PIM,

I refer to the Madrid government because that's how the Basques who want separation refer to it. It's as if it was another nation.

I realize that the Spanish government won't allow for a referendum vote in Basque Country. In the US, states can, and do, offer referendums on their own, but nothing as far reaching as to whether or not they can secede from the union. That would be illegal in the US as well.

But, what does matter is that the government keeps indicating the Basques don't really want more autonomy, and that the intent of cutting off Batasuna is that they were the political wing of ETA. In both cases, the statements are generalized and only partially true. Many people who have gauged the issue believe the majority of people in Basque Country do want their own nation, and that Batasuna may have very well been the only link to open dialogue that could have stopped the bombings. By eliminating Batasuna, the government has actually pushed thousands of people who weren't supportive of ETA over the edge, and into their camp.

If the Spanish government wants to resolve the question of independence for Basque Country once and for all, and really believes the majority of people in Basque Country don't want to be a separate nation, they should feel comfortable in at least offering a non-binding referendum where only the Basques could vote on the issue. I see no reason for any other region to be involved in the vote. It's not their issue, it's an issue for the people of Basque Country.

Let them vote. A non-binding referendum. Let the Spanish government prove to the world that the Basques don't really want their own nation.

Wolf (Who believes there will be no referendum because it will tell the truth, and it isn't exactly what Madrid wants people to know.)