Nostalgia as an Emotional Weapon

Nostalgia is a multifaceted concept that leads to contrasting political outcomes. Reflective nostalgia is the benign form of the malaise. It looks at the past through critical eyes and recognizes that something might have been lost, but that much has been gained along the way. Restorative nostalgia, which proposes to rebuild the lost home, is the malignant form. The problem is that the world is now primarily dealing with a toxic restorative nostalgia used for political ends. Ordinary citizens struggle to adapt to the disruptions imposed on them by global forces that are out of their control, inducing them to find comfort in historical eras when life was easier, slower, and less colored by uncertainty. When thrown into political debates, nostalgia becomes an emotional weapon that can be used either defensively or offensively. To those who reject a cosmopolitan world and yearn for the socio-economic opportunities that were enjoyed by older generations, nationalism promises a source of identity and security. Equally, for those who aspire to restore the national glory of the past, nationalism provides a means to gain influence – to the detriment of other nations. This chapter shows why it is possible to talk about nostalgic nationalism only in the United Kingdom.