--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Current nationalism is merely the…" description: "\"Current nationalism is merely the affirmation of the right of colonial elites to repeat historyand follow the road travelled by the rich toward the uni..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/ivan-illich-3546_affirmation_current-nationalism-is-merely-the-affirm_1159504.jpg" --- # Current nationalism is merely the affirmation of the right… ![“Current nationalism is merely the affirmation of the right of colonial elites to repeat historyand follow the road travelled by the rich toward the universal consumption of internationally marketed packages, a road which can ultimately lead only to universal pollution and universal frustration.” quote by Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/ivan-illich-3546_affirmation_current-nationalism-is-merely-the-affirm_1159504.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/ivan-illich-3546_affirmation_current-nationalism-is-merely-the-affirm_1159504.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/8b7/ivan-illich-3546_affirmation_current-nationalism-is-merely-the-affirm_1159504.jpg) > “Current nationalism is merely the affirmation of the right of colonial elites to repeat historyand follow the road travelled by the rich toward the universal consumption of internationally marketed packages, a road which can ultimately lead only to universal pollution and universal frustration.” [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Modern nationalism repeats elite-driven consumption, leading to environmental and social distress. **In simple terms:** Elite consumption fuels pollution and frustration. Key Takeaway Question consumption-driven nationalism. Themes politics environment economics Mood concerned analytical Type critical philosophical When to use this quote - policy making - activism - education Key Concepts colonialism globalization consumerism Questions to Reflect On - How can societies shift from elite consumption? - What alternatives to nationalism exist? A Different Perspective Changing deep-rooted consumption habits is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Affirmation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/affirmation/) [Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption/) [Consumption Internationally](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/consumption-internationally-3313389/) [Current Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/current-nationalism-3313386/) [Currents](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/currents/) [Elites](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/elites/) [Frustration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/frustration/) [Nationalism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism/) [Nationalism Merely](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nationalism-merely-3313385/) [Packages](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/packages/) [Patriotism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/patriotism/) [Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pollution/) [Repeat History](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeat-history/) [Repeats](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/repeats/) [Rich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rich/) [Road Travel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/road-travel/) [Universal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal/) [Universal Consumption](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal-consumption-3313387/) [Universal Pollution](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/universal-pollution-3313388/) ## Related quotes > [The "developed" nations had given to the "free market" the status of a god, and were sacrificing to it their farmers, farmlands, and communities,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendell-berry/the-developed-nations-had-given-to-the-free-market-the-status-of-a/) [Wendell Berry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendell-berry/) > [Sugar, rum and tobacco are commodities which are nowhere necessaries of life, which are become objects of almost universal consumption, and which are therefore…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-smith/sugar-rum-and-tobacco-are-commodities-which-are-nowhere-necessaries/) [Adam Smith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/adam-smith/) > [“Weapons cannot buy peace, but they can help us to not repeat history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/weapons-cannot-buy-peace-but-they-can-help-us-to-not-repeat-history/) [A.P.J. Abdul Kalam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-p-j-abdul-kalam-2/) > [The want to return to the fold doesn't mean you can repeat history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lindsey-buckingham/the-want-to-return-to-the-fold-doesn-t-mean-you-can-repeat-history/) [Lindsey Buckingham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lindsey-buckingham/) > [“Professor Julius Lester, which I kept propped on my desk: “History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/professor-julius-lester-which-i-kept-propped-on-my-desk-history-is/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [I will repeat history over and over. I'm one of those girls where I would just rather beat it into the ground than go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-kane/i-will-repeat-history-over-and-over-i-m-one-of-those-girls-where-i/) [Chelsea Kane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-kane/) > [History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/history-is-not-just-facts-and-events-history-is-also-a-pain-in-the-2/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [“History is not just facts and events. History is also a pain in the heart and we repeat history until we are able to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-monk-kidd/history-is-not-just-facts-and-events-history-is-also-a-pain-in-the/) [Sue Monk Kidd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-monk-kidd/) > [If we are to make progress, we must not repeat history but make new history. We must add to inheritance left by our ancestors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/if-we-are-to-make-progress-we-must-not-repeat-history-but-make-new/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [If you are not open to the unprecedented, you will repeat history. If you are open to the unprecedented, you will change history. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-batterson/if-you-are-not-open-to-the-unprecedented-you-will-repeat-history-if/) [Mark Batterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-batterson/) > [It is only education and understanding of the past that teaches us not to repeat history.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-jarecki/it-is-only-education-and-understanding-of-the-past-that-teaches-us/) [Eugene Jarecki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-jarecki/) > [“Love should always be given, but trust must be earned, and never forget or else be tagged the fool, doomed to repeat history.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-m-fields/love-should-always-be-given-but-trust-must-be-earned-and-never-forget/) [L.M. Fields](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-m-fields/) > [“... to say we would repeat history was unfair when that history was unknown to us.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-l-armentrout/to-say-we-would-repeat-history-was-unfair-when-that-history-was/) [Jennifer L. Armentrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-l-armentrout/) > [If you don't learn about each other, you do not understand each other, and you don't hide warts and all, both sides, then you're…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/warren-mundine/if-you-don-t-learn-about-each-other-you-do-not-understand-each-other/) [Warren Mundine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/warren-mundine/) > [I'm not trying to say that we're facing or looking at a likely repeat of history. It would be great if we were.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/i-m-not-trying-to-say-that-we-re-facing-or-looking-at-a-likely-repeat/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) ## More by Ivan Illich > [“Universal education through schooling is not feasible. It would be no more feasible if it were attempted by means of alternative institutions built on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/universal-education-through-schooling-is-not-feasible-it-would-be-no/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [The re-establishment of an ecological balance depends on the ability of society to counteract the progressive materialization of values. 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'schooled' to confuse teaching with learning, grade advancement with education, a diploma with competence, and fluency with the ability to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-pupil-is-schooled-to-confuse-teaching-with-learning-grade/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [To deschool means to abolish the power of one person to oblige another.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/to-deschool-means-to-abolish-the-power-of-one-person-to-oblige-another/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [Societies in which most people depend for most of their goods and services on the personal whim, kindness, or skill of another are called…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/societies-in-which-most-people-depend-for-most-of-their-goods-and/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [“P3- modernised poverty combines the lack of power over circumstances with a loss of personal potency”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/p3-modernised-poverty-combines-the-lack-of-power-over-circumstances/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [“Today, one must either be isolated and cut off, or a carefully guarded, affluent drop-out, to allow one's children to play in an environment…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/today-one-must-either-be-isolated-and-cut-off-or-a-carefully-guarded/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [The household became the place where the consumption of wages takes place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/the-household-became-the-place-where-the-consumption-of-wages-takes/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [Man must choose whether to be rich in things or in the freedom to use them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-illich/man-must-choose-whether-to-be-rich-in-things-or-in-the-freedom-to-use/) [Ivan Illich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivan-illich/) > [“Welfare bureaucracies claim a professional, political, and financial monopoly over the social imagination, setting standards of what is valuable and what is feasible. 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