Perhaps at the core of the confusion re: nationalism is disagreement about the definition of sovereignty. Ukraine's cause is nationalist because Russia is violating its sovereignty, its right to exist de jure. Russia's cause is nationalist because international organizations are violating its sovereignty. Nationalists in the states sympathize with that framing. They see the Left as collaborators with globalist institutions intent on destroying American sovereignty through open borders, submission to international law and organizations like WHO, etc. As we learned during the Covid pandemic, these fears are not unfounded. Is there such a thing as "good" nationalism? "Bad" nationalism? Perhaps, like "democratic," "nationalist" is not a term of enough specificity to be of any real utility.
Perhaps at the core of the confusion re: nationalism is disagreement about the definition of sovereignty. Ukraine's cause is nationalist because Russia is violating its sovereignty, its right to exist de jure. Russia's cause is nationalist because international organizations are violating its sovereignty. Nationalists in the states sympathize with that framing. They see the Left as collaborators with globalist institutions intent on destroying American sovereignty through open borders, submission to international law and organizations like WHO, etc. As we learned during the Covid pandemic, these fears are not unfounded. Is there such a thing as "good" nationalism? "Bad" nationalism? Perhaps, like "democratic," "nationalist" is not a term of enough specificity to be of any real utility.