I've heard some daft argument against Scottish independence, such as the idea that Scotland is somehow too small to survive on its own. Er, Sotland has a population of 5 million, about the same as Ireland, Norway, Denmark or Finland, and only a bit less than Switzerland or Austria. All countries with a standard of living higher than Scotland.
Today's editorial in the FT goes to the other extreme:
This newspaper believes that breaking up the Union would, at the least, diminish the UK’s weight on the international stage
Er, the UK currently has a population of 60 million and England & Wales a population of 53 million. If the UK were to disband, then quite clearly, the UK as such would have no weight whatsoever, but freed from the Scottish mafia currently running the show (into the ground) England & Wales' weight on the 'international stage' would be greatly enhanced.
Or have I missed something?
Slack Scammers
5 hours ago
8 comments:
"Weight on the international stage" might mean anything, but one thing it might mean is men with guns. What proportion of the UK's armed forces (men and bases) are Scottish? My impression is that it's disproportionate.
I'm all for the Scottish having the choice of independence, I just can't think why they would vote for it.
Military might is one thing, but can, moderately quickly be rebuilt. Economic strength on the other hand takes longer.
I might be wrong (a career spent abusing alcohol and sniffing blasting fumes can't be good for the brain) but I seem to remember reading that London and the Southeast alone would qualify for memebrship of the G8 nations if they declared UDI from the rest of the UK.
I found myself screaming at the radio yesterday as a journalist described Scottish independence as "Scots making all their own laws". Have the SNP reversed their policy of remaining in the EU? Or is the journo just an ignorant cow with no concept of EU laws?
Freedom within the EU is like buying a house but having no say over the furniture, carpets, curtains, wallpaper, or bathroom tiles. You can jsut about decide which kettle to buy but not much else.
"Or have I missed something?"
You missed nothing except provide another illustration that the FT is the Guardian printed on pink paper. The FT, while weeping crocodile tears for the strength or otherwise of the UK is, in reality, more concerned how much Wendy Alexander's chin music is damaging Labour in London.
Now we've drunk most of their oil, I think it's about time we set the Scots free.
What you've missed is that the panjandrums of the EU can't believe their luck.
The one country that occasionally has the temerity to question their entitlement to rule us all is about to implode, of its own stupidity, into one EUrophilic proto-socialist state (Scotland) and one rump nation (England) that can then be dismembered and disregarded quite easily.
The EU itself will inherit our seat on the UN Security Council, and France will deal with the rest.
They are holding their breath, they just can't believe anything so marvellous (for them and their plans) could possibly happen.
Unfortunately, it could.
It's all down to a combination of the size of the economy, the effectiveness of the Armed Forces and the willingness to act.
The only thing that could keep the Union together is if it were reforged and renewed as a Federation. However that means an English Parliament which is something the British State is even more adamant that it will prevent. And so the Union is doomed.
After the (now inevitable) breakup Scotland will be an average country with an average economy. England however will still be one of the largest economies in the world, a nuclear power, and with one of the world's largest surface fleets. The precedent set by Russia will mean that England retains the Security Council seat. And if the EU thinks that an England shorn of the disproportionate political influence given to pro-European "Celts" is going to be easier to dominate - then they are going to be in for a shock.
All in all, something to look forward to.
An England liberated from one expensive and undemocratic Union will be far less likely to tolerate the imposition of one even worse by people who don't even share a similar legal system, (Common Law vs Roman Law), Language, (English vs the incomprehensible Cacophony), or indeed even having our best interests at heart.
Come to think of it. That does sound a bit like Scotland as well doesn't it? :-)
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