tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post7788238378641238434..comments2024-03-02T10:38:04.108+00:00Comments on Borthlas: Far away placesJohn Dixonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-40735327548792653532008-08-21T12:27:00.000+01:002008-08-21T12:27:00.000+01:00Nothing justifies bombing in my view (or setting f...Nothing justifies bombing in my view (or setting fire to airfields)<BR/>but clear delineation of borders is impractical I know and agreement may never be reached, unless under world government!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258854366964329334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-80411204274098223732008-08-21T09:40:00.000+01:002008-08-21T09:40:00.000+01:00Alan,I really don't see how the lack of co-termino...Alan,<BR/><BR/>I really don't see how the lack of co-terminosity between the area occupied by a people identifying themselves as a nation on the one hand and recognised international boundaries on the other leads to or justifies random bombing incidents.<BR/><BR/>There are many, many nations in the world who find their territory crossing recognised boundaries rather than matching them. It's part of the reason why I disagree with your earlier suggestion that there could be 'clear-cut' criteria.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-2746602476286629292008-08-20T20:21:00.000+01:002008-08-20T20:21:00.000+01:00I was harking back to the border issue with these ...I was harking back to the border issue with these nations -<BR/>that the people feel themselves to be a nation, but the Basques have no legitimate borders (being partly in France), and the Kurds have no borders at all (being located in Iraq, Iran, Turkey and Syria). Hence the random bombing incidents.<BR/>Yes, you can substitute any of these nations for Wales, and borders define the territory of the nation.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258854366964329334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-69416112787216478732008-08-20T18:02:00.000+01:002008-08-20T18:02:00.000+01:00Sorry, Alan, but I'm afraid that I don't understan...Sorry, Alan, but I'm afraid that I don't understand the question. Anything special or different about those two nations which leads you to single them out?<BR/><BR/>When I wrote that <I>"Wales is a nation because, and to the extent that, the people of Wales feel it to be so."</I>, I thought that I could have substituted any other nation for Wales and made the same statement.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-8026141700005536882008-08-20T17:25:00.000+01:002008-08-20T17:25:00.000+01:00So what do we do about the Basques and the Kurds?So what do we do about the Basques and the Kurds?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258854366964329334noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-47869650406599426662008-08-20T16:03:00.000+01:002008-08-20T16:03:00.000+01:00Alan,Nice idea, but I don't think it's possible. ...Alan,<BR/><BR/>Nice idea, but I don't think it's possible. 'Nationality' is, I think, ultimately something very subjective. Things like common territory / history / language / experience can help to shape that subjective feeling, but defining criteria in terms of the extent to which any of them have to be present in order to define the existence of a nation looks to me to be a tall order. <BR/><BR/>Wales is a nation because, and to the extent that, the people of Wales feel it to be so.John Dixonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07447224248021209852noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4411161795798360588.post-54721065315403922442008-08-20T08:55:00.000+01:002008-08-20T08:55:00.000+01:00I think e need clear-cut criteria about what const...I think e need clear-cut criteria about what constitutes a nation and any dialogue and discussion should take into account present day realities and not arbitrary <BR/>19th century boundary divisions.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16258854366964329334noreply@blogger.com