Balkanization

     Tim Brown writes:
     The world is Balkanizing, no doubt. Soon Kosovo, Bosnia, East Timor, and a thousand more will be banging first at the door of the World Bank for money, and then those of the UN for membership [must keep the priorities straight]. How many of those now enamoured of our 190+ Member UN will still be happy when its membership reaches 2,000?


     My comment: This is why WAIS pays attention to regions of the world like Scotland, the Basque provinces and Corsica. A minority, often quite small, is prepared to use violence to achieve independence for a region which they then hope to control. Quite apart for the inexcusable violence, there is a real danger that the new entities would be caught up in a bloody strife between rival aspirants.
     This morning on French TV there was an interview with the leader of one of the three factions using violence to obtain independence. he is wanted on charges of assassination. He denied it (probably untruthfully), but he called for Corsican independence on the grounds that Europe must become a continent of regions. The three groups promote the use of the Corsican "language." Probably they are fighting over what that is.
     One WAISer wondered why we spend so much time on the little corner of Texas where Jaqui White lives, the Tex-Mex area at the mouth of the Rio Grande. One reason is that it is the canary in the mine. Some predict that it will spread all along the Mexican border and will cover a substantial area of the United States. One small town there banned the use of English and told the population not to cooperate with the border patrols.

Ronald Hilton - 09/20/99