is extreme nationalism a source for conflict ?

Almost by definition, extreme nationalism does not allow of compromise and so leads to conflict of a military or terrorist sort. When coupled with religion, it tends to claim unique and sole truth. Thus: Israelis, who are by culture and temperament European, are used to compromise and expect to resolve conflicts that way. Palestinians and other neighbours of Israel seek and demand "justice" (as they define it) without allowing for any Western notion of compromise. If they accept a cease-fire as a strategically useful element, it will probably not be by way of compromsing their expectations or their demands thereafter.

You can look to other long-simmering disputes for other examples of extreme nationalism at work, at the extremists certainly need not be the Muslim side (if there is one) of the conflict: Cyprus -- where it was the ethnic Greeks who so much wanted enosis that they terrorised the Muslim population and incited Turkey to enter the fray to defend the Turkish Cypriots.

Northern Ireland where the IRA and its spinoffs have held to an uncompromised goal of merger with the Republic. (Traditionally they disdained not only Northern Irish democracy but Eire democracy as well. It's just one example of how easy it is for extremist groups to become not just political actors and terrorists but gangsters involved in criminal conduct -- bank robbery, extortion, general corruption -- also.)

Nationalist myths -- and hence natiionalism extreme or otherwise, can easily be invented, as Ernest Gellner, Benedict Anderson and others have taught us. There's plenty of that in ex-Yugoslavia and the ex-USSR. So nationalism is often a tool by hypocrite politicians; but it tends to live on long after those politicians are dead.

The history textbooks of the world are filled with such myths.

It certainly can be, but I haven't seen it as a root cause in any major conflicts in the last 10 years. There are usually other causes such as power, money or hatred. How the original backers of the war actually get their respective countrymen involved into the war may involve extreme nationalism, religious fanaticism, or just plain fear.

When you hear a politician advocating the use of force against another country and he/she mentions patriotism or the flag that others have died for that would be nationalism.

Nationalism, like egoism blocks out the the interests of other countries/other people. It makes citizens focus only on their own interests do the detriment of everybody else. For instance, lets say a river, like the Nile runs through 2 countries. The country downstream has traditionally used the river for irrigation. Now, the country upstream, builds a dam, to a) increase its own irrigation reservoir source and b) to power hydro electric power for itself. Now that nationalism could be a source of conflict and possibly lead to war.

Yes. As are many extremes the sources of conflict over senselessly extreme reasons. One extreme leads to the overreaction of another extreme and the two extremes clash and cause conflict for extremely narrow minded reasons.

Think of the Yin and Yang. It's like too much Yin against too much Yang, and they keep Yinning and Yanging each other, until they both get Yin-Yanged up the YingYang and everything gets YingYanged out of harmony and balance... At least that's the Far Eastern way of seeing it. I guess that's why there aren't many Taoists who are terrorists. ;)

I'd say lack of it is a source for conflict in terms of all nations not one in particular.

I say that because of the portion of nationalism that believes 'each nation is entitled to its own state'. I see that as the problem. Bush doesn't want to give that right to other nations. He wants all other nations to conform to his idea of what they should be.

Yes extreme nationalism is bad at all......

to prove that urs nation is great........... by saying other nations are hell...........

is not good thing at all.......

even adolph hitler was extreme nationalist..............hence he is the one of those person who are responsible for second world war........

to proud of ones nation is good thing....... but extremety of any good things may leads in bad things........

Definitely!

Extreme nationalism is indistinguishable from bigotry.

yes, that's a problem with this country....we want every single American to conform to a set of ideals. but where does that leave diversity?

Targeting innocent civilians is...