"Self Determination."

[PsB]

Self Determination of "nations", "peoples" and ethnic groups is one of those wonderful principles that one cannot but agree with, in theory. It was sort of applied after WWI with disastrous results, but then results might have been equally disastrous if other frontiers had been drawn.

But where does one draw the line? The Basques, Sardinia, the South Tyrol/Alto Adige, Wales, Catalonia?

I'm reminded of "Passport to Pimlico," or to take the principle to its logical extreme, that I and my family living on a farm in Yorkshire could declare ourselves independent from the UK. There is, actually, a town somewhere in northern Italy that claims to be a kingdom and coins its own money, although nobody seems to notice much.

First, why would one have to draw a line somewhere? And who does the drawing?

Second, the key concept in self-determination is "self". People should have a voice and ultimately a vote. If they want to leave one particular entity to set up a new one or join another existing one, they should ultimately be able to do so. The alternatives are worse, IMO, at least over the long term.

The process has to be managed in a proper way, over years/decades rather than months, with excellent guarantees for minorities, etc. Difficulties start when the constitution of the country prevents these discussions or votes from taking place, as seems to be the case in Spain at the moment, or when little green men appear from nowhere to create "facts on the ground", as in Crimea or elsewhere.

So if the Basques, Welsh, Catalans, Corsicans, Süd-Tiroler etc. can come up with a solid majority as part of a respectable democratic process, who's to tell them that they can't do that?

 

[AndrewR]

Self-determination effectively ensures the evolution of a culture, and cultural values, on the terms of the people who associate themselves with that culture, and work within that culture. Also without that culture being directly changed/engineered by external influences. It effectively allows the people groups (i.e. society/community) to govern themselves and make changes more closely related to their needs (e.g. economic needs).

Success (particularly nowadays) seems to be measured financially. Though there should be other areas of success, such as happiness - particularly through our relationships with other people.

By handing over policies, governance and the setting of cultural values to a single standardised state, the world is increasingly in danger of losing global diversity - including diversity of culture, focus, thought and innovation. As well as reducing global diversity, it introduces the nightmare risk of a consolidated single state itself evolving from benevolent to benign, without anyone to challenge and hold it into account.

Andrew