Simple questions about the United Kingdom

[nonniey]

you could have fooled me! you obviously never attended Scotland-England soccer internationals where the Scots would show just how much they loved their fellow Brits. :doh: Diversity movement? what are you on about?check your history instead.

By the way, a UK passport defines THE UNITED KINGDOM OF GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND. A reflection of the split when southern Ireland gained independence as a Republic whilst the North stayed with Britain - and we all know how well that went.

Scotland has ALWAYS had Scots Law and can have variations in how laws and courts are run that are quite distinct and different from those in England.

Since the Union of 1707 between Scotland and England, Parliament in London was the voice of the United Kingdom. More recently there have been moves towards a more federalist type state. Scotland has a Parliament again with powers to act on what are determined as Scottish matters - this has caused understandable grumblings in Englandshire about who should vote on what back in the London parliament. The Scottish parliament for instance has no powers in terms of declaring war which is unfortunate as we could pay those b******s back down south for centuries of invading us! (joke! its a joke! ).

Just to bend your brain a bit more you would be hard pushed to find an 'English' King or Queen in recent history as they have been sourced from German and Dutch Protestant royalty. Before them it was the Stewarts of Scotland who were Catholic, the background to which would eventually lead to the Jacobite rebellions of the 1700's (Bonnie Prince Charlie and all that).

Can you please stop referring to the United Kingdom/Britain as 'England'. Thank you.

:helmet:

I beg your pardon, but where did I refer to the United Kingdom or Britian as England ? Additionally, what are you actually disputing as inaccurate in this statement?

"Originally Posted by nonniey

Sadly it is less and less united every year. I lived there as a boy in the mid 1970s and the citizens proudly proclaimed themselves as British. They were proud of their cultural indentities as Scots, Welsh, English and Irish but still considered themselves British. Now, thanks in large part to the Diversity movement, they are only English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish and usually consider being called British an insult".

[nonniey]

I don't know what you are talking about. There has always been intense rivalry between the countries in sports and especial animosity towards things English as they tended to run the ship from their perspective. The BBC had nothing British about it, it was the South East Counties of England Broadcasting Corporation.

In coverage of every sporting event you see the English media acclaiming a British sporting hero, until he loses and then we find out that he is actually a Scottish, Welsh or Irish.

Loyalties have always been country first, British second. The only difference is with the Northern Ireland Unionists who might proclaim themselves to be British before Irish.

And Diversity movement? WTF?

Simply put People were proud of their heritage, however they considered themselves British as well, now they don't. What I mean by the Diversity movement is the encouragement of identity politics by the Central Government - This includes by race, religion and national origin - ulitimately lessoning the bonds to a British identity. (ie 30 Years ago very few Scots would support the idea of complete independence from the UK now a significant minority(?) favour it).

[Springfield]

So another point to my side of the argument.

One of the requirements of a country is that it must be sovereign. None of the countries in the U.K. have sovereignty. The U.K. is sovereign because no other country can rule it. As I understand it, the U.K. has ultimate power over all of the other "countries" inside of it.

Well?

[SoulRebel]

I remember from the time I spent studying in England that Wales and England used the same pounds while pounds from Scotland, while the same currency, used different pictures on the bills. Also, when I went to Wales the first thing they said was if you have to you can call us British, but by G*D DO NOT CALL US english.

To answer the question, I would have to side with your girlfriend she is right.

[thehogs]

Simply put People were proud of their heritage, however they considered themselves British as well, now they don't. What I mean by the Diversity movement is the encouragement of identity politics by the Central Government - This includes by race, religion and national origin - ulitimately lessoning the bonds to a British identity. (ie 30 Years ago very few Scots would support the idea of complete independence from the UK now a significant minority(?) favour it).

my original 'England' point related to the fact the original post referred to GB/UK as 'England'.

Your reply about central government diversity actions is rambling nonsense.

Check your history and you will find that there was a vote for a Scottish parliament in those glory years of togetherness you refer to, which central government, far from being happy with, put various rules on what quantified as a 'yes' vote to make sure it didnt happen.

The mid to late 70's saw a peak in nationalist voting with the power their argument had based around investment of oil which was pouring in by then. It was hardly 'few' Scots voting for them. Just where were you when all of this was going on?!

A very significant share of the population of Scotland - not a big majority agreed but a significant share - have consistantly voted for nationalist parties over the years. Currently they control the Scottish Parlaiment having won it from Labour.

[ChocolateCitySkin]

more importantly why do they find ninjas offensive????

we call them teenage mutant ninja turtles

not teenage mutant hero turtles...

grr...

i'm going hooning peace out.

[Redskins Diehard]

Boy am I glad we got ourselves out of that tangled mess!

How, if at all, do countries like Canada fit into it all? Being servants of the Queen and all.

[thehogs]

Boy am I glad we got ourselves out of that tangled mess!

How, if at all, do countries like Canada fit into it all? Being servants of the Queen and all.

well, they were part of the Empire and as that came to an end and countries became independent of Britain a 'Commonwealth' was set up. If countries chose to do so they could join the Commonwealth - basically old Empire-time nations - still as independent governments but with the Queen recognised as the constitutional monarch.

So... the Queen is the Queen of Canada! in relation to various ceremonial roles and might chip in her :2cents: worth as mouth-piece for any British related governmental discussion points. However, she cannot command the Canadian government to go to war on behalf of Britain or anything like that.

I see nothing wrong with an organisation that brings countries together to work on various problems around the world but the link with the Queen, the fact she is 'Queen of Canada' etc.?.....:doh:

I live in a country where the Queen is the Head of our armed forces! our Prime Minister - elected by the people and apparently answerable to the people - has to go to the Queen to get her to declare war or a peace treaty. Thankfully, royalty no longer can declare war on nations by themselves which was a power a couple of centuries back.

I am a republican. Its the only way to be and hopefully one day, in my time, all this hang over from mediavel times will pass.

[Mephisto]

I know that the few Scottish friends I have consider themselves Scots primarily, not British.

Also, they seem very vested in the Rangers-Celtic rivalry, far more than any skins fan i've met hates the cowboys.

[Teller]

I'm really glad someone asked this question. I've wondered the very same thing for years, but felt like too much of a fool at 34-years old to ask.

[Springfield]

So is there any chance that the countries of Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland will become recognized by the international community? Will they become sovereign nations with no rule from the Queen? Would they want to or is it more beneficial for them to remain part of the U.K.?

[Corcaigh]

I know that the few Scottish friends I have consider themselves Scots primarily, not British.

Also, they seem very vested in the Rangers-Celtic rivalry, far more than any skins fan i've met hates the cowboys.

For most people it would be their own country ahead of the UK, with the possible exception of the Unionists in Northern Ireland.

With the Ranger Celtic rivalry you have to realize that you have religious/sectarian hatred as part of the mix Protestant vs Catholic ... and the rivalry is a century old ... and you have the cross-town rivalry with two clubs from the same city ... and football (soccer) is the only sport - no basketball, baseball or other sport rivalries mean anything. Rangers had a Protestant-only employment policy until 1989 - I kid you not.

[thehogs]

For most people it would be their own country ahead of the UK, with the possible exception of the Unionists in Northern Ireland.

With the Ranger Celtic rivalry you have to realize that you have religious/sectarian hatred as part of the mix Protestant vs Catholic ... and the rivalry is a century old ... and you have the cross-town rivalry with two clubs from the same city ... and football (soccer) is the only sport - no basketball, baseball or other sport rivalries mean anything. Rangers had a Protestant-only employment policy until 1989 - I kid you not.

of course this was never official and when it was ever raised Rangers would state that they had no problem with fielding Catholics in the team, it was just a matter of finding Catholic players good enough.

Aye right :doh:

They got away with this for years as Governments and the Scottish Football Association did nothing.

[Corcaigh]

, it was just a matter of finding Catholic players good enough.

By picking Mo Johnson as their first Catholic player they destroyed their own "good enough" argument.