Humans evolved to live & survive in relatively small tribes, whose members cooperated in exploiting their natural environment. Different tribes would sometimes unite as a nation in defending their shared interests, as when the ancient Greeks united against Persian invaders.
However, as city states (tribes) gave way to states & empire, there was a fundamental change. Society ceased to be tribal & became an artificial environment, managed & exploited by its elites, who divided into a priestly & a warrior class.
The priestly class provided the brains & power of the Word, i.e. moral authority, while the warrior class provided the muscle & power of the sword. These two classes cooperated in lording it (quite literally) over the rest of society, & were joined by a merchant & other class.
#AbrahamLincoln spoke of "government of the people, by the people, for the people", despite having just fought & won a bloody civil war that ensured government of the elites, by the elites, for the elites. He was a lawyer & thus a member of one of America's elites.
Tribes can come together to form a nation, while states can expand into empires. The former serve their peoples' mutual self-interests, while the latter facilitate their self-exploitation to the personal advantage of elites & favoured clients, at the expense of society at large.
Nowadays, there are only states, which deceitfully pose as nations, in order to legitimise themselves, their ruling elites & the immense power they wield & abuse.
There is nothing the state fears more than tribalism & nationalism, which is why they are demonised.
There is nothing the state fears more than tribalism & nationalism, which is why they are demonised.
For the elites & favoured clients the system works relatively well, so they rationalise it, thereby blinding themselves to the fact that it is inherently unjust, inhumane & unsustainable, on our finite, vulnerable & overpopulated planet, #SpaceshipEarth.
Social & political science academics, whose job it is to study & understand society & the state, are also privileged clients, which blinds them to these existential flaws, which it is my job to try & make them aware of, hopefully, before it is too late.
https://twitter.com/rogerahicks/status/1311897292845256704?s=20
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