Following on from June’s ‘Some Questions for a Catalan Independentist‘ , here are some questions I’d like to pose to those of you who are opposed to the idea of Catalonia becoming independent. These have been harder to for me to formulate for one simple reason: in a debate such as this one, the onus is really on those proposing change (in this case, the independentists) to explain why the rest of us should go along with their proposal. That said, I do feel that there are some questions which do deserve to be asked of those who oppose independence. From my experience in the real world, their arguments against independence often seem to be the most fallacious of all.
- If a suitable majority supported it, why shouldn’t Catalonia be independent?
- How would you describe your stance against Catalan nationalism?
- Are you aware of the independentists’ historical claims? Do you think they are inaccurate, or irrelevant?
- Do you think its possible that your position is the result of political media campaigns against independence?
- Do you oppose the independence of all ‘nation’ states, or is your opposition selective?
- Even though you oppose it, do you feel any empathy for those who genuinely believe that their country isn’t ‘free’ unless it’s an independent state?
- What action would you take should Catalonia become independent?
- What action should Spain take to prevent Catalonia declaring independence?
- Do you think that Kosovo’s independence from Serbia sets a legal precedent?
- Are there any conditions under which you’d accept Catalan independence (e.g. constitutional protection of Spanish speakers)?
- Should Catalonia become independent, would you insist that FC Barcelona be excluded from the LFP?
- Have you ever found yourself chuckling at the epithet ‘Cataloonies’ while strumming away to the old Iberian Notes blog? (You don’t have to answer this one if you really don’t want to).
And that’s it for the moment. Let me know if you think I’ve missed out something really glaring. And do feel free to answer some or all of the questions for an independentist too.