The Power of the State. How Does It Arise?

Where does the state's power come from? Ask this question, and in response you will hear a multitude of words that propagandists of all nationalities love so much — about the will of the people, about the native land, about the constitution...

But some people, especially the most inquisitive ones, are not satisfied with verbal tinsel. They have always been preoccupied with the question of the nature of this phenomenon, the nature of the state's power over people. Where does it come from, how did it form, and why does the population accept it unquestioningly?

One of the best formulations of this question belongs to the American political scientist and journalist from the early 20th century, Parker Thomas Moon:

When we speak of “France,” we think of the country as some kind of unified organism. When we say “France sent her troops to conquer Tunis,” we attribute to the country not only unity but personality. The very words conceal the facts and turn international relations into an exciting drama whose heroes are personified nations, while we readily forget the living men and women who are the real actors… If there were no such words as “France”… we would describe the Tunisian expedition more accurately, and it would then look something like this: “A small group among the thirty-eight million individuals sent thirty thousand others to conquer Tunis.” With such a statement of the facts, a question — or rather a whole series of questions — immediately arises. Who is this “small group”? Why did it send thirty thousand people to Tunis? And why did those people agree?

(Parker Thomas Moon.  «Imperialism and World Politics», 1926/1928)