So far as I know, Scotland was in no way coerced into joining England to become the United Kingdom. In fact, in 1707, I am pretty sure a larger majority of Scots were in favor of the Union than were English. There is a difference between a referendum in Crimea and a referendum in Scotland. The Scottish referendum has been agreed to by the British government, and signed off on by David Cameron. Furthermore, their referendum is for independence, not, say, union with Ireland, let alone union with a country bent on dominating England. No move was taken, or interest shown, in the Crimea for secession, or union with Russia, while there was a government in Kiev which acted in a manner subordinate to Russia. Would we feel different about a move by Alaska to leave the U.S., if the people there wanted to join Russia, or even Canada? Would we feel different about a move by New Mexico and Arizona to leave the union, if the plan was to unite with Mexico? Just wondering. I don’t know how dependent the Ukraine is, economically, on the Crimea. I don’t know what percentage of Crimeans actually favor breaking away, or if a referendum conducted under Russian military occupation is likely to reveal the truth. Putin has made it very clear that he has never approved of Ukrainian independence, or of the independence of any of the former Soviet Republics. Crimea may be a unique case, and indeed both Russia and the Ukraine (and the Crimeans) will be happier in the long run if Crimea joins Russia. Or this may be just the first step in an extended plan on the part of the Russians to come the defense of Russians in all the break-away republics and merely the first step. Latvia and Estonia and Belarus may look on with concern, and who is to say what other pieces of Ukraine Putin may intend to bite off?
So far as I know, Scotland was in no way coerced into joining England to become the United Kingdom. In fact, in 1707, I am pretty sure a larger majority of Scots were in favor of the Union than were English. There is a difference between a referendum in Crimea and a referendum in Scotland. The Scottish referendum has been agreed to by the British government, and signed off on by David Cameron. Furthermore, their referendum is for independence, not, say, union with Ireland, let alone union with a country bent on dominating England. No move was taken, or interest shown, in the Crimea for secession, or union with Russia, while there was a government in Kiev which acted in a manner subordinate to Russia. Would we feel different about a move by Alaska to leave the U.S., if the people there wanted to join Russia, or even Canada? Would we feel different about a move by New Mexico and Arizona to leave the union, if the plan was to unite with Mexico? Just wondering. I don’t know how dependent the Ukraine is, economically, on the Crimea. I don’t know what percentage of Crimeans actually favor breaking away, or if a referendum conducted under Russian military occupation is likely to reveal the truth. Putin has made it very clear that he has never approved of Ukrainian independence, or of the independence of any of the former Soviet Republics. Crimea may be a unique case, and indeed both Russia and the Ukraine (and the Crimeans) will be happier in the long run if Crimea joins Russia. Or this may be just the first step in an extended plan on the part of the Russians to come the defense of Russians in all the break-away republics and merely the first step. Latvia and Estonia and Belarus may look on with concern, and who is to say what other pieces of Ukraine Putin may intend to bite off?