Lessons from Scotland, Part Two

The implication of the recent Scottish vote will reverberate beyond Great Britain and even have impact on the United States. The key factor in the vote was nationalism and a belief in something bigger. It was not a vote for economics. In the end, the Scots voted to stay with Great Britain. For many Scots, the past 300 years saw Scots play an integral part of British history, and history trumps all. As mentioned in Part One, Scotland's demand for more devolution of power locally will mean more devolution across the board, including England itself.

The second aspect is the appeal to nationalism, and this could lead to a move away from multiculturalism. Throughout England, the scandal at Rotherham has shaken the cause of multiculturalism, where local authorities did not follow up on 1400 cases of sexual abuse and rape. Much of the reason was because that many of those accused were Pakistani Islamic males. Many within the local Labor Party feared a backlash against Muslims if these cases were pursued. Political correctness trumped justice.

The rise of UKIP among conservatives has shaken the political winds as there are now four major parties and the Tories have to compete with UKIP, a more nationalistic party. UKIP wants to move Great Britain out of the EU, and Cameron has promised a referendum on the future of Great Britain's relation with Europe. If the Scots want more relation with Europe and to stay part of the European Union, UKIP will lead the push away from the EU.

The devolution of power and future referendum on Europe will shake the foundation of Great Britain's domestic and foreign policy. The political lesson is that pride in country can be a political winner. The political class in Great Britain nearly lost the referendum, but when the issue turned to love for Great Britain and the cultural affinity of the Scots and English, the issue turned to the "No" side.

Obama's foreign policy has, at its core, the message that the United States is just one of many nations with nothing particular special. Nationalism has been de-emphasized, but as the recent events in the Middle East shows, chop off the head of Americans on youtube, and Americans tend to get pissed.

Patriotism may be disdained by many within the political establishment, but the common man and woman still view America with pride just as many in Great Britain view their union with pride. For conservatives and Republicans, it is time to remind Americans why America is still good. The battle for devolution in Great Britain represent a battle between localities for control as local government and people fight a political class farther away. The same thing is happening in the United States as there is a revolution brewing against the political class of both parties. So the question is how will this battle play out over the next three years?

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