Once upon a time, there were no “countries”- not like we think of them now. There was the guys you lived with and around and others. Some guys affiliated into villages- but there were stil others. Then a really forceful village that could impose their will on their neighbors did so while they could. Then Emporers. Royalty. Feudalism.

Rome gives way to chaos on the perimeter and collapsed under it’s inability to convince “others” to identify as Roman or submit. Likewise Spain. France. The Ottomans. Persia. (I’m sortf of blind on Asian history- Ghengis Khan, China, Japan, India- not that differnt memetically)

Then it was loyalty to a Nation- patriotism. Still us and others. But global corporations have transcended the nation in many ways- and itch to transcend the rest. LIkewise the uber-wealthy whose wealth is not tied to patriotism.

Labor generally doesn’t have the same liquidity- though they try. And the question becomes nationality or ethnicity? or something else? What defines “us” in a way that uniquely and completely identifies “others.”

FWIW- I hope it’s not race, gender, sexuality, language, height, age, wealth, beauty nor many other things.
I’d hope for something more …intellectually useful and …sustainable.