Wednesday, January 09, 2008

Should Kosovo be allowed to become Independent?

Professor Emeritus Raju G. C. Thomas apparently argues against the independence of Kosovo.

A friend asks what I think about Thomas's point of view.

My response: one's attitude depends on whether one believes that politics should be based on Realpolitik or on principle.

And, if the latter, on WHAT principle?

I am totally committed to the principle of self-determination for all peoples who wish to be independent – and I am often told that this is impractical.

However, I am aware of only one alternative to my point of view and that is Realpolitik (which is based on the power of dominant elites to impose their will and to sustain the costs of doing so).

As I do not and cannot believe that international politics can any longer be based on Realpolitik, self-determination and voluntary association are the only principles that I find myself able to defend – but if anyone can suggest another principle, I am always open to considering it. Sphere: Related Content

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Prabhu Guptara,

If you believe in the right of self-determination for Kosovo, do you recommend this for Kashmir, Khalistan, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram. Tripura all in India, and for Tamil Ealam in Sri Lanka?.

What about self-determination for Mindanao, Panni Marithawad, Chechnya, and Xinjiang, all Muslim majority provinces in non Muslim majority states like Kosovo? How about Biafra, Scotland, Catalina, and Basque country?

What about the return and self-determination for all those Serbs driven out of Croatia, Bosnia, and Kosovo itself who fought for independent Republika Serpska and Republika Krajina?

Democracy and freedom does mean self-determination. Democracy is the will of the majority.

Self-determination is the will of the minority who refuses to accept majority rule and choose istead to destroy the state through secession.

Raju George Curian Thomas
Visiting US Fulbright Professor
Faculty of the Political Sciences
Jove Ilica 165, Belgrade University
11000 Belgrade, Serbia Montenegro

http://www.lexingtonbooks.com/Catalog/SingleBook.shtml?command=Search&db=^DB/CATALOG.db&eqSKUdata=0739105175

http://www.marquette.edu/polisci/Thomas.htm

Anonymous said...

Dear Mr. Guptara

You are right! Without Real politik many crisis could not be solved and will not be solved.
Furthermore, every situation has own specifics. It’s hard or you can not compare Kosovo with other crises or questions around the world. The Kosovo is last chapter of disintegration of former Yugoslavia and it is unique case. Kosovo was under sovereignty of UN and NATO.
Kosovo independence is correction oh historical mistakes.

Driton Lajci
Adjunct Faculty
University of Maryland American Camp Bondsteel Kosovo