“A nation dies when it hates its own history.”

A reflection on this truth, by Facebook friend and author Avelina Balestri.

The reflection below (which was not, to my knowledge, sparked specifically by the impending destruction of the Reconciliation Monument, at Arlington, pictured above: that is my addition) is by author Avellina Balestri. In any case, I agree with her, 100%:

“It is said that a nation dies when it hates its own history. But what does that really mean?

“Firstly, I am not opposed to healthy self-evaluation, acknowledging past and present faults, and finding ways to improve our countries going forward. It should be fairly evident given the type of social issues I post about to raise awareness. Secondly, I am not the sort to view history solely through rose-tinted glasses. That should be fairly evident from any of my writings, which don’t cut corners on the harsh realities of life in past time periods where warfare, disease, and poverty were widespread.

“At the same time, I am not smug about our current age. The fact is there were many good, true, and beautiful aspects of the past we have cast aside. So we have advanced in some ways, and regressed in others. Nostalgia is not completely without rationale for a more organic, communal, and spiritual way of living.

“One thing is certain to me: the West has come to a point where it is almost fashionable to act self-hating towards itself, in a way I have not seen remotely mirrored among people from the East. There is a knee-jerk response to assume and emphasize the worst in our own heritage, while often giving slack to other cultures and deeming them morally superior.

“There is absolutely a palpable bitterness I have encountered time and time again towards our own history, because it is supposedly just about “old white men” which, needless to say, is both a sexist and racist statement and dehumanizes our own ancestors. Any sign of patriotism or pride in the past is condemned as being somehow toxically jingoistic, although I would argue that a lack of this healthy sense of communal and national identification is actually what’s toxic.

“It seems evident to me that this post-modern western trend is a product of Marxist ideology that encourages a break with the past in order to start from scratch and create a magical demi-paradise that would instead be a godless dystopia. That is why I will oppose this trend until my dying day.”

Amen, and amen.