[Newsbot]

<strong>Filibuster Cartoon</strong>
<strong>Title: </strong> <a href="http://www.filibustercartoons.com/archive.php?id=20061130" target="_blank">Pending breakups</a> (click to view)
<strong>Date: </strong> November 30, 2006

Interestingly enough, Canada\'s latest unity dilemma has been occurring simultaneously with one in the United Kingdom. A recent poll out of that country shows that a solid majority of both Scots and Englishmen believe Scotland should separate from the UK and form its own, independent country.

[XianLewis]

What about Iraq's breakup with the Kurds and Sunnis? We could declare an International Breakup Day through the UN.

[Rhoffman]

Really? The fact that so many English voters would support seperation from not just Scotland but from Wales and N. Ireland is really surprising to me. It honestly makes me wonder if the questions the pollsters asked were loaded or not or how many people just thought it was a good idea on paper but not in reality.

As for Scotland, no big surprise there except that I would've thought that more of them would've been in favor of it. I'm kinda curious how Wales would go if give the opportunity, too.

[Pitchfork]

Guess not everyone wants to celebrate diversity.

[Swarm]

This is all being pushed along by the SNP, who have always had self-rule for Scotland as the crutch of their campaign, getting set to grab control and, to put it in crude terms, fuck everything to hell.

I get the feeling the people claiming the break-up is a good idea are the ones who haven't thought it through even slightly. Nationalistic rhetoric is no substitute for economic reality.

Also, diversity? Overrated.

[andrewcool]

Why just scotland? Why not Wales, too! *Braveheart war cry...Freeedooom!!!*


Anyway on a side note, we should be uniting and not dividing. As one we are weak, but as many we are strong.

[Murray_Smith]

Maybe the UK could become a loose confederation of independent states. Then everyone's the same emotion.

[XianLewis]

If all of the UK, the US, Iraq, and Canada broke apart into their respective states, it still wouldn't solve the problem. Eventually people would just want to break apart further, as soon as a dispute arose. Division is stupid and creates strife. As an American I believe it's a state's right, but it still should only be exercised as a final option.

[Prestwick]

Gentlemen, the UK is a union of Nations. England, Scotland and Wales are considered nations, united through a nation state.

Of course initially this was brought about through paranoia on a scale that would make post 9/11 America look like..well..Canada, bribery and a fair few whiskies before votes on important unifying bills put before specific parliaments. But that has slowly evolved to what we have today where we are half-way towards fulfilling what we mean by the term "nations within a nation-state."

Scotland has its own Parliament, Wales has its own assembly, Northern Ireland will (eventually) become part of Ireland once more and England will (in time) acheive its own Parliament.

Alot of English would only vote for Scottish seperation because they either feel hurt by casual Scottish hostility to things English and the fact that the UK spends four times as much on the average scot as it does on the average Englishman. Remember that London has a bigger population than Scotland overall.

One obstacle to independence comes from a quite indirect source. Namely the European Union. Initially, the SNP used the example of Ireland (named the "Celtic Tiger" for it's roaring economy) as how an Independent Scotland could thrive inside Europe. However, Ireland only become prosperous through a massive injection of funds from the then EEC (negotiated by the evil, naughty, and downright sinister UK by the way on behalf of Ireland) in the form of aid, business grants and infrastructure development funds.

It was hoped that Scotland too could benefit from just such an injection of cash. However, the European Commission made it abundantly clear that they frown both on any new states appearing and wanting to join the EU or any new member states suddenly wanting billions of Euros in aid.

It is quite clear that an independent Scotland would find it hard to convince the EU to lavish it with the levels of spending that Ireland benefited from in the 1980s.

In any case, many Scottish nationalists argue that even if they became independent, they would merely be substituting one far away ruler for another. In fact, the main center of power for Scotland would move roughly 200 miles south-east (or 600 miles depending on the time of year) from London, to Brussels. To illustrate this point, SNP leader Alex Sammond and Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell travelled to Brussels to plead with the EU to be lenient on the Scottish trawler fleets when it came to cutbacks on the fleet sizes, catch sizes, etc.

Sadly, they were laughed out of town. Something which would happen all to often if Scotland were to become independent. Tiny and with as much power as Luxembourg, Scotland would have to cling to England & Wales to get any diplomatic clout and thus protect their own interests within the EU. Alot of hassle in order to just remove crowns and union flags from Edinburgh.

As for nations within nation states, I call on all Canadians to stand up and ask for your province to become a nation within a nation state too!

Face it, the name "state" or "province" just shows how much you roll over for central government. And if you beleive you can seceed, then you're honestly kidding yourselves.

Don't let Qubec hog all the glory, ditch your puny "provincial" titles and call on Ottowa to recognise your real heritage as a distinct and very real national entity within the Nation State of Canada.

Qubec first, Alberta and British Columbia next I predict! I expect to see pointless "provincial" legislatures and premiers turned into "national parliaments" and "first ministers" by next summer when I visit!

[Clogeroo]

Prestwick is wise.

[XianLewis]

Hey, could the US carve out a portion of Canada for the Acadians like the UN did for Israel in the Middle East? As a delegate of the sovereign state of Louisiana, I demand it.

[meaden24]

http://www.filibustercartoons.com/archi ... d=20061115

another good cartoon on the same site

[XianLewis]

I was just kidding, fyi.

[Kjorteo]

Wait, hold on. I object to how this article phrases its statistics:

Quote:

A clear majority of people in both England and Scotland are in favour of full independence for Scotland, an ICM opinion poll for The Sunday Telegraph has found. Independence is backed by 52 per cent of Scots while an astonishing 59 per cent of English voters want Scotland to go it alone.

Quote:

Almost half – 48 per cent – also want complete independence for England, divorcing itself from Wales and Northern Ireland as well.

Anyone see the problem here? When Scottish independence is 52% to 48% for, it's clearly a sign that people want Scottish independence, because that's the majority, duh. When English independence is 48% to 52% against, it's clearly a sign that people want English independence, because gosh, look how many people want it and how close it came. 48% is a lot of people, don't you know!

Methinks I spy confirmation bias.

[XianLewis]

Methought the same thing when I first read it. Then I figured out it was just because I'm an American. It appears you suffer from the same malady. My condolences to you.