Changing Times

Collapse of the Nation-State

Before going further I should probably clarify a bit about what the “collapse” of the nation-state will look like. “collapse” is perhaps not the best word for this transition, perhaps “subversion” is more accurate. The best way to describe this power shift is by analogy to the last major shift of power relations in Western history, the transition from a church centered society, where the catholic church took the role of building infrastructure, building a common identity, launching wars (crusades), and protecting Europeans from each other.    Around the end of the 15th century various technologies    ( the printing press) undermined church authority. At this point in time, the beginning of the reformation, public disdain for the clergy members and realistic corruption and excess of the church reached levels comparable to our disdain of politicians and the corruption and unwieldiness of Western democracies. The irony in all of this is that the church and nation states helped unify vast amounts of people and thereby foster the development of the very technologies which subvert these institutions. I say “subvert” because it’s not as if the church disappeared, it just lost power, just as we will likely continue to elect our “leaders” for some time, even as their positions mean less and less.

Thanks to .psychesingularity