Generational Dynamics World View

[Bob Butler 54]

In browsing the web for fun, I stumbled upon the story of the town Barwick Upon Tweed.  Way back the town’s position on the border between Scotland and England made it the crux of many border wars.  I guess it switched hands at least 13 times.  This ended when Elizabeth I died, yielding to James the IV of Scotland, who became James the I of Britain.  As he was Barwick’s king either way, it became rather moot.

Step in pride and tribal thinking.  Neither country could admit defeat.  Thus, Barwick became neither fish nor foul, becoming a semi sovereign entity which was possibly not part of either country.  For a time it was deemed proper to include Barwick Upon Tweed in any law passed by parliament to officially include them too.

This became pertinent once, sort of, almost.  When at the start of the Crimean War, England and a bunch of other power declared war on Russia, they specifically included the town of Berwick as one of the mighty forces that were part of their alliance.  Alas, they neglected to mention the town in the peace treaty that ended the conflict officially.  Thus…  Berwick Upon Tweed remained officially at war with Russia for over a century.  Russia trembles.  Does the current incarnation of Russia even think that they are obligated by stuff that old?  Can anyone see Berwick sending an expeditionary force to Belorussia?

Now the ambiguous state seems to be running into Brexit.  Does the town get to hold a referendum for whether they get to go with England or Scotland?  The world has changed since folks thought it an issue properly settled by armies.  Still, it has to be settled.