The ability for small nations to defend themselves from any sized nation state is the last piece of the puzzle.
Discussion
Offence is the best defence in this situation? Organized by cooperation? (Against the larger state) But then the organization gets too big?? Wash rinse repeat?
I think that’s a flawed model eg the UN and all of the problems that come along with an oligopoly of force. That and I don’t think city states could accumulate the volume of kinetic weapons necessary to actually defend themselves adequately from militaries like the US, CCP, Germany, Japan, etc.
I think a breakthrough technology has to arise that allows for extreme asymmetrical defense capabilities. Small / cheap / reliable / accurate nuclear weapons and vastly improved missile defense systems could do it potentially.
If NYC could hit 100 population-dense locations anywhere on earth simultaneously with efficient and accurate nuclear armaments 24/7 then NYC could secede from federal / state governments and nothing could do about it. They could do so peacefully but with the ability project power so fiercely that they would be free if they wanted to be.
Have you ever read simulacra and simulation? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulacra_and_Simulation further https://ceasefiremagazine.co.uk/in-theory-baudrillard-8/ ? Proliferation seems pointless to me and unnecessary expense to install and maintain, barrier to entry will reduce to become a moot point eventually, no? Just a growing pain the world has to get through? Great barrier? As in https://youtu.be/UjtOGPJ0URM?si=VbSE3cfTwoScXsQz
I am not well versed or an authority on such topics very interesting to think about and discuss though. Respect 🫡
The ability to project power and protect property / territory is essential to sovereignty. History has been ruled by those who can project power onto those who can’t. Mutually assured destruction is the only thing that’s worked between superpowers.
When a city state can content with a nation state in the game of power projection (and/or guaranteed defense from these powerful institutions), then it can can be sovereign. It is the critical step.
Technology is getting to a point whereby it may become attainable for much smaller groups to match much larger institutions in these games. Hopefully there is a breakthrough soon and I would prefer it to be a defensive breakthrough.
Yeah I think it’s inevitable kind of like a singularity, we’re already past the event horizon…
Think of it like the geographic region required to maintain this power collapsing in rapidly while new sources of this power are born. 🤯