Transcript
How did we come to have nation-states in the first place? And what makes a good one? The answer to that can be found in the most unlikely places – in the culinary arts.
Take your kitchen as a theater of power, not unlike the tribal dynamics we see in small centralized (traditional) societies.
In the beginning, there's a diverse ecosystem of ingredients, each with its own distinct flavor profile, much like the individual tribes with their unique cultures and leaders. These ingredients are autonomous, potent, and capable of creating an impact in isolation — the sharpness of an onion, the earthiness of mushrooms, the sweetness of tomatoes, and so on.
When one begins cooking, there's a certain anarchy to it, as each ingredient is prepared in its own way, akin to tribes managing their own affairs. A simmer here, a sauté there, much like small societies evolving independently. But as the dish progresses towards completion, a central theme emerges — a sauce, a spice blend, a cooking technique that will bring all these disparate elements together, much like a powerful chieftain uniting tribes under a single banner.
The decentralized power of individual flavors gradually centralizes as they meld and marry into the dish. This culinary centralization, much like the formation of nation-states, can lead to a more stable and unified outcome — a harmonious dish greater than the sum of its parts.
After all, you would rather have a delicious sandwich than treat yourself to, say raw onions all day. Culinarily speaking, that’s why small, centralized societies are a thing of the past.
Yet, just as in the evolution of societies, there's a delicate balance to be struck. Overcentralization, or shall we say overseasoning can lead to a loss of individuality among ingredients, turning a potentially vibrant dish into a disaster. The art, then, is in allowing each ingredient to express its essence while still contributing to the overall vision.
Pick a nation. Ask, how was it cooked? I wager that tells you a lot, than almost anything else that there is to know about such a nation-state.
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