Scotland

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 01:33:08

The failure of the independence referendum - rather, this referendum - has me very much disappointed. The government of the UK is lead by some real twits and I was really pulling for the Scots to get out of that mess, and I'm rather afraid that this will turn into another Quebec situation.

Relatedly, what is it with so many Brits' irrational fondness for the Union? I honestly don't get it. It's really nothing like the situation in the States where secessionists tend to be flailing whackadoodles, and yet so often the only good reason that certain people can come up with for opposing Scottish independence is "oh no, the Union!" Really. The average Scot has more reason to stay with the UK than any average British citizen has for wanting them to, and that's because of the financial institutions like the Deutsche Bank leaning on them.

And to be completely selfish here, I would really rather move to a country run by Alex Salmond than David fucking Cameron.

Klinotaxis · 2014-09-19 01:35:25

http://www.theonion.com/articles/david-cameron-to-scottish-people-ill-kill-myself-i,36941/

but yeah quebec was my thought too but i don't know anything about that

Yarrun XIX · 2014-09-19 01:44:29

Oh, the vote failed?

Darn.

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 01:47:46

I've not been having an especially great day in general, so this sort of just makes matters worse. u_u

Obā-san · 2014-09-19 01:50:21

Sredni Vashtar said:
And to be completely selfish here, I would really rather move to a country run by Alex Salmond than David fucking Cameron.

why would you want to move to scotland when minnesota is in the united states?

Klinotaxis · 2014-09-19 01:54:15

maybe he's allergic to helium-freezing temperatures.

Obā-san · 2014-09-19 01:58:56

oh cmooooon it's not that cold here

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 02:04:14

I would like to live in a country where universal healthcare is not seen as a "left-wing" issue. Also, anywhere in Scotland will be significantly closer to the sea or a major city (St. Paul/Minneapolis excluded) than anywhere in Minnesota. It's relatively close to France, Italy, Ireland - continental Europe in general is only a train trip away. It's pretty, the accents are nice, you can be out of the way without being in the middle of nowhere, the history is amazing...

I have a lot of reasons to want to live somewhere that isn't in the United States.

Klinotaxis · 2014-09-19 02:04:15

the one time i went to minnesota i fell into a lake and got so cold i collapsed the nearby quantum vacuum states and ended conventional chemistry within a radius of lightyears

Obā-san · 2014-09-19 02:07:06

the north shore is cooler than (most of) the ocean

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 02:07:07

^^ ...how are you alive?

How were you ever alive?

^ That is very cool.

I still don't know if I want to live in America for the rest of my life. I haven't even left temporarily yet.

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 02:09:15

Also, strictly speaking, this is in Talk, not General.

Obā-san · 2014-09-19 02:12:10

And I am talking in a manner that naturally follows the conversation we are having!

Klinotaxis · 2014-09-19 02:17:07

Sredni Vashtar said:
^^ ...how are you alive?

How were you ever alive?

my story also implies that everyone else, such as yourself, is also dead.

Sredni Vashtar said:
Also, strictly speaking, this is in Talk, not General.

i don't know what that means. do we have to stay on topic or something? i've gotten annoyed at someone going nihilist about this subject

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 02:18:25

Klinotaxis said:
i don't know what that means. do we have to stay on topic or something? i've gotten annoyed at someone going nihilist about this subject

Talk is the "on-topic/serious" category. I thought that you knew this.

Klinotaxis · 2014-09-19 02:19:37

i uh. nope.

...

...

scot

Princess Alice · 2014-09-19 02:30:52

To be fair, the name "Talk" isn't very indicative. Which I guess is my fault for suggesting it years ago.

Anyway, I told myself I wouldn't be disappointed regardless of the outcome, since it's the Scots' decision to make and not mine, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't mildly disappointed.

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 02:34:50

Same, ultimately.

I mean, I completely understand the aversion to the potential financial consequences and the appeal of the maximum devolution offer, but to be completely honest, what makes them think that Westminster won't go back on the devo-max option? Really, it should have been a three-option referendum and the SNP shot themselves in the foot with it, unless they have some serious leverage backstage.

Salix Babylonika · 2014-09-19 02:43:51

Typed sigh.

Calica · 2014-09-19 04:01:28

Sredni Vashtar said:
Same, ultimately.

I mean, I completely understand the aversion to the potential financial consequences and the appeal of the maximum devolution offer, but to be completely honest, what makes them think that Westminster won't go back on the devo-max option? Really, it should have been a three-option referendum and the SNP shot themselves in the foot with it, unless they have some serious leverage backstage.

pretty sure it wasn't the SNP's idea to not put devo-max on the ballot, actually

and they're already having issues with the backbenchers wrt devo-max so lol

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-19 04:04:24

I couldn't remember whether taking it off the ballot was the SNP's idea or a concession to the UK side of the deal. Either way, it was probably not a good idea.

Aliroz · 2014-09-20 14:08:21

naney said:
the north shore is cooler than (most of) the ocean

Coooooooooooooooooooooooool.

sunn wolf · 2014-09-26 10:48:16

Sredni Vashtar said:
I couldn't remember whether taking it off the ballot was the SNP's idea or a concession to the UK side of the deal. Either way, it was probably not a good idea.

taking it off the ballot was, in fact, Cameron's idea. salmond wanted a 'yes/no/devo-max' option, which almost certainly would have got him devo-max, because a lot of no-voters weren't fans of westminster but were voting more out of fear of the practical/economic ins and outs of the independence process going badly for them (which was admittedly, a possibility.) Cameron felt he had a better chance of being able to not give them anything with a straight yes-no - a dangerous game to play, because he came close to losing the union altogether.

there were a lot of scrambled devo-max promises made in the final few days. i was in greece for the very last stages but when i had gone the Conservatives in particular had very deliberately not made any devo-max promises. Labour did, but i hardly expect them to keep that promise if they're in govt in 2015. Scottish Labour are already showing their true colours; having pulled a 'vote no, the NHS is not under threat from privatisation' campaign during the referendum they have now turned around and said 'vote Labour because the NHS is under threat', and are getting pilloried for it.

sunn wolf · 2014-09-26 10:52:26

one interesting outcome of the referendum, disappointed as i am in the result, has been a surge in support for the Scottish Greens. they have more members than Scottish Labour do now, and are fast gaining on the tories

also it opens up the chance for Nicola Sturgeon to lead the SNP, and she's better than Salmond in my view.

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-26 20:04:34

Those are two good things, yes.

Morven · 2014-09-26 20:22:50

Never a fan of Salmond, though I'm not sure how rational that distaste was.

Morven · 2014-09-26 20:23:12

But do you have to have a fish-related surname to lead the SNP?

Sredni Vashtar · 2014-09-26 20:47:09

That is a weird coincidence, isn't it?

Scotland

Comments

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories