Nationalism, supposedly a relic of the two centuries between the French Revolution and the fall of the Soviet Empire, has proven surprisingly resilient. Should we be alarmed at that? A realistic assessment of human history should tell us that nationalism is one of the fundamental passions of humanity, like self-interest, the drive for power and status, or the sex drive. As with all passions, our goal should be not to eliminate it but to subject it to the constraints of reason and experience.
Fused to those companions, nationalism can be healthy in modest doses. When taken straight, it can be much more toxic. In the American context, constraint means co-opting nationalism as a component of an informed patriotism that combines the traditional tribal instinct of people, place, and culture with the classical-liberal tradition of the American founding. As Abraham Lincoln wrote in his eulogy for Henry Clay:
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