Wars are not made by the land but by those in charge of it, and the people of a nation are NOT its current government
In today’s society it is rather difficult to say for others: ‘I love my country’. Of course, most of us feel this way about our own motherland, but something inside tells us that it is not quite true sometimes.
Recently, I talked to two good people I have known for many years. One of them said: ‘You know, I love my country. We have done a lot for other people, we have done a lot for our own nation’. And the other one, a few days ago concluded: ‘I was reading 1984 by Orwell recently, and I was crying, because I realized that I could recognize my own country in the description given there. The way we are living today is enormously wrong, we are not supposed to live like this, we cannot do this anymore’. Two opposite opinions. Which is right? First one? Second? The right answer I believe, is neither.
Let’s try to analyse the situation together. How is it possible for you to love a country that was involved in a military conflict (and most of today’s countries have done so) whose actions have caused numerous deaths? Is it humanly possible to respect your native country which cannot guarantee you and your family safety? But at the same time, how can you hate the land you were born in? Could you ever say anything negative about the motherland that was always trying to keep you healthy, happy and alive?
That is the question I started asking myself, while analysing the above opinions. These two persons are living in the same city, using the same means of transportation, eating the same type of food etc. So why would they disagree with each other’s opinion if they started talking to one another?
The answer is simple — they are not talking about the same thing.
The first person, who was supportive of their country, was talking about the motherland. It is precisely the motherland here which is seen as trying to keep you safe and helping the people. It is the motherland which fights only for peace and which you would miss were you away from it. So what does ‘motherland’ mean in this case? I presume it means people — our compatriots, who think of their fellow countrymen not just with their brain, but with their heart first. People, who would stand for you because you are one of them.
The other person though, was talking about the government. Politicians, who take certain measures or act in a way that would be beneficial for the economy, politics or other aspects of the country while largely ignoring the social sphere. Even when they claim to be doing everything for the people, they do not exactly mean all the population — they mean primarily themselves and other people like them who are involved in the actions taken.
This is why the way different nations talk about each other is fundamentally wrong from the beginning. They can disapprove of the way a government behaves, but they cannot blame the people under it. Indeed, it is not the local populace who are trying to do something for a better life, even if that means harming other countries — it’s the politicians. In recent times, politicians have become more competitive, shifting their actions from being constructive and supportive to competitive and selfish. Unfortunately, that is the truth nowadays. Just turn on the TV and you will understand that ordinary people could never produce such actions. Of course, the inhabitants of a country can and do lead to many of the conflicts happening today, but this is only because of the wrong actions taken by politicians.
Our strategy should not be to blame, but to support each other. We should remain people, not animals! Let’s be more attentive to each other. This is really the only way towards a more peaceful and calm as well as happier world. A world without violent conflicts, where disputes can easily be solved by discussion instead of military action.
It is unsurprising that the principle of humanisation is implemented in modern educational systems. These teach us to respect the personality of each student, to perceive him/her not as an object of an educational process, but as a unique person that needs support and a kind attitude towards him/herself — this being a response to today’s changes in society.
Arguably, our best solution nowadays is to respect, support and appreciate one another — a strategy that is bound to triumph over the negativity exercised between nations and people. This could even diffuse certain damaging stereotypes and ignorant attitudes towards the people of a country by foreign governments.
DISCLAIMER: The articles on our website are not endorsed by, or the opinions of Shout Out UK (SOUK), but exclusively the views of the author.
