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Just a very tiny nitpick. Ukraine is not a nation state. It is mearly a state. In fact the part of the problem is precisely because it is not a nation state.

Just a very tiny nitpick. Ukraine is not a nation state. It is mearly a state. In fact the part of the problem is precisely because it is not a nation state. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_state https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation_state

unfocussed_mike 5y ago
Oooh -- that is a fascinating nit picked. And that will start my Wikipedia rabbit hole today. I'm not entirely sure I agree with you, but I certainly should have used sovereign the second time instead of nation.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
ZeroGravitas 5y ago
One of the reasons things like the EU are a good idea, is because there are very few if any nation states e.g Basque in Spain, Northern Ireland in Ireland/UK, Scotland in UK, Shetland in Scotland, Swedish Finns in Finland and so on and so on (and it's a global thing, Kurds in Iraq/Syria/etc). It's all a bit fractal and and subjective and shades of gray and often it's the drawing of sharp artificial boundaries over the top of that that causes the problems.
- unfocussed_mike 5y ago
  One thing that unifies the extreme socialist left and the extreme and alt-right in the UK is an almost rote belief in regional self-determination, as if all of those movements could have a place of their own if wider agreements can only be broken up. The paradox of both the extreme left and extreme right is that many among them admire Putin as a "strong leader" and believe Putin is acting out of Donbas's interests in liberating them. Their shock at the disconnect with what is actually happening -- that everyone free of motivated reasoning could see coming -- is fascinating. But there is a funny thing going on right now at great speed. For a while in Europe it has been Putin's world and we just live in it -- he's been the most sophisticated single backer/instigator of discontent across the continent. But it looks like there is a chance, right now, that this bubble could burst for him, and burst domestically. It's going to be a turbulent fortnight.

unfocussed_mike 5y ago

Oooh -- that is a fascinating nit picked. And that will start my Wikipedia rabbit hole today. I'm not entirely sure I agree with you, but I certainly should have used sovereign the second time instead of nation.

deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

ZeroGravitas 5y ago

One of the reasons things like the EU are a good idea, is because there are very few if any nation states e.g Basque in Spain, Northern Ireland in Ireland/UK, Scotland in UK, Shetland in Scotland, Swedish Finns in Finland and so on and so on (and it's a global thing, Kurds in Iraq/Syria/etc). It's all a bit fractal and and subjective and shades of gray and often it's the drawing of sharp artificial boundaries over the top of that that causes the problems.

unfocussed_mike 5y ago
One thing that unifies the extreme socialist left and the extreme and alt-right in the UK is an almost rote belief in regional self-determination, as if all of those movements could have a place of their own if wider agreements can only be broken up. The paradox of both the extreme left and extreme right is that many among them admire Putin as a "strong leader" and believe Putin is acting out of Donbas's interests in liberating them. Their shock at the disconnect with what is actually happening -- that everyone free of motivated reasoning could see coming -- is fascinating. But there is a funny thing going on right now at great speed. For a while in Europe it has been Putin's world and we just live in it -- he's been the most sophisticated single backer/instigator of discontent across the continent. But it looks like there is a chance, right now, that this bubble could burst for him, and burst domestically. It's going to be a turbulent fortnight.