Two types of statehood have dominated history: the nation and the empire. And if you understand the difference, you’re better equipped to see the fate of the nation – or empire – you call home.
The monocultural nation
A nation is one large tribe with a single language and culture that has coalesced into a state with the same set of laws for all. There is a lot of evidence from across the world that the nation-state is a stable entity. Despite having an Emperor, Japan is a good example of a nation.
The multicultural empire
Empires typically sprang up from nations that grew powerful and began conquering other nations. They grew so large that it became difficult to maintain one culture, language, and people. As such, the empire was intrinsically multicultural. The Roman empire is the classic historical specimen of this form of government, and, surprisingly, China is an excellent modern example.
China is an empire? You bet. Aside from the many different languages spoken in China, Chinese itself is split into several language groups, covering over 200 unique dialects.
Inherently unstable
Unlike nations, history has proven that empires are inherently unstable. When Rome was a republic, it was stable and relatively peaceful. But as an empire, it spent half of its life in a state of rebellion and civil war. Eventually it collapsed under its weight, as most empires do.
Oppression
China is the longest-lived empire on the earth, and it has only achieved this longevity through centuries of ruthless oppression and crushing any form of free speech. There is even some evidence that its bloody history has altered the Chinese genetically. Weeding out the rebellious has created a more docile, domesticated population.
But despite this centuries-long violent effort to stave off rebellion, China still must strike down hard on any form of political freedom to prevent the country from fracturing. Dictatorship is the only way for an empire to survive.
It is no coincidence that the term political correctness was coined by Chairman Mao of the Chinese Communist Party. To maintain the empire he had conquered, he had to regulate speech.
Imperialism in reverse
The implication of this is that the ideology of multiculturalism is a sort of reverse imperialism. In the past, empires were formed through external conquest of other peoples. Today it is achieved by bringing other peoples into the country, thereby demographically transforming a nation into an empire.
As always, such conquest leads to conflict and rebellion, and the only way to succeed is to open the toolkit of oppression. The imperialists must cull free speech and create an atmosphere of fear to complete the transformation.
