Secret Squirrel here ponders the election of the Scottish National Party (SNP)to majority in Scotland,and a similar parallel in Quebec(Canada), as both are "provinces" of a greater combined country and both seek stated independence, separation as it were,was,and might well be yet again,driven by revolutionary ardour, much as the Americans separatists were,directing their
efforts against the injustices of the British versus the colonists of the day. There there were first political formations, and attempts, and thence the generator of separation was driven by guerrilla military actions.Here we find both are at the political stage of things,and in both places there is relative calm on the militant front. Further both were and are encouraged by the success of the IRA, albeit the IRA of Gerry Adams sought militaristic urban guerrilla tactics and employed
them highly successfully in their quest for the first stage of their aims, that of political recognition and realizations,but fell short a their actual aims, which they all still work heavily towards.Any further success either Quebec,or Scotland have, will encourage the IRA to further its aim, thence politically,with respect to Northern Ireland.Methinks also, that farther on the road, though many years hence,the summers of discontent will ferment and reveal themselves yet still in Wales as
well.
And so it will go, a domino effect will initiate itself,an automatic,irreversible effect,one effecting the other. So now indeed we find that with respect to the separational developments of both Scotland and Quebec,we find that,indeed,one encouraged the other, and now the other yet encourages back the other,so both seem to have their destinies,independent or not, separated or not, intertwined,though they both are oceans away.It is here,Scotland,Quebec, where the shape of things to come will be defined for both Britain, and Canada.
Either learns from the experiences of the other,as things have developed and yet continue to develop, and it is believed that either will share in the fate of each other,when it comes down to brass tacks concerning their future as a an independent nation, or not.So now,newly elected to majority in Scotland, the SNP has made it clear, following its landslide election win , that it will hold a vote on Scottish independence over the course of its five-year mandate,specifically in the
second half of it's mandate.The SNP holds a majority for the first time in Scotland's parliament, a position roughly analogous to where the Parti Quebecois(PQ),of Quebec(Canada) found itself 35 years ago after its first win in a provincial election.Quebec has already held two such,in 1980 and 1995. It lost both times, though it came within less than a percentage point of triumph on the second try.
But Bernard Landry,former PM of Quebec, commented,"If I have one bit of advice to offer, it is that they take all the necessary precautions so that the referendum is equal for all sides and honest," Landry said."The federal government didn't do that here... They violated the spirit of our laws."He believed there was heavy Canadian Federal government interference and juggling of the outcome of their referendums.The march for Quebec independence continues,buoyed up by the SNP victory......Louise Beaudoin, the PQ's critic for international relations, said she "rejoiced" when she heard the news of the SNP's victory in the May 5 election.
"It is important for them but it's also important for all those who are trying to do the same thing," she said.
"That's what is interesting for us, to have partners who are equals."
Beaudoin said it is likely that a PQ delegation will travel to meet with SNP representatives in the fall.
"The federal government didn't do that here... They violated the spirit of our laws."
With the Scottish National Party’s recent election victory in mind,SNP leader Alex Salmond should enjoy this moment,The Scottish National Party’s astounding election victory ,Quebec is the right analogy, because in both cases "independence" is mainly of emotional importance–and the emotion is not all that powerful. Basque separatists in Spain, Kurds in Turkey, and Tamils in Sri Lanka have bitter memories of mistreatment and repression by the majority nationality in relatively recent times, but for French-Canadians and Scots it is mainly a legacy issue.The basic argument of separatists in both of these places is that history took a wrong turn a few hundred years ago.For the French in Quebec, it was by defeat of Montcalm at
Quebec City, by the English,Wolfe.For Scotland it actually occurred when the Scot became King James 1st of England (he also was known as King James VI of Scotland)and Scotland, and then destroyed the Scottish nobility fearing revolts and rebellions.Hardly the same,but the Scots had obviously, and still do,expect,and expected, the reverse to occur.Things have just not been the same since.
Basque separatists in Spain,working for their separation from Spain,perhaps, though yet working to thence join with France.With respect to developments in Quebec,Quebec also seems to have a separational element related to the dreams of joining with France,and it was one General Charles DeGaulle, who really lit off the present Quebec separational aspirations with his famous words,"Vie Le Quebec!Vive Le Quebec Libre!!",which triggered offa rather militant revolutionary arm of the Quebec separatists, The FLQ(Front De Liberation Quebecquois)which certainly added extremely hot spice to the fermenting Quebec stew pot of separation.There are Kurds in the way in Turkey, and Tamils in Sri Lanka all of whom have bitter memories of mistreatment and repression by the majority nationality in relatively recent times,and so, they too, are embarked on attempts at separational independence for their enclave ethnic areas.
Scots already control most domestic issues in Scotland through their own parliament, as does the French-speaking majority in the province of Quebec. GDP per capita in Scotland is 95 percent of the average figure for all of Britain, the same as Quebec's in relation to the rest of Canada.Quebec already has mechanisms in place, such as,in foreign nations, their own economic missions, also seemingly political missions as well,and economic mechanisms in it's own control,such as separate income tax determination,have their own banks,the most familiar Caisse Populaire,their own health care system.........usual school boards and universities......Quebec has a wealth of mining and utterly important, electrical generation, not depending in any way shape nor form of either nuclear nor thermal electrical generation of electricity...(hydro is regarded as free,renewable and utterly green),massive mining in all sectors, the province being extremely rich in mineable rocks and minerals.Even though it is not a country, the economy of Quebec, ranks close to that of Portugual.Quebec's GDP is set at 303billion.In short, on infrastructure, and economically, Quebec is miles ahead of Scotland.
Scotland's gdp is at 144 billion,half of comparable Quebec,but the cost of bailing out Scotland’s two biggest banks emerged as a staggering £470 billion — three times the size of the Scottish economy......the English may be pondering was it worth the cost to them,then,and in the future?In the real world, many Scots are afraid that their small country, with only one-tenth of England's population, would be too vulnerable to the financial and strategic storms that shake the world.Like the PQ versus the Liberals in Quebec, the SNP has established itself as the only practical alternative to Labour in Scotland.After a generation of effort to convince Quebecers to vote for independence, the Parti Québécois tumbled to third-party status in last March's Quebec election.
The SNP is riding high at the moment, but the same fate may await it further down the road, because the majority response to its grand project is likely to be "Why bother?"English Canada is reluctant to allow Quebec independence, due to its grand,really necessity,the very things that would support Quebec, are a critical necessity to the rest of Canada,actually, so the English of the rest of Canada do not favor Quebec independence, but in Britain,59 percent of English people, are in favour of Scottish independence–more than twice the proportion of Scots who are,at least at the last poll. But that may yet have changed in light of the recent SNP grand success.Also,unlike Quebec which is in fact economically necessary to the rest of Canada, most English people would hardly notice if the northernmost bit of Britain, containing less than a tenth of the country's population, became a separate country,not that it could ever actually support itself independently as a separate nation.
The SNP today faces the same problem as the PQ did – running a government while making uncompromised choices that risk party splits. Nine years after his initial triumph, René Lévesque was forced to resign as PQ leader and Quebec Premier because of party divisions over sovereignty and the economy. Like Salmond now, Lévesque then was grappling with a recession. After two failed referendums and interminable constitutional battles with Ottawa, support for sovereignty in Quebec has dwindled and left the province isolated from the rest of the country.
Scottish opinion polls indicate that less than a third of the people favour full independence. In Quebec, a referendum on independence in 1980 was soundly defeated but another referendum in 1995 almost squeezed through.what would happen to Scotland if the separatists lose the forthcoming referendum but keep on trying. That's what happened in Quebec, where the separatists first came to the fore politically in the 1960s.Quebec separatists held and lost two referendums, in 1980 and 1995, but for half a century the prospect that there would eventually be a referendum (or yet another referendum) on separation from Canada was there every year.
Salmond suggests that a referendum might include an extra question on giving Holyrood greater financial freedom while keeping Scotland within the UK. This echoes Quebec’s hazy concept of sovereignty-association. The question for Canada—and Quebec—is what it would mean if the Scottish independence referendum succeeded. In all likelihood, it would give fresh impetus to
Quebec`s independence movement. But the opposite might also be true. If the Scottish referendum failed, or separation negotiations proved enormously difficult, then this would likely discourage any future independence movement in Quebec as well.But should Scotland succeed,and secede,separate,gain independence, Quebec would benefit vastly from the experience of the Scots, and without a doubt,follow in the footsteps of the Scottish success,should that be achieved.
No comments:
Post a Comment