Should Russia Break Apart Into Smaller Units.

[Urban Ranger]

This is a complicated question but my short answer is no.

There are a whole lot of issues involved. What allows for secession? If a majority of California wants out, will the US let it? If not, why should Russia let any one of its regions to become independent? If unilateral sucession is declared, can the other side beat it into submission just like the US Civil War? How small a scale is allowed? Can Montreal declare indepdence from Quebec if Quebec declares indepedence from Canada? What about a city block?

What grants a region the right to declare independence anyway?

[JCG]

Only as much as the U.S. and China should break up....

[Andrew1999]

Originally posted by Serb


Fine, just do the same in Alaska. Im sure Russian government will covertly send a couple of millions Russians there to gain US citizenships and then vote for independance from US and joining with Russia- the proper owner of this land

Hey, we bought it from you guys fair and sqaure. Actually if you need some more quick cash we can start buying Siberia off of you. I think Petropavlovsk and Vladivostok would look good full of US Navy ships.

[Viking Berserk]

fine, said from a siberian himself. they don't want freedom

[Az]

Well, from a strictly utilitarian perspective, IMO the technology hasn't yet evolved to the level that will allow to govern such a hugh amount of territory efficiently. decentralization but staying a single state might help increase productivity on a place-by-place basis, but even that will take some kind of time. The overall strength of the country will remain relatively low. Let us not forget that the current area is infact similar in heritage to the British Commonwealth, a remainder of the empirial era of Russia. A creation of two economically viable states in the east will be a better solution in the time being. HOWEVER, this might change rather fast with the development of new technologies and their implementation in the governing of the country. If this were implemented, the government could achieve greater centralization of decision making without harming productivity. So, in short, I dunno.

[spartak]

How many people participating in this discussion:

a) Speak Russian and read the Russian press?
b) Have been to Russia?
c) Have lived in Russia?
d) Know any Russians
e) Have any first handknowledge of the issues they are pronouncing so selfimportantly on?

Unless the answer to all 5 questions is yes how is their opinion the slightest bit relevent or meaningful?

Well?

[Az]

errm, 5 "yes" answers here.

[Sonic]

Yes, fo me also 5 or at least 4 answers (don't read Russian press, but it's quite frequantly being recitised in Lithuanian press)

And I think Russia, the last true empire, should be broken up into parts. Chechenya and Tatarstan already voted for independence, so let them go. As for others, do refrendums everywhere and let go every nation who voted for independence.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Serb
Im sure Russian government will covertly send a couple of millions Russians there to gain US citizenships and then vote for independance from US and joining with Russia- the proper owner of this land

You sold it fair and square. Don't start whining now because we got the better end of the deal.

[Az]

actually IIRC it was rented for 99 years, but the soviets have forefeited any future claims to the territory.

Btw, I guess not everyone knows it but I am a russian citizen, too.

[spartak]

Serb *
Sprayber
Azazel *
Viking Berserk
Urban Ranger
JCG
Sonic *
Andrew1999
DinoDoc
aahz_capone
Taz

*= Qualified to discuss this matter under the criteria I published earlier.

So far only three people in this post have shown themselves qualified to comment on this subject (I'm leaving myself off because although I fit most of the criteria I just think the whole discussion is so off the wall that I have nothing except ridicule to add).

I await the responses of the other posters with baited breath.

[JCG]

No, of course I'm not qualified to seriously discuss this matter under that criteria, but then again, I didn't really give an opinion about it, you see. Carry on.

[spartak]

No, that's OK, its fair comment that you didn't take the sdiscussion very seriously either.

[DinoDoc]

Originally posted by Taz
So far only three people in this post have shown themselves qualified to comment on this subject

I'll have you know that I'm well qualified to condecend to Serb on the matter I was talking to him about.

[spartak]

How?