What the Olympics can teach us about nationalism

For those of you who are really love to see how realists see the world, you should never miss the article written by Prof. Stephen Walt. Due regards with the current Olympics Game held in London, Prof. Walt rises an interesting relationship between nationalism and Olympics Game. Here is the two paragraphs of his writing.

Like most of you, I’m spending some time these days watching the Olympics. It’s especially fun to see more obscure sports like fencing, table tennis, and beach volleyball get their moments in the sun, and there are always a few upsets and feel-good stories to keep us riveted. And for the record, I thought that utterly wacky opening ceremony was flat-out brilliant.

But given my day job, I can’t help but see the Olympics as a sublimely teachable moment about nationalism. Every Olympic year I ask my students who they rooted for, and whether they got a subtle thrill when one of their countrymen won. Are they disappointed when one of their fellow nationals loses out? Of course, the vast majority of students admit that they tend to do just that, and I’ll confess to similar instincts myself.

For further reading please visit his blog