posted
No, it's not a city. It's a region in Eastern Europe that has a long, complicated history and has at times been it's own country.
Posts: 10177 | Registered: Apr 2001
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I'm theoretically ambivalent and personally adverse to the issue. That is to say, I have no inherent issue with people deciding to live in smaller and smaller nations that will never really amount to much, just that I wouldn't want to live there. I'm also thankful that Canada and China have both managed to resist their respective opportunities to Balkanize.
Posts: 7593 | Registered: Sep 2006
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It is useful to remember that there are different forms of nationalism in the world. We enjoy an open form of political nationalism that anyone can join. Europe aspires to this form but is still saddled with cultural nationalism. Third generation Turkish citizens of Germany still do not think of themselves, as 'German'.
In the Balkans it is easy to see the fate of cultures that do not enjoy a concomitant nation. So even when the EU insists on minority rights enshrined in law, like they do in Kosovo, no one is much convinced. The Balkans have a very long history...
Canada is an interesting case in point. Most of the people see separatist sentiment in practical or even emotional terms. But the ruling class definitely understands that a separate Quebec is not just a legalistic issue: it would mean a culturally described nation (like the mess in Europe) right in the heart of North America.
Minority populations in Quebec would be suddenly fearful and the Canadian, and even American, ears would be greatly sympathetic to their concerns. This leads to territorial disputes and generally doesn't go well from there.
I am enormously skeptical that the world will successfully resolve into culturally described nations or that minorities will accept cultural nations pretending to be political nations with some minority rights legislation.
In Kosovo, I would be very surprised if the existing borders hold. I do think we can negotiate our way out of it in this instance but Balkanization isn't over yet.
Posts: 675 | Registered: Aug 2001
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quote:I'm actually all for non-violent Balkanization. I wish it'd happen to the U.S., in fact.
I'm a little nervous of making more nations with nukes, which is what any Balkanization of the U.S. would mean.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
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"I'm actually all for non-violent Balkanization. I wish it'd happen to the U.S., in fact."
How would you like to see the U.S. Balkanize? Why is it something you would like to see happen?
This is a statement I am suprised coming from you TomD. As for myself, I have already said that I believe this is already happening on a social level and growing regionally.
Posts: 2207 | Registered: Oct 2003
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Dagonee: I was more talking in the general sense of a nation of two million people rather than specifically the Kosovo case. Also, I wasn't really assigning blame for the situation to any particular group.
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