Political geography: concepts, methods, and applications

¶ … International Herald Tribune has brought forth some important issues concerning nationalism, fundamentalism and United States flawed policy in this regard. It is clear from the article that Nationalism is the driving force behind recent terrorist acts and even when it is based on radical religion, it often gives birth to intense nationalistic sentiments because of U.S.'s thoughtless response to a serious issue. Russia, United States and almost every other powerful country is under the impression that it is doing everything in its power to curb terrorism but what it fails to understand is that fundamentalism is based primarily on sentiments of nationalism. These sentiments are now emerging to defy all forms of totalitarian authority exercised by the so-called super-powers. "Nationalism has been the most important force in modern history, resisting and outlasting all totalitarianisms." Nationalism refers to the pride and loyalty that one feels towards his roots and his nations. The recent emergence of terrorism can be attributed to rising sense of nationalism because Muslims around the world feel like one nation and any attack against any Muslim country is considered an attack against the Muslim nation and this intense sense of nationalism gives rise to acts of defiance usually terrorism. But Bush administration as always failed to see that nationalism was the actual force and by using flawed policy to counter terrorism, it aroused intense nationalism even among people in which it was formally absent. Fundamentalists have thus stood to benefit from the flawed U.S. policy because it enraged the general public in Muslim nations that had previously been speaking against Fundamentalist. They now have a keener and clearer sense of a nation and they are as much against U.S. policies and fundamentalists have always been. "In invading Iraq, the Bush administration made a gift of Iraqi nationalism to the Islamic fundamentalists. Without nationalism, the fundamentalist cause is weak." This consistent pattern can be observed in previous cases of terrorism too. United States needs to learn from its repeated failed attempts to curb terrorism and this will help in the creation of a more effective U.S. policy.