![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rfmcdonaldLast Sunday, I'd mentioned that an organization of Catalanophone Internet agencies were mounting an application to have the extension .cat added by ICANN to create an extension for Catalanophones. This makes sense, after all; Catalonia, Valencia, and the Balearic Islands are some of the richest areas in southern Europe, and at least as many people speak Catalan as Finnish (possibly as many as speak Swedish). Recognition of Catalonia as a distinctive society in the European and world contexts makes sense. After all, I thought, Catalonia isn't likely to become a nation-state.
Then, I did a Google search for news on Catalonia. I found out things like Microsoft Windows' impending translation into Catalan, Catalonia's development of the beginnings of a foreign policy, the ways that regional government is placing a high priority on immigrants learning the Catalan language, the fact that Harry Potter will be dubbed in Catalan, Catalonia's new right to have its own sports teams compete internationally representing Catalonia, and the ways in which a separatist party is becoming important. Oh, and the Catalonian government has called for the region to be given the attributes of sovereignty, including
Catalonia and Euzkadi (the Basque Country, including the core three of the seven traditional Basque provinces) are the Spanish regions which have taken the greatest advantage of the democratization of Spain in the 1970s and the federalization of the country by the 1980s. Galicia and Andalucía, while they have their own latent regional-cum-national identities, haven't been as quick to take advantage of these two trends. It strikes me, though, that Catalonia has done a much better job of developing what is effectively a non-sovereign nation-state than Euzkadi, beset as that territory is by perennial terrorist violence, a divided identity, and the inability of the Basque language to achieve a lasting revival, most unlike Catalan. Half of the Basques aren't even Vascophone. Compare this to the near-universal fluency of all Catalonians in Catalan. Catalonia is looking very much like a nation.
In the Transhuman Space role-playing game setting, the Basques have failed to achieve independence: The Spanish Basque Country has been udner occupation following a Basque terrorist group's use of biological weapons, while some French Basques have taken a couple of villages and proclaimed them an autonomous state. Catalonia, though, is a thriving independent republic. I liked this particular feature of the setting. I wasn't sure why until now.
Could it be that now, in the developed and semi-developed worlds, if you want to build a nation-state (or a close fascimile of said) you have to make it possible for people beyond your core to be affiliated to your nation-state? Further, might it be that they have to want to join? Catalonia seems to have this lesson down. In North America, I'd argue that Québec has also achieved this task nicely. Euzkadi, though, I'm profoundly skeptical about.
UPDATE (11:18 pm) : Crossposted to Bonoboland.
Then, I did a Google search for news on Catalonia. I found out things like Microsoft Windows' impending translation into Catalan, Catalonia's development of the beginnings of a foreign policy, the ways that regional government is placing a high priority on immigrants learning the Catalan language, the fact that Harry Potter will be dubbed in Catalan, Catalonia's new right to have its own sports teams compete internationally representing Catalonia, and the ways in which a separatist party is becoming important. Oh, and the Catalonian government has called for the region to be given the attributes of sovereignty, including
- sovereignty [in its own right, not delegated from Spain]
- increased tax-raising powers
- direct Catalan representation at EU level
- Catalan representation in international sporting competitions
- obligatory knowledge of Catalan language for all people living in the region
Catalonia and Euzkadi (the Basque Country, including the core three of the seven traditional Basque provinces) are the Spanish regions which have taken the greatest advantage of the democratization of Spain in the 1970s and the federalization of the country by the 1980s. Galicia and Andalucía, while they have their own latent regional-cum-national identities, haven't been as quick to take advantage of these two trends. It strikes me, though, that Catalonia has done a much better job of developing what is effectively a non-sovereign nation-state than Euzkadi, beset as that territory is by perennial terrorist violence, a divided identity, and the inability of the Basque language to achieve a lasting revival, most unlike Catalan. Half of the Basques aren't even Vascophone. Compare this to the near-universal fluency of all Catalonians in Catalan. Catalonia is looking very much like a nation.
In the Transhuman Space role-playing game setting, the Basques have failed to achieve independence: The Spanish Basque Country has been udner occupation following a Basque terrorist group's use of biological weapons, while some French Basques have taken a couple of villages and proclaimed them an autonomous state. Catalonia, though, is a thriving independent republic. I liked this particular feature of the setting. I wasn't sure why until now.
Could it be that now, in the developed and semi-developed worlds, if you want to build a nation-state (or a close fascimile of said) you have to make it possible for people beyond your core to be affiliated to your nation-state? Further, might it be that they have to want to join? Catalonia seems to have this lesson down. In North America, I'd argue that Québec has also achieved this task nicely. Euzkadi, though, I'm profoundly skeptical about.
UPDATE (11:18 pm) : Crossposted to Bonoboland.
