Nations are another question. A functional, competent, state can certainly help the nation-formation process ( Prussia 17-19th century) and a dysfunctional, corrupt or illegitimate state can impede it ( Mobuto’s Congo, today’s Nigeria) but the sense of nationhood comes from the heritage of a shared experience that bridges tribal, sectarian or other associational primary loyalties. We can encourage that or discourage it but I’m not sure that such a thing as a ” nation” in the organic sense can be built.
UPDATE:
I wanted to call your attention to a recent post by Eddie at Live From the FDNF who has given a lot of thought this past year to humanitarian intervention problems. In “Sys-Admin Academy & Exchange“, Eddie throws out a number of intriguing yet pragmatic ideas regarding Sys Admin possibilities.
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EvolvedReason:
May 11th, 2006 at 8:31 pm
I think it would be interesting to consider the apparent contradiction in the position being taken in this post.
It speaks of connecting the Gap to the Core by wiring them into the ever increasing globalized world – a very worthy endeavor. The argument that I seem to be hearing though is that by erecting properly wired institutions within these dysfunctional Gap nations one will produce the correct structure to support a viable globalized Core nation. The paradox, in my mind anyway, is that the true promise of globalization is realized when the boundaries which define a nation are slowly erased.
In reality the resistance we find today in the continued wiring of globalization is produced by the nation state trying to preserve itself. In essence the nation state is the castle of sand on the shore confronted with the rising tide of globalization. To make the argument that submitting to globalization supports a stronger nation seems to me a little contradictory. Submitting to globalization for the sake of economic prosperity is a valid argument, however, submitting to globalization to strengthen the nation is simply nonsense.
Many years in the future globalization will be seen as the event that made the successor to the nation state possible – what ever that successor turns out to be. It definitely will not be viewed as the event that constructed, strengthened, or preserved strong nations.
Freeman:
May 11th, 2006 at 11:30 pm
I must be missing some important point in the SysAdmin argument, as I honestly just don’t get it. For me, the simple acid test is to ask: Would it work in Iraq? (Or somewhere similar.)
If the locals are willing and able to cooperate with a SysAdmin force to build a new core state it seems to me that they are probably well on their way to becoming core by themselves. On the other hand, if they resist the idea of core values (rule sets)the presence of a SysAdmin force is only likely to make the situation worse, unless the SysAdmin applies overwhelming and continuous force – a situation that does not appear conducive to achieving stability and core values.
Of course, this latter case is just the Iraq situation, which brings me back full circle to my lack of understanding of the proposed SysAdmin solution to “coring the gap”.
So, my reality check keeps on asking whether a SysAdmin force is really the answer to failed states, and my internal answer keeps coming back as “maybe not”. Perhaps “evolvedreason” has a more viable alternative by dissolving the nation state in a more global identity, for which the European Union is a possible example. But, again, this only works if the failed state actively wants to become core. The case of the failed state that refuses to play the game (eg, N Korea) appears to be intractable, at least in the short/medium term.
mark:
May 15th, 2006 at 4:31 am
Hi Evol & Freeman
Pardon the delay. You have both raised some very interesting points.
for Evol:
I would agree that “strong” nation-states that try to tightly regulate connectivity through trade restrictions, censorship, authoritarian controls etc. find globalization dangerously eroding to ther sovereignty.
OTOH, very weak states have little to lose by increasing their connectivity to the Core. Having only nominal control over their own territory anyway, military aid, commerce, investment, economic assistance can strengthen the state’s ability to maintain order or win adherence by providing basic services, perhaps for the first time.
Perhaps the effect of globalization on sovereignty runs along a continuum?
For freeman:
My preference, strategically speaking, would to tackle the easier, ” cooperative” cases first with Sys Admin rather than focusing on the hardest ( Obviously, in Iraq we had no choice as the occupying power but to try to rebuild but effectively, the Bush admin./bureaucracy failed to plan for reconstruction of that magnitude). The Gap still shrinks and the zone of order and peace increase.
Less chaotic states are a better
( i.e. less costly) place to learn “first lessons” and make mistakes than in the center of a war zone
Andrew:
May 17th, 2006 at 9:25 pm
Mark,
The first order of business for any state-to-be is to establish a legitimate monopoly on the use violence both internally and externally. This allows the state to promulgate effective law and build the instituions required to administer those laws, in effect it grants legitimacy to the state. As we see in Iraq, without such a monopoly on violence the state becomes ineffective in most every other sector. So while some degree of institution building will go hand-in-hand with establishing a monopoly on legitimate violence, I would agrue that the state does not really exist until it does so.
More importantly though, is the question of whether or not a state can establish this monopoly and achieve legitimacy while totally dependent on another state to do so? I’m not so sure.
Eddie:
May 19th, 2006 at 11:14 am
Thank you for linking to my post Mark.
When considering the building of institutions and states, I can’t help but go back to the reality on the ground in numerous “New Core” and “Gap” nations alike that Amy Chua explained in “World On Fire”.
To me this is a key flaw in Barnett’s theory; of course there will be losers as Ralph Peters has noted in numerous columns and essays, but when a majority of the population is not experiencing a real benefit of the connectivity, this is more than a case of some losing out, it is a serious area for concern, a fundamental flaw in the structure of both institutions and nations.