Are we American (or Israeli or Polish), Global Citizens, or all of the above?

(Source: Kosmos Journal)

Next week, my wife and I are taking a trip to Europe. The main objective is to celebrate 80 years since the liberation of Bergen-Belsen by the British army on April 15, 1945. My own liberation, along with my mother and uncle, happened on April 13, 1945, when we were rescued by the American army near Farsleben, Germany. My previous description of the background of these events can be found in the September 13, 2022 blog. We now have many friends in these communities, and I am sure that many will pose the same question of my citizenship that this blog’s title does.

As of 2023, there were close to 50 million foreign-born people in the US. I am sure that many are being asked a similar question. I was born in Poland in 1939 and I am passport holder in both the US and Israel. I was directly confronted with the question when I needed a security clearance to be a summer guest at a US government laboratory. I was asked what I would do if the US and Israel went to war with each other. This was a hypothetical question (I was above recruitment age), but it was a fair and relevant one, for which I didn’t have a good answer. Not surprisingly, I was denied the clearance.

A historical perspective of the interactions between global and country citizenship was given in a guest opinion in the Sunday, April 6th, NYT by Tara Zahra. A key example from this article, that is also relevant to the situation we are facing now, is given below:

The economist John Maynard Keynes, conjuring an Edwardian version of Amazon, recalled how “the inhabitant of London could order by telephone, sipping his morning tea in bed, the various products of the whole earth, in such quantity as he might see fit, and reasonably expect their early delivery upon his doorstep.” After drinking his tea (from India), sweetened by sugar (from Jamaica), that Londoner might later enjoy toast (made from wheat grown in Kansas), butter (from New Zealand), beef (from Argentina) and oranges (from Palestine).

My trip to Europe is for three weeks. As is my habit in such cases, I will leave two blogs to be posted on a weekly schedule when I am away, and take a one-week break. I should be back on schedule on May 14^th. Meanwhile, one blog will deal with cross-border global threats and opportunities, and the other will be on global governance.

To be prepared for the trip, I posed the title question to AI (through Google). Here is what I got, on both a superficial level and on a deeper one:

You can be both a citizen of a particular nation (American, Israeli, Polish, etc.) and a global citizen, as these concepts are not mutually exclusive; a global citizen is someone who recognizes their interconnectedness with the wider world while still holding a national identity.

Here’s a breakdown:

• National Identity:

Belonging to a specific country grants you citizenship, rights, and responsibilities within that nation’s borders.

• Global Citizenship:

This concept emphasizes a broader sense of belonging to a global community, recognizing shared challenges and opportunities, and taking an active role in making the world a better place.

• Overlap:

Individuals can hold both identities simultaneously, recognizing their national identity while also understanding their role in the global community.

In essence, you can be an American (or Israeli, or Polish, etc.) and a global citizen, as these are not opposing concepts but rather complementary aspects of identity.

 

Go Deeper

The answer to your question is a nuanced “all of the above” – you can hold national citizenship and identify as a global citizen simultaneously.

Here’s a breakdown:

1. National Citizenship:

• Definition:National citizenship refers to the legal status of being a citizen of a particular country, with specific rights and responsibilities within that nation’s borders.
• Examples:You can be an American citizen, an Israeli citizen, a Polish citizen, or any other nationality.
• Rights and Responsibilities:These are defined by the laws and policies of the respective country, such as voting rights, paying taxes, and obeying the laws.

2. Global Citizenship:

• Definition:Global citizenship is a perspective or a way of seeing oneself as part of a broader, interconnected global community.
• Key Aspects:
  • Awareness of Global Issues: Understanding interconnected global challenges like poverty, climate change, and inequality.
  • Respect for Diversity: Valuing and appreciating different cultures, perspectives, and backgrounds.
  • Sense of Global Community: Recognizing that one’s actions can have a global impact and feeling a sense of responsibility towards the world.
  • Action and Advocacy: Taking action to address global challenges and promote positive change.

3. The “All of the Above” Perspective:

• Overlapping Identities:Global citizenship doesn’t negate or diminish one’s national identity.
• Complementary Roles:You can fulfill your responsibilities as a national citizen while also acting as a global citizen, addressing issues within your community and also supporting initiatives for global well-being.
• Layered Identities:You can have multiple identities – a local identity, a national identity, and a global identity.

In essence: Being a national citizen means having a legal connection to a specific country, while being a global citizen represents a sense of belonging to and responsibility towards the global community.

Back to my security clearance question. If asked for my choice in a conflict between my perception of my global citizenship and my state citizenship, where should my loyalties stand? I would have to consider the following: disobedience under state citizenship has penalties tied to the privileges: I could be arrested and my citizenship could be withdrawn (through judicial actions). States are sovereign; our planet is not. I will discuss state sovereignty in more detail over the next two blogs. I will also discuss attempts to make global citizenship more structural. In doing so, we automatically dilute the invincibility of state sovereignty. If anybody would like to know how such a process works, they should observe the current dynamics of the European Union.