Talk about obnoxious...

[Occhidiangela]

Nobody should claim too strongly their rights to keep other people out of their countries. -Jester
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Elephants and dentistry.

Asserting one's rights to one's land is precisely the "what and why" of contemporary politics, no matter the era. It still boils down to might makes right, it still boils down to 'they'll take it if they can get away with it.' Though sometimes rhetoric and argument allow some parties to avoid brute force as a means of conflict resolution, that form is not a universal solution to inter group conflict. It is sheerest self delusion to presume that it is, or ever shall be, so.

Borders are more often draw in blood than not. It is not a purely rational process, the emotional human element has primacy over "reason" when it comes to blood and soil.

"This land is mine, God gave this land to me." (Did you ever hear that lyric? It was a political statement. Theme song from the movie Exodus)

"This land is your land, this land is my land." A political statement.

"Oh, Canada!" A political entity's self declaration.

Why do believe that the theoretical attributes of a conflict resolution have primacy? Diplomacy and negotiation have to be backed up by something. The arguments of "that is mine" are drawn from powerful emotional wells.

Put another way, history moves forward.

PS: The Golden Horde predated the discovery of America. The intial discussion had to do with that time frame.

But let's take it to a sillier extreme, a true reducto absurdum., Go back a few millenia for legitimacy, and insist that the old "Holy Land" be returned to the Jews.

Wait a minute, that happened, but not by force of argument, nor by appeals to legitimacy. It was done via Blood and Iron. Otto von Bismarck would be so proud.

Talk about a time warp: Arabs died for the sins of Rome, 70 AD.

Occhi