Would You Fight For Your Country?

[Music] Imagine waking up one morning to a world devastated by nuclear winter. Outside, there's smoke so thick that you can't see the sun. Sludge runs from your taps instead of water, and you survive on rations of canned goods from a better time. Factions of people start fighting each other for resources. Food and clothing become luxuries. Life has become a bleak and joyless battle for survival, all because of World War III.

The consequences of a third world war would drastically change everything we know and love. A modern-day world war could very well end life as we know it. You might be able to survive on scraps and live amongst the rubble of nuclear fallout, but countless animals, plants, and insects would be erased from the face of the earth. Now, while this might sound like the backdrop for a new sci-fi movie, World War III's threat is much less fictional than we wish to believe.

Life in the West right now, for the most part, is relatively simple and conflict-free. To have that comfort ripped out from under you isn't something most people consider. We go about our day-to-day, not wanting to think about how fragile world peace is. We take it for granted, assuming our lives will always be conflict-free. But World War III might be on the horizon. It won't happen tomorrow, but decades of tension and conflict could one day produce the conditions for a global war.

This brings us to a question that not many have thought about: If World War III does happen, do you have a duty to protect the way of life you have come to know and love? I'll admit that in the face of current global threats, it seems a little indulgent for Westerners to spend too much time thinking about the impacts of war on our home front. The devastation of war is a current reality for millions of people spanning the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and parts of Africa. Contemplating the tragedy of war from a place of relative safety isn't a good look, or is tragic regardless of whether it impacts the West.

You need to acknowledge your privilege, perspective, and relative safety; otherwise, thinking about how war will impact you could be in bad taste. But I do think the effects of a potential World War III are worth considering. You might realize how desperately you cling to the belief that you're safe and your way of life will always be secure. Any history student can tell you that conflicts between nations boiled over with the first two global wars until the whole world was involved. So just because your country isn't directly involved doesn't mean it'll never be forced to take up arms. Unexpected and surprising things always happen that change the course of history forever.

Who's to say that something significant won't happen in the 21st century? There are a few theories about how World War III could start. Quite simply, if any NATO allied countries were ever attacked, we'd be facing global conflict. Some of these countries, like Poland, are pretty geographically close to violence taking place right now. If a NATO country is threatened, major powers like America, Canada, and Britain will be forced to act. Suddenly, you might be ripped from your home and forced to fight for the sake of your country.

Also, the world's current political climate isn't what I'd call stable. Across the globe, political debates are heated. I think it's safe to say that many modern-day leaders have big egos and are more hungry for power. Politicians fight on social media, and sometimes it seems like they care more about entertaining the masses than properly governing them. Many politicians have large followings or admirers hanging off their every word. In some countries, protests aimed at the government are illegal or frowned upon.

It's easy to imagine a scenario where a global conflict is sparked by a petty argument, and the charisma of confident leaders could inspire the masses to fight on their beliefs. So imagine if something unprecedented were to happen, and you're called to take up arms and fight. Should you be expected to lay down your life for your country?

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Back to our story. That's a loaded question. If conscription was implemented and citizens were called to mandatory military service, I can imagine many people who don't agree with the politics of their leaders avoiding the draft by fleeing their country and defecting. Scroll through social media, and you'll see countless posts from young people critiquing their politicians. I can't imagine these people would take conscription lightly. Fighting for a country whose ideals you don't agree with would be like betraying your own beliefs.

But the question of duty remains at the back of my mind. Do you owe your country anything? After all, it is where you live, work, and pay taxes. While you might not agree with everything your government does, your country is still the place you call home. This idea of duty challenges what it means to live in a free and democratic society. To me, in a democracy, you should have a right to disagree and abstain from any conflicts your country supports. Your freedoms and beliefs should be something your country protects and honors, no matter the circumstances. Even if you don't call yourself a nationalist, your citizenship and loyalty shouldn't be questioned. That's what living in a free country is all about.

If that's not the case, you might be living under an oppressive regime. As history progresses, the actions of our countries and our leaders redefine our nations. National identities can shift and change over time. It's hard to predict or feel this happening in the present, and I think it's something we can only see in hindsight. So, knowing this, it's essential to think about the values you stand for, independent of your country's national story. You might want to look closer at your country's history, maybe take some time to reflect on how the past shaped the present, or ask yourself what you think makes a fair and just society. What do you think it means to be a good citizen?

Once you've got a clear sense of your own politics, comparing and contrasting them with those of the politicians governing you is important. Developing a critical eye towards your country will help you sniff out propaganda and coercion. It will also help keep your politicians more accountable to their citizens. There's a famous phrase: If you stand for nothing, you'll fall for everything. If World War III is around the corner, you don't want to be vulnerable to manipulation.

While being an independent thinker is good, I don't want to imply that feelings of national pride or patriotism are wrong. Some people believe their country is aligned with their values, religion, and culture. Part of living in a democracy is respecting people with a more patriotic perspective. Patriotism can help foster community and collective well-being. Nationalism can also strengthen the economy. When countries protect their economic interests, their quality of life increases. Patriotism helps reinforce the idea that we all share the same land and have things in common with our neighbors. Recognizing these similarities can help bring people together; it reminds us that we're not living life as isolated adults when we're participating members of our country, or part of something much bigger.

Also, what if your country were under attack? Patriotism might be valuable if you needed to defend yourself against an aggressor. It might motivate you to protect a way of life or culture you hold dear from a greater threat. It's easy to be anti-war or anti-conflict when no one is knocking down your door, but a patriotic fervor might be what saves a nation from destruction.

Still, there's a difference between loving your country and wanting to die for it. Balancing your patriotism with your ideals is part of being a conscious and well-informed citizen. You should be able to criticize your country as much as you love it. If you're unable to critique your country, you could become susceptible to fascist or nationalist thinking, and suddenly, patriotism motivates your every action. You shouldn't love your country so much that you want it to dominate the world. I think it's safe to say that a world domination mindset is unethical. Maybe part of being a patriot is respecting that other countries have the same right to pride and enthusiasm that you have about your country.

But to expect that from the most die-hard nationalists might be optimistic or naive. After all, patriotism and nationalism have a bloody history. While you work out how you feel about belonging to your own country, World War III might be looming. And if it does happen, conversations about duty and patriotism will be at the forefront. But I find it interesting that we usually only have these conversations in the context of war, and that these concepts are only linked to belonging to a country. Because countries are man-made, borders were often drawn without regard for land formations or ethnic groups. Patriotism and nationalism are attitudes associated with the countries we created, not the communities formed after hundreds of years of raising families.

So who says they can't be feelings we change or dismantle? What is the psychology that motivates patriotism and nationalism? Could there be a way to channel these feelings towards more progressive and peaceful endeavors? At the core of nationalist and patriotic feelings is the urge to protect what you have. You want to conserve a way of life because you think it's good. You might want to share that way of life with others or think it's the best way to live. War is a very obvious and emotionally charged threat to what we love, but it might not be the biggest challenge we're going to face.

What about the climate crisis? During World War II, people used less gas, gardened from home, scrimped, and saved what they had for the war effort. Yet, it's difficult to motivate people to do similar things in the name of saving the planet, even if climate change is a bigger threat than violence. The reason it's difficult to motivate people to fight climate change is because the enemy is within. War provides one common enemy, one big scary face. It represents something other than ourselves—a force invading us to steal what we have.

It's easy to band together and fight against it. Within that context, it's more difficult to look inward and tell ourselves the truth about the consequences of our actions. Instead of applying nationalist thinking only when facing an external enemy, why don't we turn inward and use nationalist thinking to rally for investment in better infrastructure, healthcare, or education? Why can't that be our patriotic fight? Protecting what you have is one thing, but it's even better to see its potential and want to make it even better.

Also, considering our interconnected global world, it's becoming more evident that nationhood is fragile. Sometimes we have more in common with people in other countries than we do with people in our own. We can see that we are all connected; we rely on one another globally to survive in this world. Causes and concerns aren't so small and local anymore; they involve the global whole. We have an international responsibility to one another. Patriotism and nationalism may be outdated; being a conscious global citizen may be the reality of a 21st century world.

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