On the independence of Kosovo (orig 18-feb-2008)

A part of your country declaring independence just for funsies is illegal. Many lands have had lot's of wars over this very issue. The American Civil war comes to mind. There have also been wars where the secessionists have succeeded, the American revolutionary war also comes to mind. (this is a bit US centric, but I actually attended school there and read books about US history, so deal with it)

So, secession is a great wrong that must be fought against and a great virtue to shake off the chains of a corrupt government. Isn't that nice? Everybody is right and wrong at the same time. So, I started thinking about it, what tilts secession in one direction or another, what makes it a virtue or an evil?

The answer, when you think about it, is 'Whoever wins gets to decide.' It is just that simple. Declare your independence, get enough allies or some really good representatives talking up your side of the situation to foreign governments (PR is always an essential element of the revolution) and win the war. Tada! It was a glorious revolution. In the alternative, you keep those crazy bastards from stealing a chunk of your land and weakening your country and, Presto! It was a sad page in your nations history that everyone is trying to forget about now.

Countries with secessionist movements in their borders (Spain and Russia, just two totally random examples) are very much against Kosovo's indepdence. They say that Kosovo will set a precedence for their own separatists. Most nations recognize the basic truth in the paragraph before this one: whoever wins gets to write the history.

I think Kosovo will keep its independence, no matter how much some countries pound their chests. Serbia is guilty, as a nation, of attempted genocide and horrific attrocities against their own countrymen. They lost the moral high ground, and, in my opinion, the right to stop Kosovo from seeking its own destiny.