rootsandculture

          I had been occupied with understanding the core basis for people to identify with countries of birth, flags, anthems and the rest of the propaganda of imperial history. I considered whether the popularity of these symbols represent more than a way of identifying, of belonging, of feeling secure, of being part of the gang. Not that being part of a gang or any of it is any small matter. I considered the removal of old statues of Columbus, Rhodes and their gang; as against the politics and economics they left, and is still, in place. And I have had to consider whether it is something more material; as who controls the land, and who owns the idea of the nation, and how the two make for the present crises of displacement and enslavement. I was writing this essay for some time and going nowhere with it. I wanted to challenge the level of commitment individuals show towards the notion of their ‘country’. Country is not the only grouping. It extend...