Catalonia's Failed Independence Drive, What Do the Chinese Think?, Northern Ireland and the Politics of Demography, Censored Leftist Media, The Cashless Society
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The illusion that secession and sovereignty can be achieved at the ballot box is a very useful fiction from the point of view of the liberal democratic world order. It lulls secessionist movements into the trap of imagining that they can achieve their goals without developing the sources of hard and soft power upon which sovereignty ultimately rests. Leadership then invest their time in referenda, while the rank and file fail to develop the sort of belligerent fanaticism required to motivate a militant struggle. Central authorities then have plenty of options to prevent secession: rigging the referendum, as may have happened in Scotland; increasing the immigrant population, as was done in Quebec between the 70s FLQ crisis and the 1995 referendum; or if all else fails, naked force.
An overweening faith in liberal proceduralism is a more general handicap for dissident movements, too. It's easy to forget that the protections and rights nominally awarded by the liberal order will be happily suspended by that same order when directly challenged, that challenge being viewed as a state of exception. See e.g. the financial warfare waged against the trucker convoy or dissident media outlets.
A canonical example of what it takes to make a new nation is Michael Collins and Ireland. Collins was the first Irish independence leader in centuries willing to murder both British officials and Irish traitors to ruthlessly keep the momentum going towards the Irish Free State.
Singapore from Malaysia is another good example -- Brexit more recently.
When the strife really gets underway in the US and EU, the separatists will have their chance.
In many cases, I don't think there will be much choice. If you are a somewhat functional state and the dollar collapses, why continue dealing with fedgov who you are already suing six ways from Sunday over fundamental constitutional issues? They are only a liability at that point.
The content moderation movement is an extension of 'good guy' syndrome. We, your representatives, are always the good guys, so our actions are reasonable and justified by their very nature.
All the countries China has favourable views towards are always the ones that China wishes to subdue. Everyone who thinks that China and Russia wouldn't be at their necks if it wasn't for the US is delusional.
See Catalan post, talking isn’t serious either, free speech wasn’t actually free, Croatian and American Independence wasn’t free, Québécois got a busy themselves , we can go on-
Muh free speech isn’t any more serious than Voting or Liberal Procedurialism.
Congrats to Russia for edging out Pakistan in the Chinese popularity contest! The backwards satrapies loathed by my enemy are my friends. Though other than government and heavy industry employees, don’t see too many Chinese voluntarily choosing to live or attend school in either of these two favorites, compared to the US and UK.
As an American political & news junkie for about 40 years now, I've always lamented with seething disgust the lack of education in, and subsequently media coverage of, the rest of the world. The foreign students with whom I attended college in the early 80's usually knew MORE American history than even I did -- and yet I knew virtually NOTHING of the history of any other country.
Anyway, this is my way of praising Niccolo & his commenters on this Substack for helping further my education. It's also jarring to get outsiders' views & criticism of the USA. And Catalonia? Where in the hell is that? [I did go look it up ... a little embarrassing & pathetic.]
Shedding blood for your political goals seems indeed to be the minimum required threshold, at least from my experience as a Romanian directly involved, as a child, in our bloody revolution that ended up with the army shooting and killing people that were chanting near me. Will never forget the horrors of that night, the blood, the torn limbs still inside a cheap rubber winter boot, the running away in terror with my mother while bullets flew by and people were crying in pain. Later, my mother would return to her hospital job to see the bodies in morgue, only to be taken away to be cremated by our secret police.
That was not the end of it, I lost 2 of my closest friends in the Yugo conflicts, both Serbs youths that crossed the Danube illegally with the gasoline traffickers to fight against "the Turks". As a Romanian, even then, I understood why they did it and why they thought their lives were worth it, even as it crushed their families completely. I understood the historical legacy that was transmitted onto us each generation, to defend Europe from invaders, to accept our role as border guards that are often sacrificed so the core can remain safe. A legacy that has been made into a mockery, of course, after so many died for it.
So yes, I think blood remains the price that is historically proven to maybe change important things.
Hit the like button and use the share button to share this across social media. Leave a comment if the mood strikes you. And please subscribe if you haven't already.
The illusion that secession and sovereignty can be achieved at the ballot box is a very useful fiction from the point of view of the liberal democratic world order. It lulls secessionist movements into the trap of imagining that they can achieve their goals without developing the sources of hard and soft power upon which sovereignty ultimately rests. Leadership then invest their time in referenda, while the rank and file fail to develop the sort of belligerent fanaticism required to motivate a militant struggle. Central authorities then have plenty of options to prevent secession: rigging the referendum, as may have happened in Scotland; increasing the immigrant population, as was done in Quebec between the 70s FLQ crisis and the 1995 referendum; or if all else fails, naked force.
An overweening faith in liberal proceduralism is a more general handicap for dissident movements, too. It's easy to forget that the protections and rights nominally awarded by the liberal order will be happily suspended by that same order when directly challenged, that challenge being viewed as a state of exception. See e.g. the financial warfare waged against the trucker convoy or dissident media outlets.
Ireland itself is the scene of a great replacement, according to Dave Cullen and others.
A canonical example of what it takes to make a new nation is Michael Collins and Ireland. Collins was the first Irish independence leader in centuries willing to murder both British officials and Irish traitors to ruthlessly keep the momentum going towards the Irish Free State.
Bloodless separations do occur, of course: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissolution_of_Czechoslovakia
Singapore from Malaysia is another good example -- Brexit more recently.
When the strife really gets underway in the US and EU, the separatists will have their chance.
In many cases, I don't think there will be much choice. If you are a somewhat functional state and the dollar collapses, why continue dealing with fedgov who you are already suing six ways from Sunday over fundamental constitutional issues? They are only a liability at that point.
Catalonia lends credence to calling the EU the EUSSR.
I rarely use cash. As long as the payment system works as its supposed to, I won't be changing my habits.
The content moderation movement is an extension of 'good guy' syndrome. We, your representatives, are always the good guys, so our actions are reasonable and justified by their very nature.
The Catalans sound very American 🇺🇸! And Conservative!
😂🤡
All the countries China has favourable views towards are always the ones that China wishes to subdue. Everyone who thinks that China and Russia wouldn't be at their necks if it wasn't for the US is delusional.
ADL +PayPal censor and rob Left and Right-
See Catalan post, talking isn’t serious either, free speech wasn’t actually free, Croatian and American Independence wasn’t free, Québécois got a busy themselves , we can go on-
Muh free speech isn’t any more serious than Voting or Liberal Procedurialism.
Want it?
Take it.
Or take what they give you.
22 min read, definitely getting my money's worth this week LOL
Congrats to Russia for edging out Pakistan in the Chinese popularity contest! The backwards satrapies loathed by my enemy are my friends. Though other than government and heavy industry employees, don’t see too many Chinese voluntarily choosing to live or attend school in either of these two favorites, compared to the US and UK.
As an American political & news junkie for about 40 years now, I've always lamented with seething disgust the lack of education in, and subsequently media coverage of, the rest of the world. The foreign students with whom I attended college in the early 80's usually knew MORE American history than even I did -- and yet I knew virtually NOTHING of the history of any other country.
Anyway, this is my way of praising Niccolo & his commenters on this Substack for helping further my education. It's also jarring to get outsiders' views & criticism of the USA. And Catalonia? Where in the hell is that? [I did go look it up ... a little embarrassing & pathetic.]
good stuff as always
Shedding blood for your political goals seems indeed to be the minimum required threshold, at least from my experience as a Romanian directly involved, as a child, in our bloody revolution that ended up with the army shooting and killing people that were chanting near me. Will never forget the horrors of that night, the blood, the torn limbs still inside a cheap rubber winter boot, the running away in terror with my mother while bullets flew by and people were crying in pain. Later, my mother would return to her hospital job to see the bodies in morgue, only to be taken away to be cremated by our secret police.
That was not the end of it, I lost 2 of my closest friends in the Yugo conflicts, both Serbs youths that crossed the Danube illegally with the gasoline traffickers to fight against "the Turks". As a Romanian, even then, I understood why they did it and why they thought their lives were worth it, even as it crushed their families completely. I understood the historical legacy that was transmitted onto us each generation, to defend Europe from invaders, to accept our role as border guards that are often sacrificed so the core can remain safe. A legacy that has been made into a mockery, of course, after so many died for it.
So yes, I think blood remains the price that is historically proven to maybe change important things.