Wednesday lunch break
The European Council President, Charles Michel writes:
“The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st Century."
You mean, except when Israel does it on the West Bank, except when Turkey does it to Syria, except when the US helps the Syrian Kurds to do it, except when Kosovo does it to Serbia, except when Russia did this to Ukraine before in Crimea (why didn't we set off a sanctions bomb then, and keep it in place until now?), except when Iraq does it to the Iraqi Kurds, except when China does it to Japan, except when India does it to Bhutan, ...
Of course it has a place in the 21st Century, as it has always had a place in human history. What's so special about an arbitrary calendar convention? Europe's borders changed wildly during the 20th Century, often via force. What about Europe's colonial history, lots of drawing borders via force back then. NOW Europe gets to say "no more"? Because we're in "the 21st Century". Sigh.
Borders are always backed up by force and coercion (if only the threat of same), and the drawing of borders is almost always the arbitrary choice of powerful groups who can back up their lines with force and coercion.
I'm gonna go all anarchist on Europe any second: borders are theft. Heh.
“The use of force and coercion to change borders has no place in the 21st Century."
You mean, except when Israel does it on the West Bank, except when Turkey does it to Syria, except when the US helps the Syrian Kurds to do it, except when Kosovo does it to Serbia, except when Russia did this to Ukraine before in Crimea (why didn't we set off a sanctions bomb then, and keep it in place until now?), except when Iraq does it to the Iraqi Kurds, except when China does it to Japan, except when India does it to Bhutan, ...
Of course it has a place in the 21st Century, as it has always had a place in human history. What's so special about an arbitrary calendar convention? Europe's borders changed wildly during the 20th Century, often via force. What about Europe's colonial history, lots of drawing borders via force back then. NOW Europe gets to say "no more"? Because we're in "the 21st Century". Sigh.
Borders are always backed up by force and coercion (if only the threat of same), and the drawing of borders is almost always the arbitrary choice of powerful groups who can back up their lines with force and coercion.
I'm gonna go all anarchist on Europe any second: borders are theft. Heh.