Manifestations of declining nationalism

In such a situation, some homeowners may either resist in vain or relocate to other parts of the nation or abroad to find a new home; however, they will ultimately face the same consequences, as seen in the case of Boiling Frog Syndrome. The result remains unchanged – wherever you go, you lose your piece of ownership of your nation, whether you accept the condition, challenge it, or try to escape.

These three key aspects of a nation, along with other more complex factors, are clear signs of the gradual decline of nationalism in the West, which does not die overnight; instead, it has a slow, agonising death over an extended time until it collapses suddenly.

It reminds us of what Hemingway said in his celebrated novel, "The Sun Also Rises," as follows: "How did you go bankrupt?" Bill asked. 'Two ways,' Mike said. 'Gradually and then suddenly.'

With the decline of nationalism in the West, nations may gradually disappear, resulting from a tendency that there will be no sense of united pride or motivation to defend them, or to perceive them as a foundation for their collective existence and continuation. Although they may not disappear simultaneously or on the exact timeframes, these are the current trends and patterns in most Western countries.

Some may argue a nation is a social construct, meaning it does not have inherent validity to exist across history. Even if we accept the death of nations as inevitable, it is disconcerting to fathom what follows this death-a new global nation overruling the disintegrated land of current nations into global anarchy.

Global anarchy is the last desired outcome for populations in the West, as they cannot function in the absence of order, yet they accept this inevitability. Moreover, suppose anarchy is a result of the decline of nationalism and the disappearance of nations. In that case, populations will look to an overarching ruling body to restore order, even if it means sacrificing autonomy and freedom for the sake of safety. Perhaps a global dictatorship can easily step in within this context, in the name of "liberation", "the common good", or "a shared future", among other "justifications."

In another scenario, a global corporation will be delighted to seize this opportunity to promise global governance through technocratic measures advanced with digital control mechanisms, including digital ID, currency and facial/emotion detection systems. This would provide us with an absolute and final "nation," where we will be made dependent and disposable.

It is frightening that nations may disappear, but what follows may be even more frightening: this may make us disappear gradually and then suddenly – all together.