ABSTRACT
The grounds upon which one perceives and bases one’s identity with a nation are often personal. No individual can rightfully speak on behalf of the other members. There are nonetheless some common grounds shared by all the members of a nation. Superficial things such as national flags, dress, songs, and emblems; the political ideology upon which the nation is built; and such things as religious beliefs and common history, events when the forefathers of the nation stood together for a common cause, such as the American War of Liberation. Political and patriotic rhetorics often cite examples of the latter two categories as they are by far the most effective tools in mobilising the masses.
