Getting it Right?

Let me start this off with one word: wow. As one of those modern liberals whose thoughts mimic Barro's view of the world as a teen, I must remind myself reading books like this is why I came to CMC.
As my last paper discussed the Russian/Georgian conflict the section most interesting to me at the moment dealt with the optimal size of a nation. His argument for smaller fragmenting of states is one that while some of the underlying notions (i.e. we only function well around people who look like us; less interest group activity is better) might cause my liberal self to balk, I find I actually agree and understand many of his points. I regrettably concede that from a cold hearted economic point of view, the resources wasted on lobbying hurt the economy. But more notably his basic discussion about the economic difficulties of policy designed to facilitate economic exchange between two opposing cultures existing as a greater cost to the community than the cost of shifting borders is one I can agree on. In addition to the economic difficulties and inefficiencies associated with the current arbitrary borders in much of the developing world, the costs associated with continued conflict is almost assuredly more expensive for both parties. I will definitely be using some of Barro's arguments in future Sudan related debates supporting my belief that the various ethnic regions of Sudan should split and redraw borders. Thus turning two non homogenous hostile factions into two wary trading partners.