Britain has recently had another headache. To say "more", it is not difficult to understand that the issue of Scottish independence is enough of a headache for the UK, but now a new situation has emerged in Northern Ireland.
Don't forget, in order to get rid of the British, the IRA fought with the British for decades, and the whole of Britain fell into turmoil. Later, the IRA was put down**, and now, for the first time, Sinn Féin, which represents the interests of the IRA, has taken the lead in Northern Ireland.
On 3 February, Sinn Fein vice-president O'Neill made history by being elected Chief Minister of Northern Ireland, the de facto leader of Northern Ireland. She admits that as a member of the IRA family, she expects a referendum on reunification between Northern Ireland and Ireland within the next decade.
In her words, "I believe we are in a decade full of opportunities. ”
Let's recap: Scottish independence, while Northern Ireland pursued unity.
Ireland was predominantly inhabited by Celts, which later became a British colony. What the Irish hated most was the exploitation and oppression of the British, especially the potato crisis.
In the 19th century, potatoes were the most important crop for the Irish. A disease caused a failed potato harvest, but the British landowners cared only about grain and livestock, and much of the grain was even shipped back to England. The crisis led to the deaths of 1 million Irish people and a large number of deaths in a population of 7 million.
Therefore, the Irish have a long history of hatred for the British and a deep hatred of history; And the same is true for the Palestinians, because the Irish see in them the shadow of their own oppression and bullying.
The Irish rose for independence, and the British eventually agreed to the independence of the 26 southern counties and became the Republic of Ireland. But for the six counties of Northern Ireland, the UK is reluctant to let go.
Under the Belfast Agreement of 1998, Northern Ireland was vested in Britain and the IRA was laid down, but the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland had to remain open.
However, after Brexit, Northern Ireland has become the most difficult issue. Because under the agreement, Northern Ireland can't leave the EU, but the rest of the UK can. How to solve this problem has become a headache.
Perhaps seeing the success of Hong Kong's "one country, two systems" policy, the UK would like to try a similar approach. They offered to make Northern Ireland apply EU rules, but later reversed themselves, which led to even greater confusion.
The more chaotic it is, the more dissatisfied the Northern Irish becomes. They are dissatisfied with the backward state of the economy and the treatment of second-class citizens.
According to the Belfast Agreement, if the majority of the people want Northern Ireland to secede from the UK, then the UK and Ireland** should organise a referendum.
So, now the question is:
Finally, what do we think about this?
First, the outcome of Brexit could have been unexpected. Despite the initial suspicion of xenophobia, the end result was the rise of an Indian-origin prime minister and the establishment of Northern Ireland as an independent customs territory, further exacerbating Scotland's pro-independence tendencies. This is a wake-up call for Britons, who believe that Brexit was a mistake.
Secondly, Britain is standing at a new crossroads. Scotland is fighting for independence, Sinn Féin in Northern Ireland has come to power, and Wales is likely to follow. This once huge empire, like a matryoshka doll, is metamorphosing layer by layer, and may eventually return to the British Isles.
When a country is strong, it returns to the world; But when it went into decline, the interior fell apart. This may also confirm the ancient Chinese adage: "The general trend of the world must be divided for a long time, and the union must be divided for a long time." ”
In the end, population is key. What do you think about this? Feel free to leave a message to share your thoughts!