“All the benefit that a New Yorker gets out of Kansas is no more than what he might get out of Saskatchewan, the Argentine pampas, or Siberia. But New York to a Kansan is not only a place where he may get drunk, look at dirty shows and buy bogus antiques; it is also a place where he may enforce his dunghill ideas upon his betters.” – HL Mencken, quoted here.
Indeed. In a world where national food self-sufficiency is no longer generally seen as vital, perhaps it’s time to return to the concept of city states. We can leave the rural backwaters to impose whatever crazed laws they like upon themselves…
Actually a pretty good idea — starting with the EU. Let Belgium become Wallonia and Flanders; dis-unite the Kingdom so that Scotland (Sean C.!) can be free, and the Welsh can speak Welsh (Richard B.!). Catalan can be separate, and Bavaria has no need of the German north …
Slovakia ALREADY had a velvet divorce from the Czechs (and has won some gold medals!).
More immediate — Darfur can be freed, and should be. Before the election.
If taking over territory by force is to be "universally" condemned, there is little reason to support big states when little city states are likely to be better.
And free Texas, which has wanted independence for years. That’s why they are so keen on their own flag (the "Lone Star" one). It would also mean that a certain politician couldn’t stand for the Presidency. What? He was "born into a wealthy Eastern establishment family, his grandfather was a US Congressman, and his father was a US Congressman, Director of the CIA, and Vice-President and President of the United States! George W. Bush went to Harvard and Yale, where he didn’t work very hard; he was a spoiled rich wastrel until at least his 40th birthday; he summers in toney Kennebunkport, Maine; he has relied on his family’s wealth and influence to get everything he got in life; and his Southern accent is totally phony!" You don’t say. Well well well. He earned his medals though. Tom? Tom? Come back!