Peter Baker of the New York Times has written a very good piece on the previous cases of where parts of states have seceded. The comparisons are useful when one is trying to figure out the legality of the proposed referendum on Crimea merging with Russia. If anything, his analysis proves how inconsistent the world has been on this particular question over the years.
The Arab League has joined the Palestinian Authority in rejecting Israel’s demand that it be recognized as a Jewish state. The issue has been a long-standing disagreement between the Israelis and the Palestinians. Israel demands the recognition as evidence of Palestinian sincerity in accepting the existence of the state of Israel. The Palestinians refuse to make the recognition, arguing that they recognized Israel as a state in the Oslo Agreement. The Palestinians believe that the demand forces them to give up all claims to the lands lost by the Palestinians in the creation of Israel and the Palestinian demand that they be allowed to return to their homes.
The economic stresses that led to the Great Recession of 2008 have not been addressed yet. Indeed, global debt has increased from about $70 trillion in 2007 to about $100 trillion in 2013. The dramatic increase in debt is the result of Central Banks all over the world buying bonds in order to lower interest rates in order to stimulate economic growth. So far, the strategy has not worked, and, eventually, that debt will have to be paid back. How it will be repaid is not at all clear, but the world is more vulnerable to a credit crisis today than it was in 2008 when the global economy almost collapsed.
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