Where's Red Celt when you want a laugh!?

[Svartalf]

Anything particularly objectionable about the lute? If not, assemble a program consisting of pieces by Marais, Colombe et al. With that we could get the Walküre to ride out of the Festspielhaus on the horse she came in on, especially if you persuade Le Concert des Nations to do the honours.

Heh, the soundtrack of Tous les matins du monde is one of my favourite CDs.

Le concert des Nations is not bad, but I like Hesperion XXI better... and Savall already masters the program you propose.

[John_fi_Skye]

So glad we've got away from all that politics nonsense, onto sensible topics for the "News, Current Events and Politics" section.

Back to normal.

[Hermit]

Got the message. My apologies.

I can understand secessionist movements. If a region feels that it is getting the rough end of the pineapple from some administration which is out of touch with its needs, they are bound to occur. That said, I don't particularly like the fragmentation that occurs, and the potential for it is everywhere. What next? Tyrol? Wales? Catalan? Bavaria? Kurdistan? Western Australia? Tamil? There must be hundreds, and with the establishment of each new mini nation the potential for conflict, be it merely mercantilist or an actual shooting war, increases.

[John_fi_Skye]

I'm now completely despondent. I've watched the Salmond-Darling debate, and I'm just about suicidal at the thought that Project Fear is SO strong. Bunch of craven cowards.

[JimC]

Got the message. My apologies.

I can understand secessionist movements. If a region feels that it is getting the rough end of the pineapple from some administration which is out of touch with its needs, they are bound to occur. That said, I don't particularly like the fragmentation that occurs, and the potential for it is everywhere. What next? Tyrol? Wales? Catalan? Bavaria? Kurdistan? Western Australia? Tamil? There must be hundreds, and with the establishment of each new mini nation the potential for conflict, be it merely mercantilist or an actual shooting war, increases.

Tell that to the Tasmanian Liberation Front!

(although they are usually too busy fighting with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tasmania)

[John_fi_Skye]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

[JimC]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

I'll tell you one that will never want to be independent from Westminster - the Falklands...

[klr]

I'm now completely despondent. I've watched the Salmond-Darling debate, and I'm just about suicidal at the thought that Project Fear is SO strong. Bunch of craven cowards.

At least you were able to watch it, unlike everyone south of the border, down Manchester way.

... OK, I'm not even from the UK, but it would have been nice to peek over the fence and see them arguing.

Got the message. My apologies.

I can understand secessionist movements. If a region feels that it is getting the rough end of the pineapple from some administration which is out of touch with its needs, they are bound to occur. That said, I don't particularly like the fragmentation that occurs, and the potential for it is everywhere. What next? Tyrol? Wales? Catalan? Bavaria? Kurdistan? Western Australia? Tamil? There must be hundreds, and with the establishment of each new mini nation the potential for conflict, be it merely mercantilist or an actual shooting war, increases.

There are in fact many such movements ... so many that Wiki has to split them out by global region:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ac ... _movements

Now, admittedly many/most of these will never amount to anything. But it could still lead to "balkanization" on a massive scale.

[John_fi_Skye]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

I'll tell you one that will never want to be independent from Westminster - the Falklands...

Well, here's a great idea: we'll not stand in the way of Westminster keeping the Falklands if Westminster lets us go our own way. Fair?

[JimC]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

I'll tell you one that will never want to be independent from Westminster - the Falklands...

Well, here's a great idea: we'll not stand in the way of Westminster keeping the Falklands if Westminster lets us go our own way. Fair?

The Falklands, of course, would soon become gobbled up by Argentina if they were to declare independence.

If Scotland becomes independent, those pesky Norwegians might gobble you up likewise!

[Svartalf]

More likely they will become part of the New Danelaw.

[John_fi_Skye]

I'm sure there's a bit of Viking in my blood. (For the avoidance of doubt, by the way, there's definitely a bit of English. No French, as far as I know.)

[mistermack]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

But why would someone who's running a country say that? Or any opposition leader who wanted to run it?
They want power for themselves.
But I'll bet there are plenty of people in Zimbabwe who would have been miles better off if it had stayed a colony. In fact, there are plenty of people not alive, who would be alive today, if it was still a colony.

In any case, the grass always looks greener over the hill.
The blacks in South Africa didn't do so well out of 'independence''. It took a long time to sort that out.

The thing is though, Scotland is not a colony. It has it's rightful share of MPs in Westminster. It's PART of the United Kingdom. We have Scottish-born prime ministers and chancellors. The colonies were not in that position. They had no say in the running of the empire. It's a totally different situation.

[mistermack]

"It was such a mistake becoming independent. If only we could go back to being ruled by Westminster...." said no independent country, ever.

I'll tell you one that will never want to be independent from Westminster - the Falklands...

Well, here's a great idea: we'll not stand in the way of Westminster keeping the Falklands if Westminster lets us go our own way. Fair?

Westminster's not stopping you. It's up to you. More than fair.

[Rum]

Hey - I hope you guys are going to let the Hebrides go their own way when you get independence. They have 'such a different culture' after all.