I know a bit about the Union and the history behind Darien or The Darien Scheme in the Ishymus of Panama. However, I have been reading a book by Michael Fry on the Union dealing with the political and social environment in Britain around that time. I am still reading ( I write quicker than I read?
One thought occurred to me that I felt so strongly about I was not inclined to let the moment pass without comment.
It’s important to understand the strength of your opposition – you don’t go into a gunfight with a knife, so to speak. So, from my perspective, the Union is the opposition to self-determination for Scotland; which I believe is the natural state for any and every country.
When Germany invaded Poland in 1939 we were dragged into a world war because we had a treaty. The first duty of a Government is to protect it’s citizen. It goes without saying, the citizens must be under a clear and present threat. In 1939 was Britain under a direct threat? I think that is a NO. But it seemed at the time that was the decent thing to do – anyway, in those days we regularly had to do a bit of dying for King and Country so off (the poor) went to do their bidding, or dying. Unfortunately, over 60 million were called to their dying.
We could of course have held out for a bit to see if anything was lobbed across the channel. Breaking a Treaty was not such a biggy, we were Britain, we were Empire and Treaties were there for the making and the breaking.
Bearing in mind our Royalty, House of Windsor were just a wee bit German in origin:
The dynasty is of German paternal descent and was originally a branch of the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, itself derived from the House of Wettin, and it succeeded the House of Hanover as monarchs in the British Empire following the death of Queen Victoria, wife of Albert, Prince Consort.
It was founded by King George V by royal proclamation on 17 July 1917, when he changed the name of the British Royal Family from the German Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the English Windsor, due to the anti-German sentiment in the British Empire during World War I.
So – with our historical background, at least at a Royal level and let’s face it the ordinary German is much the same as the ordinary Brit, save for the fact we like to break rules (or Treaties) while Gerry likes to obey them. So – we could have sat back and let the Germans take over Britain. One big family again! The Union was back up to full strength! As far as dosh is concerned, we could have had a German equivalent of the Barnett formula. That’s us all on pocket money! There would have been no need for an EU? no bloody Brexit!
But hold on just a minute – hold on. I know we are very alike with Gerry but in a Union with them, letting them run our affairs, giving us Brits pocket money to live off, naming our second born Adolf – we’ll be having none of that matey. we are proud Brits – we don’t do Unions, not even with our Gerry cousins – no Danke.
Hold on, hold on, let me rewind that last bit? we don’t do Unions. WE DON’T BLOODY WELL DO UNIONS? What about the Scots? Is that not a Union? I wasn’t there in 1707 but I could swear they called it a Union.
Silly me! It’s not actually a Union. The English outnumber the Scots 11 to 1 and we have this little game we play called ‘democracy’. So, when the English want something they just vote and get it. When the Scots want something they just vote and don’t get it – really quite simple.
But we do get to share some stuff. Scotland has vast assets and they get to feel proud they donate them to England – how satisfying is that? And when England want something they – well they just take it – but in a nice democratic way! Oh, and if we, the Brits, are being threatened by, for example Gerry, then the Scots are great for using up ammunition – sadly the enemy’s!
I would like to have finished with a clever German quotation like ‘long live the Union’ or ‘Saxe-Coburg and Gotha for ever’ – but sadly I can’t because:
THE BRITS DON’T DO UNIONS!