>>The quote you cited is not in the article titled "The culturally imperial and the satanic".

You’re right. I was addressing Old Man.

“I wrote that article and therefore know what the author thinks about the state. I do not regard the state as a moral agent.”

Good for you. Either do I.

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Dear david f,

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All countries are multicultural to some extent. Some more than others. And for all the obvious reasons, world migration is gaining in momentum.

In view of our historical origins, the UK, perhaps one of the oldest multicultural countries, is of particular interest to us in Australia.

Prior to the 16th century, there were four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

In 1543 England and Wales were united and took the name of Britain.

In 1707 Scotland joined England and Wales and the new country was called Great Britain.

English/British monarchs had also been monarchs of Ireland since Henry Vlll claimed regal sovereignty over it in 1542.

But Ireland was not united with the other three countries until 1801 when the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was formed.

Then the Anglo-Irish treaty of 1921 removed mainland Ireland from the UK, except for the 6 counties of Northern Ireland.

In 1927 England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland adopted the current name of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly referred to as the UK.

Though the consolidation of the country began 470 years ago its constituent parts are still culturally and geographically identifiable and independent of each other.

In addition, of course, there has been large scale immigration from foreign countries such as India and Pakistan and the old colonies and, more recently, some of the Eastern European countries.

It was Oliver Cromwell, an intensely religious Puritan military and political leader who forced Scotland to unite with Britain. His harsh methods with Catholics in Scotland and Ireland are considered by some as genocidal or quasi-genocidal. The Scots have never forgotten it.

The flame of independence has never died and the United Kingdom could well become the Disunited Kingdom one of these days, collapsing like a house of cards, triggered, perhaps, by the end of the interminable reign of the Queen of Hearts, our very dear Liz Mountbatten-Windsor.

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Dear Banjo,

The UK has made propaganda for its unique qualities. It has referred to commons as the mother of parliaments. Since Iceland had the Althing in 930 and the House of Commons did not appear until the 14th century that claim is obviously false. China, the Roman Empire and India were multicultural entities when the ancient Britons were painting themselves blue and worshiping trees. It is quite true that England is and has been multicultural for a long time. Various English political movements have denied this fact a bit of whose history you have narrated in your post.

I am a bit saddened by the breakup of the United Kingdom. I think the breakup of the British Empire was a good thing but wish it had stopped there. The breakup of the UK follows logically from the breakup of the Empire.