The Ugly Face of Nationalism

The atmosphere in Moscow is vividly depicted by the Financial Times bureau chief there, Max Seddon (“A Moscow Diary: Fear, Loathing and Deep Denial,” January 6, 2022). The subtitle reads:

Champagne still flows at elite parties in the Russian capital, as cowed critics only speak openly in their own homes.

One striking passage depicts the interface (I am tempted to write “the intersectionality”) of nationalism, authoritarianism, ordinary people, and the elite. As is typically the case, nationalism buttresses state power, and both trap ordinary people. Seddon quotes a senior Russian businessman, whose children are educated in Europe, speaking about some members of his family:

Some say ‘Fuck everyone! Let’s nuke Holland! Let’s bomb London and Washington! Send the missiles!’ I say, What about your nephew, my son? He lives there! And they say, ‘Let them live in their own country.’”