Nations

       If we look at the concept of the nation, how do we define it? Is it simply a physical location inhabited by a particular group of people? Is it an intangible human construct, the value of which is only defined and given by people? Is it something sacred and consecrated by God? Generally, people who place the highest value on their nations like to imbue their nations with characteristics of all three, a physical location, virtually indefinable with great value coming from its people and consecrated by God.

       There is a great habit with people when faced with the uncertainty and the impermanence characteristic to life, to attribute indestructible and eternal qualities to our very human and very limited creations as a means of assuaging our fear.  Historically no nation has been eternal regardless of how great or how powerful it has been at its apogee. Eventually through one route or another, every nation declines into insignificance or completely cedes its independence altogether. Virtually every people indulges in the human habit of attributing mystical properties to its nation. A mythology is created in which the founding of the nation was ordained by God and enacted by demigods. We are led to believe that these heroes’ characteristics are still residing deep within the nation itself and within its people. A nation founded in such a way is undoubtedly blessed by God and will be assisted by God in whatever travails it may encounter. This is traditional human nature; it would be shortsighted to believe that in modern times this human characteristic has simply vanished. It is likely this traditional belief has evolved to match current modes and habits and is still present in our way of thinking.

       How indestructible and important is any creation of a human being? If we look at money in two different contexts, we will have a good example by which to determine such values. Nothing is so valued or sought after in all parts of the world. At this moment in time, almost nothing can happen without the presence of money, the support of money, or some question relating to money. Money is the creation of people; it only has meaning and value to people.  If we consider having ten million dollars in a brief case, and consider all that could be done with this in our world, we can imagine the importance we and others would place on this brief case filled with money. Now imagine finding oneself on a deserted island with the exact same briefcase. Imagine that you would never leave that place. Exactly what would that money now be worth in such a context?  It would still be what it was before, and perhaps would be worth exactly the same amount if taken someplace where there are other people; however, in a context without other people, and without that society, it will become worthless.

       Like money, many creations of people are worthless without other people to appreciate or value them as they are only human creations. Their great intrinsic value is that we value them.  It is entirely possible that the great value of a nation is that it is valued by its own people, nothing more than this. The addition of blessings from God and a super-hero mythology that we place on top of our nation is only for our own psychological benefit.

        It is true that a nation will be described as a physical territory which is inhabited by a particular people, but a nation is more than this. A nation is a people who exist in a location, for a given amount of time, who ascribe to themselves certain attributes, and in essence through their own desire, give themselves a high sense of self-worth.  This is not a permanent state of being, it is not immutable, and being based on the mentalities of the people, what that nation is, what it represents, or generally how it is defined, can change at any time, or in time, based on the desires of its people.