The one thing about Nations and the elites that rule them is that they like to emphasise their unending continuity, the truth is somewhat different. Most ‘Nations’ are fairly tenuous and of very short lived duration.

Our family bible is older than the United States Declaration of independence by some thirty years, so that is only some ten generations. My great grandfather was born in 1868, before the USA had reached its first one hundred years. Israel was ‘created’ ten years before I was born. Most of the borders and states in the Middle East and Eastern Europe were created as a result of Versailles in 1919, and many other states were created in 1816 as a result of the Congress of Vienna.

As we approach 2019 are we due for another major realignment or are we in a continual state of flux anyway ?

Starting with Europe, Germany created in 1870 under the ‘guidance’ of Bismark, its borders have flexed hugely as a result of wars in 1870, 1914 and 1939. All within the lifetime of my great grandfather.

France one of the oldest nations along with England, only achieved its borders two hundred years ago, and has acquired, lost and retained Alsace Lorraine in a one hundred year period since. French has only been the universal language of France since 1914. The territory of France is made up of Bretons, Burgundians, etc etc . All having different cultures and histories.  France is an artificial construct.  As is Spain, as is the United Kingdom, a State that has only existed since 1707 and is breaking down into is constituent parts by devolution.

Belgium created by Palmerston in 1830 only exists in the minds of non Belgians, the Walloons and Flemish barely share any cultural interchange. Italy created mid nineteenth century, Greece early nineteenth century, the Republic of Ireland mid twentieth century, Pakistan and India mid twentieth century.

Yugoslavia broke up in a bloody ethnic civil war once the iron hand of Tito was removed.

Of the two mid twentieth century super powers, the United States and Russia, they only reached their full super power status in my lifetime. Russia lost its status and fragmented by 1989, twenty years ago. The United States is not an invincible empire, demographically it will probably stop being a ‘white’ nation by the mid 21^st Century, Spanish will be as widely spoken as English. The Mid West has a separate culture and demographic to that of the East and West Coasts.

It is in Imperial decline as was Rome, not by war but by financial collapse.

One thing is certain that the United States will be faced with its second Federal crisis within the next fifty years. There are already secessionist movements in Alaska and the South, and according to last weeks Sunday Times, armed mid west militias are now being taken seriously by the Federal Government.

All of these artificial States around the world are imploding under their own contradictions. We travel more than we did even forty years ago. Generally people you meet travelling the world are nice, warm and friendly. Just want to live and bring up their families in peace and without threat.

Political Elites in this country have maintained power over our lives by demonising the ‘others’. For the last four hundred years it was ‘The French’. Then ‘The Germans’, now it is ‘The Muslims’. The ‘State’ maintains its sway by having the monopoly of violence, and maintaining that it is ‘protecting’ us. Those that run the State, have you noticed usually end up slightly off their rocker and acting in irrational ways whilst having a finger on the nuclear trigger. I would include in this list of people who recently ‘lost it’ , George Bush, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, and Margaret Thatcher all started displaying what was once called ‘power mad’ tendencies.

From 2008 to 2010, we have just lived through something that was so cataclysmic, that we are still yet to work out the consequences for us as individuals.

My youngest son collected his A level results, he did OK, but  he is not going to storm the citadels of academe. He had already secured his place at University on the basis of his portfolio, therefore he is ‘ chilled’ .

He intends to follow a course of study because he is interested in the subject and then will decide what he wants to do with his life. This may or may not include hacking his way to the top of commerce, this may or may not include a whole host of other options. For him it is trying to be happy, independent and self sufficient, not following a pre ordained list of must do’s to be successful.

The Media are saying that for an eighteen year old the outlook is the worst for fifty years. No careers, no mortgages and no big salaries ( and tax bills).

Sounds like liberation to me !

The biggest threat to his future is the power of the State, lashing out in one crisis after another, seeking his allegiance by coercion to a country and a world that is changing economically, culturally and socially rapidly. If it is in his interest to live elsewhere on the globe he will do so. In that sense we will suffer a loss of quality in our émigrés, to be replaced with the poorer and  uneducated attracted by a failing welfare state.

We need to effect this transition carefully, back towards the individual and away from artificial states governed by self interested elites intent on ‘protecting’ us, from whatever threats they can conjure up.

Andrew P Withers

Brian August 21, 2010 at 22:23

“Let’s break up” is only sensible if everyone is as rational, honest and
peaceable as the Good Mrs Raccoon. Unfortunately, as the world is filled with
criminals and religious nutters eager to take everyone to their afterlife, I
choose to stick with the mob that matches most of my beliefs and interests on
the basis that one is the loneliest number.

indigomyth August 21, 2010 at 19:42

EV,

//Libertarianism is in exactly the same boat, and should what is left of
the UK adopt such a system, we would be invaded and over-run in weeks.//

I do not think so. All that would be necessary to avoid being overrun would
be for all these individual people to be willing to defend themselves. If
everyone was armed, and prepared to defend themselves against aggressors, then
I do not see how they could be overrun. I mean, look at the Taliban in
Afghanistan: a non-centralised, armed resistance, against some of the best
military in the world. And the resistance is working. (NB I am not saying the
Taliban is good, but merely that their form of armed resistance demonstrates
that a centralised State is not required to put up significant resistance). I
imagine a British version would be the equivalent of the Auxiliary Units, as
devised for a feared invasion in WW2.

You would defend yourself, wouldn’t you EV? As would I, as would many other
people.

Pericles August 21, 2010 at 21:56

What you describe is the real purpose of the second amendment to the
constitution of the United States, commonly referred to as the

indigomyth
August 21, 2010 at 22:04

Precisely! That is the genius of the 2nd amendment.

English Viking
August 21, 2010 at 22:05

The entire effectiveness of a military unit is its discipline; in other
words, people give up their liberty, their freedom to choose, their right to
autonomy, and agree to carry out the orders of a superior, under pain of
death should they refuse.

A rag-tag, disorganised resistance against a regular army would fail IN
AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT. The greatest asset the Taliban have is the terrain.
That and our unwillingness to carpet bomb them into the stone-age for fear
of collateral damage. I think an invading horde would have no such
compunction.

This is all academic, as we do not have the right to bear arms, and even
if we did, have you seen how much anti-aircraft missiles cost?

indigomyth
August 21, 2010 at 23:20

EV,

//This is all academic, as we do not have the right to bear arms, and
even if we did, have you seen how much anti-aircraft missiles cost?//

Yes, well it is unfortunate that we have had that right taken from us,
however, if the Taliban can afford RPGs and anti-aircraft missiles, then
we ought to be able to. And, former soviet states sell off those nukes for
a good saving, as well.

//I think an invading horde would have no such compunction.//

True, however the answer to that is in your own response. What would be
invading would not be an regular army, trained, disciplined, and
organised. If I am correct in my assessment of where you fear this threat
most comes from, Islamists, of the Al-Qaeda type are not as disciplined,
organised and structured as that of a regular army. That they devoutly
believe in what they do, I understand. But mere belief is no match for a
round of assault rifle fire.

English
Viking August 22, 2010 at 01:16

Iran would jump at the chance of a successful invasion, and their
armed forces are both regular and considerable.

When a nation appears weak, the vultures hover. If it were not for
the fact that what you call Islamists, and what I call muslims, were not
happily doing to France what they are also doing to us, it would not
surprise me in the slightest to see the Tricolor flying over Number 10,
should we adopt the insane policy of ‘every man for himself’.

PS The Taliban cannot afford a catapult; The Russians (ironically),
Syrians, Pakistanis and Iranians are supplying them with arms.

Pericles
August 22, 2010 at 22:00

In a round-about way English Viking hits the nail on the
head :  contrary to what many so called hunters (shooters) in
America say, the second amendment does not confer upon Americans the right
to carry weapons unconditionally but pursuant to the maintenance of a well
trained militia.

The law was framed in the days when the threat was deemed
external ;  to-day

English Viking
August 21, 2010 at 18:02

People like to associate with those they view they have ‘something in
common’ with. A particular football team, a band, a religion, a nationality, a
race, etc. Whilst I see that the threat that the state poses is very real,
allowing every man to unilaterally declare independence from the state,
society and his neighbour will so weaken what is left of our nation that those
nations that have retained a racial, cultural, religious and national identity
will waltz through the front door and impose their idea of a state on us. The
Western idea of a state, and the levels of interference they seem to think
acceptable, will be like a pimple on a pig’s backside compared to what a
sharia state would do to us.

I think that Communism doesn’t work. I’ve studied its basic premises and
think they are faulty in practice, although on paper it seems reasonable. It
appears to me to be obvious that, even if it did work, it is impossible unless
every single country of significance in the world adopted it.

Libertarianism is in exactly the same boat, and should what is left of the
UK adopt such a system, we would be invaded and over-run in weeks.

Costello
August 21, 2010 at 15:45

“France one of the oldest nations along with England”

Not ‘along with England’ ; England has not existed for over 300 years due
to the formation of the (United) Kingdom of Great Britain under the rule of
the Scottish royal family, the Stewarts.

Clarissa August
21, 2010 at 22:08

At the risk of being pedantic the family name was actually ‘Stuart’.

Brian August 21, 2010 at 22:11

Or Stewart.

Demetrius August
21, 2010 at 15:15

Being picky remember the bits of Italy that France collected as the price
for aiding Italian Unification. Political entities either go slowly or
quickly. These days things happen a lot faster. I look forward to the
reunification of England with the 13 Colonies of America.

Hysteria August 21, 2010 at 14:16

agree with much of what you say. couple of thoughts –

whilst it is true that more self/small community reliance and less “big
state” is a Good Thing – the problem is when we make this transition in
different time frames. Some of those external “bogey men” may turn out to be
an existential threat with which a people organised on a “small state” basis
will struggle to address.

I have always been puzzled by small nations who on the one hand declare how
important it is to be independant and in the next sentence declare a desire to
join/remain in the EU – a total contradiction.

The fall-out from the financial deacle is yet to happen – we are like the
Wily Coyote just after he has run off the cliff and before he looks
down………..