Page 19 - Issue 20

accompanied not only by the upsurge of
nationalism but also by the rapid expansion of
capitalism. This unholy trinity has by now spent
itself.

Capitalism is nothing if not pragmatic and, having
linked arms with nationalism on one side and the
state on the other, can now afford to dispense with
both; or rather, technological development and
the need for expansion require capitalism, if it is to
maintain itself, to rationalise, which in turn requires
greater internationalisation of capital, hence less
linkage to the nation-state. The recession of the
seventies and eighties has only accelerated this
process. The final outcome could be either a new
world economic order or a crash of catastrophic
proportions - proving that capitalism is either
inherently rational and resilient, or is a mass of
inner contradictions and unable to function except
in a narrow nation-state/imperialistic framework.
Whichever the outcome, capitalism's
internationalization can only make the concept of
the nation-state yet more redundant.

Understanding Nationalism

Now all this may seem an eminently sound
argument for the Jews not to set up their own
nation-state. Why go backwards when the world is
moving forwards? This argument fails to take
account of certain considerations. The first is that,
if this is the case, it is not only the Jews who are
going 'backwards'. As noted, many countries have
become independent states in only the last 30-40