Juxtaposition 3: Life in the Middle
Maybe our maps tell stories too… ?
And let’s see, what did I leave out this time? The Turks? The Ukrainians? I barely even mentioned religions, too. … Sometimes it feels like cartography and history are forms of cartooning.
This is great! I never thought about it that way before.
Right on the money, Marek.
Nationalism and the formation of national identity do, indeed, start with first delineating who you are not. In fact, it’s possible that all identity is, first and foremost, defined negatively. It’s about finding the gaps, defining what’s unique about you (we’re all unique, like everybody else). In academia, for example, to make an argument or stake out a position, you first have to identify all the arguments and positions you are not taking, or, rather, taking a stance against.
I’d love to reprint this cartoon at American Robotnik (http://americanrobotnik.com). I’m working on a series of posts about Central European identity, so this would be a great preface. And some link love for -Coffee+Dumplings+Komiks-. Please email me if interested.
Thanks,
Peter
Thanks Peter… Re-posting is appreciated! I can’t wait to read more of your site! — M
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