Nationalism; Inequality in Guatemala

Nationalism is the strong belief that the interests of a particular nation-state are of primary importance. Also, it is the belief that a people who share a common language, history, and culture should constitute an independent nation, free of foreign domination. The rise of nationalism is the pride and confidence among other nations, particularly the largest and most successful ones, is readily apparent.

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When Zakaria talks about the rise of nationalism, he is describing about a broader phenomenon, which is the assertion of identity. The danger he sees in the rise of nationalism is that it makes purposeful national action far more difficult. 

According to Zakaria, the nation-state is a relatively new invention, as opposed to the older aspects such as the religious, ethnic, and linguistic groups that live within nation-states. For instance, national parties are losing ground to regional once in India. Or in Kenya, tribal distinctions are becoming more important. In Europe, the Flemish and French in Belgium remain as distinct as ever. In Britain, the Scots have elected a ruling party that proposes ending the three hundred years old Acts if Union that created the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, and Wales. (Zakaria, 41)

Inequality is quite a serious problem in my region, Guatemala. According to data, Guatemala is ranked with the second highest inequality rate in Latin America, (Gini coefficient of 0.55), many disparities exist between different economic sectors and income groups, reflecting large rich-poor divide in. Income inequality in Guatemala is accentuated by regional differences: a large rural agrarian sector and social exclusion.

Moreover, according to Local development through microfinance tools in Central America by Woodworth and Hiatt, subsistence agriculture made the inequality situation worse and it resulted in low productivity and value-addedness. As a result, meager incomes push subsistence farmers into poverty. 

According to the World Bank, poverty in Guatemala is both widespread and severe. Approximately 75 percent of the population is estimated to live below the poverty line, which is defined as an income that is insufficient to purchase a basic basket of goods and services. Almost 58 percent of the populations have incomes below the extreme poverty line, which is defined as the amount needed to purchase a basic basket of food.

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The inequality in Guatemala has resulted in the rural-urban dichotomy in living standards. Since Agriculture is one of the primary sectors in Guatemala, producing principal cash crops such as coffee, sugars and bananas. Together with other non-agricultural products, they contribute towards 75 percent of export earnings, according to research done by United Nations Development Programme. The agricultural sector employs about 39 percent of the national workforce, resulting in suppressed wages and low productivity.

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Even though, according to data and research, the inequality situation has improved the past few years, the ones who were benefitted from the improvement were not the poor, but instead the middle class. The improvement of inequality actually benefited individuals in the middle range of the welfare distribution.

I think that inequality is a problem anywhere in the world. Especially in regions that are developing fast, such as China, poverty seemed to be more serious as the poor could not catch up with the advance of economic aspect. For instance, is also a serious gap the rural-urban income inequality, just as it is in Guatemala.