• stevehobbes@lemy.lol
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      10 months ago

      In what way isn’t it? How were the borders of the France different than the Roman Empire or Mesopotamia?

      • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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        10 months ago

        Literally the free movement of people? Borders used to be “the zone of control of a government” and couldnt really exist as checkpoints for people moving back and forth over the border.

        • stevehobbes@lemy.lol
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          10 months ago

          That feels like a distinction without a difference? The vast vast majority of physical land borders are effectively open everywhere worldwide still today.

          The zone of control of a government just kicks you out if they don’t want you?

          • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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            10 months ago

            There is a massive difference if you can practically establish who is allowed into and out of a country

            • stevehobbes@lemy.lol
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              10 months ago

              So is the argument against technology that allows us to know who is who and records of who is a citizen of places?

              Like, they used to record that stuff too… it was just much harder?

              They would collect taxes and keep records?

              • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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                10 months ago

                They couldn’t effectively police borders, so they didn’t. Technology and population density influences the way the state works and whether they could do borders as they existed in the 20th century and exist in the 21st century.

                The argument isn’t against technology, it is saying borders as they are understood here are a relatively recent technology relying on other technologies

                • stevehobbes@lemy.lol
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                  10 months ago

                  But that’s the way borders were understood then too… it was just harder to determine who was who?

                  They’d kick you out and burn down your house or kill you for being an invader?

                  • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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                    10 months ago

                    They’d kick you out and burn down your house or kill you for being an invader?

                    That is a complete anachronism, unless you actually were an invader. Have you actually researched this or are you just taking your assumptions and trying to apply them to history?