Don't you find it a bit worrying, I mean, partners trying to find you and friends is one thing, but if anyone can....... Criminals, Stalkers... le alone civil liberties....?
Some might call it pretensious.. but I think there is space for all in the forums...
Your right of course about tribalism, and there is the joke that rival tribes of football fans will join with each other to fight the others.. or police ..or whoever...depending on who they hate more...lol
What I think is interesting, is that European Identity is a level above the immediate ones, and is being constructed by us all at the moment, i.e. "what it means to be European" ..but there I go again being pretensious...
I think this raises the question, that may be at the heart of it all. We all see the idea of a European Identity as something different, some a federal agreement between nations, some as a super government, another level of bureaucracy above us, and some as a new reich....
I think that is one of the things as people who live in europe..us europeans need to sort out, what does it mean to be European, or what do we want it to mean, over and above being, English, Spainish, french, Lithuanian, Polish, etc..(apologise for not completing the whole list its late.. )
I think your right, it is all about multiple identities. Which we have all had all along, our family, our home town, our county or district, our country...this is just one more on top, but it does seem to cause people many problems as I think this thread shows...
I am not sure that nationalism and European Identity have to fight each other, that is why I posed it as a question. I agree that nationalism and national identity can be seen as separate things, ts just that many people do not see it as separate. Identities are in my view, all constructed and reinforced by public opinion, but they can always be contested...
I don't agree that Nationalism is something that is confined to central and Eastern Europe or the fringes, it is on the rise. Now whether people think this is a good thing or not, is up for debate...:)
I am no authority on military strategy, my initial thoughts are that the reason bombing was used, was that it is seen as low risk for the NATO forces..(they have less loses) and that it is cost effective. I am more than happy to hear other views though.
The moving around of military personnel does seem to happen if they have been accused of wrong doing, and the resistance to having them tried in Civilian courts is a problem. It can create real resentment against peacekeeping forces, and it only takes one or 2 incidents to create a general perception of "them doing what they want and getting away with it". Recent examples would be the Black water shootings in Iraq, which are compounded by the "mercenary element" and George Bushes decree that no persons military or mercenary can be tried in Iraqi courts.
I think that your right, not having the right infomation, or trusting the people at the helm, fuels the right wing nationalist factions. Even here in the UK we can see it with the increasing rise of the BNP in the face of adjusting to the new ecomomic pressures of being in the EU. i.e. worker migration, (see the old posts in the uk forum on this).
I think its just important to be aware of the movements that are out there, and highlighting the fact is one way of stopping it from getting a foot hold.
National identity already exists with European Identity, how strong that European identity is will always I think be up for debate..
I have seen this too, there is an arrogance from western Europeans, when in the East. I think part of this is that they are not told anything other than what great stag parties you can have in Prague, and expect a 3rd world population thankful for their currency. All not true.
Thats why I think talking about this stuff is good, it opens everyones eyes and educates them...
RE: 10 things a Woman shouldn't Say to a Man
but they're not my friends...