boundaries without appearing hypocritical? More on D.C. hypocrisy, from Rebellion.This is a particularly difficult question for Europe, with the imminent possibility of Belgium dividing into Flemish and Wallonian states, and Scotland breaking from the United Kingdom, being the most prominent among many others.
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Kosovo is hardly the perfect secessionist example -there being violence and ethnic cleansing on both sides - not to mention the 1999 bombing of Serbia that led to nuclear threats from the Russians. (See carolmoore.net/nuclearwar ) However, it is an excellent precedent of US support for secession to counter Unionists arguments vs. secession. Of course. Serbs burning the US Embassy just shows how violent unionists can be to prevent or protest secession. Powermongers can be vicious when they try to hold on to power, as US secessionists already are finding out. See secession.net
Carol:
I agree on all counts, however I am running into considerable confusion in the public mind between balkanization and secessionism. Never mind the many (and significant) differences between America and old Yugoslavia
Harold
Technically, they could be the same, depending on your rationales for secession. Good list of theory links here. http://www.vtcommons.org/blog/carol-moore under 1/29/08 entry. (Note: I broke arm on ice on 2-12 so not doing a lot of typing for next 4 weeks.)
Hypocracy never seems to have bothered our adversaries before. It certaily didn't in the 1860s and I doubt that will change now.
In light of present trends, I deem the Balkanization of the United States to be inevitable.
Hawaiian independence will probably start the dominos falling. Establishment of an "Aztlan" nation in the Southwest will follow. At that point it will be every state or region for itself.
By then Washington will have lost the will to assert its authority over a rebellious people. I give the USA 50 years -- tops.
Madeinohio:
I think you're right in your expectation that the United States will fall apart; but I expect it to occur in my lifetime, and I will soon be 58. If the economy goes down the way I think it will, the breakup will occur in the next 10-20 years.
Be careful about using the word "balkanization". While that word does refer to breaking up nations into smaller states, it also implies that those smaller states will have territorial and ethnic disputes with their neighbors. While that is true of the former Yugoslavia (which, after all is in the Balkan Peninsula, I think our breakup will more resemble that of the Soviet Union, where the relationships between the new states are mostly peaceful.
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