An American friend was unsure about the various countries in the UK, and why we English opposed their independence.

First, some numbers. Scotland has a population of 5 million; Wales: 3 million; Northern Ireland: 1.75 Million; (in total less than the population of London).

England: 51 million.

Many of the British citizens of Scotland, Ireland and Wales claim they want independence from England and regularly deride their English 'masters'. Their independence would be economically very beneficial to England. Most English people are in favour of Scottish and Welsh independence, and the reunification of Ireland, largely because of their regular whinging, sniping and drain on funds. The only people who seem interested in maintaining the Union are those with a vested interest; eg avid Royalists and politicians; and those Welsh, Northern Irish and Scots smart enough to realise that they couldn't survive without England.

As I was saying.....

A lot of water has passed under the bridge since my last post. The Bush / Blair axis left me feeling too angry and despondent to write without ranting.

Well, they accomplished a lot, slaughtering thousands of innocent civilians and enriching the armaments industry, and leading the world into recession. Still, they've gone now. All that's left is their woeful legacy and the strange cheshire-cat-like shadow of Blair's evil grin.

The arrival of Obama made the world feel like a safer place - in Europe at least, but he appears to be a disappointment, becoming tied up in knots by the Washington political machine. I'd be surprised if he ever accomplishes anything.