11-10-2017, 17:48
(11-10-2017, 17:15)hibeejim21 Wrote: Really not sure what your point is, east Germany was reunified with the rest of Germany after the fall of communism. Germany is independent.
My point is that there's no God-given law of the universe that makes "Germany" a nation. Indeed, for most of history it wasn't a single nation at all; prior to 1990, there had only been a "Germany" for a grand total of 74 years. East Germany was independent for 50 years, and had every right to consider itself a different nation to the West. Given a few different circumstances, it's not inconceivable that we might be living right now in a world with an East Germany and West Germany, but the people chose otherwise.
It wasn't an historical inevitability that Germany reunified. It wasn't an historical inevitability that the 1707 Act of Union happened. It isn't an historical inevitability that Scotland is bound to become independent; or, conversely, that it's bound not to. Nations come and nations go, but none are divinely ordained. They exist only if the majority within them consider themselves so. As you say, time will tell.
(11-10-2017, 17:15)hibeejim21 Wrote: I cant think of many nations who have said no to independence bar us.
Quebec the obvious one. 22 years since one of the tightest referendum results in the history of democracy, and support for independence has plummeted. Maybe it'll all come round again, or then again, maybe it won't.
(11-10-2017, 17:15)hibeejim21 Wrote: I would say the vast majority of countries are happy with being independent when taking that option. But that doesn't suit the narrative either eh?
You're very much mistaken if you think I have a "narrative". You clearly have a horse in this race, but I don't. What I like to see is cogent argument, even from people I might not immediately agree with, hence me weighing in and questioning your reasoning on some stuff.