National Identity

Recently, whilst on national duties, we were asked a question that a student asked a senior government official…

As a reservist soldier, what am I defending?

Hearing some of the opinions shared and, along with my own, I disagree with the student that most people have no idea what they are defending…

My home, my friends, my family…
These are the things that I am defending…

But let’s look at the bigger picture…
Are we really looking to defend our national identity? Our national pride?
If so, what is it?

So many have lost their jobs to foreigners who are younger and work cheaper…
I was working at a firm which hired more foreign talent than they should have…

It has almost become public policy to woo these foreign talents into coming into the country…
And the citizen army is expected to protect them; these foreigners who come here to work today and leave the next…
Is the government serving the people by placing greater importance on wooing foreign talents in rather than protecting their own?

I believe the question isn’t really “what are we defending?” so much as it is “what does my country represent that I would fight to uphold?”

Again, I say these not to cause dissent but to raise the question about what is the national pride that is being fought for?