In the 21st century, any effort to occupy and annex another state’s territory and to subordinate any other human being to oneself is considered illegal, unethical, and immoral. Suppression of basic human rights and liberties by any entity is considered a violation of International law, and dozens of NGOs and IGOs are working to stop this. But all of these efforts failed to control the use of force by individuals and states against other states and their subjects.
Almost one and a half centuries ago, Darwin came up with his theory of evolution. One of the important aspects of his theory was the competition among living creatures for food and life. During evolution, as he explained, animals fight for food and survival, but the ultimate winners are those who are stronger than their peers. Only those animals succeed in retaining the essence of life who are fittest according to their surrounding environment. He called this phenomenon “survival of the fittest.”
Humans – the political animals as Aristotle called them – reached the current stage of civilization of Nation States through an institutional political evolution. Like Darwin’s theory of evolution, there is a theory in Political Science called the Theory of Force, which explains the emergence and evolution of the state. It explains that the state emerged and maintained its existence through the use of force. In the beginning, a powerful man conquered and subdued the weaker one. Then, a tribe emerged under his leadership. This powerful tribe subjugated another weaker tribe, and a kingdom came into existence. This kingdom acquired power and overwhelmed the surrounding weaker tribes and kingdoms, which led to the establishment of the empires. Although the idea of modern nation-states came into existence in the seventeenth century – through some treaties and agreements. But, to establish and maintain the existence, the notion of the use of force remained in practice and prevalent in nation-states.
The Theory of Force is prevalent in the policies of different states. In today’s modern world, states use force through different means. It is not necessarily that states would use force through sticks or guns. Today, the state maintains its existence through the control and manipulation of information and knowledge. Information that people are absorbing is coming to them by passing governmental interventions.
Misinformation and disinformation – through the Internet and mass media – distort actual reality and create a false image of it. Today’s mass audience gets affected by what they watch on TV and on the Internet. That’s how, through these mediums, states construct a false view of nations’ identity and history, which defines the sense of identity for future generations. Keeping the people unaware and ignorant of their actual national history, identity, and political affairs of the state – by using new modern means of communication – is a new form of suppression by force. George Orwell rightly said, “The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their understanding of their history.”
Britain, for example, in its curriculum books does not discuss the history of its inhumane and suppressive policies, which it practiced for more than 200 years in its former colonies. On the other side of the globe, a modern developing state, China is practicing George Orwell’s 1984 character of Big Brother. China’s social crediting system is such an example, where people are rewarded and treated by their social behaviors and the ratio of their obedience and observance of law and rules – drawn by China’s authoritative regime.
Russia annexed a huge chunk of the land territory of relatively weaker Ukraine by force – to safeguard their national interests as they reasoned it. Israel, on the other hand, forcefully annexed Palestine. Now, Palestinians are left as prisoners in their homeland. They have to acquire permits from the Israeli government to move around in their territory. It shows that the Theory of Force is still dominant in practice.
T.H Green, while supporting the use of force legally by the state, said, “Might without right, can at best, be only temporary; might with the right is the permanent basis for the state.” But, today, states are suppressing basic human liberties under legal cover – but it may not last long.
When states support certain groups and ignore or even balk against others of their basic rights drawn under the constitution, a point comes when their patience level reaches its heights, and they are not left with any other choice except to oppose and rebel against the state policies. A small spark could prove enough to agitate the problem – as we saw in the recent Anti-Hijab protests in Iran. Such type of state policies can’t ensure long-lasting peace, social stability, and economic prosperity. It’s ultimately the general will of the people that ensures the establishment and existence of the state.
As the saying goes, “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.” Change is in human nature. People eventually stand against the vicious suppression that is being imposed on them. There can be many reasons to deny the right to use force by the state against its people, but the simple one is that it’s beyond the law and against the general will.
- Theory of Force and Modern Nation States - 05/04/2023
