I didn't realize we're a bunch of commies

[Feathers McGraw]

Just an outsider's opinion and of NO worth to those involved.

Of course it's useful to have an outsider opinion. In fact, it's often more useful because it might introduce a new idea!

As for the "what GB did to Ireland" thing, you'll have to be more specific, there's a s#!t load of history there

A small, recent thing that would have annoyed me if I was from N.Ireland is that the Olympic team was called "Team GB" not "Team UK", the difference being N.Ireland is recognised in the latter but not in the former. Probably done for the convenience of having "great" in the name...

[woodsmoke]

Hey Feathers!

Thank you for the compliment!

But, again, we, in the U.S. or "they" in Brazil, really do NOT know whereof you folks are approaching the situation.

I tend to be a "populist" "pragmatist".....the populist side would come down on the side of Ireland, the "pragmatic" side would.....don't know.....maybeeee come down on the GB side but then.........looking at things from a thousand year perspective............... maybe local people should be allowed to be "local"..............but what if a monster humongous evil empire descended upon them.........

There are a thousand arguments on this or that side, but I tend to go with "the locals".

again, just my opinion, and of little worth.

woodsmoke

[Feathers McGraw]

You still haven't defined what you're taking about, specifically . Do you mean "the troubles" including the whole IRA thing?

For me, who's "in the right" depends on which particular time period and which group you're talking about.

[woodsmoke]

Hi feathers

I edited and then removed my initial post.

By "troubles" I mean anything, whether it is New York IRA or Chicago "community organizer" or "FBI" "those people" or ANY of those things....

WHO HAVE PERCEPTIONS..........PERCEPTIONS are SO dam# important!!!

I..............personally..............cannot speak to ANYthing that goes on even somewhat remotely from my own experiental situation.

It is just that I, personally, think that the "local" people ......."on the ground" maybe, probably....should have more of a say in what goes on in their community..............

BUT then also....... if one looks things from a "macro" viewpoint.....could "local" people fend off a missile with a mulitiple re-entry nuclear missile.

Again.............

For a "lefty in the U.S.

or a

"righty in the U.S.

to pontificate on what is going on elsewhere is less than useful....

It marks a HUBRIS which they do not deserve to enwrap themselves.... just my thoughts...

BUT........................I, personally, think that people from OTHER perspectives..............especially "Great Britainish, Europeanish, Irish., Scotlandish, .....don't know..............mabe CUBANISH or HAWAIIANISH....." people ........

since we come from the same overall basic heritage ......

SHOULD OPINE!!!!

just my thoughts.

of little worth

woodsmoke

woodsmoke

[Feathers McGraw]

I don't think the situation in Ireland was a left/right conflict though...?

Or have I missed the point? I have literally no idea what half of what you said meant, lol

[woodsmoke]

sorry I edited my post....

The big idea is that......

The Elite Leftist(U.S.) people do not even want to ADMIT that there is even another viewpoint.

The Elite Religous (U.S.) people do not even want to ADMIT that there is even another viewpoint.

Is it at all possible that we might achive comity?

woodsmoke

ADDENDUM.......I................in the U.S. from the middle of the U.S. ... I and I perceive that MANY oif the whole "flyover" country of the U.S. would side on the side of the LOCAL Irish.

I mean.............the elite in Washington, and New York and Los Angeles.............

look at the "midwest" as.................."astroturf"...........somethin g to be "stepped on" but not acknowledged.

A LOT of "hillbillys" would get out their flintlock muskets to help "the Irish" if they could.....

[Tom_ZeCat]

I think you're on to something... every cloud has a silver lining and all that

Thing is, even if we voted them out they'd still be ridiculously rich and therefore still have undue influence.

Scotland will have a referendum soon on independence... part of the "better together" campaign was that you couldn't keep the Royal family and all that rubbish. Apparently that's a persuasive reason to stay in!

If Scotland left, wouldn't it still be part of the British Commonwealth like Canada is? Queen Elizabeth II is also considered to be the Queen of Canada and her picture is on the money there. Some friends of mine emigrated to Canada and had to take an oath of loyalty to Queen Elizabeth. That really surprised me. I figured they would have sworn an oath to the Constitution of Canada.

I don't know whether or not the Canadians viciously satirize the Queen, but they definitely do so of the Prime Minister, who is more deserving of it IMO. He's the worst Prime Minister that country has ever had, though he's still not as bad as the very worst American presidents, IMO (George W. Bush, Andrew Johnson, and James Buchanen).

[woodsmoke]

Okaaayyyyyyy

If the "folks" .........viciously malign the "person in power".....with impunity.....

is that group of people able to actually have sewers or a water supply which functions?

BTW.....sewers and the water supply are.........kinda important....

woodsmoke

[charles052]

I don't know whether or not the Canadians viciously satirize the Queen, but they definitely do so of the Prime Minister, who is more deserving of it IMO. He's the worst Prime Minister that country has ever had, though he's still not as bad as the very worst American presidents, IMO (George W. Bush, Andrew Johnson, and James Buchanen).

You forgot Obama. He's as deserving to be on that list as Bush ever was.

[SteveRiley]

the very worst American presidents, IMO (George W. Bush, Andrew Johnson, and James Buchanen).

And John Howard. Oh, wait...sorry, wrong country. It was always difficult to tell the difference between US and Oz when he was in charge

[Feathers McGraw]

If Scotland left, wouldn't it still be part of the British Commonwealth like Canada is? Queen Elizabeth II is also considered to be the Queen of Canada and her picture is on the money there.

Well... maybe. It would have to be negotiated, I guess. Here's the video, where Annabel Goldie (former leader of the scottish conservatives, now a life member of the House of Lords) says something like:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l9KuE4KMhsY&t=37m50s

what I find bizarre about Alex Sammond's [leader of the Scottish National Party] position is, that on the one hand he tells you that he's not going to interfere with anything that's royal...you know: 'the monarchy? We're going to keep it! The queen is going to be there'... he's now pretending an interest in the Royal Mail [but] if Scotland is independent you won't have a Royal Mail, you won't have a Royal Navy, you won't have a Royal anything!

Some friends of mine emigrated to Canada and had to take an oath of loyalty to Queen Elizabeth. That really surprised me. I figured they would have sworn an oath to the Constitution of Canada.

That... is horrific. Surely you can be loyal to Canada and not loyal to the queen. I don't have anything against the queen as a person, but I wouldn't swear an oath of loyalty to her out of principle. It's absurd that we don't have to swear an oath of loyalty to her in England, but you do if you want to live in Canada!!

[richb]

That... is horrific. Surely you can be loyal to Canada and not loyal to the queen. I don't have anything against the queen as a person, but I wouldn't swear an oath of loyalty to her out of principle. It's absurd that we don't have to swear an oath of loyalty to her in England, but you do if you want to live in Canada!!

Isn't just a formality? I do not know much about this subject, but I thought of English Royalty as figure heads, and GB's Disneyland. Hope that does not offend anyone.

[Feathers McGraw]

They've made everyone think that, and monarchists say it a lot, but it isn't true.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/j...als-veto-bills

[richb]

Well, I am just a Yankee upstart and completely unqualified on this subject.

[Feathers McGraw]

Well, I am just a Yankee upstart and completely unqualified on this subject.

You're about as qualified as most people in the UK, very few people have done any research about this. Most that have are Republicans, IME