Posted on 11/21/2006 6:51:18 PM PST by West Coast Conservative
One of the world's most successful multinational states, and a key ally of the United States, could in a few months time start to unravel: I mean, of course, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The process will be set in motion if the pro-independence Scottish National Party (SNP) ends up the largest party in the Scottish parliament after elections next May. This is a distinct possibility. The break up of the UK will not be inevitable even if the SNP do dominate the parliament, but it will certainly make the political classes of Britain -- and perhaps of the U.S. and the main EU states too -- think hard about the point and value of the union to them. (Ironically, the elections will come just a matter of days after the 300th anniversary of the creation of modern Britain when the Scottish and English parliaments were merged in 1707.)
Most people in England who think about these things assumed that the "Scottish question" had been dealt with when, as one of the first acts of the Blair government elected in 1997, it announced the creation of a devolved Scottish parliament with wide ranging powers over domestic matters. But disillusionment with the performance of that parliament (and the UK parliament in London), the long-standing belief that the English "stole" Scotland's oil and gas, and the postmodern temptations of identity politics, have put independence back on the agenda (a recent opinion poll found 51 percent of Scots favoring it).
(Excerpt) Read more at blog.washingtonpost.com ...
once londinistan has its flag, the transition will be full and formally complete. informally? the transition IS done. Philosophically? its alreay completed.
Cuzz Charles said so!
"There will always be an England..." NOT!
Will a lone gunman do a mountbatten on a royal and will the gunman be islamic?
The parliament in London will not give up North Sea oil revenues too quickly to the Scots. The Scots can not survive economically without this revenue. This battle has been going on for over 400 years.
Or would it hold the prospect of an independence vote out to London demanding "pay up or else"? The threat might be more effective than the action if that's the case. I honestly don't know. British FReepers, comments?
Typical commentary from the Post, it would be bad to cut taxes and spending.
Oops - I missed yours, and thank you.
This is not about the end of England, but of the UK, which might see the Scots leave, although I don't think so. I see another Quebec in the making, with the Scots demanding Independence, right up to the point where it looks like they might actually get it.
And the Scots better be careful at that. I was in England four years ago, during the World Cup. English flags -- the St. George's Cross, a red + on a white field -- were every where. The TV, sorry, telly, was also running clips of the 1966 World Cup, that being the last time England won. In all of the old clips the flag being waived was the Union Jack -- the combined flags of England, Scotland and Ireland.
The English stopped fearing being ruled by the Scots 200 years ago, and stopped wanting to rule them (or anyone else for that matter) 50 years ago. All that leaves is a marriage of convenience, and if the Scots want a divorce I don't see the English doing a great deal to talk them out of it.
We might well get Cornwall back too ~ hasn't been the same since King San Cho Noe I invaded Spain and initiated the Reconquista more than a thousand years ago ~ but anything can happen.
Yep. Where do you stop? Will Norway want the Orkneys and Western Isles back? Will Denmark want the Eastern seaboard of Scotland back? Will the lowland Scots recall that the Scoti were invaders from Ireland who came after the Romans left, and tell the Highlanders to bugger off back to Ireland (where I suppose they would change places with the Ulster Scots who have lived in Erie for a paltry four centuries). Will the Welsh claim all of England as descendants of the old, pre-Roman, Brittonic kingdoms of the Celts? Will everyone in the British Isles have to que up for compulsory genetic testing to see if they stay or go? And since not even the the Celts were the aboriginal inhabitants of the British Isles, will everyone have to leave?
Sound silly, yes, but that is what you get when you try to reorder the world by declaring things that happened centuries ago "wrongs" and attempting to redress them now.
Perhaps Italy can claim England, since Rome wasn't driven out or beaten on the island.
Didn't Longshanks deal with those nasty, brutish, skirt wearing, whiskey swilling Scots a long time ago?
And when America closes the umbrella and goes home, who defends europe?
Europe does not need defending, except sometimes from itself. If it chooses demographic suicide, heck that is a free choice. One is free to choose. It is what enobles the human spirit.
The Rebel King of Scotland undid most of Longshanks damage after that Frenchy Longshanks died. Concerning skirts, every tribe wore them in their history. Pants were invented long after skirts. Same with body painting. Every tribe did it. Granted, some gave up the practice earlier then others just as some started wearing pants earlier then others.
Regards, Ivan
At least England votes over-whelmingly Conservative every election.
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