http://www.stephenkinsella.net/2009/07/01/why-do-you-still-think-ireland-is-a-country/ classes/papers/rants Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:29:18 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.stephenkinsella.net/2009/07/01/why-do-you-still-think-ireland-is-a-country/#comment-13176 Gerard O'Neill Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:36:13 +0000 http://www.stephenkinsella.net/2009/07/01/why-do-you-still-think-ireland-is-a-country/#comment-13176 The notion of 'autonomy as a nation' is seriously over-rated. Your commentator would probably rate Japan as an 'autonomous nation' (language, geography, history and all that): but it's an economic basket case because of 'decisions made elsewhere'. Not, mind you, the decisions of plenipotentiaries in Washington or Brussels, rather by millions of businesses and consumers deciding not to buy their products and services - for the foreseeable future at least. No nation is an island ... The notion of ‘autonomy as a nation’ is seriously over-rated. Your commentator would probably rate Japan as an ‘autonomous nation’ (language, geography, history and all that): but it’s an economic basket case because of ‘decisions made elsewhere’. Not, mind you, the decisions of plenipotentiaries in Washington or Brussels, rather by millions of businesses and consumers deciding not to buy their products and services – for the foreseeable future at least. No nation is an island …

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