ON SCOTLAND GOOD DAY LADIES GENTLEMEN - I feel I must make a comment here - firstly I have English - Scottish - Irish and Welsh blood (okay I will receive the commiserations later) We in Britain live in a very small Island which has been constantly under the threat of invasion well before the Celts and the Romans arrived. THEREFORE THE DEFENSE OF THE ISLANDS IS IMPORTANT - A VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR. This will be compromised for a time after independence - should it occur. On defense - please note that the cousins to the GAELIC part of Scotland - The Irish - remained neutral in WW2 - rather naively as if they would have received any respect from the UBER nazis had they came and succeeded in their invasion plans of the British Isles. I wonder how the Scots would have fared under the NAZIs? I have no doubt they would not have enjoyed the experience which would have been so deeply immensely worse than any endured by their conflict with the English over the centuries. As for how the English are portrayed by the Scots in myth - we should examine a few points - the fact that Scots USED TO ROUTINELY RAID English borderlands and farms - stealing livestock and STEALING-ABDUCTING WOMEN! Quite often Scots would ally and collude with enemies intent on invading England (fact!). On a number of occasions Scots have marched south INVADING ENGLAND as far south as DERBY on one occasion (they may well have succeeded had they continued but they got cold feet). Now put yourself in the position of the English who by far PREFER TRADE THAN WAR but as history shows could turn their hand to arms when necessary. With regard to the earlier skirmishes with the Scots in the 12th 13th century - THIS YOU CAN LAY AT THE HEARTH OF THE FRENCH NORMANS who did so much damage to the North of England too! With regard to Scotlands Gaelic cousins - the Irish - the English HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO TAKE OUT THE IRISH PIRATES RAIDING THE NORTH EAST (remember St Patrick a Briton?) and nullify IRELAND as a threat AND REMOVE IT AS A BASE FOR FRENCH AND LATER DUTCH ATTACKS on England. Scotland ALSO HAD TO BE TAKEN OUT AS A THREAT - PERIOD - most especially as they could not keep peace agreements entered into (fact). After these threats were removed the British Isles could look outward to a more secure future in a more civilized fashion and what a brilliant history actually ensued! The East of Scotland is GAELIC in population - the WEST more NORDIC this may explain the split in opinion generally with perhaps the GAELIC element pushing for independence. The NORDIC Scots are no different than the English! Perhaps a solution would be to grant the East of Scotland independence! As for ALEX SALMOND who has spent many visits to CHINA in the last few years (why? is he offering them a base in North Scotland?) - he has failed to explain how Scotland would deal with the following: WHAT WILL YOU USE FOR A CURRENCY - you will not have the pound or the euro (are you going back to a barter economy?) Spain will veto any attempt for Scotland to join the EU or euro - THIS YOU CAN ABSOLUTELY GUARANTEE! Who is going to defend you - the Russians are playing it up - in the Arctic as well as in Eastern Europe (never say never - there is nothing more the Russians and Chinese would like than a foothold - fait accompli in Scotland). What will you do if a petulant Ed Miliband puts up BORDER POSTS and posts tanks and troops on your border or even CLOSES THE BORDER ALTOGETHER - it is possible! How will you stop EU boats fishing in your waters? WHAT WILL YOU DO WHEN THE SHETLANDS AND ORKNEYS ASK FOR INDEPENDENCE which they say they will if you get it - what will you do - REFUSE? One law for the Scots and one for others - hardly good socialist thinking eh? OH yes by the way stop press - the share price of major companies based in Scotland have just fallen! AS FOR ME - YOU CAN GO AND GO NOW! You will find an England far from enfeebled - it will will actually make up the loss in GDP in about two years. Scotlands share of Britains GDP is 8% - 60% of that is government spending which will not becoming north if you go - it will stay down south and England will have to make up 3-4% GDP - THIS CAN BE DONE IN ONE YEAR and you are insignificant! A wounded England will not give up its nuclear deterrent - no matter how much the Russians and the Chinese would wring their hands in glee at that prospect - far from it - it will require to INCREASE ITS DEFENSE SPENDING to protect the northern approaches which will mean at least an extra aircraft carrier or two on top of the two new ones and more nuclear submarines - hunter killer. Your leaving will certainly boost Englands economy with the swathe of government spending and delayed warship orders coming south INSTEAD OF TO SCOTLAND (this will happen) and Portsmouth - Plymouth will benefit heavily as will other English ports and please REMEMBER ENGLAND BECAME THE WORLDS PREMIER TRADING NATION BEFORE SCOTLAND JOINED IN GREAT BRITAIN. Yes now history of course as Englands colonies became independent and taking with them a swathe of trading wealth - so I guess now there is less glory and adventure - you are bored and want to leave - personally I am hoping you will go - because this will most surely empower Englands leaving the EU. Ah and yes it is getting colder actually due to the weakening of the gulf stream which brings warm water to the north - this will mean Scotland WILL FREEZE and become much colder - maybe virtually uninhabitable - personally if I were a Scot I would hedge my bets but then that takes intelligence and foresight. Further DO YOU THUINK THE ENGLISH ACTUALLY LIKE LONDON AND WESTMINSTER? - No they are with you on that!
Posted on: Mon, 08 Sep 2014 14:01:55 +0000