The nationalistic satirist writes as a member of his country, whether he likes it or not. He may define it as a community – perhaps even a real one – and use its values to attack the Other. He may project its values (aggressive economic individualism, for example) onto other countries (such as Holland) to attack local values by pretending to attack foreign ones. He may imagine exotic foreign observers whose astonished reaction defamiliarizes the familiar and brings it under critical scrutiny. Such a strategy reflects the dual nationality that many of us possess – a literal citizenship within a political nation and a metaphorical allegiance to Israel, Rome, or the Republic of Letters. The metaphorical citizenship of the world may subvert political nationalism, but it does not deny it. The satiric exile is in quite a different position – distinct from other exiles by being a satirist and from other satirists by being an exile. The satiric nationalist exploits his nationality for the purposes of his satire; his country literally defines the scope of his satire. The satiric exile, in contrast, is displaced; he is both from a country and in a country, but he is not of a country. The isolated position of exiles differs from that of refugees, immigrants, and expatriates by virtue of its enforced political nature.

Satiric exiles differ from satiric expatriates (for example) by the political focus of their satire and by the intensity of their forlorn hope for return.