Conflict of nations

[Hirta]

Originally posted by Neil_Caple
So now you are proposing to reintegrate the Republic of Ireland into this new country and call the whole show after the largest population, i.e. England! That is your idea of unity is it?

No, not at all. If the British Isles were to become one country then I personally would advocate they were called "The British Isles", just as countries such as The Solomon Islands are named as their collective whole. If other people (i.e. not the English) were still to call it England then they themselves would be guilty of calling the country after its largest ethnic group - wrong, but it is a frequent event (as I was trying to point out in my previous post). Do you call Germany by that title? The proportion of Germans in the population is about the same as the English population over here...

The big difference, which you are failing to acknowledge, is that Germany is officially called "Germany" and Burma is officially called "Burma" (or Myanmar or something now) whereas the UK in not officially called "England" and the Netherlands is not officially called "Holland". It would be more analogous if you were claiming that people went around calling Germany "Bavaria". That doesn't change the facts that you believe the whole of the British Isles should be a single unitary country and you don't really see any problem with countries being ignorantly named after a single constituent.

Keep it up because it is attitudes like yours which are so effective in putting people off the idea of a United Kingdom. The more you ignore the views of minorities the more you are likely to ensure those minorities decide to form their own majority without you.

[KevinBarclay-Jay]

The current trend throughout Europe is the break up of muti-nation countries...hense Czech Republic gone. granted most of these countires where invented after WW1 and WW2 and have no long history of ubity but its only 295 yeras since we ubited with england. Just about every country of size in Europe has its minorities seeking independence.

[Hirta]

Originally posted by Neil_Caple
The big difference, which you are failing to acknowledge, is that Germany is officially called "Germany" and Burma is officially called "Burma" (or Myanmar or something now) whereas the UK in not officially called "England" and the Netherlands is not officially called "Holland". It would be more analogous if you were claiming that people went around calling Germany "Bavaria". That doesn't change the facts that you believe the whole of the British Isles should be a single unitary country and you don't really see any problem with countries being ignorantly named after a single constituent.

Keep it up because it is attitudes like yours which are so effective in putting people off the idea of a United Kingdom. The more you ignore the views of minorities the more you are likely to ensure those minorities decide to form their own majority without you.

You are deliberately twisting what I am saying Neil.
1) I never said that I personally wanted a united British Isles.

2) I never said that countries being ignorantly named after a single constituent was acceptable. I said it happens (I acknowledge the fact that racism occurs, that does not mean I condone it). I illustrated this point with examples, and to most people a name being official or unofficial are irrelevant. I argue that my point still stands. (It isn't "Germany" but "Federal Republic of Germany". By using Germany you could be referring to the DDR, the Reichs etc. Possibly a bit pedantic, hmm...


3)Oh, and it is named Myanmar now, wouldn't want you to be ignorant..!

Now bearing this in mind have another look at my posts.

[Hirta]

Originally posted by KevinBarclay-Jay
The current trend throughout Europe is the break up of muti-nation countries...hense Czech Republic gone. granted most of these countires where invented after WW1 and WW2 and have no long history of ubity but its only 295 yeras since we ubited with england. Just about every country of size in Europe has its minorities seeking independence.

There does seem to be this curious trend of nations that pressed for independence after c.1990 now desperate to join the EU, the logic of which I do not quite understand if sovereignty is desired.