Ugh. Bad.

I've no spare time and I'm getting lower and lower grades. Feel stressed, depressed,...

So nothing out of the usual, yourself?

How are you doing these days bud?

I suppose you're right, the path of the future was always going to be one of pain. I'm just excited to see how it turns out.

I still disagree in using land as a fundamental factor in human relationships and societies. Cultures are cultures independently of the land they stand on; and national identity is something always changing -if it were for maintaining one forever, here in Spain we would still be Celtic and Iberian, stuck in the Neolithic and pagan traditions.

Also -can't wait to see that post

I'll make an announcement later when my name changes, I've got a neat idea to justify all my name changes.

Am I a nationalist? Somewhat, but only in protecting what my country holds most dear in terms of national identity, protecting our culture. Otherwise I welcome foreign people as long as they're of good character and/or aren't an invading army.

I still have a question though: are you a Nationalist yourself?

Any case and by the way: nice avatar, is the ol' Spock back?

Oh I agree, I do. Believe me though, Ho Chi Minh's regime only sought to rejuvinate the culture of confucion ethics that had been destroyed by the French and Japanese invasions. Communist Vietnam today is an expanding tourist destination. Ho never meant to close Vietnam's borders, only to give Vietnam a national identity, something that made him very popular with Vietnamese.

I understand where Nationalism comes from and this is exactly where the problem I have with it comes from too. Where does the frontier between an oppressive State and a selfish community lie?

There are many kinds of nationalism too, and the Italian type is one that I favor: using culture not to create borders but destroy them, unify a culture peacefully. But not separatism.

Then again, the problem I showed you above appears.

Ho Chi Minh was nothing like that. Understand that Vietnam had undergone hundreds of years of foreign occupation by several countries, each occupation took a piece of Vietnam's honour and dignity away. Ho Chi Minh wanted to end this and bring unionship to Vietnam, this is what separates him from other troublesome nationalist movements.

I would like to discuss with you on Nationalism, since it's a movement I strongly disagree with and which I feel you defend -for your post on Ho Chi Minh. Here in Spain we have several movements of that sort: Basque, Catalonian and Gallician; and they only provoke serious conflicts for a selfish cause. Most of them demand, if not becoming an independent nation, making of theirs the only language spoken and their culture the only promoted. It builds up walls and frontiers between people to the point that fraternity and cooperation is inviable, that any form of expression is coerced, and that culture is used as a separative element.

Relating oneself to a piece of land is absurd and irrational; yet one of the most usual moves in power history. I hope that we can get over that, someday.

If you want to get further in this debate; I leave it open for you.

PS: And thanks for the support offer -it's much appreciated