You got to love Spain's conservatives. It's like they are being run by Colonel Ripper, protecting their "Purity of Essence"!

"No Gays! No Girls! And no filthy Catalans! Viva Espagne! Down with Barcelona!"

But in the end, isn't this also what Americans fear? That some liberal will screw up our country by protecting "gays" and "working women" and "illegal immigrants"? Are we really any different?

On the whole, and interesting article, though. This is a process that China has yet to go through, although I think the situations are extremely analogous.