Response to first reading

My understanding of "nation building" would be the U.S effort to bring democracy to Iraq, so I see it as a way of a strong country like the U.S to impose democracy into another country.  By having power there can be control on the society and over other nations.  As a nation has well define its identity politics it can identify itself in the context of religion, politics, economics and how they get to stay strong on their cultural identity.