Can I get a remit?

You may have thought the last word was a typo and that I actually meant ‘Rewind’. You’d be wrong. This summer has flown by and most of it highly uneventful. Probably the biggest piece of news was Cristiano Ronaldo moving to Real Madrid for £80,000,000 odd. Even those that despise football would have read about it, even to gawp then gag ever so slightly at attempting to digest the fee paid for him.

Then something serious occurred when the Lockerbie bomber was released on compassionate grounds and this has sparked much debate both in this country and in the United States. I do not understand enough of everything that went on surrounding the release but one thing I am sure of is just how little I know about governmental power. Currently the press are commenting that it was a Scottish Parliament decision yet there is talk that Westminster was behind how it was decided.

This is where I enter uncharted waters. As far as I am aware the Scottish Parliament has the power to pass laws for Scotland other than those that concern Britain as a whole (I could be wrong here – Politics students rinse me if you must) in which case it is a decision made by Westminster. Westminster has said it was a purely Scottish Parliament decision and not theirs, yet it could be argued that the decision affects the whole of Britain and therefore collaboration sounds a more plausible approach. And then I get confused. Scotland can pass laws on some things but not on others. So where does this remit end? And where does the Welsh Parliament fit in and what power does it have?

My mind did not just stop there and it was beginning to annoy me. It seems I have clarity issues with who governs who in the United Kingdom but that was nothing to compare to the concept of Puerto Rico. This truly had me slapping myself for even daring to understand which government has the power over there. Puerto Rico is a little island off the US of A and is heavily influenced by the US but for some reason is not a US state. Now, when I mean heavily influenced, I am referring to it in a legitimate sense. I believe they openly assist in the election of the new, err, actually is it President or Governor? You see, it’s confusing. Why is it that Hawaii which is further away than Puerto Rico is a state and PR not?

Yes I will look them up (and Wikipedia will be my first port of call), however, I wanted to write about it and raise to myself if anything just how little I know about who has the power to control a country, even if it is another country. It is probably disjointed because of time and the battles and agreements that were constantly occurring meant that nothing was ever simple. And at the same time this complexity will assist some people, who will ever question a decision when they are not sure exactly who is responsible for making it because camp A can make choices about some things and Camp B does for others.

Ah pants, I just thought of another one. Is the moon North America’s because they stuck their flag in it first?