irrespective of Scotland, I down with resorting any and all national borders along lines respective of peoples with common ethnic heritage (Kurdistan, for example) - I have a visceral distaste for arbitrary unnatural borders.
Now that is bullshit. Their women drink more than I do. I don't drink so much any more with trying to lose weight and all but when I was there 20 years ago, I thought I could drink a lot, but they can hold some whisky.
See, I'm kind of the other way -- the less borders the better. People need free movement, without regard to ancient concepts of tribe.
Soooo... England and Wales would get a leg, Northern Ireland an arm, Scotland the head, and if England's feeling generous, Ireland the other arm? What of the torso? Canada? Australia? The Falklands?
If they vote no then they will become nothing to me or to themselves. They might as well become Scotland county, England at that point. A no vote is going to be seen as a mandate for Westminster. Then they will come down hard on those rebels.
No, they'll be making a decision for themselves on their future and what they think is best, as is their right. Do you think less of the people of your state for not pushing for it to become an independent country? Before answering remember that the union between England and Scotland predates the USA existing as a country.
Where in the world is there a national border that IS NOT unnatural? Australia and maybe a handful of islands perhaps.
It's done. Roughly 55 per cent NAY. Can't say that makes me too sad. Can we get back to more important things now than Salmond and his counterparts in other regions trying to create their own little kingdoms?
So economic pragmatism prevails over provincial butthurt. Probably for the best. Sent from my iPhone while driving
What happens now will be interesting. There's an upstart movement for English devolution for example within the Tory party, which IMO could be quite dangerous if it ends up with competing UK and English governments.
Well, I said 8%... im slightly surprised by 10% Looks like we will see an answer to the West Lothian Question at some point.
Personally the West Lothian question never much bothered me. I've always seen devolution are really not much more than pandering to the nationalism of the smaller home nations.
Reminds me of the first big Quebec vote for secession in the early 80s I think it was. Challenging the status quo like that is a lot more difficult than it appears.
There are some plans to devolve power to English cities. Id like to see that. England is too London focussed, Id like to see the larger cities with their own tax and spending powers. Frankly, instead of Scotland, Wales and other places trying to get away from the union (which I can partially understand) what we need to do is get rid of London and the South East. Lets face it, the Scots weren't trying to get away from the north of England, or the midlands, or Wales, they wanted to be separate from London and Westminster. Its there the problem lies We should build an Israeli style wall of evil, fence off the South East and London then banish them into their own little state. The queen can preside over her subjects in the smallest British empire yet and the chelsea tractor driving, tory voting twats who inhabit that area can power their lifestyles with the giant financial house of cards they love so much. And if that isnt enough I'm sure they could power Kent just on smugness
Congratulations to Scotland and the United Kingdom. This matter has been handled with more class and dignity than could reasonably be expected. Scotland remains a valuable participant in the UK, the EU, and NATO.
You say that, but although there was no overt violence it apparently got quite nasty in places. It is, but it's worth remembering that Scotland accounts for just over 3% of the UK's population in contrast to, say, London alone, which has three times as many people. The contribution to those entities by the UK, even without Scotland, dwarfs the Scottish element. I dare say that this ultimately is more beneficial a result to the Scots themselves than the rest of us.
I'd more than happily break away from the North, if only to save myself from listening to the constant complaining.
Scotland - what a bunch of pussies. You have a chance to claim sovereign status and it's pissed away. Who cares if there was a plan in place? You figure out that stuff afterward. Nobody likes Salmond (whoever the fuck he is)? So what? Vote him out after his first term.
Whatever else you've been hearing, Alex Salmond is very popular in Scotland and a very skilled politican. It is a reflection of this that that this referendum was so close. That the NO side would be panisked the way they were in the final week would have been unthinkable just a few months ago.
