B A L K A N I Z E
Being has advocated for decentralization since the start of this channel. So much so that in the state-capitalist video leftism was defined as “advocating for decentralization.” The issue however is trying to explain to people how this works exactly. The presented dichotomy of decentralization vs centralization is invoking some very broad structural forms. So vague in fact some added nuance is needed.
For example, Balkanization could arguably be considered a form of decentralization, but does this make it inherently leftist? Well, at first glance one would assume and almost immediately my dichotomy has run into an issue. So let’s further examine the dynamics involved in balkanization. We’ll be using the fictional fascist country of Sysescentstan as an analogy.
So for whatever reason Sysescentstan has balkanized into four new separate countries, each belonging to one of the former Sysenscentstan provinces. Municibara, Bahavia, Sourisia, and Beingstonia. All of which are Fascists themselves. So we have fragmented from one state to four. Arguably, we had one giant concentrated state with one ruler and now we have four smaller states with one ruler ruling each. A one to four ratios of scale, at least at first glance. However, this isn’t really decentralization, it’s more so a type of fragmentation in which the number of concentrated rulers went from one to one. Each of the four states is still heavily concentrated with one ruler, instead of one ruler ruling all four provinces, one ruler rules only one province.
The internal relationship of a top-down hierarchy hasn’t changed. The difference is the amount of existing top-down hierarchies has increased. So for example, instead of one giant prison, we have four fragmented prisons. This is very similar to the concept of Ethnopluralism that some Fascists use rhetorically to try to appear unprejudiced. Advocating for a “separate but equal” mentality towards race and ethnicity. Wanting a world of Separated and Homogenized Ethnostates.
This is based on a Primordialist framework of ethnicity, much of which is explored in the Fascism video. These Fascists aren’t “progressive” or “decentralist”, more so advocating a world filled with tiny prisons. Wherein everyone is forced to live within an ethnostate because they have a certain race or ethnicity.
Decentralization is more about the lessening of concentrated power away from a centralized authority. Giving those below more power. More ideally we want to lessen hierarchical relations in total. The latter is more specifically tied to anarchism as the former would be going from say a fascist state to a liberal one. Wherein the political body goes from having one ruler to many rulers within it.
Admittedly you could make the semantic argument that the Balkanization of Sysecentstan was a decentralizing process but it’s still very much different from what has just been mentioned. Sysecentstan decentralized in scale, or at least the concentrated power over a geographical area has been split up from one ruler to four but the internal relationship within these states is still highly centralized.
This is why advocating for ideological decentralization is just as important as merely a decentralization of scale. Creating a million tiny fascist city-states, or homogenized communities, or if your Hoppean “covenant communities” may as well be a form of decentralization but in no way exemplifies leftist values like freedom of movement and egalitarianism.
Just because your warden is more intimate to you doesn’t make their dominance any less bad, in fact, it can make it a lot more severe. Like a domestic abuser, the violence is more immediate and encompassing. The abuser doesn’t have the police force or military at disposal but they do have concentrated control over you in some way, be it physical, psychological and or both. That’s why the ability to both break free and reconnect is important for fluidity and transparency. Free movement is key to a free association and the maintenance of a truly decentralized and liberated world.