| OTBWY said: Tanks, Guardia Civil already seen on their way to Catalonia. The entire Catalonian parlement is going to prison. Bye bye independence, bye bye autonomy. |
That is incredibly naive. It's also the best way to ensure division in the long term. Why? Because the Spainish government is sticking it's head in the sand and thought the problem woul go away if it ignored it, rather than having a sensible debate - resulting in the current scenario where armed conflict seems inevitable.
The police crackdown on the day of the vote, for example, even disuaded those against the separatist position from the Spainish cause. Force may keep the state together in the short-term but while encourage support for the separatists. Actually allowing the debate would have been the best thing. Take Scotland, they had a vote and a debate aroun it. The idea hasn't gone away but also - no tanks. Attempting to surpress the movement only serves to guarantee its success in the long-term.
