Leonardo"s Notebook by Mattheus Mei

I have been impressed with the urgency of doing. Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Being willing is not enough; we must do.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Kosovo and Hawaii

You probably can't get any different with two locations than Kosovo and Hawaii - one is a war torn region in the Balkans and the other is an island paradise in the Pacific. But believe it or not - they share one thing in common - a desire for Independence.

As Kosovo declares it's independence - which is hailed by the US and many EU powers, other allies and friends are a bit troubled. First to make a raucus were of course the ever desirous of international attention - the Russians followed by the ever foiling Chinese. But then other nations are speaking up for fear of separatists movements within there borders. Most notably to many Americans is probably the Basque region of Spain - so the decleration of independence would seem troublesome to them of course, and then other allies such as the state of Georgia, where now the Russian bear to spite American support of Kosovo is looking to possibly recognize two break away regions in that nation. But do we really have to look so far as Tibet and Taiwan in China, Ossetia in Georgia, the division of Cyprus and the Basque in Spain to have want of concern.

It brings me back to Hawaii , I was trapsing through the blogosphere when I found a post questioning Obama's citizenship of the US - becuase he was borne in Hawaii. Hawaii (!)- which even now many natives consider to be an occupied Kingdom, the internet of course has propelled information and desires for a return of their soverignty against the imperialist Americans. Would we think that Hawaii would seccede? I suppose it's possible, Hawaii became a state after the Civil War but I'm not sure that the caveat exists as it did with the Confederacy for reentering the Union in their petition for statehood. There are pretty ingenious and seriously frank arguements being made by native Hawaiians against being part of these United States - I suppose it's just something we blithely overlook as we galavant the world spreading our influence abroad as our government at least in one state is loosing out.

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