What is a Nation Anyway?
It often feels like there is a distinct lack of imagination in the political landscape and that we may be doomed to a revolving door of personalities who we may enjoy, endure or detest of and whilst we are at the political show we have found that our homes have all burned down due to the lack of connectedness of our governance to our real world challenges.
But if we look a bit wider we can see that there are many unusual case studies of nations and power within our everyday lives right now! I am going to attempt to run through a bunch of nations and states which make up the interesting edge cases of our world.
Most nations, but not all are generated through making ‘claims of body.’ Most notably defining a land claim through whatever means necessary and attempting to protect its physical boundary. This land grab is almost complete but there is a distinct lack of ‘claims of mind.’ This is the arena of internet and digital realms.
Maybe Corcovadans could be considered Denizens of a Global ‘Polity of Mind’ rather than a ‘Body Politic’
Here are the most interesting edge cases in claims about nation which the world does not necessarily agree on but may help build our confidence in thinking differently about the nature of nation states.
Overview of threat Is $50–300million, they have 14k-18k military and have temporarily given up their geographical claim of their Caliphate but hope to gain it back again. ISIS is essentially a ‘state of mind’ they want to indoctrinate and from the mind consider controlling body too. The problem is the values they are indoctrinating do not fit with most other state projects.
The very centre of London is not actually a part of the UK, it is its own entity and was never captured by the Saxon invaders. The queen must request access and it is a nation of its own, camouflaged amongst the UK’s capital spanning merely 2.9km Squared. The City says — that they are responsible for ‘Providing services for residents (and City businesses) in the Square Mile, but not those of other boroughs.’ There are 8,000 residents in the City of London, with 500,000 workers crossing the border from United Kingdom everyday to support a separate nation of which they have no democratic power without necessarily even realising it.
With a land claim of 1.6m km squared this western part of Antarctica whilst painfully uninhabitable for humans is an interesting fiction lead by Travis McHenry. Although McHenry has never been there the West Arctica government claim they currently have over 2,000 citizens.
Westarctica have found themselves amongst the subculture of micronations who range from making real world claims for odd bits of land like Sealand and Westarctica through to Molossia and the nation making the land claim the size of a rock that sits in your hand. Whilst no obvious threat to our lively hood or power structures these micronations can act as powerful mechanisms of activism from within and also highlight the non utilitarian part of value that states offer, belonging and community which seems strong amongst these micro alliances.
Susan Tarkowski is the anarchist founder of this borderless jurisdiction founded on the blockchain, trying to create a state with citizenship in Pangea and a platform for other startup nations to create their identities and hold their agreements in decentralised ways. With large claims and difficulty in delivering it can feel like an anti climatic experience. Where I find them inspiring is in their attempts and experiments in trying to actually cross national borders with their diplomatic passport. They also provide lots of inspiration in the services they use, for example I just found Consider it which looks like a wonderful tool.
I will not attempt to explain this as I know little that can be added to public understanding but obviously is a painfully deep conflict
The Vatican! — an independent City-State, like the city of London but not camouflaged at all! A theocracy (state ruled by religious leader led by a theology) 44 Hectares and 1,000 residents it is the smallest Sovereign State by area and population in the world.
Currently A landless people, strong in culture, with their own language but not their own symbols. This fascinating polity hope for a home for their body, their lack of this has created a powerful storytelling function in their culture.
With the CEO and Chairman as same person and opting to put all shareholding and profits into a foundation (thus retaining control) rather than paying taxes in the US or other nations with over 2 billion users, already altering dramatically the outcome of many national elections and experts in driving online engagement and behaviour it could be seen that facebook is attempting to erode the powers of governance, opting for a private structure instead. I have many fears if this is the picture which dominates but among them is that it is based around ‘doing-ness’ not our ‘being-ness’. Ultimately humans are more than doings and I wish for our governance structures to at least reach for the idea of looking to support our whole selves.
ISLAM
From my reading, the quran begins its life as a political manifesto and that the Caliphs following Muhammed set to increase the rule of islam through sending army troops. It is an interesting mix of inciting the god voice of Allah with deep rooted disagreement between Sunni and Shi’ite followers about whether the Caliph mantle can be carried by anyone or simply by the blood line of the Prophet. — To say more would be foolish due to my lack of expertise here but I welcome contribution
CHRISTIANITY
Similar in many ways to Islam in it’s interest in growing its influence to the ends of the earth following a prophets example. In this case, Jesus the Jewish Nazarene embodied sacrificial love and lead a heart revolution, suggesting the kingdom was near and sending his disciples out to transform people’s hearts with the relational message that God loves them personally. It is my understanding that the ‘land claim’ of this group ended when the veil was torn that the spirit of god now brooded across the whole world and the followers of Jesus must go and share the good news everywhere .
With less than 40,000 residents and only 202 hectares or 0.7 square miles of land this is a strange principality to say the least. the second smallest after the Vatican. More than 30% are millionaires, due to its tax breaks with no income tax and low business taxes, like the Corporation of London it is a Tax haven.
https://www.nesta.org.uk/2018-predictions/nation-state-goes-virtual
Contributions particularly welcome on the following —
Is there anything inspiring within our current system?
Within the existing system there are some interesting ideas also,
The Icelandic Pirate Party, attempting to crowdsource a constitution, The Extinction Rebellion group calling for a ‘Citizen’s Assembly’, Sadiq khan talking about pulling London out of England or Draper talking about pulling Silicon Valley out of California.
There have been a couple of significant articles in the Guardian and Aeon which attempt to create some awareness on the State on Nations as we currently find it!
Where does a polity of mind ‘x’ collab with a nation of body?
By my deduction it feels the most likely national partner (body) for a global polity like Corcovado, would be a small easy to reach, autonomous, uncontested island (clearly defined border) which has a need for PR (dependant on tourism) and innovation friendly (not scared of the internet) It seems to me that Malta is the best. I think it would be a fascinating opportunity if Malta was to accept some of our nomadic friends from Live The Adventure into the country using their Corcovadan identity not their passport of national body.
It has happened before, and not long ago. The Nansen Passport developed by Fridtjof Nansen et al, implemented by the League of Nations (UN)in 1922 and 20 years later by 1942 more than 50 countries accepted in across their borders.
It is possible we could us a system like TYKN a decentralised blockhain identity service who I met whilst working for Chivas Venture and could track our activities as a governance system deploying taxes using the services of Provenance
Another meaningful way to engage with the nation state could be to find a country who were willing to give a tax break or refund equal to the 1% that Corcovadan Denziens contribute to our fund. This would make it simply a decision of mind and identity for individuals to pay nationally or into a global tribe.
So with new tools come new responsibilities and new connections. We want our governance to deal with whole human and satisfy our deeper spiritual needs yet we do not want to perpetuate the feuds, dodgy philosophies and theologies of old.
How much is ‘enough’ to say about what we value in order that we might all get along and see our garden grow once more?
