🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi Brett, welcome

> I think the point of this matter is that there are
> many ways in which one can be "Basque"

Yes but...

>The radicals would no doubt say that one must
>have all these pieces in place to truly be Basque >(i.e., have Basque as their
 mother tongue [not that
>artificial Batua stuff!], have a Basque surname and a
>mother who is Basque, continue speaking Basque, live
>in the Euskalherria, call oneself a Basque, and
>involve oneself politically in Euskalherria.) Some
>might even go so far as to say that only those
>involved in Herri Batasuna are truly Basque.

Let's stand on what at least somebody proposes. Most of "radicals" (leftist
 nationalists) think that anybody who speak Basque and considers oneself Basque
 is Basque. On the other hand, Spanish Law considers that anyone who is living
 in Bizkaia, Gipuzkoa and Araba (except Trevino) is Basque.

>Look at the flow of history.  Look at all the people
>groups which no longer exist or which, even now are
>struggling to retain their "identity." Look at the
>strong current of globalization and the inevitable
>absorption of small cultures into the more
>predominant.

Well, we managed to avoid the IE globalization some 4000 years ago, and the
 Roman globalization 2000 years ago. Give us a chance.

>The fact of the matter is, times change, cultures
>change, people change, language changes.  What
>it means to be Basque today will not be the same
>tomorrow.  We can all try to be better Basques
>(whatever that means), but with each Basque that dies
>and with the birth of another Basque, the Basqueness
>of tomorrow will not be that of today.  Which is
>better? I don't know.

I'd say that keeping alive our traditions and know-how to apply them to the
 problems to face in the future is valuable. Cultural diversity is a treasure.
 Is something like biological diversity, something that must be preserved
 despite of the flows of history.

Inaki


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