A CANZUK Comment

 

The Anglophone West Indies

There is continuing turmoil in Northern Ireland over the border, now that the UK has left the EU. 

My solution is to unify Ireland on condition that it join CANZUK as a fifth member—free trade zone, integrated military, freedom of movement. The Northern Irish could have their cake and eat it too.

It also seems to me that an integrated West Indies also belongs in the pact. Individually the islands are too small to be equal partners, and indeed too small to be economically viable, but unified they would be about 4.5 million people and another arm of the Anglosphere. The opportunities offered by the larger union might be incentive for them to come together.

Whatever Happened to Northern Ireland?

If present trends continue, Northern Ireland will have a Catholic majority as of January or February, 2016. This upcoming demographic deadline has a lot to do with the current peace in Ulster: the Unionists have realized they have no option but to moderate and seek allies. (And a sumilar deadline faces Israel).

According to the Good Friday Agreement which acheived the current peace in Northern Ireland, reunification of the North with the Irish Republic must occur if and when majorities in both North and South vote for it.

This might now actually happen, and rather soon.

Add this to the legal possibility that Scotland might declare independence as a result of the upcoming referendum, or some future one.

Will Britain be reduced to the United Kingdom of England and Wales? Can Britain live with this?

I think such an event might be one more factor encouraging the creation of a formal anglosphere, in which England, Scotland, and Ireland reassociate as equals within a larger comity including some or all of Canada, the US, Australia, New Zealand, India, Singapore, and some of the Caribbean islands.