We who accept the identity of Harmonians have some difficult facts to face. Harmonia, in the Suikoden canon, is known out of all other nations for its ruthlessly expansionist political stance, and has been responsible, in the name of said expansion, for a number of morally questionable acts, including slavery of third-class citizens and genocide of the Safir Clan. (Links provided so that fellow Harmonians who have lived such a sheltered life as I might be educated.) Most other nations see Harmonia as a country cruel and corrupt, and those who make political deals with us are reviled. Despite this, many of us have, for reasons that are no doubt diverse, discovered a love for the nation. Perhaps we see Harmonia's actions from a perspective that better explains them. (Suikoden III, to be fair, does a wonderful job of demonstrating that We All See Things Differently and that we all have our reasons for acting in ways that others might deem questionable -- except if you're Harmonian. Harmonian sympathizers who haven't experienced the Suikoden III manga for themselves may want to look into acquiring this fine series by Shimizu Aki, which offers a fairer portrayal of all sides and more Harmonian focus, though still does not go into depths about the motives and morals of Harmonia.) Perhaps our Harmonias were different, and not nearly so cruel. But whatever our reasons, we at some point have to confront the fact that Harmonia has a history, and that that history is not a wholly pleasant one.

While certainly this should not keep us from loving our nation, and the lot of a Harmonian should not solely be one of guilt and discomfort, it is unfair to those who suffered to ignore our nation's actions. Furthermore, it is unfair to our own moralities; for in coming to terms with this identification as people of a country that has committed these acts, we have the opportunity to look at what we consider to be justifiable and unjustifiable, and to understand better where we place ourselves morally. This is not an opportunity that we should neglect.

If we ignore Harmonia's actions because they are uncomfortable for us, then we are setting up a duality in which we dislike something but are willing to let it go by to make ourselves feel better, and this harms us morally. We get stuck in the same situation we find ourselves in when, for example, we listen to governments speaking of "sending our brave troops to victory" and feel reassured, but would be upset if we were told that they were "sending young men to kill others and probably die themselves" -- despite the fact that they both mean the same thing. While in this life we can't allow ourselves to fret about every injustice and every crisis that occurs, we can at least listen to our conscience and obey it in terms of actions we personally take, and in terms of the stances and governments we support. If the fact that Harmonia has actively waged war, enslaved clans, and killed people makes you uncomfortable because you feel such things are wrong to do, then you should not try to push that discomfort aside. Instead, you should accept that you consider these actions to be wrong.

It feels uneasy to identify with someone or something whose actions you consider wrong, and that's why most people don't do it. But we grow by accepting, rather than ignoring, wrongs that we have committed, and choosing to act differently from then on -- or, if for some reason we cannot, to do the wrong thing as little as possible and acknowledge that it should not be done if it is at all avoidable. The same applies to our acceptance of and identification with people and things who have done wrong. We may still love the person or thing, but we have to disagree with some of their actions. We can try and help them change, or if we cannot effect change, we may have to agree to disagree. We need not be comfortable with all sides of a person or thing in order to love it; we can regret some parts while loving the whole. This isn't disloyalty to the country; it is abiding by one's own personal morality.

Your personal Harmonia may change because of these thoughts. Or it may stay the same. What does your Harmonia feel about the things it has done? Why do they do these things? What is their political stance? Is change on the way, and where will it come from? Or are things staying the same, and if so, why? Come to better understand all the facets of your Harmonia, so that you may love more deeply those parts which capture your attention, while maintaining a balanced view that does not ignore the fact that no country is perfect.