[morganvachon]

"I don't need to request permission to move to a different state in the United States, I just do it."

Trying to equate EU and Spanish law with USA law is an exercise in futility. The point you are trying to make only makes sense if you consider the EU and its nation-states to be the counterpart to the US and its states. In that case, we are seeing a secession unfold right now with Brexit.

A better analogy would be if a group of counties in a US state wanted to break off and leave not only their home state, but the US overall, to become their own micro-nation, with the option to rejoin the US as the 51st state.

[cortesoft]

Are you saying that if someone living in Madrid wants to move to Barcelona, they have to request permission from the government?

I never mentioned the EU at all, I am not sure what you mean by that. Catalonia leaving Spain is an internal issue, not related to the EU. I am comparing Catalonia being a province of Spain to California being a state in the US.

[lsaferite]

They are saying that in this case US == EU, California == Spain, and Silicon Valley == Catalonia.