To: goldsnow who wrote (2366 ) 7/15/2001 10:23:51 PM From: LV Read Replies (2) | Respond to Russia is one of few remaining colonial empires. There is a lot of strain there and ethnic animosity, even hatred, and eventually, I believe, it will disintegrate, and it will be accompanied by much bloodshed and suffering. As far as Chechens, I don’t see much difference between Chechen situation and, say, Tibet in China or Kurds in Iraq, Turkey and Iran, or Tatars in that same Russia. World usually doesn’t interfere, we are too busy, the problems too complex, too many ethnic groups. If we were to interfere, where would it stop? Africa is a nightmare. Indonesia? Chinese in Malaysia? Moslems in Philippines? Indians in Brazil? Australian Aborigines? I don’t think there are any Maoris left in New Zealand. How do we divide Northern Ireland? What about Basques in Spain, or Germans in half European countries – from Italy to Hungary to Poland, or even Walloons? As I understand there are fringe groups asking for separation from Belgium. Taking it one step further, here in North America, what about Quebec, or Hawaiian separatists talking about disenfranchising non-natives, or American Indians who talk about independence, or even black separatists? Where do we stop? We should talk about respecting ethnic minorities rights not iterative fragmentation. amina.com
