|
"As
Long
as
but
one
hundered
of
us
remain
alive
never
will we
under
any
conditions
be
brought
under
English
domination".
Excert
from the
Declaration
of
Arbroath
1320 |
Defining
a Nation
The
Concept of Sovereignty
Sovereignty can be defined in
several ways
but all are dependent on a
nation's track record
for a combination of ethics and
endurance. It is the undisputed right to make decisions and act
accordingly but there is an innate expectation that these decisions
are made on a noble and decent basis.
In common parlance it is our
right to rule ourselves, or to decide our destiny. The international
canons of human rights use the term 'self-determination' and state
that to be a right available to all 'peoples' or 'nations'. We have
to ask ourselves if we have enough self-respect to be able to call
ourselves a nation or a people. The survival of our independent
football team is a clue and Scotland today is made up of two types of
people on this issue. You either believe that Scotland is a nation
and the people are a people, or you do not. If you assert it, you are
a 'nationist' championing the right of a people. If you deny it you
endorse imperialistic control of a colony by an alien power. |
