Forget the Great In Britain

[0tr]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Wasn't it Robert Heinlein in one of his scifi novels, that had Canada actually take over Britain? something to do with actual resources or something? while Britain sank into what is now happening, the diminuendo, or senescence of past powers.

[BiscayneSunrise]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Wasn't it Robert Heinlein in one of his scifi novels, that had Canada actually take over Britain? something to do with actual resources or something? while Britain sank into what is now happening, the diminuendo, or senescence of past powers.

Some may scoff but maybe not out of the realm of possibility. If the UK realizes, they need to be part of a larger politically entity and the EU doesn't cut it for them it's a possibility. For that matter, some have even postulated a USA/UK integration.

[GRG55]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Wasn't it Robert Heinlein in one of his scifi novels, that had Canada actually take over Britain? something to do with actual resources or something? while Britain sank into what is now happening, the diminuendo, or senescence of past powers.

Just what we need...an overgoverned, overcrowded, overpriced, overcast-in-winter addition to the territory. Well at least the live theatre is good.

Years ago there was a tongue-in-cheek movement by some of the politicians from one of the Caribbean islands, the Turks and Caicos, to join Canada. I thought that was a brilliant idea. Finally someplace in Canada with nice beaches & warm water in winter...not to mention cheap rum. :cool:

Periodically that idea is recycled...

[BiscayneSunrise]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Just what we need...an overcrowded, overpriced, overcast-in-winter addition to the territory.

Well, look at the bright side. It will hardly move the needle on average population density for Canada but will move Britain's average density down to single digits.

[GRG55]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Well, look at the bright side. It will hardly move the needle on average population density for Canada but will move Britain's average density down to single digits.

If there's going to be a "reverse takeover" better that Scotland do it.

Otherwise we risk having to put wings, bonnets and boots on our cars, give Mega a Canadian passport and...horrors...we'll never get the Queen off our money...:eek:

[0tr]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

For pure fantasy/comedy poetic justice (or black humor), GB would be brought into the dominion of Canada, with the Liberals in power, so that Quebec would assume total control of GB! Monty Python could make hay out of that. and while you're groaning or laughing about that, check this from Market Watch contributor erik150x, to give full credit:

Green shoots keep fallin' on my head
And just like banks whose earnings should've been in red
Nothin' seems to fit
Those green shoots are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

So I just did me some talkin' to the FEDs
And I said I didn't like the way they got things done
Stealin' on the job
Those green shoots are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin'

But there's one thing I know
The lies they send to meet me won't defeat me
It won't be long till the shorts step up to greet me

Green shoots keep fallin' on my head
But that doesn't mean the Dow won't soon be turnin' red
Buyin's not for me
'Cause I'm never gonna believe in stocks that are failin'
Because I'm free
Nothin's worryin' me

[GRG55]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

For pure fantasy/comedy poetic justice (or black humor), GB would be brought into the dominion of Canada, with the Liberals in power, so that Quebec would assume total control of GB! Monty Python could make hay out of that...

Thanks for the laugh...

William of Normandy would probably think things were just returning to their rightful historical norm...with the French resuming control...

[hayekvindicated]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Secessionists seem to draw strength from three things:

• Endless retelling of the historical grievances and wrongs done to their people;
• Dreaming about the utopian possibilities of secession;
• Using the constant threat of secession as leverage to make political gains.

The reality of secession is another thing entirely...a messy, costly, risky affair. As long as there is more to be gained from broadcasting the grievances, imagining the [unachievable] perfect separatist world, and extracting more political concessions, secession will never happen...just ask any hard-core Québécois secession advocate.





And where does Westminster get the money? Am I correct in understanding that much of the oil production in the UK sector of the North Sea comes from offshore territory that would be Scotland's if it was independent?

That Walayat aricle I linked to covers all that. I find it quite strange for Scots to complain about being oppressed in the UK (Braveheart is ahistorical nonsense). During the Empire, Scottish generals and civil servants raked in the booty and lorded it nicely in the colonial outposts. India had a disproportionate number of Scottish military officers during colonial rule.

And more recently, New Labour stacked the government with Scots - far out of proportion to their percentage in the population (Scotland only has 4 million people). Also, considering its small population, Scotland is massively overepresented in Parliament.

North Sea oil is a rallying point for Scottish separatists but remember that once the oil is gone (that day is not far off), Scotland doesn't otherwise have a robust private sector to sustain its economy - the government is something like 80 percent of the Scottish economy (which is a staggering statistic).

So if Scotland were to break away, what would be the Scottish economy?

[GRG55]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

That Walayat aricle I linked to covers all that. I find it quite strange for Scots to complain about being oppressed in the UK (Braveheart is ahistorical nonsense). During the Empire, Scottish generals and civil servants raked in the booty and lorded it nicely in the colonial outposts. India had a disproportionate number of Scottish military officers during colonial rule.

And more recently, New Labour stacked the government with Scots - far out of proportion to their percentage in the population (Scotland only has 4 million people). Also, considering its small population, Scotland is massively overepresented in Parliament.

North Sea oil is a rallying point for Scottish separatists but remember that once the oil is gone (that day is not far off), Scotland doesn't otherwise have a robust private sector to sustain its economy - the government is something like 80 percent of the Scottish economy (which is a staggering statistic).

So if Scotland, were to break away, what would be the Scottish economy?

It all sounds strangely familiar...with few alterations this would read as the situation in Quebec & Canada...

[metalman]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

It all sounds strangely familiar...with few alterations this would read as the situation in Quebec & Canada...

my solution... a trade... let quebec join the eu and scotland join the rest of canada. done!

[BiscayneSunrise]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Either that or maybe part of Mega's plan to get an American wife.

[hayekvindicated]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

Either that or maybe part of Mega's plan to get an American wife.

No offence to Mike or to Americans, but I prefer Canadian women.

[Nivelles]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

But, as an Englishman (With overseas investments/Gold/Silver) i find myself wearing a rye smile these days. ...

Wearing a rye smile, you say? I've been like that on occasion.

http://www.wittyswine.com/vsku100064...0RYE%20WHISKEY

(And gentlemen, let's have not so much deprecation of the Scotch, if you please.)

[goadam1]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

One other thing as well: The loss of ability to control the political agenda at the national level. Witness libertarians in the US calling for secession, frustrated and powerless to stop the liberal agenda

Scotland = Texas - cowboys and sun + haggis (funny accents are equal).

[mimbulus]

Re: Forget the Great In Britain

My father lived for a while in Texas, on my first visit we went to a Tex/Mex bar and I discovered margaritas and fajitas (happy day). The waitress who came to serve us at our table, with an unprecedented (for me) sullen-free attitude, laughed when she heard my accent. It was an honest laugh, not of mockery, but of the joy of the unexpected and novel, she called her colleagues over to hear me speak and I was quite prepared to sing for my supper as it were. I was surprised and a tad alarmed however because I had no idea anyone could be so isolated from the wider world.

When I was young and living in London I worked with a Scottish woman who made me more aware of the Scottish issue. She illustrated it by telling me to watch the BBC weather program that evening and to listen to what was said. On close questioning the following morning I realised that the terms UK and England were used synonymously.

Back then, before the idea of language abuse was body-snatched and became the PC monster, I understood that this misspeaking was a window into the thoughts behind the words. In this case Scotland didn’t count.

When I moved to Ireland I continued watching the weather on the BBC and noticed (for the first time) that whilst Northern Ireland is covered Southern Ireland isn’t, even though it’s the same land mass. This is taken to an insane level on ceefax where the map used shows Northern Ireland but not Southern Ireland at all, its simply not there.

During a vacation to Israel and Jordan I stayed in Jericho, the place was a mess - litter, graffiti, neglect everywhere. The unhappiest people I’d ever seen. On my return home I commented on this to a Dubliner (a veteran of the Troubles) who simply stated ‘that’s what you get in an occupied country’.

What I am trying to illustrate with these observations is that unless you actually live in a place and are one of the natives you won’t have an accurate or complete picture of that place. Obviously you can be educated, thoughtful and attentive to the opinions of better informed sources, you may even have some worthwhile ideas of your own (English humour ) but the ‘solution’ and the ‘prescription’ are not in your gift.

Great Britain was so named to distinguish it from lesser Britain (Brittany in France) it wasn’t supposed to be a statement of intent.

For me the question of Scotland, Texas, Ireland, Quebec (I didn’t have a clue there was a Quebec question) is what happens when citizens believe that they are not represented in the hallways of power and how do we prevent those (usually valid) beliefs from being hijacked by the forces of evil?

Respectfully,
Jo