There is a reasonable speculation that by 2020, Europe itself will be reminiscent of the Balkans, by ever more and smaller "states" declaring their independence. Below is a map, which summarizes this fragmentation.
Your thoughts?
(see the link for more)
Microstate Madness – Europe in 2020
(Click on the map for a full size version)
Very interesting. I doubt it though. At least not by 2020.
AntwortenLöschenI'm going to do a rare siding with Randy on this one. Scotland, for example, would have been independent long ago but for this -they simply don't have the economy.
AntwortenLöschenIreland managed to do so after years of struggle - but Corsica? They'd starve without French subsidies as it is.
Germany managed to reunite after long and hard struggle in the Cold War - I'm doubting they'll want to split up again soon.
The Basques are another story - for that matter, so is Occitane, just across the border in France. I'd buy their independence (although it would be based on little more than tourism and postage stamps) sooner than I would that of Scotland or Bavaria....
There goes your credibility.....
AntwortenLöschenBritanny? I wonder if we {the Channel Islands} could get in with the Bretons and become part of their Republic.
AntwortenLöschenIt's simply not going to happen. Not in 2020, not in 2040, in fact not at all. The Balkans fell apart and divided on ethnic lines with the death of Tito and none of the regions or "republics" you talk of, while having a minority of the population with nationalistic dreams, are held in their present state by a powerful leader or a powerful state.
AntwortenLöschenI've got to disagree with astranavigo08 as I am Scottish (and a supporter of the Scottish Nationalist Party. While I believe Scotland could have a vibrant economy as an independent country the majority of Scots have never wanted full independence and this is still the case today. Even if they should it was always as an independent country within the EU.
Personally I'd say we now have the best of both worlds in that we have our own parliament in Edinburgh and, to all intents and purposes, we have a Scottish government in England. We fought for hundreds of years for self-rule and, although we never won the battle, since 1997 most of the important government posts have been filled by Scots, not forgetting of course, the Prime Minister.
I think what is meant here is NOT a violent break-away, but rather "recognizing" greater autonomy to those. All the indications are towards that. Think of the Swiss cantons. An already tiny country is divided into postage stamp size areas with A LOT OF autonomy, such as the language used.
AntwortenLöschenThe case about Basque and Catalan in Spain has a similar flavor. They are furiously "nation-aware", in particular the Catalan (maybe to your surprise). With the EU, the borders there have lost their meaning significantly for lay people. They are practically no different that the US State borders.
Hence, if a locality insists in using a particular language, why not. Even the EU courts would agree to that: No cultural oppression allowed!
Hence, if take that prediction with a grain of salt, I can readily visualize a lot of these smaller "districts" with their own characteristics. For example, none of them would be outside the EU (whatever that may be worth!).
Likewise, German states (Laender) are extremely "identity conscience". A Bavarian (BMW), a Swab (Mercedes) would rather keep its own "cultural identity", including their dialects:In many areas of Baden-Württemberg, residents still speak the distinctive dialects of Swabian (German: Schwäbisch) and 'Badisch'/Allemanic, both of which are known for being almost unintelligible to northern Germans, especially in its stronger variants in the countryside. In the northern part of Baden-Württemberg, i.e., the area around Heidelberg and Mannheim, a third dialect known as Kurpfälzisch is spoken. The dialects spoken in most of Baden-Württemberg are related to those of the neighboring regions of Alsace, northern Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg, being either of Swabian or Alemannic origin.Belgium, in spite of its tiny size, is already "divided" by languages:Belgium's two largest regions are the Dutch-speaking region of Flanders in the north, with 59% of the population, and the French-speaking southern region of Wallonia, inhabited by 31%. The Brussels-Capital Region, officially bilingual, is a mostly French-speaking enclave within the Flemish Region and has 10% of the population.[5] A small German-speaking Community exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the political history and a complex system of government. When people cannot understand each other, they isolate themselves from others.
In that regard, I find the multilingual education in the US counterproductive for all.
LOL!! It doesn't come easy but I must agree with much of what gurcanaral says but living in the UK where we have the English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh we have long been aware both of our differences and our sameness. Our cultures and our perspective of history are very different and we are all very identity aware. Perhaps less so the English (LOL!) because they have to also struggle with a British identity and are puzzled by the nationalistic pride of the smaller nations.
AntwortenLöschenThe young of today and tomorrow will, I believe, change the map of Europe and overcome the divisions both of language and cultures to the detriment of none and those that seek isolation will find themselves truly isolated and they deserve little more.
I doubt it to.
AntwortenLöschenBelgium is first. And watch Scotland too. ..
AntwortenLöschenI would like to see France become a satellite of Idaho. I want the women!
AntwortenLöschenYou can have the French birds if you let me keep the Spanish. ..
AntwortenLöschenMucho mucho
That all seems to pose a rather important question: which is more likely to lead to harmonious relations between the most people-- increasing homogenization of cultures into large national units with one dominant language, or allowing autonomy for each cultural, religious, or national group who so desires?
AntwortenLöschenVery interesting question-it seems it is good to mix us all up but tribes seem to find one another but for me mixing is much better-I see that here where I live.This would make a good discussion comicrat-
AntwortenLöschenIndeed, that would be something sociologist should be looking in to.
AntwortenLöschenIf the former Yugoslavia would be considered as a previous "experiment", its outcome was disastrous.
Roman Empire did fairly well as long as the the imperial Phalanges were effective.
The same can be said about Yugoslavia: As long as Marshal Tito was in command, it was all quiet.
Even here in the US, the littlest controversy resulted in cries of secession, even among those of the same language, same religion and same recent history.
What exactly are we expecting? Eternal love?
IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN...
The best we can get out of it if it does offer some advantages over a homogenized union, or the other way around.
Either way, any social experiment has been very costly in the past.
I was always amazed at the hatred in the old Yugoslavia. I did a lot of business there before the breakup. I was told that Tito kept it all together by having a common enemy. At the time it was Russia. Yugoslavia was communist but not part of the Russian sphere, and was independent. Tito warned not sticking together would invite Russia in and they would end up like Romania, Bulgaria and the other eastern bloc countries. If you even went to Romania during those time you could see how utterly awful those places were in comparison to Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia wasn't that great but the others were unbelievable miserable.
AntwortenLöschenI'd rather see this Europe of the future, than the one globalists-communists are scurrying to arrange for my future children and grand-children. No one else here seems to care about these generations. It's all about the moment, typical - erase heritage, erase culture, erase kinship ties, racial ties.
AntwortenLöschenThink again.
AntwortenLöschenI thought many "country girls and boys" had a hard time to see Spanish, Tagalog, and other "weird" languages appear on public paperwork, on ballots and everywhere else.
I thought "English should be the official language", was the wish.
I thought "The Sikh should not be allowed to build a temple here" was the wish.
and that "Muslim women should not be allowed to wear the attire of their choice"
Think again.
Maybe you really are not a countrygirl
Or, maybe you have double standards: I have a right to preserve MY culture but THEY do not have a right to theirs...
I am going to side with Randy this time to
AntwortenLöschen