Cybernationalism

Cybernationalism refers to a new type of ideological movement that has originated, existed, and developed on the World Wide Web since the mid-1990s. It is a natural extension of the traditional nationalistic movement, but it distinguishes itself in its organizational structure, operational pattern, and political implications. Through various Internet-based communications and activities, cybernationalists promote collective identity, cultural cohesion, political autonomy, and [Page 154]national interests among like-minded people in the cyber sphere. Taking advantages of the global reach and decentralized nature of online communication technologies (Internet media, e-mail, online chat rooms, online forums, bulletin board systems, personal Web logs, etc.), cybernationalists can advocate their cause with fast speed, low cost, and tremendous impact.

Nationalism is an exclusive, unsettling, and deeprooted ideology, whereas the cyber sphere is an allembracing, dynamic, and unconventional domain. The marriage of a powerful ideology and a revolutionary communication technology resulted in a new political phenomenon—cyber nationalism. This mergence takes three general forms. First, the cyber sphere serves as an information center for people to gather and disseminate nationalism-related information. Such a feature is more salient in countries where traditional mass media cannot be accessed by the nationalist groups. Second, the cyber sphere serves as an organizational platform for those nationalistic movements to exist, survive, and expand. The Internet not only enables those nationalists to form a virtual community in the cyber sphere but also provides them with an organizational medium to coordinate plans, mobilize people, and rally public support. Third, the cyber sphere serves as an execution channel for the nationalist groups to achieve those actionable objectives. A determined individual or a group of well-organized Internet users can inflict damage to the computer system of a targeted country through hacking or service blocking.

The following incident exemplifies the characteristics of cybernationalism. On April 1, 2001, a Chinese fighter jet collided with a U.S. surveillance plane over the South China Sea. The Chinese pilot was missing and the U.S. EP-3 plane made an emergency landing at one of China's military airports. The Chinese government initially withheld the information about this crisis on its state-controlled media. However, when Internet surfers picked up a report from American media and translated it into Chinese, the news was quickly spread across China's numerous online chat rooms. As the American crew members were still being held in China, the U.S. computer hackers initiated a series of retaliation campaigns, knocking hundreds of Chinese Web sites out of service. In response, several nationalism-oriented Chinese hacker organizations were formed in China's Internet-based communities. After an online emergency meeting that attracted thousands of Chinese Internet users, several Chinese hacker groups declared an all-out cyber war against the U.S. Web sites. Within weeks, thousands of Chinese and American Web sites in the government, military, and education sectors were defaced or taken out of service. An estimated 80,000 Chinese cybernationalists participated in this operation.