The collision of sectionalism, conceit, and selfishness (also: summary)

Imperialism as a nationalistic phenomenon is enough of a counterexample to disprove the idea that a nation is fundamentally defined by its land, but the race hypothesis (that nationalism is racially driven) deserves at least some attention.  Racism as a tool serves the vital objective of nationalism (and imperialism especially) to both glorify the self and objectify the enemy.  The atrocities committed under King Leopold in the Belgian Congo, which would by no means be committed by Europeans on each other for some time, could only have been explained by a deep-rooted belief that humans only come in white.