Balkanisation and the Internet
Via Robert Wright, here’s an interesting map of what Europe would look like, should all the current Independence movements in Europe get their way:
Conjecture of Europe 2020, by Chirol at ComingAnarchy.com
This illustrates the point Clay Shirky made about how Nation States might break down in the Internet Age, and my comments about how people might choose to constitute politcal units based on something other than brutal geography.
July 24th, 2009 at 10:44 pm
I am rebelling, and not commenting on Facebook, but here, which is where I think I ought to comment!
However, I am going to pick up on what’s being said over there: Balkanisation is a term that I think you used with very particular intent in the context of this post. If you had used it carelessly or inappropriately, I’d have something to say about it…
I think the map above is terribly interesting: it depicts a layer of activity that runs counter to the far more visible layer of EU harmonisation activities. It flags up how numerous these movements are (and he’s surely missed a few), which is not always obvious, especially given that one might be more prone to think of independence movements in their own backyard first (here in Scotland, for example). Fascinating.
July 26th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
There are far more independent movements that that. Even Cornwall has an independece movement.
July 27th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Wales too.
I also note that the new country north of Carlisle would be called “Republic of Scotland”, which I don’t think is accurate. My understanding is that they would keep Liz Windsor as Head of State.