--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whenever a party tells you national…" description: "\"“Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more than anything else in politics, that nationalism can sort out all the other problems, then w..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/c-j-sansom-22985_national-identity_whenever-a-party-tells-you-national-iden_1982862.jpg" --- # Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more… ![“Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more than anything else in politics, that nationalism can sort out all the other problems, then watch out, because you’re on a road that can end with fascism.” quote by C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/c-j-sansom-22985_national-identity_whenever-a-party-tells-you-national-iden_1982862.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/c-j-sansom-22985_national-identity_whenever-a-party-tells-you-national-iden_1982862.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/948/c-j-sansom-22985_national-identity_whenever-a-party-tells-you-national-iden_1982862.jpg) > ““Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more than anything else in politics, that nationalism can sort out all the other problems, then watch out, because you’re on a road that can end with fascism.”” [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Warning that prioritizing nationalism above all can lead societies toward authoritarianism and fascism. **In simple terms:** Nationalism can pave the way to fascism. Key Takeaway Guard against extreme nationalism. Themes politics identity danger Mood cautious serious Type political philosophical When to use this quote - elections - policy debates - public speeches - education curricula - media analysis Key Concepts nationalism authoritarianism political theory Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards prevent nationalism from turning fascist? - How can identity be celebrated without exclusion? A Different Perspective Nationalism can also foster unity and self‑determination. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [End Fascism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/end-fascism-2273326/) [Matters Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matters-politics-1429786/) [National identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-identity/) [Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism/) [Nationalism Sort](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism-sort-3395166/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Politics Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics-nationalism-3395165/) ## Related quotes > [“Struggles to coerce uniformity of sentiment in support of some end thought essential to their time and country have been waged by many good…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-h-jackson/struggles-to-coerce-uniformity-of-sentiment-in-support-of-some-end/) [Robert H. 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It's who you are and what you represent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-luntz/what-matters-most-in-politics-is-personality-it-s-not-issues-it-s-not/) [Frank Luntz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-luntz/) > [Music really matters in politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lp/music-really-matters-in-politics/) [LP](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lp/) > [I’ve come to believe that, fundamentally, art matters more than politics.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-luther-adams/i-ve-come-to-believe-that-fundamentally-art-matters-more-than-politics/) [John Luther Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-luther-adams/) > [All isms end in fascism.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-adair/all-isms-end-in-fascism/) [Gilbert Adair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-adair/) > [We are ready to end fascism once and for all, even in spite of the Republican government.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/buenaventura-durruti/we-are-ready-to-end-fascism-once-and-for-all-even-in-spite-of-the/) [Buenaventura Durruti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/buenaventura-durruti/) > [A bomb under the West car park at Twickenham on an international day would end fascism in England for a generation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-toynbee/a-bomb-under-the-west-car-park-at-twickenham-on-an-international-day/) [Philip Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-toynbee/) > [Either we learn to live together and embrace the complexity of life, or we will end up with fascism again and destroy ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sebastian-lelio/either-we-learn-to-live-together-and-embrace-the-complexity-of-life/) [Sebastian Lelio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sebastian-lelio/) > [“The recognition of a distinct 'national identity' among members of the Body of Christ can keep before us our ties with Christians who live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-j-mouw/the-recognition-of-a-distinct-national-identity-among-members-of-the/) [Richard J. Mouw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-j-mouw/) > [Theatre has no national identity. It is something for the world, whether it is Irish, English, or French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-cusack/theatre-has-no-national-identity-it-is-something-for-the-world/) [Cyril Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-cusack/) > [“According to royal doctrine, the king’s role as defender of Egypt (and the whole of creation) involved the corresponding defeat of Egypt’s neighbors (who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-a-h-wilkinson/according-to-royal-doctrine-the-king-s-role-as-defender-of-egypt-and/) [Toby A.H. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-a-h-wilkinson/) > [A waning United States would likely be more nationalistic, more defensive about its national identity, more paranoid about its homeland security, and less willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/a-waning-united-states-would-likely-be-more-nationalistic-more/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [“But the alternative is the return to power of Labour. This is the party which did more than any other to wreck Britain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/but-the-alternative-is-the-return-to-power-of-labour-this-is-the/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-are-less-certain-of-their-national-identities-or-their-place/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) ## More by C.J. Sansom > [Dominion is a spy novel, a love story, and also I hope gives some sense of the difficulties faced by dissidents under any totalitarian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/dominion-is-a-spy-novel-a-love-story-and-also-i-hope-gives-some-sense/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“Never in England were there so many gentlemen and so little gentleness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/never-in-england-were-there-so-many-gentlemen-and-so-little-gentleness/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [We of alien looks or words must stick together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/we-of-alien-looks-or-words-must-stick-together/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [If I knocked and waited at every door, who knows what I might miss?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/if-i-knocked-and-waited-at-every-door-who-knows-what-i-might-miss/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“prior looked at each other with mutual distaste. ‘Mortifying yourself again, Jerome?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/prior-looked-at-each-other-with-mutual-distaste-mortifying-yourself/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [It seems a universal rule in this world that people will always look for victims and scapegoats, does it not? Especially at times of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/it-seems-a-universal-rule-in-this-world-that-people-will-always-look/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“... there is nothing under the moon, however fine, that is not subject to corruption.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/there-is-nothing-under-the-moon-however-fine-that-is-not-subject-to/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [The lives God gives to us, the awful things we can’t escape from. Sometimes I think that sort of God would enjoy making hell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/the-lives-god-gives-to-us-the-awful-things-we-can-t-escape-from/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [Funny, when i was a little boy I wanted to be good. But I could never seem to manage it somehow. And if you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/funny-when-i-was-a-little-boy-i-wanted-to-be-good-but-i-could-never/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“I suppose we were drawn to each other because neither of us quite fitted in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/i-suppose-we-were-drawn-to-each-other-because-neither-of-us-quite/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [The echoes of childhood torments have great power, even when not brought to mind in such an inexplicable and horrifying way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/the-echoes-of-childhood-torments-have-great-power-even-when-not/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“You untangle a knot with slow teasing, not sharp pulling, and believe me we have here a knot such as I have never seen.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/you-untangle-a-knot-with-slow-teasing-not-sharp-pulling-and-believe/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [ “Many \[Tudor-era religious radicals\] believed then, exactly as Christian fundamentalists do today, that they lived in the 'last days' before Armageddon and, again just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/many-tudor-era-religious-radicals-believed-then-exactly-as-christian/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [In worshipping their nationhood men worship themselves and scorn others, and that is no healthy thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/in-worshipping-their-nationhood-men-worship-themselves-and-scorn/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) > [“How men fear the chaos of the world, I thought, and the yawning eternity hereafter. So we build patterns to explain its terrible mysteries…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-j-sansom/how-men-fear-the-chaos-of-the-world-i-thought-and-the-yawning/) [C.J. Sansom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) [Explore all 25 C.J. Sansom quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-j-sansom/) ## More National identity quotes > [People are less certain of their national identities or their place in the world. It starts looking different and disorienting. And there is no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/people-are-less-certain-of-their-national-identities-or-their-place/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Theatre has no national identity. It is something for the world, whether it is Irish, English, or French.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cyril-cusack/theatre-has-no-national-identity-it-is-something-for-the-world/) [Cyril Cusack](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cyril-cusack/) > [“According to royal doctrine, the king’s role as defender of Egypt (and the whole of creation) involved the corresponding defeat of Egypt’s neighbors (who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toby-a-h-wilkinson/according-to-royal-doctrine-the-king-s-role-as-defender-of-egypt-and/) [Toby A.H. Wilkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toby-a-h-wilkinson/) > [“The prevalence of anti-patriotic attitudes among liberal intellectuals led some of them to warn their fellow liberals of the consequences of such attitudes for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-p-huntington/the-prevalence-of-anti-patriotic-attitudes-among-liberal/) [Samuel P. Huntington](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-p-huntington/) > [A waning United States would likely be more nationalistic, more defensive about its national identity, more paranoid about its homeland security, and less willing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zbigniew-brzezinski/a-waning-united-states-would-likely-be-more-nationalistic-more/) [Zbigniew Brzezinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zbigniew-brzezinski/) > [“But the alternative is the return to power of Labour. This is the party which did more than any other to wreck Britain with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-craig/but-the-alternative-is-the-return-to-power-of-labour-this-is-the/) [David Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-craig/) > [The loss of national identity is the greatest defeat a nation can know, and it is inevitable under the contemporary form of colonization.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/slobodan-milosevi/the-loss-of-national-identity-is-the-greatest-defeat-a-nation-can/) [Slobodan Milosević](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/slobodan-milosevi/) > [We are undermining a generation's happiness by depriving them of national identity, religious identity, and gender identity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-prager/we-are-undermining-a-generation-s-happiness-by-depriving-them-of/) [Dennis Prager](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-prager/) > [“Forgetting, I would even go so far as to say historical error, is a crucial factor in the creation of a nation; thus the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-judt/forgetting-i-would-even-go-so-far-as-to-say-historical-error-is-a/) [Tony Judt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-judt/) > [“Vichy emerged not only from what divided the French but also what united them: pacifism, fear of population decline, loss of confidence in national…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-jackson/vichy-emerged-not-only-from-what-divided-the-french-but-also-what/) [Julian Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-jackson/) > [“For all his paranoid alarm, Bannon believes that the rise of nationalist movements across the world, from Europe to Japan to the United States,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joshua-green/for-all-his-paranoid-alarm-bannon-believes-that-the-rise-of/) [Joshua Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joshua-green/) > [For two centuries the English countryside has been an icon of national identity and the loved reminder of our island home. Yet the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-scruton/for-two-centuries-the-english-countryside-has-been-an-icon-of/) [Roger Scruton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-scruton/) > [We'll explain the appeal of curling to you if you explain the appeal of the National Rifle Association to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-barrie/we-ll-explain-the-appeal-of-curling-to-you-if-you-explain-the-appeal/) [Andy Barrie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-barrie/) > [“Larry has been absorbed, as he wished, into that tumultuous conglomeration of humanity, distracted by so many conflicting interests, so lost in the world's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/w-somerset-maugham/larry-has-been-absorbed-as-he-wished-into-that-tumultuous/) [W. Somerset Maugham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/w-somerset-maugham/) > [I believe, as a Puerto Rican, that the majority of Puerto Ricans want to be Puerto Ricans. Once we become annexed to the United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-lopez-rivera/i-believe-as-a-puerto-rican-that-the-majority-of-puerto-ricans-want/) [Oscar Lopez Rivera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-lopez-rivera/) [Browse all 105 National identity quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/national-identity/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whenever a party tells you national identity matters more than anything else in politics, that nationalism can sort out all the other problems, then watch out, because you’re on a road that can end with fascism.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "C.J. 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