Originally Posted by DLFan2

I disagree with the term "balkanization". The term refers to an entity which breaks up into smaller entities at odds with each other.

The opposite is true of the U.S. It is made up of a bunch of smaller entities which voluntarily surrendered partial sovereignty and joined together for the good of the whole, without giving up identity or control of "local" issues.

The United States is a vast country with diverse population groups, climactic zones, industries, needs, and lifestyles. A rancher in rural New Mexico would feel little affinity with a Bostonian, yet both share their loyalty to the nation despite their differences. Many traffic laws in San Francisco likely make no sense whatsoever to a person living in Orlando.

This is NOT balkanization by any stretch of the imagination. If you cannot understand this, then your understanding of the United States is very limited.


BTW: Do you consider Canada "balkanized"? Canada after all has two official languages with one group of Canadians primarily speaking one of them and another group speaking the other, and many having very limited ability in the second language. And one province which periodically threatens to leave the confederation.

On the one hand, the federal government controls a lot of Canadian life, and on the other, the provinces regulate things to suit the particular needs of their populations.

Whether or not you personally believe that a federal system works well or not, "balkanization" is not the appropriate term to use.