Vlog #29 - Nations, States, & Nation States

Summary

This video script explores the complexities of nation-states, challenging the simplicity of borders on maps. It delves into the concept of sovereignty, from divine right to the people's consent, and the evolution of 'nation' as synonymous with 'people.' The script examines national identity through shared history and memory, using Ireland, Cyprus, and the Kurdish situation as case studies. It discusses the struggles of defining 'a people' and the remedies for conflicting national identities within one state, such as partition or population movement, and emphasizes the importance of understanding historical narratives to prevent violence and foster peace.

Takeaways

• 🌍 The world map's neat lines dividing countries belie complex geopolitical realities, including civil conflicts and disputes over land and ownership.
• 🏛️ The term 'nation-state' is commonly used but often fails to capture the intricacies of countries experiencing ongoing civil strife.
• 📜 The concept of 'state' can be defined by geographical boundaries and the central power's control, while 'nation' refers to a group of people sharing a common identity.
• 👑 Historically, sovereignty was believed to derive from divine right, but by the 18th century, the idea emerged that sovereignty comes from the people.
• 📜 The Declaration of Independence exemplifies the shift towards popular sovereignty, where the power of the state is justified by the consent of the governed.
• 🤝 National identity is formed through shared experiences, history, and a collective narrative, which can be more unifying than language, race, or religion.
• 🏞️ Conflicts arise when different groups within a state have divergent historical narratives and memories, leading to a struggle for recognition and power.
• 🇮🇪 The example of Ireland shows how partition can be a solution to conflicts, but it may not fully resolve the underlying issues and can lead to further divisions.
• 🌐 The Cyprus and Kurdish situations illustrate that partitions and the lack of a state can lead to ongoing tensions and the struggle for national recognition.
• 🔍 External interventions to mediate conflicts are not always effective, and solutions like population movement can be extremely painful and unjust.
• 🕊️ The international community should strive to understand and learn from historical conflicts to anticipate and prevent new ones, avoiding the perpetuation of violence.

Q & A

What is the significance of neatly drawn lines on a map in terms of geopolitical reality?

The neatly drawn lines on a map represent the borders of countries and give a sense of finality. However, the geopolitical reality is often more complex, with civil conflicts, land disputes, and local loyalties that do not adhere to these lines.

What is the term used to identify countries on a global scale, and what does it often fail to adequately describe?

The term 'nation-state' is used to identify countries globally. It often fails to adequately describe countries where civil war or significant internal conflicts are ongoing, as the term implies a unified political entity.

How is the 'state' defined in the context of the script?

The 'state' is defined as the area over which a central power, or sovereign, has control. This includes a monopoly on violence within its borders and equal status among other states internationally.

Who first laid out the characteristics of sovereignty, and in what century?

Jean Bodin first laid out the characteristics of sovereignty in the 16th century in his work 'Six Books of the Commonwealth'.

What was the revolutionary idea about the source of sovereignty that emerged by the end of the 18th century?

The revolutionary idea was that the source of sovereignty lay in the people, not in divine right or natural laws, as previously thought.

How does the script define a 'nation' in relation to a 'state'?

A 'nation' is defined as a group of people who share a common identity, often based on a historical narrative and collective memory. This forms the basis for the consent of the people, which justifies the sovereign power of the state.

What does the script suggest is a stronger binding factor for a nation than language, race, or religion?

An identity of political antecedents, such as a shared national history, collective pride and humiliation, and a community of recollections, is suggested to be a stronger binding factor for a nation.

What is an example of a nation-state conflict mentioned in the script, and how was it resolved?

The conflict between Catholic Irish and Protestant Irish in Ireland is mentioned. It was resolved through a partition in 1921, creating the Irish Free State and Northern Ireland, and later through peaceful means in 2007.

Why are partitions not always a good solution to nation-state conflicts according to the script?

Partitions are not always good solutions because there are often people on both sides who believe the partition is unfair, leading to ongoing tensions and potential violence.

What are some of the remedies discussed in the script for when two peoples lay claim to the same territory?

Some remedies discussed include external forces refereeing the situation, partitions, and population movement or ethnic cleansing. However, these are often imperfect and can lead to further issues.

What is the script's final lesson regarding sovereignty and international community involvement?

The script suggests that the international community should understand the history and examples of nation-state conflicts to foresee and prevent new antagonisms, aiming to avoid violence that becomes self-generating.

Outlines

00:00

🌍 Geopolitical Boundaries and Nation-States

This paragraph discusses the discrepancy between the neat lines on maps that define countries and the complex geopolitical realities they mask. It introduces the concept of 'nation-state' and questions its adequacy in describing regions experiencing civil unrest or war. The paragraph delves into the historical evolution of sovereignty, from divine right to the concept of popular sovereignty, where power is derived from the people. It also touches on the Declaration of Independence as an example of this shift. The narrative then explores the challenge of defining a 'people' and the significance of shared historical narratives in forming national identities, using the example of Ireland's struggle with its national and state identities.

05:01

🏡 Conflicting National Identities and Resolutions

Paragraph two continues the exploration of national identity by examining the complications that arise when different groups within a single state have divergent historical narratives. It uses the example of Cyprus and the Kurdish people to illustrate situations where the issues of nation and state are not resolved. The paragraph then discusses various remedies for such conflicts, including external mediation, partition, and population movement, acknowledging the imperfections and difficulties associated with each. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of understanding historical contexts to prevent the escalation of violence and the formation of new antagonisms.

Keywords

💡Geopolitical reality

Geopolitical reality refers to the actual political dynamics and power structures that influence world affairs, often contrasting with the neat divisions seen on maps. In the video, it is mentioned to highlight the complexity of borders and the conflicts that arise from differing claims to land and power, such as civil wars and territorial disputes.

💡Nation-state

A nation-state is a term used to describe a country where a single culture or ethnic group has sovereignty over a defined territory. The video discusses how this concept often fails to capture the diversity and conflict within countries, especially where there are multiple ethnic groups or cultures vying for power and recognition.

💡Sovereignty

Sovereignty is the supreme authority of a governing body or state over a territory and its people. The video explains that it was traditionally seen as deriving from divine right but has evolved to be understood as deriving from the people, as expressed in the Declaration of Independence.

💡National identity

National identity is the sense of belonging and shared characteristics that define a group of people as part of a nation. The video emphasizes the importance of a shared historical narrative in forming national identity, which can be a source of unity or conflict when narratives diverge among different groups within a state.

💡Civil war

Civil war is a violent conflict between different groups within a country, often over issues of power, territory, or ideology. The video uses the example of civil war to illustrate how the concept of a nation-state can be challenged when different groups within a country have incompatible visions of their national identity.

💡Partition

Partition refers to the act of dividing a territory, often as a means to separate conflicting groups or to resolve territorial disputes. The video discusses the partition of Ireland as a historical example where the division was intended to resolve conflict but also led to new complexities and challenges.

💡Ethnic cleansing

Ethnic cleansing is the forced removal of an ethnic group from a region with the intent of creating a homogeneous population. The video mentions it as a potential, albeit painful, solution to conflicts where two peoples claim the same territory.

💡Self-determination

Self-determination is the right of people to determine their own political status and pursue their economic, social, and cultural development. The video touches on this concept in discussing how different groups within a nation-state may seek to assert their sovereignty and control over their own affairs.

💡Historical narrative

A historical narrative is a story or account of past events that helps to shape a group's collective memory and identity. The video highlights how shared or divergent historical narratives can strengthen or divide national identities, influencing the dynamics of nation-states.

💡Violence as a self-generating monster

This phrase from the video describes how violence can perpetuate itself, creating a cycle that is difficult to break. It emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the root causes of conflict to prevent violence from escalating and becoming endemic.

💡International community

The international community refers to the global network of nations and organizations that work together to address common challenges. The video suggests that the international community has a role in understanding and mediating conflicts between nations and states to prevent violence and promote peace.

Highlights

The geopolitical reality is often more complex than the neat lines on maps suggest.

The term 'nation-state' may not adequately describe countries with ongoing civil conflicts.

A state is defined by the central power, or sovereign, which has control over a defined area.

Sovereignty is characterized by a monopoly on violence within the state's borders and equal status internationally.

Jean Bodin first outlined the characteristics of sovereignty in the 16th century.

The source of sovereignty has been historically debated, with theories ranging from divine right to social contracts.

By the 18th century, the idea emerged that sovereignty comes from the people, not from divine or natural sources.

The Declaration of Independence exemplifies the concept of sovereignty deriving from 'one people' or 'one nation'.

Defining a 'people' or 'nation' involves shared language, race, religion, and a collective historical narrative.

John Stuart Mill emphasized the importance of a shared political history in forming national identity.

Conflicts arise when different groups within a state have divergent historical narratives.

The example of Ireland's struggle with nation and state identity took centuries to resolve.

Partitions, like the one in Ireland, can separate conflicting groups but may not fully resolve issues.

The Cyprus conflict between Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots remains unresolved due to differing national narratives.

The Kurdish people, spread across multiple countries, represent a large group without a state of their own.

The Israel-Palestine conflict is an example of two peoples with competing historical narratives and territorial claims.

Possible remedies for conflicts include external referees, partitions, or population movements, each with its own challenges.

Violence can perpetuate and intensify national identities, leading to a cycle of ongoing conflict.

The international community should aim to understand and prevent conflicts before they escalate into self-sustaining violence.

Transcripts

animal crackers on a Tuesday and vlog 29

[Music]

so when we look at a map of the world we

see countries countries divided up by

very neatly drawn lines lines which have

a nice sense of finality to them right

this land belongs to this country and

that land on the other side of this line

belongs to that one of course we know

that the geopolitical reality is

anything but as conclusive as these

lines suggest we know that there is

civil fighting contests ations of land

and ownership local loyalties local

hatreds religion sex and factions who

can and often do flip their noses at

straight lines drawn in comfy rooms by

foreigners at some time in the past

we've come to use in our global parlance

the word nation-state to identify these

places it's a term we don't think too

much about we use it freely without

going to our dictionaries but the truth

is of course that nation-state as a term

quite often fails to adequately describe

many of these countries where for

example civil war is a continuing

reality so maybe by pulling the term

apart we can get a better understanding

of how these two words nation and state

can come together now the state is what

can be defined by lines on a map the

area over which the state central power

called the sovereign has control the

sovereign in theory has a monopoly on

all the violence that occurs in the

state and on the international stage the

sovereigns voice in theory is an equal

among other suckers this is the basic

definition of sovereignty equal abroad

master at home it was Jean Bodin in the

16th century who first laid out these

characteristics in his six books of the

Commonwealth thereafter Boden and others

having worked at its use tried to figure

out where the source of sovereignty live

but I believed as was the custom of his

time that the sovereign then ruled by a

king or Prince was derived from God and

political thinkers for the next two

centuries continue to find the source of

sovereignty in divine right or in the

laws of nature or social contracts but

by the end of the 18th century a

revolutionary new idea came to the fore

it said that the source of sovereignty

lay not in the man upstairs but in the

many men and later women

in other words the source of sovereignty

was in the people you see it loud and

clear in the very first line of the

Declaration of Independence when in the

course of human events it becomes

necessary for one people to dissolve the

political bands etc etc one people in

other words one nation by this time the

word nation had become synonymous with

the word people so here you have a state

which finds the justification for its

sovereign power the monopoly on all the

violence that happens within its borders

in the consent of the people the nation

hence nation state the question becomes

how do you define a people what makes

people a people we have a number of

problematic nation states in the world

places couched in what seems like

unceasing violence and to understand

them we must first understand how people

develop a national identity now there

are a number of things that groups can

share a language race a religion but

stronger than all of these is as John

Stuart Mill the great liberal thinker

said an identity of political

antecedents a possession of a national

history a community of recollections

collective pride and humiliation

pleasure and regret connected with the

same incidents in the past a historical

narrative a national memory this binds

people closer together than any other

common trait unfortunately and as we

know too well the many millions of

people who find themselves in a state

very often don't have the same memory

narratives diverge are rewritten mixed

with myth and fiction as the years and

decades pile on all of a sudden you have

one state with two people's or three

people's and the problem grows it took

four hundred years and a lot of blood

for the island of Ireland to resolve its

issues between nation and state wasn't

easy Catholic Irish and Protestant Irish

have very different memories of a

national history full of conquest and

subjugation in 1921 the largely Catholic

southern part of the island declared

itself independent from Britain the

Protestants being largely of British

descent and who held power in the north

had no desire to break from the UK so a

partition was built separating the Irish

Free State from North Ireland good

solution right keep the warring factions

apart the only problem is that the

Catholics still in North Ireland became

an ill treated my Nord here's a map

showing the distribution of Catholics

and Protestants

in North Ireland doesn't really suit

straight lines on a map does it

fortunately in 2007 the Irish troubles

were settled peacefully however this

kind of conclusion isn't really the norm

though there is a partition for example

on the island of Cyprus the northern

Turk Cypriots in the southern Greek

Cypriots haven't yet come to the same

kind of conclusion because the issues of

nation and state there haven't yet been

resolved nor have they been resolved for

Kurdish Muslims the largest single group

of people in the world who don't have a

state of their own

now we know of course that many Kurds

live in the northern part of Iraq but

few if any identify themselves as Iraqi

the example that we're perhaps most

familiar with is that of Israel and

Palestine we know the history and we

know how each party writes the narrative

and who's to say which is right just

last Saturday was landing an annual day

of Palestinian protests for an event in

1976 in which the Israeli government

planned to expropriate thousands of

Palestinian demands for security and

settlement purposes one protester was

killed more were injured and sent to

hospitals what are the remedies when you

have two peoples living in a territory

to which both can lay claim territories

which are a part of their history their

family history well you can have

external forces come in and try to

referee the situation but we've seen

from first-hand experience how imperfect

such solutions can be

how about partitions like in Ireland or

Cyprus difficulty is there's always

going to be people on both sides who

think the partition is unfair what about

population movement a kind of ethnic

cleansing where one people has to move

to another place it's a solution but an

extremely painful one in which those who

are forced to move lose everything

all of these remedies are not lightly

taken but the sad truth is that they are

often better than the alternative which

is endemic violence that feeds on itself

lessons here are feeble but maybe this

is the most important one violence of

this kind produces precisely those

experiences which pass into history

confirming strengthening the identity of

both sides worse violence of this kind

produces people with the stake in it

continuing namely young men to whom such

civil war becomes a way of life

providing a source of employment

excitement adventure and most

importantly purpose sovereignty is a

problematic thing it can often produce

deeply depressing results but if there's

one thing that we can do as an

international community

it's to try to understand the history

and example of such cases to try to

foresee and prevent new antagonisms

before the violence that consumes them

becomes a self-generating monster well

she actually managed to keep most of

them in