Over the last few years, I’ve slowly ceased to believe in ‘countries’. Nations and borders always have been an artificial construct, basically created in the past by ruling dynasties to maintain power over a territory. I can’t think of many examples where they were actually intended to represent the population that actually resided within its borders. The only exception to this are those smaller ‘countries’ who broke away from larger ‘countries’ who did not represent them or failed to recognise their culture (think Bosnia and Herzegovina and other states who broke up from Yugoslavia, East Timor which separated from Indonesia, Kosovo, Ukraine etc.). In fact, 34 new countries have been created since 1990.
The concept of a country seems to serve exclusive minorities because it allows a large population to be structure and controlled, often to their own detriment. That’s why some nationalist governments (the new ruling classes) continue to condition their young, programming them to obtain an emotional response from a waving flag or the tune of a national anthem. People are essentially trained to love their country without questioning why.
From an early age, we’re encouraged to adhere to a false concept – that we’re part of some mutually beneficial collective or brotherhood. Here in New Zealand, there’s currently a laughable attempt by the government to divert attention from its poor management of the country by trying to rally interest in the design of a new national flag. Unfortunately for them, it’s like the party that nobody turns up to. People actually aren’t that stupid, despite the money desperately being thrown at it.
It’s true that some countries have populations of a similar cultural background and heritage. Ireland is a classic example of this, particularly as our island status ensured a relatively consistent cultural system over the centuries. Northern Ireland of course is the exception. Planted with a new population that had different belief systems to the existing system, such an act was bound to create adversity and violence. It’ll take a few more generations to smooth that particular wrinkle out but it is inevitable (despite what politicians with their own agenda tell you).
When you see growing inequality within a nation, when your ‘countryman’ is more than happy to screw you for his own personal benefit, you have to ask yourself if you really want to be associated with that particular grouping?
If you’re someone who flies your national flag outside your house – something I confess to having done in the past – you might want to consider the potential that you’ve been manipulated.
