Credit: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
Every country has a founding myth, a narrative that serves as the foundation of its national identity. Often, such stories don’t hold up to historical scrutiny, but that is beside the point. Such stories help nations determine who belongs — and who does not.
For many countries around the world, particularly in Europe, such narratives are based at some level on race, ethnicity, tribe or some other attribute allegedly inherent in the population in question. In Germany, for example, it is the battle in 9 B.C. in the Teutoberger Forest, where Germanic tribes led by Arminius joined together to defeat the Romans, securing both their independence and territorial ownership. In Romania, it is the notion that they are somehow descendants of the Romans and settled the area before any of the other present-day minorities appeared on the scene. Nineteenth century Irish nationalists sought to trace the country’s origins back to the Celts.
The US has always been an outlier. In America, the founding myth does not focus on a […]
The official policy of the US is that the reported votes should not deviate more than 2% from the exit polls. In the 3rd debate Trump supported a strict interpretation of the constitution. On a day to day basis, I see more creeping tyranny from the status quo. Who is the status quo candidate?