Since the collapse of the Cold War, nation after nation declared independence from the fallen Soviet Union. Afterwards, Yugoslavia fell apart and split into several nations. In 2008, Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. Now a new region is trying to obtain independence. South Ossetia is a region of Georgia that has been rebelling for a long time. Georgia has surrounded the rebel capital, and Russia is threatening to get involved.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7548715.stm
For a while, I used to support many independence causes. In many cases, a smaller nation was declaring itself independent from a large and oppressive nation. But recently, more and more ethnic groups are trying to become independent for who know what reason. It's come to the point now where it seems every ethnic group on Earth wants a state for itself. So what does it take to justify independence? Who deserves independence? What qualifications should be required?
Sometimes I just want to pull a Thearou, go out to the woods, make myself a little hut, live off the land as best I can and (unlike) Thearou never come back. That's my independence.
BUt then I think about books, my friends, and movies, music, and Sushi and decide I can deal with peoples B.S.
Anyone can call themselves an independent nation, but it all depends on whether or not they are recognized as one. This has been the major problem with many of these small nations that want independence so they can maintain a cultural or ethnic identity but ultimately the rest of the world has to see it that way - which doesn't happen very often. The borders and definitions of a country are entirely man made (obviously) and forming a new country must adhere to this definition. There is no great "cause" or "urpose" to this system, it's simply how we classify and define certain things. When any country assesses the independence of another new country they're going to take into account several factors: 1) What's in it for us? 2) What are the ramifications of this (both good and bad)? 3) Will it increase stability in the region (and is that what we want)? 4) What would foreign relations be like with this new country?
Clearly there are many more factors than this, but looking at what's at stake in forming a new nation it's surprising they are ever formed at all! Unless they have the support of a few superpowers, like Israel did.
