So how far does the right of self determination go?

[RhodesianSon]

Some of my crazier right wing brethren have brought up secession if Trump loses, and I’ve even seen a handful of people on the left talk about California breaking off to be it’s own nation if Trump wins.

Ignoring that neither of those will ever happen, to what extent do we truly believe in the right of people to govern themselves?

Why shouldn’t people who no longer feel represented by a government get express that by separating bonds? And how small of a body is allowable? A county? A state? A handful of states?

I think a good example of this in action is Catalonia in Spain. If we truly believe in self determination Catalonians should be able to separate from Spain right? Just as South Sudan did from Sudan.

 

[Beryllos]

I’m not sure that it’s a right at all.

 

[RhodesianSon]

According the UN charter it is

Self-determination - Wikipedia

• Article 1 in both the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR)[23] and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR)[24] reads: "All peoples have the right of self-determination. By virtue of that right they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development. "

 

[vz71]

Some of my crazier right wing brethren have brought up secession if Trump loses, and I’ve even seen a handful of people on the left talk about California breaking off to be it’s own nation if Trump wins.

Every election cycle, this comes up.
And after the vote, the nation comes back together.

 

[RhodesianSon]

Yes this is more a question of theory. How far do we extend a people’s right to determine who governs them? No county is eternal, so there has to be leeway

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

Well, if you win at your revolution, that pretty much settles it.

If you lose, you will be punished.

Choose wisely.

 

[RhodesianSon]

I meant this in a, if a referendum was held and people in an area voted for political separation, should we let them go peacefully or force them to stay kind of scenario.

 

[0Scarlett_nidiyilii]

I think in the US such an election wouldn’t be legal?

 

[RhodesianSon]

I’m not sure how it couldn’t be. It might not be binding, but let’s just say Trump wins. Californians decide they don’t want to be ruled by such a man and decide to hold a referendum. What’s a good reason to force them to be in political union with the rest of the country?