P.E.T. on Nationalism

... nationalism was logically untenable since every group that considered itself a "nation" contained even smaller ethnic minorities that could themselves claim independence. If the nationalist trend were followed to its logical conclusion, human societies would become hopelessly fragmented . The solution lay in broader, not narrower, definitions of community.

- from Trudeau and Our Times, page 82-83

I started reading the book this week and that comment stayed with me. It reminded me of the debate over Quebec possibly separating from Canada. The Separatists tried to take the view that Canada is divisible but Quebec isn't. All of Quebec would be forced to leave Canada even though large parts of it wouldn't want to. They wanted the right to leave Canada but were unwilling to accord the same right to those who didn't want a part of their new Quebec.