no stamp no country

I am a huge fan of Eddie Izzard. One of my favourite shows is the Dress to Kill and I love the part where he explains the cunning use of flags and the rule of 'no flag no country'. 

I have been trying for some time now to think of another (smaller?) physical object - besides banknotes and coins - that could possibly encapsulate what the national flag signifies. And it hit me today. It is the stamp, the postage stamp.

It is the smallest (?) physical object that equally to the flag carries along a big part of the history of nation state.

• first adhesive postage stamp was invented and issued in the UK (1840). (Why I am not surprised?). Since then stamps have been involved and associated with the history of nation state. No stamp, no country.
• the Postal Service Act was a piece of US legislation establishing the US Post Office Department. It was signed by President George Washington (1972).
• the Palestenian National Authority established its own post offices and issued its stamps following an agreement with Israel.
• postage stamps are almost always government-issued.
• the Universal Postal Union will not recognise stamps issued by authorities or administrations which do not have independence. In other words: no country, no stamp.
• a profoundly effective and quiet way to mainstream your propaganda

 

Cant really think of anyone who would die over or kill for a stamp though the same way he/she would over his/her flag. Oh well, still, the devil is in the details.