Scotland Independence Referendum Shows Weakening Of Old Dynastic Ties

Less than a quarter of Scottish voters say they will vote for independence in next year's referendum, according to a recent Daily Mail story.  About 56 percent say they will vote no. The fact that a vote is even happening shows that the peculiar assemblage of some European states may be less stable than assumed.

Scotland's union to the United Kingdom took place in the early 1600s.  When Queen Elizabeth died childless, her closest relative eligible for the throne was the Scottish king James VI.  He ascended the throne as James I, uniting England, Ireland, Wales, and Scotland.  When his Stuart dynasty died out in the early 1700s, Parliament passed an Act of Union that further bound the two states.

Since then, Scotland settled, fought for, and administered the British Empire to a great extent.  Scots peopled the Appalachian Mountains, Australian outback, and Kenyan prairies.  They escaped poverty in their own country to fight for and administer the Empire for most of its existence.  The United Kingdom has relied heavily on Scotland for centuries, but must sell the idea of remaining in the Union by next September.  Although polls heavily favor union, Scottish independence supporters just unveiled a 667 page tome on what an independent Scotland would look like.

Britain is not the only country whose territorial integrity faces uncertainty.  Spain's Catalans want to follow the United Kingdom's path of popular sovereignty, but find themselves faced by a Spanish constitution that emphasizes the "indissoluble unity of the Spanish nation."  Spain as of yet has also refused to allow an official referendum.

Such resistance, spelled out in one official's comment that "you cannot divide sovereignty within Spain,"  could give Madrid more headaches in the long run than London.  Periodic independence votes in Canada's Quebec and the United States' Puerto Rico have satisfied promoters and allowed positive venting.  Buildup of frustrations in Catalonia could lead to a nastier result.

Europe has several states cobbled together through dynastic relations or treaty arrangements over the centuries.  Some have a tradition of cultural separatism from the central government.  For example, Sicilians generally do not consider themselves to be Italian.  Most do not currently have enough problems with the central government to pursue secession.  However, treaty states, such as Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, split after the Cold War.  Slovakia, Slovenia, and Croatia have proved that hiving off from the core state does not inevitably lead to failure.

Independence movements are hitting states whose constituent parts never had a chance to affirm the national connections.  Even when the central government has capably fulfilled its primary role, people may still want their say.  As anxious as Scotland's independence vote may make some in London and even Washington (since they are still our primary ally) allowing the vote is the best chance to keep the United Kingdom whole.

Regardless of how it turns out, Scotland's scheduling of a vote does mean that the old ties that bind have loosened somewhat.  And these have consequences for Britain, her friends, and other European states.

Bill Aiming to Force Puerto Rico to Vote Every Eight Years On Statehood

Under a bill entitled the Puerto Rico Democracy Act, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico would be forced to vote every eight years on whether or not they wish to become a state.

Puerto Rico predates the United States. For centuries it fell under Spanish jurisdiction until the Spanish -American War. Its strategic position recommended to the government that it be snapped up along with the Philippines, Guam, and other territories. Repeatedly the government has tried to entice it into statehood, but that move has been consistently rejected. A vocal minority demands independence, but the people of the island do not want that either. The status quo preserves their distinctive identity in the international community and Olympic sports as well as their connection to the United States.

Will repeated elections convince the Puerto Ricans to commit to statehood? Probably not, although Democrats certainly hope that it will. They expect that the poor island will vote for their party. Until now. Puerto Ricans, as Spanish speaking peole in the Caribbean, have a sensitive nerve when it comes to Yankee Imperialism. Anything that looks like imperialism, even a naval base, creates a stir.

This forces vote, after repeated rejections, would be an imperialist move on the part of the Democratic Party against the choice made repeatedly by Puerto Rico. It would likely strengthen the independence movement, though not enough for that island to vote for sovereignty. Republicans can stop this and accuse the Democrats in Congress of imperialism all at the same time. Should be fun!

If Puerto Rico becomes a state WV loses a Congressman

The US House of Representatives is limited to 435 members by US Public Law 62-5 of 1911. A US population of 300,000,000 means one member of the house represents about 680,000 persons. West Virginia's population is 1.8 million, which means we should have 2.64 representatives. You round off and that equals 3 representatives for WV. If that number drops to 2.49, then we round off to 2.

Current 2010 census estimates show West Virginia keeping 3 house seats at least until 2020, but that could all change of Congressman Nick Rahall (D) has his way. Nick Rahall is supporting US House Bill HR 900, which could lead the way for Puerto Rico to become the 51st State. According to an article in CQ Politics Puerto Rico will have 6 House Members, and 2 Senators.

In 1957 when Hawaii and Alaska were made states the US House was increased to 437 members temporarily until the 1960 census. Each had a population that gave them 1 House member each. After the 1960 census, Alaska and Hawaii kept there one representative in the house and two were taken away from the other 48 states when the house returned to 435 members.

If Puerto Rico is made a state, then the house would temporarily go to 441 members until the next census. The US population in 2010 is estimated to be around 310 million. Puerto Rico will add an additional 4 million persons for a total of 314 million. After the 2010 census, with Puerto Rico a state, each house member will represent 721,000 persons when the house drops back to 435 members. That would mean West Virginia would require 2.496 Congressmen, and that rounds down to 2.

A West Virginia Congressman is leading a charge that could cost West Virginia its 3rd Congressional seat, reducing our power in Washington.