it is only that we somehow automatically grow up assuming, nowadays, that nation-states are the only real political entity for us, for modern times. our imaginations are closed to other options, all of which are either treated as out-of-date, like kingdoms, or empires, or too futuristic for our times. but in fact, things change quickly: globalization has reduced the heft of single nation states enormously; virtual multi-state entities are created through global forces; "europe" has now supplanted much that was individual state status, so the old center-periphery modeled died somewhere back in the 90s when no one was looking; and suddenly china appears on the globe as something somehow larger than a simple state, like an eastern "europe," with india on the horizon, brics vying for new configurations.
we teach world literature now; world cinema now; global studies now. we have transnationalism having replaced internationalism or multinationalism. the fields of knowledge are no longer centered on area studies, much less national studies.
things done changed since you and i began our studies in this world; and imagining sweden, say, as part of a larger whole is not a bad thing.
the u.s. was willing to conquer, in god's name: the "manifest destiny" meant that to americans. but that was the world as seen yesterday by the conqueror of yesterday. no one imagined an Islamic State now conquering so much land, so quickly, and presuming to call itself a "caliphate."
things done changed, and we have to change with it.
or, in any event, we have to try to keep up with understanding it.
ken
--
Dear Ken,
Don't forget that it's not all of us who live in the United States you know.
It's only after watching last week's Dateline London that I understood that by "let texas go!" you must have surely been referring to the very contemporary currents animating The Texas Nationalist Movement !
In my opinion granting that sort of right ( the right to secede) in the Nigerian constitution, would automatically herald the demise of the federation; in no time at all every village will be applying for Independence and setting up shadow presidents, and cabinets...
As you may observe, in my latest blog update have liberally lifted Professor Ochonu's words "This reality alone calls for a more positive reception for movements which seek alternative political paths and arrangements" out of context and applied them as apt and plausible US policy statement which can explain why the US is reportedly giving Hezbollah Indirect Military Aid...
Over here there used to be some faint tremors coming from the Scania Party – they're going for want separation and full independence from Mama Sweden. I hope and pray that we will continue to remain, one undivided Sweden with Stockholm as our capital...
Cornelius
On Saturday, 20 September 2014 21:31:43 UTC+2, Kenneth Harrow wrote:also, to anticipate what would surely be cornelius's question, yes, let texas go!
ken
On 9/20/14, 3:05 PM, kenneth harrow wrote:
i only wish the rest of the world would accept secession subject to vote rather than war....
consider how many died in sudan. was it up to 4 million people? before finally s sudan became a separate state.
there is something about the nation state that fosters extreme violence. we need to step back a second and consider whether it merits our undevoted acceptance of it as a normal entity
ken
On 9/20/14, 10:03 AM, Emeagwali, Gloria (History) wrote:
--"The rest of the U.K. neither threatened nor militarily attacked Scotland."
Westminster did not threaten with arms but used fear tactics about the economy to scare the Scottish nationalists.
They were warned that the new country would have to pay part of the national debt and would face financial
roadblocks with respect to their national currency. Banks and other financial institutions also threatened to withdraw
from Scotland. It is not clear whether the government had a hand in this but the prospect of economic doom
certainly scared a lot of the folks who were sitting on the fence before then.
Prof Gloria Emeagwali
History Department
CCSU
Fight Ebola
From: usaafric...@
googlegroups.com [mailto:usaaf...@googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of Cornelius Hamelberg
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2014 10:28 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Can Nigeria learn anything from the Scottish Referendum?
Revised .
Lord Ogugua Anunoby,
(Please accept the respectful honorific)
In 1981 the Federation comprised nineteen states. Based on the reality that at that time Rivers State was producing 56% of Nigeria's oil revenue which was fuelling the Federal budget, Senator Francis Ellah (Umoku, Ekpeye District) was able to come to a just and equitable mathematical distribution of budget allocations by creating thirteen states out of what was then Rivers State...
All said and done if the Federal Government went ahead and started granting people the right to hold referendums with a view to secession, then in no time at all there would be no Nigeria left – I think that everybody would secede.
Are we not to assume that the major ethnic enclaves in Nigeria would want to hold their own referendum? I guess that there would be some rigging and other fraudulent activities that would either deliver or sabotage the intended results – a referendum as an internal affair would probably produce the results intended by those who want to hold a referendum - and in Igboland, given such a democratic opportunity to determine their own future, WHY shouldn't the Igbo people with all of their bitter historic experience not vote overwhelming to obtain Biafra by civilised, peaceful means?
As you mentioned,
"The Scottish parliament requested a referendum. The parliament in London granted it. The rest of the U.K. neither threatened nor militarily attacked Scotland."
I guess that if Nigerians has that kind of democratic option and say, my Kalabari brother Alhaji Mujahid Asari-Dokubo happens to be Rivers State's First Minister or Governor, he would be one of the very first people to be applying for a Federal permit for his nation to hold a referendum, in order to nationalise or Ijaw-ize all 56% of the Niger oil on his side of the state border.
We should take the goodwill of his people as for granted.
And you know as well as I do that what is usually referred to as "The North" - the landlocked north, would not permit that such a thing should happen. Swifter than an eagle, Boko Haram – and not only the forces of Boko Haram would be paddling their canoes in the Riverine areas fighting " to keep Nigeria United"
Over here too, Sweden and Norway were one country and are now two countries, at peace with each other.
Sincerely,
CH
On Saturday, 20 September 2014 02:07:33 UTC+2, Anunoby, Ogugua wrote:One commodity that is in abundant supply in the U.K. and in short supply in African countries, is goodwill. The British people understand that remaining part of the U.K has to be the choice of the Scottish people. They respect that choice. Understanding like this is not shared all over the world. It is not just an African problem. Remember India/Pakistan (Kashmir), Yugoslavia, Turkey (the Kurds), and Indonesia among others? One better not recall Nigeria where they even came up with a slogan- "To keep Nigeria one is a task that must be done" without thinking through why the task is worth the trouble and other costs?
Anyone who followed the U.K. referendum debates would have heard and appreciated the arguments made for and against Scottish independence. The better arguments (economics, nation gravitas) prevailed in my opinion. Goodwill helped to ensure that the system allowed the law to inform the process. The law was put to good and effective use. The Scottish parliament requested a referendum. The parliament in London granted it. The rest of the U.K. neither threatened nor military attacked Scotland. The Prime Minister in London appointed a date. Both sides in the fight made their case to the Scottish people. The people voted. The outcome was a "No" vote. The outcome is respected. The Scottish First Minister's following the loss resigned. He, remaining in office was no longer tenable. A "Yes" vote would have meant the Prime minister resignation for the same reason.
The U.K. like Canada and Czechoslovakian before her, has set another standard for the world on the matter of self-determination. It was known that a forced marriage is most likely to be an unhappy marriage. The people want their country to work. They do not desire to live in a country with a nation of a majority of unwilling citizens. There are some who take offense when some countries are called advance democracies. The example set by the U.K. is one reason why.
Should it not be a matter of great concern that people are fighting and dying to preserve African countries clobbered together by colonial powers for their benefit? I mean countries that do not work, are unlikely to do so any time soon, and produce leaders who do not want their country to work as the countries should?
The British Historian David Reynolds proposed that a nation may be a civic nation- based on institutions, laws, and sense of community, or an ethnic nation- based on common ancestral origin and culture. Most African countries are neither. Can African countries be more successful countries? Yes of course. They must have produce leaders who will work to ensure this success. Such a leadership should know when remaining one country may be no use in the long term. Those who have heads, let them use them.
oa
From: usaafric...@googlegroups.com [mailto:usaafric...@
googlegroups.com ] On Behalf Of John Mbaku
Sent: Friday, September 19, 2014 2:12 PM
To: usaafric...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Re: USA Africa Dialogue Series - Can Nigeria learn anything from the Scottish Referendum?
As I have argued elsewhere, notably with respect to the Anglophones of Cameroon, those who, in pursuing their self-determination, decide that they want to secede and form their own independent polity or join another existing country, should actually be provided the facilities to do so if the process is, as that in Scotland, peaceful. This is especially critical in Africa where groups were involuntarily brought together through colonialism to form what are now Nations States.
Unfortunately, the nature of governance institutions in most African countries today is that any section of a country that seeks to disentangle itself from the rest of the country would certainly not be given the opportunity to decide through a peaceful referendum, as occurred in the United Kingdom. The central government is most likely to brutally crush what would be termed a challenge to the hegemony of the State. As Scottish and British leaders have indicated, the referendum that took place in Scotland yesterday will actually strengthen the UK's already strong and robust democratic system.
Using brutal force to get people to live together under one political and economic unit usually does not produce the type of peaceful coexistence that is needed for entrepreneurship and the creation of wealth--you need only look at what is happening in most of the African countries today: violent and destructive mobilization by groups that consider themselves marginalized and pushed to the economic and political periphery by the policies of a central government dominated by other groups. An effective nation-state is one in which its citizens voluntarily get together and form a government to protect their rights as defined by them and elaborated in the constitution. Where States already exist (e.g., those formed by colonialism and which contain religious, nationality, and ethnic groups that were brought together involuntarily through colonialism), the State can and should be reconstructed and reconstituted through democratic constitution making to provide laws and institutions that enhance peaceful coexistence, provide mechanisms for the peaceful resolution of conflicts (including, especially, inter-group conflicts), and promote entrepreneurship and wealth creation, especially among historically marginalized and deprived groups (e.g., women, children/youth, and ethnic and religious minorities). Such laws and institutions should, as is the case in the UK, provide the mechanisms for groups to exit the polity if they believe that their values and interests are not longer maximized by the status quo.The freedom to decide whether to "walk away" from the "federation" can actually strengthen the federation and significantly improve the country's overall political economy. This, unfortunately, is an insight that is either largely unknown or rarely appreciated by many political elites in the African countries.
It is possible that some of them might begin to reconsider their ideas on secession after the Scottish exercise.
On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 7:25 AM, Cornelius Hamelberg <cornelius...@gmail.com> wrote:
In updating my blog about the results of the Scottish Independence Referendum I inevitably thought of the case of Nigeria and Biafra - if those who want to secede have the right to do so peacefully...
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JOHN MUKUM MBAKU, ESQ.
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