Blog Post 4 for March 9 Class

     I was surprised to read that 62% of Scotland voted to remain in the European Union. I believe that that statistic will increase the desire for independence that many people in Scotland already feel. Many citizens believe that they politically have no say in their future. Westminster has made the decision for the people of Scotland and Northern Ireland to leave the EU, without the governments of each respective country being able to do anything about it. When I was in Scotland, a girl that we met told us that not only do her and her friends feel like their future is uncertain, but they also feel like they have no say in it. This reminds me of the "no taxation without representation" sentiments that Americans felt prior to the Declaration of Independence. I think Brexit will be the breaking point for the Scottish people, and that if the campaign for Scottish independence is successful, it will be an ironic backfire on Westminster. I found the economic effects of Brexit discussed in that article interesting because the economy of Great Britain is better than I expected. Although inflation has been increasing, unemployment and annual house price increases have both fallen since the decision to leave. 

     In class, we discussed how the geography of Britain has affected its development. Its geographic isolation has led to a sense of cultural isolation. As Matthijs states, Britain's relationship with Europe is "more like a loveless arranged marriage." As an American, I have never questioned whether Great Britain is located in Europe or not, so I was surprised to learn that that is an area of ambiguity for the British. Even as a full member of the EU, Britain still has separations from the rest, such as using the Pound instead of the Euro. Both the issue of Britain now and of when they joined the European Economic Community, which later became the EU, was the country's economic trouble. However, now, Europe is seen as the source of the issues, whereas in the past it was seen as the cure.