Scotland votes no to independence

[hal2kilo]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-29270441

I was over there just a little over a year ago, and did some informal, unscientific polling. I generally got that on one hand, it seems like it would be a good thing as far as a national pride kind of thing, but, that for the most part they really do get a lot of benefits by being part of the UK. So, I really was not surprised by the results.

 

[lopri]

They didnt have a lot of choice.

The EU wouldnt let them use the Euro straight away.
Setting up their own currency would be extremely risky and expensive.

The only option that the independance movement could put forward that wouldnt scare the hell out of the electorate would be that theyd use the pound and nothing would change.

That sounds like a dubious justification. At a minimum it severely undercuts the independence crowd's sincerity: "We want our independence and the financial security provided by the Union." a la "I want to have my cake and eat it, too."

In practice, the citizens of the rest of the Union would obviously not accept such proposition. It is one thing to subsidize fellow citizens through validly enacted laws, but it is another to foot the bill of "foreigners" at their requests on-demand.

 

[norseamd]

The process of independence was to take over a year. Maybe next time they want independence again they can make weaning off the pound and producing new currency for Scotland fully integrated into the independence process. Might lengthen the time between the referendum and independence but it might be worth it.

 

[StinkyPinky]

The southern US is conquered land as well. So basically people saying that Scotland are cowards because they don't want to leave after 300 years should also be calling the southern US states the same. They broke away in 1861 and had an independent nation but were conquered back into the union. Live free or die my ass.

Also, we can all hope that one day Texas will vote to free themselves of the shackles of their American masters and rejoin their Mexican brothers.

 

[norseamd]

The southern US is conquered land as well. So basically people saying that Scotland are cowards because they don't want to leave after 300 years should also be calling the southern US states the same. They broke away in 1861 and had an independent nation but were conquered back into the union. Live free or die my ass. Also, we can all hope that one day Texas will vote to free themselves of the shackles of their American masters and rejoin their Mexican brothers.

The Mexican Reconquista is complicated by Native American tribes who will obviously fight against the annexation of their lands to the Mexicans.

 

[NTMBK]

The Mexican Reconquista is complicated by Native American tribes who will obviously fight against the annexation of their lands to the Mexicans.

Also, it's probably complicated by the largest military in the world.

 

[norseamd]

Also, it's probably complicated by the largest military in the world.

True. For right now.

Although even the most powerful military in the world can only do so much in certain political climates.