Normally I would take your side on an issue, but...
How can you compare that to this? Last time I checked, the other 47 mainland states never tried to ethnically cleanse Californians from the face of the planet.
So you would support a Soviet backed effort on the part of Serbia to go in and subjugate Kosovo into submission? Last time I checked you weren't very fond of the Russians.
I was using california rhetorically. When I spoke of subjugation I was actually referring to the American Civil War. They held citizens in bondage and withdrew and were then brutally suppressed by a foreign government not for ideological grounds but for political and financial ends. Your civil war was not fought over altruistic grounds.
What I am saying is that this cecession is a dangerous trend. It needs to be stopped - Britian has had it happen to it and is a shell of its former self. As have so many other nations, and it needs to be stopped. I ask again - how would the US react right now, in 2008, if a state decided it wanted to break off its ties and become its own nation? Do you think it would be tolerated? I wager not
Britain is a shell of its former self, for the most part, by its own doing. Most of the countries that "revolted" against it, tried some form of negotiation or diplomacy beforehand. And those who are now part of the Commonwealth were given independence by law, not by war. Not to mention that Britain itself withdrew from many of its African territories, not by being forced out.
But Britain is still a powerful force. Their military is called upon by its allies for help, sterling is worth more than the Euro, and twice as much as the US dollar, etc. There's no reason to say that Britain is a "shell" of its former self. They may not have colonies spanning the world anymore, but neither do France or Holland or Spain. Imperialism has taken a back seat in the modern world (or so we'd hope), with the possible exception of the Iraq occupation right now.
Kosovo is primarily made up of Albanians, while Serbia is made up of - get this - Serbians. Two very different ethnicities that have rarely got along and not to mention an attempted genocide in 1998. The U.S. is an ethnic melting pot and no where in the modern United States is there ethnic cleansing.
Yes because far be it from the citizens of the world to govern themselves in a democracy. I mean how dare they seek independence.
And that's a farce as well. An 'imperialized' colony implies control and that the U.S. certainly does not have in Iraq, we can't even control one city let alone all 18 provinces.
Your civil war reference is even less valid then, as I presumed, your citation of the War of 1821. Before you go drawing parallels between events, Telan, you should really do a little more research to familiarize yourself with the topics you are comparing because, as just about everyone with an iota of understanding of political sciences and history will agree, you are totally off base.
As to your question; how would the United States proper react to the attempted secession of a inaugurated state? I counter with this; how would apples like it if oranges tried to join forces? The two are equally ignorant and presumptuous and neither has any bearing on the issue at hand which is Kosovo. I reiterate my proclamation that the reason these discussions so rapidly degrade is because of an inability to remain focused and discuss or debate the issue at hand based on the issue at hand without running to the pages of history for some sense of validation.
Stop attempting to validate your feelings with comparative analysis and, instead, focus on the issue at hand because I assure you there is enough material to keep us going for weeks without turning this in to a pissing contest.
And on that note...
Taiwan has voiced vocal support for the Kosovoan cause. I am really interested in what China will have to say, but as far as I've read they have been fairly quiet on the issue.
Clearly Putin and the new Russia oppose the move and, with their veto on the Security Council, could really complicate the legalities of Kosovoan independence. But to use that veto will doubtless cause all sorts of global outcry... hence Kosovo attempting to appeal directly to the United States and Britain (each of whom can stall Russia in their veto process).
I'm just glad that the few outbreaks of lawlessness have been contained and that the damage has been kept to a reasonable low. The UN has been vigilant all weekend, working in tandem with local law enforcement to ensure that things do not get too badly out of hand.
I chose to chart this bid for independence as a victory for democracy in the Gulf. Something that has been one hell of a long time in the coming. And if I had to compare it to events in Iraq then I think the lesson to take away is that these things take time... decades in many cases, and perhaps that will serve as an example to the rest of the world.
... the situation in Kosovo and Serbia has become increasingly unstable with at least two fatalities already attributed to the demonstrations being staged by both Christian and Muslim alike, though notably it has been the Serbians inflicting real, collateral damage.
Throughout Eastern Europe various countries have become involved, if not directly. I can only hope that the increased UN presence will assist in maintaining some semblance of order. I fear, however, that unless real progress is made in the next few months by the Kosovoans and the EU, it could degrade in to another shit storm.
