https://cdn.theatlantic.com/assets/media/img/mt/2017/09/RTX3HBHX/lead_960.jpg?1506825146

As an outside observer I see a few major flaws with both sides of the Catalonia conflict that is ongoing in Spain. The first is that Catalans want to break away from Spain in the first place. Yes this may be something that could happen down the road, although a bigger more united state tends to be stronger and more stable than a smaller fractured one. Spain breaking into two smaller states would be just another of many similar recent events such as Brexit and the Scottish independence referendum. Isolating oneself is not generally the best answer. In my opinion, Catalonian residents should have tried to strike a deal with the government where they would have more local control and  economic influence. 

If the people want independence however, they must have it. The major problem on the side of the anti independence movement was the use of violence and force to stop a vote. This greatly strengthened the cause of Catalonian Independence. Whenever a nation uses violence on its own people, its validity and authority must be questioned. When a military uses bullets and clubs to injure over 800 people and to interfere with democratic elections, they are breaking the social contract between the people and the government, and threaten the existence of democracy. In this case they prove that there is no democracy, and that Madrid's rule of Catalonia is illegitimate.

If Spain wanted to stand out as a country that fosters democracy, it should have let the free elections continue. The government now has to act quickly to fix its mistake, or risk losing a great deal of its economy, land and population because using violence to stop a peaceful vote just created lots of new independence voters.

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

--Aaron