The Off Topic Topic

[Habbaku]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50365124

Russia professor admits murder after woman's arms found in bag

Dude was living the dream. Old, Napoleonic cosplay professor gets in a long-term affair with a 21-24 year-old grad student who shares his Napoleonics fetish and...ends up ruining it in a rather grotesque fashion.

[The Brain]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50365124

Russia professor admits murder after woman's arms found in bag

Dude was living the dream. Old, Napoleonic cosplay professor gets in a long-term affair with a 21-24 year-old grad student who shares his Napoleonics fetish and...ends up ruining it in a rather grotesque fashion.

What's wrong with people?

[Sheilbh]

I don't really see how separatists are fascists, have staged a coup d'etat or suppress opposition opinion if any of those terms are to actually mean anything.

It's the current lexicon of the Spanish right, mostly. You'll understand that with that kind of attitudes around it's not really easy to find common ground.

Yeah.

As I say I find it really fascinating that this issue was the trigger in Spain not immigration (though that is part of Vox's politics from what I understand). I always remember having a drink with you and Gups in the run up to the Scottish IndyRef and you asking if we thought the UK government would respect it. Gups may have known why you were asking, given that his wife is Spanish, but I thought it was kind of a crazy question because of course they would

It is a really striking difference with the UK - especially since Brexit - which is very much a union of states. See today's polling on Northern Ireland, or the view of Tory members on what they're willing to sacrifice to deliver Brexit:



So looking at how important Spanish unity is outside of those areas is really interesting.

[Maximus]

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-50365124

Russia professor admits murder after woman's arms found in bag

Dude was living the dream. Old, Napoleonic cosplay professor gets in a long-term affair with a 21-24 year-old grad student who shares his Napoleonics fetish and...ends up ruining it in a rather grotesque fashion.

What's wrong with people?

Well, In this case she's missing her arms.

[Iormlund]

So looking at how important Spanish unity is outside of those areas is really interesting.

It's the UK that is an anomaly though.

Most countries frown upon separatism.

[celedhring]

I have lived enough under them to know that if separatists ever got the full powers of a state I would GTFO. I have little doubt that independent Catalonia would be an illiberal hellhole.

The current Catalan president has a long trail of ethnic nationalist literature.

[Sheilbh]

It's the UK that is an anomaly though.

Most countries frown upon separatism.

Maybe, though I feel like the UK approach is closer to, say, Canada, Belgium, Italy (though in the latter two the far-right are the separatists). I can't think of many countries with active separatists frowning in the way Spain has, or it sparking a far-right resurgence. As I say it's that that I find really interesting. Spain has a very high rate of immigration (which triggers the far-right everywhere else in Europe) but the trigger in Spain seems to be separatism.

Also I'd have thought Spain would find it easier getting European countries to extradite Puigdemont, if the aversion to separatism was the same. I can see the misuse of public funds mind.

They don't have to be, but these particular separatists seem to be moving in a more radically right wing direction lately.

But then everybody seems to be doing that lately.

I mean the Catalan separatists are left and right wing (in the elections the Republican Left of Catalonia was the leading separatist party).

[Admiral Yi]

To look at the other side of the coin, why the hell haven't the Phlegms and Walloons split by now?

[Sheilbh]

Right? How much of this forum and EU forum used to be Flems and Walloons arguing?

My theory is they're like an old couple who recognise they'd be happier making each other miserable than divorcing.

[Valmy]

To look at the other side of the coin, why the hell haven't the Phlegms and Walloons split by now?

One big reason is there is no easy way to divide Belgium that both would be happy with. So it is either abandon valuable territory to the other or just accept that status quo.

At least that is my impression from all the Flemish Nationalists. I very rarely have had the pleasure of discussing this subject with a Walloon.

[Maladict]

Right? How much of this forum and EU forum used to be Flems and Walloons arguing?

Did we ever have any Walloons?

[Valmy]

Right? How much of this forum and EU forum used to be Flems and Walloons arguing?

Did we ever have any Walloons?

Here? No. There were a few on Paradox though.

[Valmy]

I have lived enough under them to know that if separatists ever got the full powers of a state I would GTFO. I have little doubt that independent Catalonia would be an illiberal hellhole.

The current Catalan president has a long trail of ethnic nationalist literature.

It is hard to set up an ethnic based nation state built almost entirely on hatred of your neighbors and not have it be that way...

[Sheilbh]

Here? No. There were a few on Paradox though.

I feel like our Francophilia was not enough outweight the generally French-hostile tone of Languish in those years. But I maintain the best solution to the Belgian issues is just to restore France to her natural borders.

[celedhring]

I have lived enough under them to know that if separatists ever got the full powers of a state I would GTFO. I have little doubt that independent Catalonia would be an illiberal hellhole.

The current Catalan president has a long trail of ethnic nationalist literature.

It is hard to set up an ethnic based nation state built almost entirely on hatred of your neighbors and not have it be that way...

Yeah, the whole "we're so much better than those brutish Spaniards and we should not have to be tied up with them" is really really not the basis for a healthy society. Particularly when half your population still votes "Spanish" parties.