The Land Battle for States Gives Way to the Cultural Battle for Nations - the Modern World as a Lava Lamp

Imagine a map with all its neat lines and borders, like a giant puzzle where each piece is a different country, clearly marked and separate. That's a state, like the one you live in, defined by those lines on the map.

Now, think about your favorite playlist, the sports you follow, the memes you share, and the beliefs you stand up for. That mix, the feeling it provokes, isn't tied to a line on any map. It's more like the shifting shapes in a lava lamp, always moving, coming together, and breaking apart. That's what a nation is all about - it's the music, the games, the drama and comedy, and the serious stuff that matter to you and yours.
In the 20th century, people fought with tanks and planes over those map lines, trying to say, "This land is mine." But now, the big battles are more about who we are and what we believe in, like sustainability, equality, rules, and investments. These fights aren't about grabbing a piece of land; they're about shaping the world with our ideas. And of course these battles don't end with a flag in the ground. They keep going, evolving, just like the ever-changing swirls in a lava lamp.

I've been staring at this lava lamp for decades. It's mesmerizing.