Speaks to a very live and significant controversy politics the subject has been in areas, subject of an enormous amount of thought and argument in the last few years and the question nationalism of the nation in place in our politics and its connection to some of the forces and threats as been drawing the politics of the west. In recent years. And well hear from rich a little bit about the book and he and i will then discuss it for your a few minutes and then we will open it up to questions from you. Who please lets welcome rich lowry. [applause]. Rich thank you. It is a pleasure to be here. Thank who much for your making the time. I will share with you what has been my favorite moment from my book to works of art. I say he came in on the second day. As an npr interview. And we are his practice, i like to say of this professor in. Who they do, as they hope you as a conservative. If you on history or policy and then theyll have a professor on like in the middle of your presentation or right at the end, and the brawl of the professor is to see basically that you are in a grammar us. But they will see it in gentle tones. An npr listener get distinctively believes anything that is said in that town by a person with some authority at that has some credentials who therefore you are official deemed an ignoramus and a lot and go home happy. This is sort of like the impure equivalent of what happens in the Jerry Springer show and the baby mama comes on and they confront the fathers. But everybody has been waiting for your right. Who i have this extensive interview and preparation and much less than two days. In preparation for your this npr program. I really appreciate appreciate how much of the take with it. Everything was set to go for your it in the morning, theyre desperately trying to get in touch with me. What is it we want. They see, rich, we want to know is that okay if we have a professor on with you. And i said, yes, i know what you doing but its fine. Its fine have a professor on. Who i am going with the interview for your a while and they are basically the cant believe what i am staying and the basic propositions of nationalism are basic really the most people we do scratch the surface our nationals in some forum or another. And are you really staying that her nationalism has brought necessarily synonymous with hatred and bigotry. Im staying more than that, im synced in ashland nationalism really give us modern democracy. And they see okay lets go for your it to break in the middlebury and professor. Then they bring in the professor. His sophisticated way, of talking and foreign accent she is originally from russia and that some preliminarily, she says that everyone in a modern world, is the nationalist and in fact, nationalism created modern democracy. You can see the house, she cant believe it. Shes taken back. She says wait a minute are you agreeing with rich lowry. And it turned out in this case, npr had not done sufficient research because the professor is the woman named lee greenfeld, is an extraordinary scholar nationalism. It turned out i had read her most important book, prior to writing work on my own is called nationalism bypass to modernity. I had interrupted see, actually, she is im agreeing with her. [laughter] was crucial in my thinking on this topic. Who lisas ones, npr and professor to itself. And is very gratifying to me. At least in the small minded way. Who let me give you five propositions about nationalism. And ill sit down and we will talk and take any questions. First proposition, nationalism is very old. It is very natural it is very powerful. Empires throughout the ages have tried to eliminate it unsuccessfully. Dave tried to have their own eyed ideologies and get rid of it unsuccessfully. To give you an example how old and deep it nationalism feeling is, you can go to one of history news great monsters. John and more. And in 1425, she has a vision, and her fathers garden from an angel that she is going to liberate france from english. In the english kings at the time had a fixation with really not just england but france. In the english wine originally comes from france of course and there problems in france normandy, and the english had been attending with an english air on throne of france. And they are participates the hundred year war. It is fought in france and is the debacle. By some estimates of population declined by half for the fridge. It is ravaged by famine and combat and when joan is born, this been going on for your about 75 years. And said the aspect of the civil war. In france in addition to the english occupations. Because of the willpower that is difficult to fathom, she somehow convinces the french authorities that she should be able to pursue this vision. This mission that she has. And she ends up in camp with french troops outside of the city of orleans, and she sends messages to the english troops and she says, i am a warrior, im giving you fair warning that i am going to chase you will what all from france and if you dont leave, im going to kill you all. Just to let you know. And then she sensed more messages and pharmacies in the last one that she shes over in a in a row, and, look i am serious, this is my last morning. In the english troops obviously mustve this hardbitten guys who took this about the seriousness that you would expect. They completely scored her and her messages and shout across, insults at her and mourners from the french war. And she takes us to wait an average teenage girl would turn shes insulted and cries tears of outrage and shame. And then she does when a teenage girl in World History has ever done before or since. She leaves the french troops into battle riding a white horse carrying a white banner with the image of christ sitting in judgment and chases the english from orleans. And it amazingly enough, she sees. In the french mayor to the throne, and our luck runs out at some. And she is betrayed by French Forces with the language and they undertake a trial of her as you might expect, has brought very fairminded. It is all based on finding her guilty. They its been an enormous amount of time and the fact that she wore mens clothing. I say the whole dressing wouldve not gone very well in 15th century england. Judging by this but they find her guilty ride they brought her at the stake. She declares name of christ as shes going through this ordeal. And they spread rashes in the river. And she was 19 years old. The point of this is the kenny no more joan of arc. No more memory of this bizarre incident. In effect as we all know, the opposite. When the truth because joan, had become a symbol of her nation. And of its independence and as such, would not be wiped out throughout all of the french history. The french king, goes to trial in 1920 she was of saint with the french are occupied by a much more tedious and evil occupier, centuries later the germans what is the Free French Army taken the symbol, the symbol of joan part of the cross of mine, they painted on their shifts and on their airplanes and with charles himself, at the symbol of the french nation dies, his village. A 16foot because of lorien the entrance of the village in memory of him and in honor of joan. Thats nationalism. In the nationalism feeling in a nutshell. Second, nationalism as part of the mainstream of the american tradition. You get no American Revolution that went out nationalism. There was american nation prior to 1776, and the essence of the revolution, was to see that that nation and its own rights and flames and to govern itself. You wouldnt get the radical drafting and the ratification for the constitution that went out the nationalism of hamilton and washington and likeminded founders. I believe we cannot just be a series of separate baseless, vulnerable to foreign powers around us. And being picked apart and vulnerable to authorities in disgrace grid know we need it a strong and capable National Government, and of course you dont get victory in the civil war that went out nationalism. As the main if it underlining the legitimacy of the american state. Who this tradition runs throughout the hamilton, and strong capable National Government, strong military, strong navy and our country should become a great nation and of a great power on the model of Great Britain and the tradition runs through lincoln and runs through tr and you can see, nationalistic symbolism and sentiments running through the 20th century through fdr and fdr, has a blue eagle of course, to solve the nra program and he is democratic nationalists arrayed against hitler. That was in world war ii at 95 anyone in any part of the spectrum to read and the inaugural address. Its hard to keep track. Read the third one. And not be moved by his sentiments about his nation. Or not be moved by his dj prayer which donald trump read on the anniversary of normandy to several months ago the begins our son cried in the nation are now set out on a mighty endeavor. And that both fdr and reagan, had access to the nationalistic sentiments and feelings and simple. And it just goes to help fairly classic phenomenon. Both parties in different ideologies have access to it. And ill also obviously be abused by now factors of sweeps seen throughout history. Third proposition. America has brought just an idea. One of my basic axioms in washington, if there is something that both sides automatically and thoughtlessly see, the way joe biden, he says that america is an idea, it is probably wrong really should be skeptical of it. America is not just an idea. No one lives in an obstruction. If you ask anyone, where are you from, no one in the right mind says im like yes, im from the second trees, book three chapter four. Those just not how it happens. More sensible version of this notion is that america is just about nationalism. Its all about the quality and citizenship it. This clearly big part number nation but it doesnt represent all of it. And the problem i have with all of this is that they slide the fact that nations are thicker than just ideas and ideals and they are built on cultures. Who the way to illustrate this. Is that we take an example of a tour of a hypothetical. If you imagine tonight, and africanamerican media White American on the steps of the paris opera house, instantly, these two people it is matter whether they have different ideologies it doesnt matter if it parts of the country, they instantly have more in common than Anyone Around them. They share a language who they can instantly communicate. There probably dress largely the same theyre probably alike largely the same food in the same founders in the same euros. And an enormous stock of common cultural assumptions and references. And that will extent, the tourism metaphors. Tonight if an americans at the fair guardian unit, the germans around them see, synagogue, i say he believes in the declaration of the independence he must be. He is loud and boisterous and his family, he might be fat. He is an american. Who these are cultural markers that set us apart from the other people and account for the fact that we have more communication and easier communication attachment to one another and to other people around the world. Third proposition sorry for the proposition related to the third is just underlying the importance of culture and how important it was at the very beginning of the settlement of north america. With the came to Massachusetts Bay colony news, they brought with them the charter they had gotten from the king of england. To govern themselves. And the exploited a loophole and it really shouldve stayed in england but theres a loophole that allowed them to bring it to our shores which they wanted to do because they wanted the assurance of having a document setting out their government and their own possession. There very quickly worship their own way and establish their own modes of government not for the liking of the king. Not for the liking of the people around the king and the began to do this. We do go back and take the charter. Bay colony had to consider, what are they going to do if the king is going to come and get started. And to make the decision, we will resist him by of course. They arm the harbor, they put a beacon on high point, in boston to let people know the royal ships are approaching and the elves and known as beacon hill. And they drill their militia. Assuming this is just who incredible that hundred and 40 years before, a revolt against english Royal Authority led by independentminded and stubborn people based in boston, massachusetts. It was nearly a revolt against Royal Authority centered in boston massachusetts led by independent and stubborn minded people. To me this just shows you how deep the cultural growth in this country runs. You can also talk about the bible. That is been who important to our history and to our culture. Initially, it was the geneva bible and dominated when they came over and sometimes referred to as the breaches bible because of the strikingly modest way it tells the story of adam any and they descended realized they were naked and they sewed together big fig leaves and made themselves breaches. But very quickly as the King James Bible that came to dominate. And obviously it resonates throughout our history and it has been a great fund of rhetoric down through the centuries. You often hear Martin Luther king quoted from a preposition of declaration of independence is the promissory note is to be cash, he did see that for your very powerful sentiment. The main element of Martin Luther king spread argument what made it who powerful it was jeremiah and matthew and it is from the bible that we get the key aspects of the national identity. One that is that we are chosen people. Lincoln said more appropriately and modestly, almost chosen people he get the idea that we are leaving in a promised land. And you get the idea of covenant. And actually goes back to the Old Testament first governor in our history, is the mayflower compact and then the Settlers Home and pretty much every time they found a new town, every time they start a new church, that there is a covenant. There is a written document setting out the rules and everyones mutual obligations the most important covenant, in our country is what is the key anchor of sovereignty which is the u. S. Constitution. Gives us a strong capable National Government and limited National Government and it goes back to this notion of a covenant. Finally, i will just set up very briefly in capsule forum. What i say is the lowest common denominator of the conservative is agenda is based on nationalism is really focusing on our culture and preserving our cultural core. In this one defending zealously, the english language is the dominant language in this country. If there is anything we know about cultural cohesion and National Cohesion, it is that if you get multiple languages, you are going to get a problem. And even nice pleasant canada, was a couple decades ago, almost torn apart by the fact that quebec and the frenchspeaking providence, plopped in the middle of an English Speaking country. You see the contention now is vain, or the scotus of catalonia which is based upon primarily on the fact that cameroonians speak their own language and they have their own culture around their own language. We have to defend our founders and our heroes who are on an ongoing assault and when the shaklee, if they are not a Jefferson Memorial 20 years from now, and charlottesville, we had the hideous marked by the neonazis neonazis who theres no church here in alexandria virginia, where robert e. Lee and George Washington worshiped at some. Who the robert ely and George Washington, the put down the block of robert e. Lee because they considered it is it too submissive. I can see that, i say that is reasonable enough. They also took down the plaque of George Washington which is completely insane but sort of represents the drift of the argument on our Founders International heroes and went to defend her Civil International civil symbols. Putting the flag and one reason i am who irritated when people use the flag as a means of protest, disrespecting it for the them, this celebrates it is because men died for your that flag not a symbolic sense but in a literal sense. The history of the civil war, they carried the flag into battle unarmed as a rallying. For the conference and took this incredibly seriously. Multiple men died exiting the flag to the battle of gettysburg, lincoln gave the gettysburg address and the battle of fredericksburg, one sergeant was wounded and handed the flag over to the sergeant who was wounded, who took it to another officer who they could wrap around himself as he died. That was when he was profusely wounded. Who the symbols are very deep. They are part of our culture. Our cultural inheritance. And finally be teacher history, we are to be truthful about our history, yes we have national sense but that is not all that this country is about. We should not be teaching our history as a tale of unrelieved oppression and well. But the glorious story of the free people who leaving in a blessed land. I will just leave you with one last quote. And then i will conclude in is the quote i really say captures just how deep these culturally taxes are and how we all even if we dont realize it, in florida look away from it, we all feel this about her country and is given by a scholar named john thorton. It went on to be the president of harvard. And he said in the 1798 speech, we learn to love her country because it is our country. Because we are near it and in it and have an opportunity of being useful to it. We breathe there and share his values because the sweat of the fathers brows, due to the soil in their well have and water feels and the referent test sleeps and it was him. And embraces our fathers or mothers or wives and her children, our brothers and sisters. Because here are our altars and patriotism is the combined energy of the social section and he who can tear this apart, and upon his nature. Thank you very much. [applause] thanks very much rich i appreciate that. Host and appreciate this book which taps into a bright live controversy around this question o