Why Countries Exist: The Rise of the Nation State in 6 Minutes

Most of us would say we're from some country. But have you ever stopped to think about what a country actually is? If they are actually real or just imaginary ideas that we have come to agree upon and accept? And how they have come to play such a determining role in our lives?
Subscribe: kzbin.info...
Instagram: / thoughtmonkeyhq
Music Credit:
Nujabes - Rainy Way Back Home
Script:
If you think about it, countries don’t exist. They are only an imaginary idea that most people in the world have agreed with. But that’s probably not the answer you were looking for.
As with most aspects of our lives, countries first exist because of our genetics. Humans evolved in small hunter and gatherer bands instilling a great need in us to feel part of a group. While most modern humans don’t live in hunter-gatherer bands you can still find us satisfying our need to belong by identifying with different groups. In high school you see this in the hierarchical division of students from nerds, to jocks, to the popular crowd. In adulthood you see this with how many identify as particular sports fans, parts of a particular religion, avid consumers of particular brands, etc.
Some call the transition to the modern country that we are all familiar with and live in as the rise of the nation-state. Before the nation-state most people probably identified themselves with their region or local lord. Most did not leave their villages and knew little of the world at large. Around the middle of the last millennia - say around 1500 when economic, scientific, and philosophical change was rapidly occurring in Europe - many monarchs began to try to conquer and unify all the territories and people under their control in order to become more powerful. To encourage unity, many monarchs encouraged their subjects to feel loyal toward them which would mark the first steps toward the idea of nationalism.
One example is Russia. For most of the medieval period Russia was simply a small kingdom located around the city of Moscow. Over hundreds of years the rulers of Moscow took more and more land through both diplomacy and war, and eventually conquered much of what is now considered to be Russia. When Ivan the Terrible came of age, he was throned as the first Czar of Russia. He destroyed the nobility and granted bureaucratic positions to successful traders of the commercial class. Similar occurrences happened all over Europe in, for example France, England and more. By the 19th century most, if not all, of the western world had been divided into new political units known as countries or nation-states. But what about the rest of the world?
The rest of the world did not have the luck that the west did where countries developed organically. From the Age of Exploration to the Industrial Revolution, the dominance of Europe’s economy and military allowed it to colonize pretty much the entire world. Part of this meant dividing up the world into colonies agreed upon by European powers. At times this meant drawing a simple arbitrary straight line to make things easier. After WWII and the start of decolonization, the borders stayed put and grouped together people with different cultural, racial, and linguistic identities, while splitting apart others. This created a sh*t load of chaos which, 70 years later, can still be felt. Many argue this is one of the main reasons as to why the Middle East and Africa are so f*cked up.
However, borders may be an idea of the past as we move into the 21st century. Currently in Europe, national borders have little meaning. It’s similar to how the United States works. All citizens who belong to a country that is part of the European Union can travel, live, and work freely throughout. All internal tax and trade restrictions have been removed. And many identify no longer as a citizen of their country, but as a citizen of the European Union. Many of us however, refuse to even think about what citizenship and border lines actually mean - and instead of working on fostering friendship and partnership across borders, we subject ourselves to our most basic human emotions. Those that may have allowed us to evolve into what we are today, but that may keep us from evolving into what we might be tomorrow.

[@wittyclips...]

When was Yoda on Star Trek?

[@mirkopavicic]

I came looking for that on the comments 🤣

[@connermooney6175]

ummmm

[@hitkid2456]

@@mirkopavicic Don't you know? The Time Lords were at it again...

[@alexmisiaszek6123]

Crossover episode

[@kcflick6132]

🐒

[@strategossable1366]

3:59 saying England and using the UK flag made me squirm inside

[@MisterPogman]

@MEME MAN false If you describe historical England

[@erikadirk]

Says Star Trek but shows Yoda... I nearly died

[@miajones9312]

He lost all credibility at that moment

[@CantTellYou]

I recently read this book that illustrated how the USA history itself is more of a collection of “nation-states” than it is “a country”. You might feel in California more related to someone in NY, but somebody from Tennessee doesn’t relate to either. Someone in Florida might feel connected to someone in once-Spanish ruled California, but the culture of Wisconsin is totally alien to them despite speaking the same language. Anyway it’s an interesting book, “American Nations”

[@iBooa123]

I thought this would be a good video... until you mixed up star trek and star wars.

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

:)

[@ruthenium5765]

Dude Co. Studios and before he said he supports getting rid of borders

[@MisterPogman]

@@ruthenium5765 Nobody agrees with you

[@theone3193]

@@MisterPogman aww it's an idiot that's ideologically possessed and doesn't know how the real world works

[@MisterPogman]

@@theone3193 How did you get that from a sentence I made three months ago and how can a kid be ideologically possessed?

[@sakshamchaturvedi9003]

Wait , Star Trek and Yoda ? 0:38

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Hehehe...

[@sakshamchaturvedi9003]

Just Saying ! , Great Videos though ! :)

[@strategistrui8211]

You did a pretty decent job on this vid but you present the concerns of people who support borders very incorrectly. The issue in regards to borders is not so much the border itself but the people on the opposite sides of the borders. There is a reason why borders between European powers and the American-Canadian border isn’t a point of discontent and that is because of the shared cultural values, first-world status, and ethnic peoples. I too envision a world where people are united in an effort to expand into the cosmos and create something great for all of humanity, but I don’t think it can be achieved at this moment, and globalizing isn’t the solution.

[@bradytomlinson8594]

This man said dont know what star wars is😂

[@muntee33]

Brady Tomlinson There is more to interpretation and definition than just the literal sense

[@theraven6836]

Nations exist, countries are just the ground these nations occupy.

[@peickudeicku1493]

*Comment Section in a Nutshell* Did you just say *Star Trek*?

[@Answerarchive]

Great video man! I love your animation style.

[@paulreynaud7120]

GReat video man. What music is it playing in the background.

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Appreciate it! It's called Rainy Way Back Home by Nujabes.

[@doliague2590]

Pretty biased at times and very few people in Europe put "European" before their national identity, its a simplistic video but not necessarily that bad. Also, yoda, oof.

[@236Nahidwin]

I know right, the only time i say im from eu is when americans ask and even then i instantly also say which country im from

[@smithfinland214]

@@236Nahidwin well lot of people outside of europe don't know where finland or any small country, so saying i'm a from europe or european is easy.

[@cbs577]

Pretty few? Try none.

[@piano42]

Great! Exactly what I was looking for. 🙂

[@adrianodosveras]

A Nation, my friend , is a NATURAL GROUP, not an idea or a darn convention nor an opínion!

[@justaprole6156]

it's a social construct, actually. Human beings cannot form empathetic bonds with (on average) more than 150 people, so anything larger than that really isn't "natural." It's Constructed, by our Society. Social Construct

[@fanniinnanetguy653]

says who? there is no real standard that includes or excludes an individual to or from a nation that is not artificial.

[@adrianodosveras]

@@fanniinnanetguy653 RESSON IS WHAT STATES THE PREVIOUS ARGUMENT. . .artificial, a nacion? Try again... besides That, PATRIOTISM is much more abstract and nevertheless : REALLY Natural ! Anauê .

[@nexusxmoon]

@@justaprole6156 Your brain is a social construct.

[@alparslankorkmaz2964]

Nicely explained.

[@ThePlanetOfEurick]

Mentions Star Trek. *Uses Yoda and AT-AT from Star Wars.

[@yasmeeniqbal7002]

kindly arrange subtitle in a different colour..cant understand a single world

[@adrianodosveras]

2:40... the stuff starts.

[@BrownGirlsThink]

Colonization actually had a lot to do with bordered nation-states.

[@zahirulislam5686]

People have made too many countries just because of minor differences. Countries with natural sea borders make sense rather than africa divided into fifty countries. So there should be less than thirty countries in the world.

[@TheKcTy]

you need to change star track to star wars or change the pic. either way awesome video!

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Thank you. And yeah I thought it'd be funny to do that. :)

[@MatteoBelongsInAmentalHospital]

"Star trek" *pulls out star wars stuff*

[@justcomments1239]

There's only two ways to have a borderless world: 1. World government 2. Anarchy I'd go for number 2

[@ivanfreely6366]

A World government will still have a border. It can be the exosphere, heliosphere or beyond; depending on how greedy this World government gets.

[@felisszerjin9073]

We can combine both

[@ObiWanGinobiliTopFan]

In other words, humankind on the whole has been bat sh*t crazy as far back as historical records go. Got it.

[@godofthunder5485]

I am from Earth I don't believe in such concept

[@bendover1333]

I'm from the universe, I don't believe in such concept

[@kordellswoffer1520]

Then your silly.

[@godofthunder5485]

@@kordellswoffer1520 Nope u are u cant even understand a meme

[@MrNeedleM0use]

There is no way you just said Star Trek and then put Yoda on screen

[@paulsholar9356]

Video was a waste of time. No actual historical context, discussion of capitalism, extents of markets, languages, etc.

[@xolang]

interesting how you (at 2:18) drew an arbitrary line for europe despite the lack of natural borders there 🙃 update: in 2020 due to Wuhan Virus pandemic, european countries closed their borders even to each other.

[@curtisloftis6003]

the number of straw man arguments and logical fallacies in this video render it nothing more than an ideological work of propaganda. I came to learn but left with disgust. Intellectual integrity seems dead.

[@someone-yw2qw]

if you think about it the concept of countries is the same as racism if you were born in certain area say north Korea you are destined to live like a slave or like in Somalia you will live in inhumane conditions , it doesn't have to be to this extreme but if you were born somewhere you will be denied to even try to travel somewhere or even work in certain professions while if you were born somewhere else you get health insurance and nice things

[@frankz3908]

I'm surprised chillpop didn't copystrike ya

[@ComedyJakob]

Wouldn't things be better if we all just got along and nobody did bad things to people and everything was free and we all worked for the good of mankind and cotton candy grew on trees and cars ran on water?

Nation State.. NationStates.

[@darksol99darkwizard]

This is sophistry without backup. Just a simple challenge. Even though ancient China, for example, (prior to any contact with Europeans) had warring lords, and thus no real political unification. The fact that the lords desired to rule all of China means that nations are not a product of ‘European philosophy.’ It is heartening to see that many of your viewers see through this. Please be more careful. The average viewer might watch this video and be convinced. Absent borders, we die. Absent borders it is impossible for each of us to have economic representation and civil and human rights world wide.

[@justaprole6156]

piss off nationalist

[@nkristianschmidt]

It keeps people civilized that their fellow man can say no.

[@johnp.6692]

All I'm saying is why is the first country Egypt? Do they need a border against nothing?

[@hugedoofus]

No need for the opinion piece at the end.

[@karubnalpak1833]

The most complex and great riches that humans have created on earth are the languages and cultures (literature, art, music, etc.) that they have created over thousands of years. The primary purpose of nation states is to protect these riches and prepare the ground for their development with the system they have built on these riches. Today, political ideas such as delimitlessness are very far from utopian ideas. As a Kurd, I know very well what it means not to have a state of its own nationality. I know what it means not to be educated in your own language, not to be able to use your own colors, and not to be able to see your flag that represents you. Rest assured, it's not a nice thing to see that with the gradual assimilation, the language, culture and all other values are forgotten.

[@erdood3235]

for many people, nation states are oppressive

[@death2ipod]

I really enjoyed how you presented this information. While it was informative about the history of borders, the present day research is off. More and more Europeans are identifying with nationalism each day because their government isn't doing things that are benefiting the citizens, or really even listening to the citizens. On top of that, most Europeans don't say they're from the EU, they say what country they're from. And even if they don't identify as a nationalist, they still love their country, their community, and where they're from. So your statement there was rather misleading. You also insinuated that countries aren't friends with each other and don't have trade agreements still to this day. Which is absolutely ludicrous. Especially with the new trade agreement with Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Not to mention, the United States just gives money to other countries, including Mexico. There is just a lot of misinformation and misleading on your part given that this wasn't even information that you chose to give your viewers, but still felt compelled to make a conclusion about. This isn't to say that I'm ignorant of hostile relations, and I do agree that countries should get along and I'm for a more harmonious and peaceful world, but your argument was just wildly misleading. Lastly, this argument isn't one based on emotions, it's based on many different factors other than just borders and it's disingenuous to conclude that given the history lesson you gave us - and only the history lesson you gave us - we all need to believe that border walls are based on emotions and we all need globalism? That's a little far fetched. Please consider either doing longer videos to provide all the imaginary arguments you choose to make conclusions about, or don't make erroneous conclusions without any prior evidence supporting your claim.

[@smithfinland214]

well lot of people outside of europe don't know where finland or any small country is, so saying i'm a from europe or european helps.

[@busierlizard8171]

@@smithfinland214 please stop

[@cbs577]

@@smithfinland214 so helping people with limited information identify your origins makes you identify less with Finland?

[@southwest9389]

Who ever created this video must use drugs

[@ayonio5723]

Well said

[@emil.jansson]

Nation States needs to be abolished!

[@darrex999]

Usually education / knowledge has sources. Otherwise how can we test the reliability, or research further should we so desire. Without peer reviewed sources it could be viewed as just another opinion. Or entertainment rather than validated education.

[@muntee33]

The initial stages of your premise missed one critical aspect. One that precedes the concept of ‘group’ That aspect is abundance and scarcity. People bands together to achieve otherwise unachievable measures. Like catching food. If abundance is always present there is little reason for conflict and/or coalitions that are a compromise to either groups principles. This instrument of control is used at the centre of every dominant power in the modern world. Banks inflate and constrict monetary supply to effect desirable tendencies in a society. Governments increase/decrease growth of critical infrastructure to regulate the availability of life’s necessities, ie; water, jobs, affordable raw materials, affordable housing.... et et Also. CITIZENSHIP is a new concept. It does not exclusively define a member of a nation/country/government.... Regardless of common (mis)conceptions. U also have; resident, subject, national, refugee, immigrant, indigenous inhabitant and ward, prisoner. CitizenSHIPis the vessel for of much of worlds evil to infiltrate virtually every aspect of society. ‘CIVIL society’ that is.... And the legal concept as an exclusive definition was introduced not 100yrs ago.... Done mighty well for itself huh?

[@bick5831]

STAR TREK?!?!?! 0:39

[@parthiancapitalist2733]

I think the world should be one nation, where the people vote on laws made by the government

[@POLSKAdoBOJU]

What's the point of a government then if you want a referendum on every subject???

[@user-nf9xc7ww7m]

@@POLSKAdoBOJU the swiss found a balance. Cantons have their own culture, language, and much autonomy.

[@Teddy_Bird]

Interesting concept, Europe drew imaginary lines on maps and this threw the world into chaos. Why didn't they just ignore the lines? That would have been the easiest thing to do. Sounds like humans are violent and tribal with or without the influence of Europe. Is it possible that organizing tribal groups into nation states might have reduced the chaos that would have happened organically had people been left to compete on a tribal level? The Romans made Civilization look so convenient in ancient times.

[@cbs577]

This video is just absurd

[@teddyschulze6602]

im mad he drew yoda for star trek

[@angus7278]

Funny thing about national pride....people are proud of their country mainly by virtue of the fact of where the happened to be born and they are proud of accomplishments they had nothing to do with.

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Insightful point.

[@enterurnamehere27]

Angus Mac that was the problem with nationalism.

[@brendenrichards2057]

Unlike you I'm proud that I have a legacy to continue, it's not what we've done, it's who we are

[@memesupreme905]

It is so true Angus.

[@somedude3448]

This is infantile thinking. Nationalism isnt taking pride in things an individual didnt accomplish but loving and valuing their heritage and accomplishments of their ancestors. Ones nation and culture is a gift from ones ancestors to be cherished maintained and maybe even improved so that your decendents may continue to enjoy it and benefit from it

[@soniacoffman123]

Well that's 5 min and 45 sec

[@UbuntuJ49]

Why history still being told in 2024 from European perspectives. He didn’t want to mention civilizations growth in Africa well before year 1,500 which would provide way more context to help understand nation states in their current form and how that developed…🤷🏾‍♂️ People believe whatever they want now anyways

[@ChocolateMilkMonster]

there is at least 20 different art styles on this one video. Please, for the sake of someone who is an animation major, be consistent or develop your own. It's distracting to watch.

[@harshilgandhi2278]

What i understood from this is the root of creation of countries lies in creation of groups. If only we stayed together we would have no borders. Group creation in the ancient times was due to racism and language , because they feared from someone different looking people. Language is solved due to English. Modern groups are created due to money classes, religion, caste, etc. We humans decided to remain divided.

[@nikhiliyengar1510]

Every piece of land isn't accounted for, actually. Check out the Bir Tawil.

[@linuxman777]

Borders are quite important as they provide a way to filter out quality immigrants as the ones who make the effort and pass our standards are worth coming into the country. It is also great for preservations of culture, there needs to be more nations with strong borders or we risk losing many cultures such as the Tibetans, or other cultures. We have the ability to preserve cultures better now, and yet people like the guy in this video are advocating for cultural destruction

[@GetThePicture]

I totally agree with you on this one. Love the way you challenge the common view on borders/countries. In my opinion we live on the same planet so anyone should be free to travel where ever he or she wants to go (again my opinion and it´s not gonna happen I know). I have to correct you a bit on the European borders though. I live in Denmark and we are a part of the EU. Ever since the terrible situation in Syria with over hundreds and thousands of refugees the Danish government has reinstated border control. You can NOT just cross the Danish border without a passport as a Danish citizen anymore. Great video dude

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Thanks for the feedback! I didn't know Denmark (and I'm guessing more countries) have reinstated border control since the refugee crisis.

[@maximef4036]

Nice video ! but no one feels more european than belonging to his own country, Brexit reminds us this ;) More something like nation first, then Europe, then Western block, then everything else...

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

Thanks for the feedback. Now that you bring that up it's similar in the U.S. too. Before I identify as an American I identify with my state and even city first.

[@muntee33]

Becoming a global ‘nation’ is all well and good, if the boss is a good guy....

[@a-oh2bc]

Nation States are a way for the owners to organize citizenry into a way they can be controlled through artificial scarcity of resources, and via financial subjugation. Initially there were tribes, which became city-states, to feudalism and serfdom, and then the nation state developed over the course of several centuries. In the 1830s, once nation states developed further, the concept of a birth certificate was created in America, Britain and some European countries. Then other nation states as they were created. After that, if you did not have a birth certificate you had "limited" access to society and could not engage in commerce, gain insurance or any documents and so on. So now when you're born, you get issued a certificate for administrative purposes that is used as the basis of your entire identity which allows you to get documents and IDs and so forth, to drive, to travel, etc. Everything exists as a form of control over you. Abolishment of national borders to become a "global citizen" is an unfortnate natural extension of the nation state. Soon you'll be issued a digital ID tied to all of your digital information so you can participate in the digital economy, and if you do not have one you will not be able to use digital services, which will become a standard. Basically a technological advancement of the birth certificate. Effectively it will be an attempted technocratic feudalist and serfdom with a globalist flavour.

[@tomace194]

I think if we got rid of religions and dogma along with nations it would be scary for a long time. But I truly think any sort of division between ppl that are clearly all the same outside of our religions and customs that come from our divisions we would be better off. Find a common goal that benifits our planet instead of selected areas of the planet. We would see ourselves more unified and have more care for one another dispite where we happen to fall out of a vagina at. Cuz that's all that has happened. Then depending where that happened at the people around you will feed you religious crap they can't possibly know for sure but are so dedicated to the idea they will both kill and die for it. Same as the idea that their country is somehow better than another's. 2 most dangerous things in North America right now. Religion and nationalism.

[@jesseward568]

You're not too bright are you?

[@otsocbayr1]

I would have no problem with living under a one world government if it enforced the rights I have in the USA today.

[@DailyLifeSolution]

Countries are not an imaginary idea. Many of them are manifestation of the populous resides in it.

[@asiblingproduction]

So... imagination ultimatly. Where do the ideas to expand boarders come from? Imagination.

[@JA17SBLVIIIMVP]

So....what part of the brain creates this sort of need for seperation?

[@tomace194]

I'm curious of the same question. I've never understood nationalism or religion. I do feel they are similar in the fact that ppl will kill and die for them.

[@frankiemachine5531]

had to stop, rewind and then stop watching altogether after about 30 seconds... star trek, oh my

[@ThoughtMonkeyhq]

;)

[@pjkr123]

I feel american or german only when I’m on internet. Why? VPN

[@rock3tcatU233]

I sexually identify as a city state.

[@llarry2009]

The fall of the American Union

[@ricefamily2195]

This doesn't explain the nation state. This argues against the nation state with the assumption that the audience doesn't know anything. What about the importance of establishing a strong state that can defend itself from mass migrations? Egypt fell several times when they failed to protect their boarders from migrants. It is one of the reasons the Egyptians enslaved the Jews when their numbers began to grow on their boarders. The Ancient Greeks fell to mass migrations as well. When Rome could not keep mass migrants out, it was sacked by first the Visigoths and then the Vandals. Charles the Hammer or Charlemagne fought the Muslim invaders and established the Holy Roman Empire as a state that successful resisted further invasions from the Middle East. States, beginning with Hammurabi also established and enforced laws within their boarders. As states grew to encompass large trading systems, they introduced currencies and collected taxes. This allowed for support of a standing army, but also investment in infrastructure, such as the famous roads and aqueducts of the Romans. Law enforcement, taxes, infrastructure investment, etc. all require enforcing clear state boundaries. Later as states waged wars with each other these were initially funded through plundered. During some periods in Europe, roaming armies continually sacked and destroyed the populations they were attempting to conquer. Then the more modern state emerged with the ability to raise vast funds in the bond market, based on the integrity of their tax base and confidence in their ability to defend their boarders. All of these aspects and more were clear to the Founding Fathers when they sought to establish the US as a nation state and history has shown it to be an extremely successful state. Videos like this one are dangerous and appear to be advocating a lunacy.

[@Fraser3005]

I AM A CITIZEN OF THE EU!!!........said no-one ever

[@Fraser3005]

@@ravecrab23 I completely agree with you, and the funniest thing is I believe I have referred to my l self as an EU citizen in the past. Unfortunately I'm British and we decided to be massive dicks and leave the EU and I can't say it anymore 😓. I'm just a plain old citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the British Overseas Territories, and the Crown dependencies......which is fine I guess

[@Fraser3005]

@@ravecrab23 and I've been Nuremberg actually, it has a massive cathedral 😉

[@patrickklocek3332]

A nice introduction but it doesn't dig deep enough into why borders persist. It has to do with incompatible institutions and systems. Europe's institutions largely merged. The US and Mexico have wildly divergent systems and so merging would not be practical for either. The borders are not racist. They are totally rational.

[@xecho19x45]

was going to watch....but star trek? with star wars references?

[@spiritmind5549]

It keeps chaos from running wild. There has got be order. No order know chaos Know order no chaos.

[@nathanmoore4528]

where is New Zealand

[@fletcherbradley3360]

where* stupid heck idiot but head loser face

[@nathanmoore4528]

yeh where is nz

[@nathanmoore4528]

where ?????!?!?!?!!?!?!!!!!?!??!?!!!?!?!?!?!

[@nathanmoore4528]

3:00

[@nathanmoore4528]

I know right where is it

[@rhuttrho888]

This will enslave the whole world

[@justcomments1239]

Nations and governments are founded by the conquest of one tribe over another. Taxation comes from the periodic tribute the subdued tribe would have to pay to their conquerors.

[@user-zw8px2bg5x]

Berre

[@pkramerable]

Simplistic drivel.

[@noone9909]

Star Wars = Star Trek, dat logic tho

[@diamondgeezer5983]

Borders are good. Self-determination is good. The preservation of culture, history and heritage through nationalism is GOOD. One of the most dangerously naive ideas in the world today is that of erasing borders, and the idea that doing this will somehow bring about peace on earth, it's insane.

[@felisszerjin9073]

How is it good? Where’s the benefit for an individual?

[@hamzaali-dg9oe]

Well explained

[@ulfayirtahskberg2]

Citizenship is different from things one 'considers' one has. Your brother may 'consider' himself cooler than you, but his Citizenship is a formal membership in The State, that he either has or does not have. The State is no nation but a consituted legal person, a signed paper document. The State is the owner of the land, which is to say the monarch of the country you live in is a legal person, similar to a corporation. If you have membership in its organization, then you have Citizenship. Whether or not you 'consider' that you have Citizenship, is juridically irrelevant. In short, the maker of this video does, like most people, apparently not know what The State is.

[@shownottell8804]

YODA is in STAR WARS. That was a fail.

[@theriverwoodtrader4433]

Well thought out and loved the video, but I have to disagree with the premise. A one world government or no world government is a very dangerous and rather misconceived idea. Especially since every time a world power has promoted the notion of a single nation state, it has been with the point of a sword. Governments when kept in check and kept small are a very useful way to organise people and protect them against laws that do not apply to their group or identity. Now I'm not talking about the simple ones that are common sense (Free speech, freedom of religion, the right to assembly.) I'm talking about laws that are created for any given reason that make little to no sense at all. If the entire United States shared the same state legislation all around as say Florida then it would be illegal everywhere to peel an orange in public everyware. What if they shared that law with the rest of the world. It is because one person in authority thought the stupid law up that it sists on the Florida books today and everyone in Florida has to abide by it or they could be fined. What about labor laws that force the creation of groups of people to act in the interest of those groups weather they agree with the group or not? Some states allow these and some don't. What about cultural based laws that were put into place because of a system of beliefs not everyone shares.? We have countries because of cultural identity and differences. These identities give smaller groups of people a way to relate and work together for their common interests. You see this in small towns all over the United States each town competes in local sports, bidding for contractors, convincing businesses to set up in their jurisdictions, but it creates a healthy competition in most circumstances. If town "A" offers a local tax credit to a company for bringing jobs to town and town "B" offers to build a building for them then the company now has an option to choose what location they will set up their business in. If it were all one large group and there were no incentives for that company they might not even set up shop at all because smaller towns have fewer employees to choose from. Big cities would get bigger and smaller towns would all but disappear because they lack the competitive advantage over larger places. Countries are the same way. They trade with one another and incentivise one another in order to be competitive economically. This is why free market capitalism has been arguably one of the best deterrents to conflicts. Countries that trade together tend to act peacefully toward one another regardless of government and cultural differences. The United States and China for example. Great Britain and the newly formed united states after 1820. It's not a perfect system but let's look at the alternatives. In Star Trek earth is unified by a greater understanding of our place in the universe. War, famine, and disease are obliterated in a very short time and everyone looks to the new world government for well everything. It's a Utopia, or is it? The Federation is in fact a totalitarian government where resources and personnel are allocated by those in charge not by competition or fair trade. If you need a warp ship, instead of building one yourself by purchasing the parts or buy just outright buy one you have to go to the Federation council and make your case as to why you "need" a warp capable ship. Now yes you could try to convince a large number of people to help you build one but how would you do that? You would again have to give them a legitimate reason as to why they should spend their time (a nonrenewable resource unlike money.) to build you a ship. I don't need one I want one. "I want to explore the galaxy and discover new places." you would say. "How will that benefit the community/federation?" They would ask. Here is where you as the individual are cast aside for the "betterment" of what the federation believes is the betterment of humanity. The entire world speaking out in one voice that determines your destiny and what you get to do with your time and energy. (Noware on the earth or throughout history has this thought process actually worked, ever.) So unless you have a reason that gives value to others and can convince the authority of this, you will be without a ship. Thankfully things don't work that way where I live, and if I wanted a spaceship I could be like Elon Musk and build one. Even though it is not like that around the world. No one group can tell me I can't do what I want as long as it does not impede the rights of others. (Notice I said rights not dreams.) Thanks to this diversity of culture we have countries that specialize in several different industries and training. I'll get my titanium from Russia, the mass production of items that I need a lot of will be from China as will my electronics for non specialised systems. More specialised systems will be manufactured in Europe, and the construction of the ship will be in Texas USA. If you want to see how a one world government is destroying those that participate, take a look at the EU. Most of the countries in the EU are in economic turmoil, and are being supported by the countries that solvent. However those countries are supporting the weight of to many under their own economy and are being dragged down with them. It's a mess. You also have the issue of open borders and what it has done to the demographics of each of these nations. You think you would see more diversity and exchange of cultures but what you see are more aggressive cultures taking advantage of the freedoms of others and using political power to enforce their own. If you are against them you are considered intolerant but if you are for them you become subject to a new rule of law. Just because you don't agree with someone does not make you intolerant, it makes you an individual. If you go out of your way to force others to be like you that makes you intolerant. If you use violence and fear as a weapon that makes you intolerant. If you think your way is better... well I'd hope you would think your way is better, because if you didn't, you would be an idiot for choosing a way you think is less effective than someone else's out of spite. In fact that would be intolerant. One would without borders without countries would be a grey mass of discontent and unhappy people. Even if they were all under a country like the USA it would be tragic. People separate themselves not to exclude others but to include like minded individuals. So like most things liberal minded utopians want to ban it's not the tool that you use that is the issue, its the individuals that misuse them.

[@westwardthought5451]

What a horrible take on biology and its role in the differences between populations. And acting as if tribalism can be thrown away is as stupid as thinking we can rid ourselves of greed, sadness, anger, etc, etc. Liberals forsake reality for idealism.

[@johnparks3447]

Why in the world is there a line through Greenland and Mexico?!?!

[@gennarosavastano6268]

"The rise of the nation state in 6 minutes"...the video is 5:45 minutes long lol.

[@CROsigliere]

4.02 you say England when it’s not an England flag, it’s a British flag. On that alone, I will be the last person to subscribe because there is probably a lot of misinformed information on your channel.

[@ShunyamNiketana]

Your analysis of history seems skewed by your own ideology, which includes your vision of a globalized, harmonious humanity--if only we could rid ourselves of boundaries, borders, territorialism, and those angry despots of yesterday, which you predictably caricature, who want only power and trust no one. Nation-states arose in the fall of the Roman empire, after decades of religious wars. Yes, some of those national borders divided ethnically similar people, but they were a way to organize the world just as empires and kingdoms had been before that. You make it sound as if the borders themselves caused wars and "division," but the ultimate cause seems to be the tribalism and alliance-making that you point to early in this presentation. As the species evolves and grows in population, tribes migrate, fight, establish alliances, coexist in detente, or unite against a common "enemy." It's been the same old story, hasn't it? With the mass immigration of the last ten-fifteen years--Han Chinese in SE Asia, Muslims in Europe--and in light of Brexit, we can see that people hold fast to their cultural traditions, religions, and languages. Some groups assimilate; others don't. And some do quite well by staying insular. Even Thought Monkey has its enemy: those who just can't seem to get with the one-world program. Maybe you have to do more than destroy their statues to make them to taste the sweet nectar of a border-free paradise.

[@familystones]

🤦🏻‍♂️

[@paulcolbourne9112]

Yes. Open up all the prisons and move landfills and toxic waste sites onto suburban streets. No need for pesky boundaries. Boundaries serve no purpose.

[@skinnyweenie5107]

Lmao

[@corneliussmith1664]

Our own Nation State in North America will be very important for us because we can further develop ourself to be of service to lead humanily to greater living standards. Our experience in America is a victory of man to overcome all obstacles in the acquisition of justice plus the dignity of being human.

[@justaprole6156]

buncha angry nationalists here.

[@hitkid2456]

Right on. Is it worth all the strife? Humanity continues to evolve, and I think we must overcome our division on our own terms.

[@outofthebox9699]

Please fix this, Turkey and Azerbaijan are not in Europe 4:59, if a country gets rich that doesn't mean it a part of Europe.

[@yomamaballsinmyw]

turkey has a part in europe and azebajan is in the caucus hence europe, turkey is also in nato. also turkey is poor.

[@outofthebox9699]

@@yomamaballsinmywTurkey is poor or not, it's not a European country.

[@yomamaballsinmyw]

@@outofthebox9699 its transcontinental. it has land in asia and europe

[@lynwilcock7999]

Sadly I have lost my country.. I wait for the final solution..maybe there is a spark of humanity.......... I saw this light in the wind ..a trumpeter .. please let me have

[@TheWizardYeof]

lyn wilcock I would advise looking for a term other than “final solution”

[@user-nf9xc7ww7m]

@@TheWizardYeof he needs a little lebensraum 😉🇮🇲

[@memesupreme905]

I just not belive in borders!

[@ivanfreely6366]

Borders will always exist.

[@tesali9554]

@@ivanfreely6366 no they haven’t.

[@licky8]

The EU doesn't include every European country. The laws are very different in its countries. The EU is not like the US, not yet! We still have a lot of work to do until the borders will disappear. The concept of citizenship must disappear too.

[@memesupreme905]

So true, but it would be uptopia!

[@licky8]

No. It will be another stage of development. We'll still have problems. The nation state is a utopia from the point of view of the city state. Similarly what comes next after the nation state sounds like a utopia but it isn't really.

[@alexobolensky4632]

Almost everything in this video is wrong.