[MD] Freedom

[Arlo Bensinger]

All,

As you all know, Kosovo has declared its 
independence, a move backed by the US 
Administration. "Although the US formally 
recognised Kosovo's newly declared status, the 
27-member European Union failed unanimously to 
recognise the former Serbian province as a nation 
state." (From The Independent, Feb 19, 2008. 
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/europe/bush-hails-kosovo-independence-but-six-eu-states-voice-opposition-784036.html) 


 From a Fox News article. ""The Kosovars are now 
independent," President Bush said during a trip 
to Africa. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice 
said Bush "has responded affirmatively" to 
Kosovo's request to establish diplomatic 
relations. ... Ninety percent of Kosovo's 2 
million people are ethnic Albanian ­ most of them 
secular Muslims ­ and they see no reason to stay 
joined to the rest of Christian Orthodox 
Serbia."(http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,331018,00.html)

A question I have posed to some students recently 
is, consider the move by Kosovo for sovereignty, 
a move based (in part) by the racial/religious 
fracture between the Albanians and Serbians, as a 
move supported by the US, and contrast this with 
the US's response to the declaration of 
independence recently issued by the Republic of 
Lakotah (http://www.republicoflakotah.com/). 
Also, contrast this with the will of the Tibetan 
people for independence, a declaration NOT supported by the US administration.

Are they different? Is the underlying "right" to 
self-determination similar or different? How do 
you think the MOQ would answer these calls for 
independence? Similarly? Differently?

Just some things to think about.

Arlo