A state is an organisation, just like a mafia, a religion, a corporation, etc. are. However, perhaps “state” organisation has a slightly different dna than the mafia’s?
On the face of it, saying that states are just like any other organisations, seems cool. However, I think there is a certain difference for states, something perhaps anarchists – a bit like me – and other state questioning streams – might fancy baring in mind – that the state in order to Be the state organisation, has to present itself as an operation for All. The reason that a monarch/president/dictator/etc. can and do fancy themselves ruling Over people and Expecting these people’s loyalties, is because the State is for all. If you are of the state, you have a certain obligation for all people that link – or you might want to link – with that state. Like corporations have obligation to “investors” – States have a certain obligation towards its dominions, obligations that take account of crossing all social constructs – even if that crossing is for emphasising a certain social structure. This, for example is very different from a religion, where a dominant religion will not just give certain preferences to X religion, but also will not claim to represent members of the said discriminated religion. (e.g. Slave owners’ states in the US claimed to be beneficial for slaves… Turkey, Saudi-Arabia, Iran, India, Israel, Pakistan, etc. – these are states where members of less dominant religions are outsiders in the sense that the religious state is limited in its claims of legitimacy over members of non-dominant religions. eg, Some rules might not apply to that members of religious minority, like conscription of muslims in the israeli army. Or handling of finances in muslim countries where interest is “un-islamic” hence people use proxies, members of other religions..
Just like the mafia, tribal, corporate, and religious operations have to have restrictions on members that then affect others around them and turns into a power struggle – rather than discursive and civil attempting one – because the organisations are rivals for one another, their reason to Be does not include a variety of people they have under their domain – so the state is for the entirety of people within a specific geographical area. Where states are Allowed to be like single group oriented organisations is War…
In war, I guess, states and religious, terror, economical, and other swuch organisations, elements meet.
There must be some writings about the states’ operational differences from others.. In a critical rather than some of the glary eyed texts by 19th century European nationalists?
Huummm.. Here’s perhaps a contemporary example:
In the uber sorry bloodbath of Syria, it seems that the Kurdish faction gets to recruit non Kurdish people because its slightly wider that a single religious affiliation way of ruling..