Quote Originally Posted by Heath View Post
Obviously the concept of a nationality is more of an issue for you living in Northern Ireland than it was for me living in Wales but I disagree. I think there are certain cultural norms that are associated with a certain society or certain country that you won't find in other countries and certainly every country has its strengths and weaknesses, the former you can be proud of. I wouldn't describe myself as a nationalist really, but I do think Britain is a bloody good country.
All fair points, but I wouldn't say that religion should take the place of nationality. It's not even so much that there aren't differences as there oughtn't to be, and also, the similarities encompass broader groups than most care to admit. The US, UK, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada could form one nation tomorrow and very little would have to change for the people living in it. We'd adopt a single currency throughout it, the way some of our laws are codified would change for some people, and that's it. We'd still all believe in a day's work for a day's pay, a fair go, equality before the law, political freedoms, etc. etc. People think that because two countries implement their ideals differently, that they must have different ideals. This is not necessarily true, and I would personally say it's false - they merely differ in how best to implement the ideals.

Now that wouldn't extend to, for example, including the Russian Federation or China or anything like that easily - because those societies do operate differently and it'd take time to get them to the necessary standards of democracy and suchlike - but much as I'd like to wake up tomorrow to a One World Government, I think progress can and should be made in the general direction of one.