{"id":10311,"date":"2024-02-18T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-02-18T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=10311"},"modified":"2025-06-03T09:09:15","modified_gmt":"2025-06-03T14:09:15","slug":"136-the-states-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawcomic.net\/guide\/?p=10311","title":{"rendered":"136. The State’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"The<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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Constitutional Law<\/p>\n

Part 2: \u201cWhat Were They Thinking?\u201d<\/p>\n

Digression: \u201cA History of Government in 6 Revolutions: From the Paleolithic to Philadelphia\u201d<\/p>\n

Pg 136. \u201cThe State\u2019s Story\u201d<\/p>\n

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PANEL 1<\/p>\n

A line drawing reminiscent of the old \u201cAscent of Man\u201d illustration. It depicts a crawling baby, a walking young girl, a running girl of 8 or 10, a preteen girl looking back at her younger selves as she walks forward, a teenage girl striding, a young mother happily lifting her infant, and an adult woman wearing a Corinthian helmet and carrying a spear and shield\u2014The State.<\/p>\n

The illustration has been marred by a bold red X painted over it with a large paintbrush.<\/p>\n

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NARRATION:<\/p>\n

As you recall, there\u2019s this tendency to think of the history of government as a progression.<\/strong> We frequently envision human societies as if they\u2019re evolving<\/strong> through stages of development, from a tribal childhood towards an inevitable \u201cstate-level\u201d maturity.<\/p>\n

But that\u2019s wrong.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It\u2019s wrong<\/strong> to think of it as a kind of \u201cprogress.\u201d And there\u2019s nothing \u201cinevitable\u201d about any<\/strong> of it.<\/p>\n

Bands, tribes, clans, states, what have you\u2014none are \u201clevels\u201d or stages<\/strong> of development.<\/p>\n

They\u2019re alternatives\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n

Alternative forms of fully mature<\/strong> societies.<\/p>\n

Whether the product of our genetic makeup or a cultural narrative, each alternative is a specific<\/strong> solution to a specific<\/strong> set of circumstances.<\/p>\n

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PANEL 2<\/p>\n

The State stands in front of a stylized celadon illustration of Greek countryside, in the style of \u201cChinoiserie\u201d on antique porcelain. She is addressing the reader.<\/p>\n

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NARRATION:<\/p>\n

It\u2019s true that narrative\u2014story\u2014is<\/strong> our superpower.<\/p>\n

And yes, the narrative of the state<\/strong> gives us superhuman<\/strong> abilities\u2014such as the ability to cooperate in societies of unlimited size, which can endure for countless lifetimes.<\/p>\n

But for all that, the state is still just<\/strong> that:<\/p>\n

A STORY.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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THE STATE:<\/p>\n

I mean, rocks and trees exist even if you<\/strong> do not.<\/p>\n

But I<\/strong> only exist inside the goop in your head.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a product of your collective imagination!<\/strong><\/p>\n

(Which is mind-blowing, but still\u2026!)<\/p>\n

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NARRATION:<\/p>\n

The state is one<\/strong> solution, to a particular<\/strong> set of problems.<\/p>\n

What happens when it\u2019s no longer<\/strong> a solution?<\/p>\n

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What happens when we stop believing<\/strong> the story?<\/p>\n

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<\/div><\/div>View Transcript<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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