It was a product of its time. For a long time the shift had been towards larger states, bigger weapons of war technology had allowed more central authority.

Since then the shift has gone the other way. One person can carry a weapon which can blow the largest warship out of the water and significant weapons have become smaller and more accessible. Computing and crypto has given everyone capable the tools to speak privately if they really want it.

Some tech makes it easier for a small number of people to control a lot of people, some tech makes it harder.