What is your conception of the nation? For you, should it be based on ethnicity?

[Julie4]

[purplepoppy]

A country is a shape on a map, a shape defined by geographical features, past wars and treaties created for the convenience of control and taxation.

But a nation is a mindset, it's what makes French French and the Germans German, it's what people think of themselves as and how they are viewed. We speak of national flags, national anthems, national identity, national language etc and not country flags, country anthems, country pride, country language etc.

I think ethnicity is a difficult one. If someone isn't considered British because they're of black ancestory then why should an Englishman whos forebears were saxons and viking rapists be considered British? Look at a gene map of the British Isles and its clear were not all one ethnicity, I assume the same holds true of France. Going down the American route of Irish-American, African American etc is dangerously divisive and counter to the unifying concept of nation.

Our word for nation "cenedl" derives from the proto-indo-European "ken" meaning kindred, perhaps that is also the definition.

[Julie4]

Exactly

[goaded]

No. I understand that just 100 years ago the ethnic mix in Britain was predominantly white (which is why I get a teeny bit annoyed by Dr. Who implying that asking about where someone came from based on their skin colour in, say, 1940 was completely unreasonable; it is now, generations later, of course).

What makes people British is wanting to be British (German, American, etc.) and complying with the laws and better customs of the country.

[Mettbltt]

The most important feature that distinguishes the people from the nation is; People include various segments of society still living in a society. Nation, on the other hand, refers to a certain lineage from the past to the future. It is a more nationalistic expression and highlights the differences between groups living in the same society

It is always important that the founding ethnicity is in the majority.

[RavVid]

Ethnicity is pretty hard for an immigrant nation to hold to.

For me it is that people think of themselves as Australians first rather than as Greeks in Australia.

[abc3643]

Since I am American, it is most definitely NOT based on ethnicity or religion.

[KostasKouvalis]

Maybe originally that's why people created nations, but I don't think ethnicity is as important as shared morals, values and culture

[Julie4]

You have evolved on this subject

[KostasKouvalis]

You're talking about ME personally or American people?

[Julie4]

You ' .

[KostasKouvalis]

Oh? What did you mean by "I have evolved". How so?

[Julie4]

You seemed to consider ethnicity as the main

[Joshydavid25]

It should be people coming together to form a Union with shared values, beliefs, and similar Culture, or willing to form a culture..

[OddBeMe]

It's simply a social contract of citizens to a higher governing body. That's it. No race. No skin color. Unless the v a st majority want that... ie apartheid republicans

[Miristheiss]

Common culture. Common land. Common values. Unified people.

[RyanEC]

I think ethnicity is of paramount importance.
Maintaining a majority of the founding population is very important.

[DrPepper12]

I'm not a fan of this new thing called the "nation state" actually

[msc545]

It seems to be largely comprised of a lot of white people.

[MarjorieJ]

Borders would be a nice start.

[FunkyMonkee]

It should be based on height.

[exitseven]

no it should be based on merit.

[noohair]

Language, borders and customs...