PF Jan 2018 - Catalonia Independence - Introduction

Resolved: Spain should grant Catalonia its independence.

Introduction

I suppose it is valuable for students, especially those in the U.S., to learn a little more about the values, aspirations and politics of life within the European continent. After all, North America was eventually conquered by European colonialism, and many of the ideals and principles which led to the establishment of the United States was born in the history, struggles, laws and philosophies carried over from Europe. One key difference between the U.S. and most European nations has been the blending of cultures in the U.S., dubbed a "melting pot" of diverse peoples each maintaining some measure of independent cultural identity while at the same time contributing to and influencing a united and uniquely "American" identity. Europe, on the other hand, has not always been so diverse. National boundaries emerged around cultural identities each with a unique language and customs. For centuries, the various kingdoms which gave way to nationalist movements, fiercely defended their sovereignty and guarded the uniqueness of their cultures. It is only within the last twenty years the nations of Europe decided to submit to a formalized political/economic union which eventually opened borders, unified the currency and erected a unified legal jurisdiction.

The Iberian peninsula region of Europe, like much of the continent in the centuries prior to the 1400s was a target of frequent conquests from both Europe and Africa. In the early 1500's "The Spains" emerged as a federation of regional monarchies which quickly grew into the most powerful region in Europe both economically and militarily. It was during this period, that Spain established thriving colonies in all of the inhabitable continents of the world and enriched itself with the world's resources. During this period, the principle Spanish monarchies were Castile and Aragon. Castile, the largest, occupied most of the central region of the peninsula while Aragon and the Catalon counties, the second largest, occupied the eastern portion of the peninsula in the regions of the Pyrenees Mountains. It was the marriage of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon which led to one Spain's most profitable and powerful eras. Of course, most U.S. students are taught this Isabella and Ferdinand financed the voyages of Christopher Columbus in the late 15th century which resulted in the conquest of the central and southern portions of the western hemisphere.

The kingdom of Aragon, contained the Principality of Catalonia and the various Catalan counties setup during the time of Charlemagne (778) and maintained by the Carolingian Emperor which dominated most of the European continent. The Carolingian elites were mainly interested in establishing a buffer zone in the Pyrenees between them and Moorish invasions from the Iberian peninsula. It was during the reign of Isabella and Ferdinand, that the political identity of Catalonia strengthened and they established and maintained their own laws. The eventual decline of Spanish power and rise of French power on the continent resulted in the Nine Years War, a war of attrition which created immense upheaval, destruction, and movement of refugees across the continent and which spread across the world. The war concluded with the Treaty of Ryswick from which the borders of modern Europe began to take shape.

The history of Europe is much more complex than the brief introduction I presented above, but it is not my intention to cover all the details. Also, the brief history I presented is no doubt distorted by my U.S.-centric point of view from which I am certain to misunderstand much of the mindset behind the various conflicts and struggles which dominate much of European history. Suffice to say, the region known as Catalonia has long struggled to establish independence from Spain and France both culturally and politically. Recently that struggle played out for the world to see following an election referendum and declaration of independence from Spain on October 27, 2017 that was forcibly overturned by Spanish police when they arrested many of the Catalonian separatists and forced others into exile. Hence, we come to this resolution; resolved: Spain should grant Catalonia its independence.

Definitions

Spain

This is the largest country on the Iberian peninsula, bordered on the northeast by France and the west by Portugal. In the 15th century Spain emerged as the most powerful nation on the planet but declined in the 18th century. There should be no need to define "Spain" in this debate since all debaters and judges should know what Spain is even if some of them have no idea where Spain is on a globe.

should

Merriam Webster defines 'should' as an expression of obligation, propriety and expediency. It may also be used to express a request.

grant

Again we defer to Merriam Webster which provides several useful definitions for 'grant'; to consent, to permit, to be willing to concede.

Catalonia

As already discussed, Catalonia is a region of northeast Spain, situated on the border of France on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the south. The main population center of Catalonia is Barcelona.

its 

I separate this possessive term intentionally. The word 'its' is defined by Merriam Webster as relating to 'it' as a possessor, agent or object of action. We know from context, the 'it' which possesses is Catalonia. Perhaps, it is an unnecessary and potentially misleading, 3-letter word which I will discuss below.

independence

Independence is the quality of being independent which Merriam Webster conveniently defines as not subject to the control of others: self-governing.

Interpretation

We interpret the resolution to mean, the nation of Spain has an obligation to permit Catalonia to exercise its autonomy or self-rule. However, as I pointed out in the definitions, the wording of the resolution could have been shortened to 'Spain should grant Catalonia independence' which subtly avoids any implication that independence is something Catalonia already possesses but Spain is not allowing its free exercise. Thus, in the wording of this resolution, Spain can be viewed as an oppressing nation withholding possession to something of which Catalonia is entitled. It now seems we must establish the basis for what constitutes a right to independence in order to justify the Pro position, and in this case argue that Catalonia possessed that right all along or somewhere down through the decades acquired the right to independence.  This right, of course, has implications for all nations. Imagine, for example, if Texas decided to exercise its right to independence. It was, after all, an independent nation previously which chose to join the union of the United States, so would its claim to independence be justifiable in any legal framework? In the situation with Catalonia, is its claim of independence justifiable under a legal framework or moral framework or any framework which can be reasonably debated in a Public Forum Round? These are issues we will no doubt explore in the Pro and Con positions.

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