30 Jan 13
I was watching a documentary on Robert Burns, and Alex Salmond came up and said 'One Robert Burns is worth 10 Blackburns'. I don't mind Alex Salmond but his borderline racism towards the English is annoying, frankly stupid. And i bet he's never herd of Joseph Blackburne!
I hope he doesn't win his referendum.
30 Jan 13
Originally posted by e4chrisI have no time for nationalists as such and I am not really a Robert Burns fan, but I suspect that what comes over as borderline racism towards the English is to some extent a defiant response to the nothing borderline about it blatant racism of many English people towards their celtic neighbours (etc...!).
I was watching a documentary on Robert Burns, and Alex Salmond came up and said 'One Robert Burns is worth 10 Blackburns'. I don't mind Alex Salmond but his borderline racism towards the English is annoying, frankly stupid. And i bet he's never herd of Joseph Blackburne!
I hope he doesn't win his referendum.
Alex Salmond has some good qualities. This week he contrasted very clearly with Labour by speaking out in favour of universal benefits as ane element of the welfare state. He noted that for all the fuss about millionaires getting free bus passes, he had not noticed any bus getting filled with millionaires. The point about universal benefits is that they have a better take up rate. Means tested benefits are not claimed by a large proportion of those entitled to them as people are too proud to use anything that they see as labelled poverty and dependent. In short he seems a decent bloke in a political pool overfilled with neo liberals.
30 Jan 13
To be honest i have to disagree, I don't think there's any racism towards Scots from the English, I've always found the Scots think they are smarter then the English and the English don't care, they just think Edinburgh is nice.
Alex Salmond is an absolute master at getting what he wants from Westminster, free prescriptions, university a parliment plus NHS and benefits. This is why i think this referendum is a disaster, Scotland is financially dependent on England, for all his talk of benefits, Salmond cannot afford them without Westminster. Salmonds ego is a really big risk to Scotland, he would rather be bankrupt and king then keep all the benefits hes got from the UK.
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by e4chrisI don't mind your disagreeing!
To be honest i have to disagree, I don't think there's any racism towards Scots from the English, I've always found the Scots think they are smarter then the English and the English don't care, they just think Edinburgh is nice.
Alex Salmond is an absolute master at getting what he wants from Westminster, free prescriptions, university a parliment plus NH ...[text shortened]... otland, he would rather be bankrupt and king then keep all the benefits hes got from the UK.
The idea that Scotland is dependent on handouts from Westminster is something I would like to see explored more. It is not. Redistribution is part of the cost of sustaining a developed mixed economy. Why should business and the financial sector especially expect to reap all the rewards and contribute so little to the social costs of making that possible? They may make money in London but only because the entire British economy is organized around the pivotal role of its capital city. Without sucking in resources from the regions, London could not operate.
Britain's economy is dominated by London and its surrounding region. The South East draws in people and resources from around the British Isles to feed the furnace and it is part of the deal that in return it redistributes some resources to support education, health, transport and all the other essentials to keep reproducing its skilled workforce. The people keeping London successful are often migrants. Londoners themselves are often excluded and can live in severe poverty next door to all that wealth.
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by finneganWithout a 'City of London' of their own it's difficult to see how independence from the rest of the U.K., would work for the Scots. If they don't receive support from England and have to shoulder any burden of national debt - which isn't clear as Eire seceded without acquiring any of the UK debt - then they'll have real problems financing themselves which could leave them as prey.
I don't mind your disagreeing!
The idea that Scotland is dependent on handouts from Westminster is something I would like to see explored more. It is not. Redistribution is part of the cost of sustaining a developed mixed economy. Why should business and the financial sector especially expect to reap all the rewards and contribute so little to the socia ...[text shortened]... ers themselves are often excluded and can live in severe poverty next door to all that wealth.
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by DeepThoughtDeep thoughts, but how about this? Would the English, Welsh, and Irishmen be better off if Scotland took control of the UK?
Without a 'City of London' of their own it's difficult to see how independence from the rest of the U.K., would work for the Scots. If they don't receive support from England and have to shoulder any burden of national debt - which isn't clear as Eire seceded without acquiring any of the UK debt - then they'll have real problems financing themselves which could leave them as prey.
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by joe beyserIn what sense 'took control' we live in a democracy (of sorts), do you mean what if the English, and Welsh were disenfranchised and the minority of Scots ruled over the rest of the UK?
Deep thoughts, but how about this? Would the English, Welsh, and Irishmen be better off if Scotland took control of the UK?
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by joe beyserIn many respects the policies preferred in Scotland would be far better for the UK than those put forward by the neo-liberal Con-Dem government. The attitudes of the Scots would be of great benefit if more widely adopted.
Deep thoughts, but how about this? Would the English, Welsh, and Irishmen be better off if Scotland took control of the UK?
31 Jan 13
Originally posted by finneganThe austerity strategy is looking as if it has failed - since they haven't eliminated the deficit. Although Labour do seem to have been spending too much in office. You'd have thought that Joseph's advice to the Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-40) would be easy enough to apply, but during a boom it's hard to keep spending in check and during a recession the money markets won't give you a break even if you've been frugal in the boom.
In many respects the policies preferred in Scotland would be far better for the UK than those put forward by the neo-liberal Con-Dem government. The attitudes of the Scots would be of great benefit if more widely adopted.
In fairness to his point I think it exists soley so joe beyser could get his pun in.
01 Feb 13
Originally posted by finneganIts true that SNP policies are generous and the UK would certainly benefit from free university places. But how he'd pay for that as king...
In many respects the policies preferred in Scotland would be far better for the UK than those put forward by the neo-liberal Con-Dem government. The attitudes of the Scots would be of great benefit if more widely adopted.
" Official figures show that pension and welfare spend in Scotland is currently just over £15 billion, £8.5 billion more than the amount raised from North Sea oil and gas "
Ian Duncan Smith;
“Thankfully, due to the United Kingdom and the commitment of the Westminster government we are able to ensure that money brought in, whether it be from the City of London or from North Sea oil, can be pooled and directed to wherever it is needed most. That is what being in the United Kingdom is all about. If the unthinkable were to happen, a Scottish Government would face a stark choice of raising taxes or cutting services. This is not scaremongering, its reality "
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9551538/Iain-Duncan-Smith-Independent-Scotland-could-not-afford-welfare-bill.html
or
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/sep/19/iain-duncan-smith-independent-scotland-welfare
Scotland is not Qatar, as some of the independance people make out, there are much less jobs then in the south.
01 Feb 13
Originally posted by DeepThoughtNo I am serious although yes the pun was intended as well. I could ask in a different way then. Would you rather live under a system of democracy that the political offices were held by only the Scotts?
The austerity strategy is looking as if it has failed - since they haven't eliminated the deficit. Although Labour do seem to have been spending too much in office. You'd have thought that Joseph's advice to the Pharaoh (Genesis 41:1-40) would be easy enough to apply, but during a boom it's hard to keep spending in check and during a recession the mone ...[text shortened]... m.
In fairness to his point I think it exists soley so joe beyser could get his pun in.
01 Feb 13
Originally posted by finneganIt would probably be of great relief to the rest of the country.
In many respects the policies preferred in Scotland would be far better for the UK than those put forward by the neo-liberal Con-Dem government. The attitudes of the Scots would be of great benefit if more widely adopted.
01 Feb 13
1 edit
Originally posted by joe beyserI used to wonder about this then we tried it with Gordon Brown, (who happened to have the treasury run by a pair of scottish MPs, and have a scottish defence minister).
Deep thoughts, but how about this? Would the English, Welsh, and Irishmen be better off if Scotland took control of the UK?
So I would say no.