Citizen of Nowhere

Jan 24th 2021

Remember Theresa May’s “Citizen of nowhere” speech? Seems like ancient history now. It was at the Conservative Party's annual conference in 2016, a few months after the Brexit referendum. I guess that does make it ancient history.

What she said was:

"Today, too many people in positions of power behave as though they have more in common with international elites than with the people down the road, the people they employ, the people they pass on the street.”

"But if you believe you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere. You don't understand what citizenship means."

My immediate gut reaction then was that she was totally wrong, and as it turned out a lot of people agreed; about half the “people down the road” identify as '“citizen of the world”. Here is a link to a Washington Post article with the details.

At the time I did not have time to think about this, there was so much in the news, I just dismissed the whole thing as another speech by a politician.

Now, with “Brexit done”, the new administration in Washington, and the pandemic bringing the need of global thinking to the surface, this popped into my mind again.

I think that whoever wrote the speech just did not choose the right words. They probably just fell in love with the soundbite of “citizen of the world” / “citizen of nowhere”. And this was a speech to the party, and with Brexit happening they were focused on the unity of the UK.

“… too many people in positions of power behave as though they have more in common with international elites than with the people down the road…”

In my book, that is an accurate description of an Expat, besides she did say “people in positions of power”. Half the people can not, by definition, be in a position of power, there just can not be that many positions of power.

An Expat brings his or her own culture and lifestyle with him/her, and expects the place and culture to adapt. Implicitly this means they think their way of life is better than what is in that place.

Contrary to this, a Citizen of the World adapts to the place and the culture. The implicit message here is that neither way of life is better than the other, they are just different.

So, I assume May was talking about Expats, who carry their own culture with them wherever they go. If you just want to transport yourself, your lifestyle, and your culture, to a nicer climate with a favorable tax regime, you just “behave as though you have more in common with international elites”, while still living in the same basic culture as the “people down the road”.

If you want to keep the rights that come with citizenship, like a good passport and the right to vote, but do not want the responsibilities, like taxes, that come with it, then you do not understand citizenship as May does. And in that narrow sense she was right, you are a citizen of nowhere.

Another thing is that I think we are talking about two different kinds of citizenship. First the one I assume May was talking about; citizenship which means living in and being part of a society, and having rights and responsibilities in that society, and taking an interest in making that society better. Having a right to vote, and actually voting, having a passport, paying taxes, and the like. Belonging to a place and a society.

Then there is the citizenship of Citizens of the World. That is not the same as a standard citizenship. You do not get a world passport, or vote in world elections, or pay taxes to the world. It is more of an idea that you acquire along the way, as opposed to a citizenship you are born into. You choose it, you do not get it.

It comes with the realisation that we are all together on this one planet, and we all need to do our part in taking care of it, regardless of where we come from.

In that sense, you can be a citizen of a country, and identify as both a citizen of that country and as a Citizen of the World. You are not a Citizen of Nowhere.

Then again, if you are like me, who is genetically from somewhere, but who has grown to be culturally from no particular place, and who does not anymore really belong anywhere, then you can happily be both a Citizen of the World and a Citizen of Nowhere.