Quote Originally Posted by Furunculus View Post
Or, alternatively, we can sort it out ourselves through the complex and sophisticated political institutions that we have evolved over nearly 1500 years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witenagemot
Witenagemot > Curia Regis > Parliament of England > Parliament of GB > Parliament of the UK of GB and Ireland
c. 627-1066 > 1066-c. 1215 > c. 1215-1707 > 1707-1800 > 1801-1927

using a system of common law that has evolved to meet the expectations of the people over nearly 1000 years:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_law#History
"The doctrine of precedent developed under the inquisitorial system in England during the 12th and 13th centuries,[28] as the collective judicial decisions that were based in tradition, custom and precedent. "
I'm not sure that I would link the Witan with the current political settlement, but even if you date our parliamentary process back to the assension of William and Mary and the establishment of Parliament as "Soverign" you are looking at a pedigree of 300 years when none of the other regional powers in Europe can even count the age of their democracies in triple figures.