The Scottish people say no to empire

[Anti Federalist]

The Scottish people say no to empire

http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2011/05/06/the-scottish-people-say-no-to-empire/

On May 5th, as the media hyped up an ‘alternative vote’ campaign that many people knew and cared little about, another, far more significant election was taking place. In Scotland, a Parliament was being elected.

In the last election, the Scottish National Party (not to be confused with their racist British counter-parts), running on a platform of pro-independence, won with a majority of one seat. This time round, they became the first party ever to win an overall majority in the Scottish Parliament – from within a voting system with two votes, one for your local MSP and one for a party, designed to prevent exactly that from happening – winning the required 65th seat in the Labour-stronghold of Kirkcaldy. Kirkcaldy was symbolic of a wider Labour collapse across the country, which saw them recording their worst election results in Scotland in 80 years. However, people will have a difficult time dismissing the SNP’s gains as “anti-Labour votes”, as attempted after their last election victory, as the Labour Party have not held the power to alienate people from since then. The implications of this landslide are clear; Scottish people are not afraid of the word “independence” any longer.

It is a sign of the arrogance of the English media that the Scottish elections have been so greatly ignored up until now, because their impact will be strongly felt. The SNP have promised to hold a referendum on independence, and have summarily won in a landslide. So, where would Scottish independence leave the so-called “United Kingdom”; England, Wales and the six counties of Northern Ireland isn’t such a Great British Empire, is it?

But independence is not the only motivation behind the election of the SNP. Unlike our government, the SNP have promised that tuition fees will never be introduced in Scotland, and that education will remain as an investment in the future made available to all young people. The SNP have frozen council tax for the last four years, and have promised to keep that freeze in place.

David Cameron was quick in his attempts to co-opt democracy, congratulating Alex Salmond on his “emphatic win”, but not pausing for breath before promising “to keep our United Kingdom together with every single fibre I have”. What Mr. Cameron seems to fail to recognise is that even every fibre in his body cannot suppress the will of a people.

[sailingaway]

The Scottish, Iceland.... shows how important local rule is when it comes to getting representative government.

[heavenlyboy34]

damn, ya beat me to it, AF. I was just gonna post this.

ETA: I would like the SNP explain how they plan to accomplish this: "Unlike our government, the SNP have promised that tuition fees will never be introduced in Scotland, and that education will remain as an investment in the future made available to all young people." Are they are promising to "cap" prices? That very likely won't work (like all price control measures).

[Flash]

I don't get what is so great with the SNP. They don't want to be British anymore, but they want to stay in the EU. Lulz wut?

[Flash]

In the last election, the Scottish National Party (not to be confused with their racist British counter-parts), running on a platform of pro-independence

Liberals. *Rolls eyes*

[nate895]

You guys know that this is because Scotland likes socialism, right? The SNP is a social democrat party, and the SNP did not win the majority of the vote, only the majority of seats. Scottish Independence advocates still have a long way to go before they convince enough people to actually vote that way in a plebiscite.

[heavenlyboy34]

You guys know that this is because Scotland likes socialism, right? The SNP is a social democrat party, and the SNP did not win the majority of the vote, only the majority of seats. Scottish Independence advocates still have a long way to go before they convince enough people to actually vote that way in a plebiscite.

I'm sure some do-and many of them are probably very loud voices in public discourse, but I doubt ALL Scots do. Have you asked them, each of them?

[nate895]

I'm sure some do-and many of them are probably very loud voices in public discourse, but I doubt ALL Scots do. Have you asked them, each of them?

Scotland consistently votes for socialist candidates, and I'm not going to submit to your radical individualist presuppositions. Socialist parties got over 75% of the vote in this election. That's not good for liberty in the land of Braveheart.

[Flash]

You guys know that this is because Scotland likes socialism, right? The SNP is a social democrat party, and the SNP did not win the majority of the vote, only the majority of seats. Scottish Independence advocates still have a long way to go before they convince enough people to actually vote that way in a plebiscite.


I was going to say this too. They want to leave the UK but say in the EU?? They want to protect Scottish identity then simultaneously allow Muslim immigrants in their nation by the boatload? It's complete nonsense.

[nate895]

I was going to say this too. They want to leave the UK but say in the EU?? They want to protect Scottish identity then simultaneously allow Muslim immigrants in their nation by the boatload? It's complete nonsense.

And the fact the Scottish people go for it just proves that they lack sense. I don't know, but I have a feeling that a lot of the loyal supporters of the SNP simply feel all romantic when they watch Braveheart or read about William Wallace, and that's why they're Scottish Independence diehards, not some actual principle that they feel they should defend.

[nobody's_hero]

Socialists have a right to secede as well. In fact, cutting ties with them is the most fiscally practical and preferable position to take.

[nate895]

Socialists have a right to secede as well. In fact, cutting ties with them is the most fiscally practical and preferable position to take.

I agree, that's why I think Vermonters and San Franciscans should secede sooner rather than later. I'm just saying it isn't healthy for those people to take that stance. Also, it's kind of stupid for Scottish socialists to vote for independence because the Scots get a lot of the money they use for their socialist programs from being a part of the United Kingdom. Let's not tell them that, though, and England will hopefully be better off on its own without the Scottish and Welsh socialists.

[Flash]

That's a good point, in the end this could help out the rest of the UK more than anything. From what I understand, the 'Nationalist' parties that want severely limit Muslim immigration & secede from the EU are only popular in England but not 'Socialist' Scotland.


Socialists have a right to secede as well. In fact, cutting ties with them is the most fiscally practical and preferable position to take.

[heavenlyboy34]

Scotland consistently votes for socialist candidates, and I'm not going to submit to your radical individualist presuppositions. Socialist parties got over 75% of the vote in this election. That's not good for liberty in the land of Braveheart.

Correction-scottish voters vote for socialist candidates. Does the electorate speak for everyone? It doesn't here, and I doubt it does there (I don't have statistics about scots handy to make a solid conclusion on this). You don't have to subscribe to my "radical" individaulist presuppositions to acknowledge the self-evident: the voters do not necessarily reflect the will of "the people". This is one of the many reasons that democracy and republicanism fail.

[nate895]

Correction-scottish voters vote for socialist candidates. Does the electorate speak for everyone? It doesn't here, and I doubt it does there (I don't have statistics about scots handy to make a solid conclusion on this). You don't have to subscribe to my "radical" individaulist presuppositions to acknowledge the self-evident: the voters do not necessarily reflect the will of "the people". This is one of the many reasons that democracy and republicanism fail.

I'm not convicting all Scots of being socialists. What I am saying is that the Scottish choose to represent themselves with socialists, consistently. If there is some massive underground non-voting network of capitalists in Scotland, they should get to the polls some time in the next century or so because that's the last time they showed up.

[nobody's_hero]

I'm not convicting all Scots of being socialists. What I am saying is that the Scottish choose to represent themselves with socialists, consistently. If there is some massive underground non-voting network of capitalists in Scotland, they should get to the polls some time in the next century or so because that's the last time they showed up.

Yeah, to paraphrase Adam Kokesh, 'it doesn't matter whether or not you 'do' government, government will do you.'

[DamianTV]

Freedom is Popular

[JohnEngland]

This Brit is pleased to see Scotland moving towards independence. However, I suspect the Scottish people may not fully want it, since the English subsidise their "free" education and healthcare. Basically, the Scots live off the English.

What would also be nice is if some day Ireland could be reunified. Thing is, again, Northern Ireland seems to be dependent on England too. Socialism creates dependency.

[nobody's_hero]

Socialism creates dependency.

True that, and few people even realize it while they're ensnared.