I like to think I'm open minded and plan on proving the point in this brief post about Scotland.This evening, Ian and I were discussing how Scotland would be better off as a sovereign state within the European Union. We'd have the Euro, we'd not have to worry about having a Conservative government and the road signs would display distances and speeds in kilometres. We'd more than likely be a republic, too. Fabulous? Yes, for Scotland.
But, you see, dear reader, I'm a unionist at heart. Without a left-leaning Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland would lurch even further to the right. The voice of the Daily Mail reader, although a minority, would have no reasoned socialist viewpoint with which to argue and it would all go horribly wrong South of the border. But why should I worry if I'm living in the Republic Of Scotland? Because I care about the rest of my country, I suppose. Just as any Scottish nationalist worth his or her salt would worry about something dreadful happening in Edinburgh, even if he or she lived in Aberdeen and never left the granite city.
Although I'm far from patriotic, I still find the very idea of having my country broken up into several parts as upsetting as any Scottish nationalist might balk at Scotland breaking up into Pictland/Kingdom of Alba, Strathclyde, Northumbria and giving the islands back to the Norwegians.Yes, Scotland might be more progressive and better off leaving it's English yoke behind, but it just feels selfish to me. Like a lottery winner leaving his or her spouse on finding they've hit the jackpot.
"I'm leaving you, now. I don't need you any more."
If we did leave the union and be the cause of its break up, I'd hope the reasons were plucked from a higher branch of the intelligence tree. I'm thinking of the time the Baltic states left the USSR and played their part in its break-up.
Yesterday, the EU announced it had given up on the UK and will no longer force us to use metric measurements. Great. So now our children can be taught to measure in feet, inches, yards and miles; in fluid ounces, pints quarts and gallons.
How many yards are there in a mile, again?
I'm being pulled in two directions, dear reader. The Euro lies ahead of me, LSD behind me. Which is the best way to go?
So, the EU might well have given up on the UK. But they'd not, I'm sure, give up on Scotland. Perhaps it's time Scotland gave up on England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Did I really say that?
12 comments:
oh for God's sake. Don't you get it? There IS no Scotland nor England NOR Wales. We are BRITISH. We simply have different accents. We share an armed force, a Head of State, we watch Coronation Street and we all have the right to vote for the same parties whilst texting in to the same programme in order to identify the next winner of X-Factor.
You don't see Munich fighting with Dortmund, even though we Westerners divided them after the war. Can you imagine Nevada residents hating people from Cincinatti? New South Wales demanding that their "country" be divided from Queensland? I'm utterly SICK of this debate.
It is ridiculous that the British Isles can be split up and survive in these times. We live in the 21st century, the world has now shrunk to such a stage that I personally am able to fly into 3 different countries in a single day. And I do.
I don't want to hear about how we are all different and how we should all draw boundaries. We have one planet to live on, let's try and get on with living together.
Now, if you're talking about a United States of Europe with a mission to destroy Bush and his Replican bitches (yes, I did watch Fahrenheit 9/11 the other night with utter shock) then I'm with you.
x
... After reading his comment, I suddenly ran out of ideas... I couldn't agree more with A.!
His last paragraph says what I've been dreaming of these last few years!
@Salty Sailor: What are you talking about. Everyone knows that no one likes Ohioans especially since they vote--(gasp!)--Republican! :-P After all, they pick wars with neighboring states. Seriously, check out the not-so-straight border with Michigan.
And just you try coming over and picking a fight. We'll give you Brits a good lickin' just like the last time. And we might take a little bit more of Canada again just be a dick about it. :-)
Well Quebec wants to leave us so you can have them David. :)
We'll trade you Quebec for Cornwall then, 'cos those idiots want to secede from the UK.
...OK. I shall confess something.
Until I saw Series 2 of NIGHTY NIGHT I didn't understand that Scotland was not its own country.
I just thought the UK was like saying North America. ...but, it is the United Kingdom.
I should also write that I get lost at least twice a day and dye my hair brown. I'm a blonde. blond? blondie? oh, I don't know.
But, I think I'd love living in Scotland.
Or the Mid-lands.
Yech. Quebec? How about we'll give you Maine, Vermont, plus the Virgin Islands in exchange for British Columbia? And to ensure continued access to the Pacific without having to fight off the polar bears, we'll give a free access agreement to Canadian.
By the way, am I making a deal with Canada or the UK? Oh fudge it, take me to your Queen.
Cornwall was lovely when I was there so it might be a good trade.
I'm from BC and I don't know that I want to be an American. Maybe BC, Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California can just make their own country?
Hey you guys lost Washington. It'd be horrible to deal it back. But how about this? The left coast minus Los Angeles, all lands extending south to the Mexican border and the interior counties of such states affected in exchange for--Ontario. I'd like the monopoly on the Great Lakes.
There's a series two of Nighty Night ... Let's just say 20 quid otherwise it just gets nasty!
I'm still in shock over the second episode of series 2!
Hmmm. I like the lakes and Hudson's Bay. I may just have to leave things as is.
Post a Comment