Catalonia, Kosovo and Crimea: Separatism, Hypocrisy and the Tenuous Status of the Nation State

https://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics.php?yyyy=2017&mm=10&dd=02&nav_id=102456

Aleksandar Vučić is of course absolutely right. There is a double standard and we also see it at work with regard to Crimea. It is simply unthinkable to the Western Establishment that the people of Crimea would voluntarily and democratically seek to ratify the Russian annexation. Of course the history of Crimea has been all but ignored by Western media. I'm referring to its Imperial history, its Soviet history and even the attitudes and political maneuvers taking place in the 1990s.

The simple fact of the matter is... might makes right. And in this case I'm not referring to the Russian annexation but rather the West... America, the EU and NATO. Their narrative is the 'right' one, the so-called 'international consensus', 'being on the right side of history' as it is said.

In the case of 1990'sYugoslavia it was dominated by Russophile Serbia and thus according to the NATO agenda, it would have to be destroyed by means of partition. The Serbs were to be reduced and punished and even now the Belgrade government (of a much reduced Serbia) is largely subservient. And yet the hypocrisy with regard to Catalonia especially when compared to the US sponsored secession (i.e. theft) of Kosovo... it's a little too much and even someone as pliant as Vucic had to speak out. He knows the Serbian street is abuzz with the analogy. To have any political standing, he must speak.

As Christians we have no interest in nationalist aspirations but considering the genesis of many of the political entities on the map, the boundaries of our modern states, it is no great surprise that there are regions that want independence.

The nation state itself is a fairly tenuous and certainly a modern concept. Upon closer examination one realises that its basis is not so much in reflecting any particular reality but is rather based on a series of pragmatic considerations often dressed up in idealism. Ultimately it stands dependent on whether or not someone can back up their claim with military might.

Culture, language and national identity are all fairly slippery. The United States in its geographic and cultural isolation has been able to create a fairly coherent society and cultural identity... but then again, that's only been a reality for some brief periods. It was not the case early on and while many seem to think the concept and reality of a unified America is tried and true.... in all actuality it's something that became manifest in the twentieth century and was only brought about through great controversy, deliberate and often forced propaganda and was aided by the crisis of two world wars.

The fact that today it's beginning to disintegrate is hardly shocking. In fact it's really in keeping with the historical norm. Localised and regional identities represent the historical pattern. When cast in political terms these represent small or even microstates... a concept completely at odds with the planning and proclivities of all modern political, economic and even strategic thinkers. This is part of the tension of the moment and its playing out in places like Ukraine, Crimea, Spain and the Middle East. It's only going to spread especially as the nation state let alone this generation's voluntary empire the trans-national democratic experiment known as the EU is already beginning to crack.