Toward Scottish Independence

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Yet the economic arguments against independence seem not to be working — and may even be backfiring. I think I know why. Telling a Scot, “You can’t do this — if you do, terrible things will happen to you,” has been a losing negotiating strategy since time immemorial. If you went into a Glasgow pub tonight and said to the average Glaswegian, “If you down that beer, you’ll get your head kicked in,” he would react by draining his glass to the dregs and telling the barman, “Same again.”

-- Niall Ferguson, "Scots Must Vote Nae" at NYT

Comments

[wight1984.livejournal.com]

The 'No Thanks' campaign should have been more active in providing alternatives from the outset. If they'd made clear well-publicised promises of further devolution from the start then they could have gone with all 'all the benefits of independence without the risks' type rhetoric, which would have worked better than telling Scotland that it couldn't hack it alone.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Independence is inevitable, isn't it?
Can't beat the prestige.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

Bavaria in Germany and Catalan in Spain also have significant independence movements. Not bloody likely they'll succeed, from what I've read.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I cannot help thinking that Texas is also getting a little excited.

[telemann.livejournal.com]

[planet-x-zero.livejournal.com]

Having spent a nightmarish six months in Houston, I hope they do.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I appreciate the sentiment, but my problem is that I live in Texas and may be too poor to escape if things go that way. I hate to think of what it would be like to live here without the somewhat liberalizing influence of the federal government.

[planet-x-zero.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it wasn't much more than an off the cuff remark. It would be unsettling if it actually happened, for the reason you mention.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Catalan President Artur Mas: "There are European leaders that accept the referendum in Scotland, but don’t accept at the same level the referendum in Catalonia. And my question is: Is Catalonia a different nation? It is a different nation, but it is also a nation. So if the Scottish people have the right to decide their political future, why not the Catalan people?"

[planet-x-zero.livejournal.com]

"Also, I've lived in America most of my life, so I've seen first hand how not to run a county!"

That line is so perfect.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

Well, in all fairness, America is a more complicated country to run, being practically a continent, as well as the 'leader of the free world'. Yeah, it sounds like a comic book, but it's a large unwieldy ship, more so than the Titanic.

[planet-x-zero.livejournal.com]

I know, I'm American. I didn't mean so much perfect in straight political criticism as it was just very funny satire.

The Simpsons is, after all, an American show.

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I was just riffing myself, just not very cleverly.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

[hardblue.livejournal.com]

I'll listen to this pile of incompetence later.

No, it was another hit!

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

Piles of incompetent yammering. (To be fair, I don't have any inherent geopolitical competence, but neither to our hawks from the looks of things) I was considering altering my journal name. Now don't start nothing I can't finish.

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]

[yes-justice.livejournal.com]