The STATE, our imposter parent

LINK to Guardian article, Towards a new civic patriotism, by Antony Lerman

As this article shows, deep self-delusion continues to dominate our ideas about the nature of the STATE, which disguises itself in the gab of COUNTRY and NATION, in order to legitimize its claim to our powerful tribal feelings of subordination, love and loyalty, which it uses to facilitate society's self-exploitation, to the advantage of wealth, power and privilege.

Those well served by the state, as I'm sure Antony Lerman is, are understandably reluctant to recognise its true role, which is analogous to that of a shepherd, caring for his flock, which he does, not primarily for the flocks sake (notwithstanding the genuine concern he may feel for a lost or injured lamb), but for his own, and/or employers sake, for the meat and wool the flock provides and can be sold at market, for what it's really all about, i.e. MONEY, the most versatile form of POWER.

The state can also be compared with an abusive step-parent, pretending to be our natural parent, who, despite all their faults, really cares for us, thereby eliciting our love and loyalty towards them.

Only they don't really care for us, not for our own sakes, any more than the shepherd does for his sheep. And they divide us, its children, amongst ourselves by showing favoritism to some - all those in wealth, power and privilege, which nowadays, to a greater or lesser extent, includes most of us.

It's a real dilemma, being so dependent, materially and emotionally, on an imposter parent (the state), who took you from your real parents (your tribe and nation) when you were just a few days old, and is a complete bastard who will utterly ruin your and your siblings lives, if you fail to free yourselves from them.