Re: Scotland's possible independence
Louis Epstein
: "wulfer" <wul...@blueyonder.co.uk> wrote in message
: news:NUelh.188286$bz5.1...@fe3.news.blueyonder.co.uk...
:
:> Yes - ultimately it will be an economic decision. It would depend on how
:> un-entwined Scotland would become from the rest of the UK. Some things
:> would remain, like a single defence policy, but Scots have not thought
:> about things such as the relatively very small population generating
:> little in the way of tax revenue.
:
: The 'small population' question is something that pops up for discussion
: quite a lot in the Scottish press. SNP politicians are fond of pointing out
: how other countries with a population of less than 5 million have done well
: for themselves. I don't know if that's because those other countries have
: higher tax levels, or because they have better natural resources, or because
: their citizens are more interested in making a success of the future or all
: of the above.
:
: I would like to see Scotland become independent, and to make a success of
: it, but even though the former *might* happen one day, I have my doubts
: about the latter. Too much historical baggage, too many people with chips on
: their shoulder about things that are no longer relevant.
:
: IMHO. YMMV.
Whether Scotland completely disengages with England or becomes
completely integrated with it,my primary concern is that it remain
a Monarchy,preferably with a more comprehensive understanding of
the inalienable powers of the Crown than was exhibited at the
(ahem) Mistaken Allegation of Arbroath.
The prevalent schools of thought among contemporary separatists
seem unhealthy to me,being both sympathetic to populism and to
Eurofederalism (I long to see a Scottish nationalist whose
primary grudge against England is blaming London for unwanted
ties with Brussels).
The catastrophic symbolism of surrendering the Stone of Scone
(no message other than saying the heart of Scotland is not in
the Union can possibly be drawn) may mean that the Union is
incurably ill...but this would be very sad.
If a European unity IS achieved,the only rational path to it
should be through the slow merger of sovereignties caused by
dynastic intermarriage over centuries,followed by the abandonment
of parochial interest by those in various sections of this shared
patrimony...and the coalescing of England and Scotland showed a
salutary model for this which should not fail.
-=-=-
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at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.