differences and learn to live with them. 

Coming back to the issue of Pakistani Flag, I would say
it would mean nothing in this new world, so would flag of India
and USA. So I far as I am concerned people can fly whatever
flag they want and whereever they want to fly it. It is
meaningless and waste of time to align oneself with flags and
others of identity. We must align ourselves with the
idenity of human race and our planet.

We will have hard time justifying the word: ANTI-NATIONAL.
Who is anti-national, an Indian teaching Pakistani students,
an Indian doing bussiness with Pakistanis and improving their
economy ?  Are these Indians ANTI-NATIONAL ?  Are they more
(or less) anti-national then  a set of people, who hoisted
Pakistani flag  ? 

I was born in Pakistan. When I think of India and Pakistan, I 
think of 937 million people trying to survive. I do not think
of Pakistanis and Indians, I do not think of Muslims and Hindus,
I do not think castes, I do not think of jumadars and shahibs.
They are just trying to survive and trying to create a better
future for their kids.

How can we make positive contribution to both India and Pakistan
and rest of the world?  I think world will better served, if 
people of our countries forget about our 
flags/national anthems/national symbols/etc and work for a brighter future.

The brighter future does not lie in differeniation (sp?) but it lies
in integration. I want to work towards a better future of all
people (including Pakistanis and Indians). 

regards,

-Naveed