‘Old wine in new bottles’: Craig Wright explores idea of nationalism

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In his latest blog post, Dr. Craig Wright explores Benedict Anderson’s idea of nationalism in his book “Imagined Communities.”

“The argument is that nationalism derives its structure through modern capitalist arrangements. The promotion of literacy and even newspapers develops into the vehicle of transplanting political and ideological concepts that extend beyond race and monarchy.”

However, Dr. Wright disagrees with Anderson. 

“If it so were true, we would expect to exclusively see homogeneous tribes and ancient communities, where racial isolation and xenophobia endure as the norm…Nationalism can be seen as neither modern nor capitalistic; it is an idea as old as history, and no matter which model you put it in, or how new the definitional label, the wine is old,” said Dr. Wright. “Against the suggestion that capitalism is the foundation of nationalism and that such notions are modern, I have but one thing to say: SPQR (Senātus Populusque Rōmānus)!”

Dr. Wright gives examples regarding why Anderson’s idea of nationalism is flawed and points to the Roman Empire as a prime example of why this is the case.

“The Roman Empire thrived and grew through periods of immigration. At each opportunity where the Roman Empire opened its doors and increased the franchise of citizenship, the nation thrived. Conversely, xenophobia resulted in periods of less trade and agony.”

Dr. Wright appears to be drawing parallels to the attitude and mentality of blockchain maximalists, their approach to the world, and the advantages and drawbacks that come with particular ways of thinking. 

History shows us that xenophobia, which can be equated to the blockchain maximalism mentality, results in less trade, while an open-minded, you can join our party approach—similar to the mentality and attitude of the Roman Empire—strengthened the nation and allowed them to be one of the most dominant, resilient forces on the planet for many years.

As usual, Dr. Wright’s latest blog post is loaded with information, references to external texts, and somewhat cryptic messages that capture the pulse of the world as well as the blockchain and digital currency ecosystem. That being said, you are going to want to read Dr. Wright’s latest blog post, “Nation and state: Old wine in new bottles,” and decide for yourself what Dr. Wright is alluding to.