It has a head of state (the uncle who forwards good morning messages at 5 AM). It has state media (the aunt who reports every function). It has censorship (the cousin who left and was never spoken of again).
Your family WhatsApp group is not a chat. It is a sovereign nation with its own constitution, written in blessings and blurry photos of temples.
Diplomacy, but with emojis
Diplomacy here is an art form. React with the wrong emoji and you've triggered a border dispute. Reply too late and you're summoned to explain yourself at the next wedding.
And yet, when something actually goes wrong — a hospital visit, a bad week — the nation mobilises faster than any government on earth. That's the thing about this ridiculous republic: it works.