tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post2044015373156556106..comments2024-03-16T01:00:19.876-05:00Comments on The Mad Monarchist: Thoughts on the Referendum ResultsMadMonarchisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-61817193154289858272014-09-21T13:44:32.199-05:002014-09-21T13:44:32.199-05:00Not to mention, in the case of the Lowlands, the c...Not to mention, in the case of the Lowlands, the cultural ties have always been great. The Scottish Lowlands have spoken English as long as the English have. If there is any part of Scotland that truly lacks cultural unity with the rest of Britain, it's the Highlands (they voted No Thanks!), but they are still a minority in an independent Scotland as in the United Kingdom. They have also historically been treated even more poorly by Lowlanders than by Englishmen. Considering the Highlanders' relatively conservative religious bent and the Lowlands' extreme liberalism on that front, it wouldn't surprise me if that became the case again under the aegis of the "tolerance" god again. nate895https://www.blogger.com/profile/05539361477170574108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-48845575365571724292014-09-21T05:10:54.644-05:002014-09-21T05:10:54.644-05:00If memory serves, the aforementioned remark was sa...If memory serves, the aforementioned remark was said by King George IV during His state visit to Scotland.TANAKA8120https://www.blogger.com/profile/08169056478150976834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-77916538189377857222014-09-21T02:30:28.987-05:002014-09-21T02:30:28.987-05:00Which is natural as the monarch was uniting Britai...Which is natural as the monarch was uniting Britain a considerable time before the Act of Union brought them under one government. Depending on the monarch, it would make even more sense. Up until the death of Queen Anne the monarchs of England were from a Scottish family. Their successors (neither Scottish or English) could not have kept their throne without considerable Scottish support, Queen Victoria was certainly very attached to Scotland and of course the current Queen's mother was Scottish. Such are the ties that make separation an absurd notion.MadMonarchisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08083008336883267870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-60044109327905351002014-09-21T01:18:27.509-05:002014-09-21T01:18:27.509-05:00The number 55% is also troubling for me because th...The number 55% is also troubling for me because they aren't solely representing the Unionist fraction in Scotland. Within this number lies the "Yes vote folks" who simply believe that Scotland at this point is incapable to be economically independent from UK and of course this number also represents the Northern Isles (Shetland & Orkney) who simply choose to be British more than to be Scottish.TANAKA8120https://www.blogger.com/profile/08169056478150976834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-59279367393898712072014-09-21T01:07:09.704-05:002014-09-21T01:07:09.704-05:00A British Monarch, I forget which one once said so...A British Monarch, I forget which one once said something like "anyone who hurts Scotland, hurts me as bad as if someone hurts England". A remark that all British citizens should remember and take to heart.TANAKA8120https://www.blogger.com/profile/08169056478150976834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-62392529056092294392014-09-20T20:31:56.598-05:002014-09-20T20:31:56.598-05:00While the outcome does mean everyone can rest easy...While the outcome does mean everyone can rest easy for a while, the issue is by no means settled. The SNP is going to do the same thing that radical republicans do in other countries when the democratic process doesn't go their way - try for another referendum, then another, then another, until the people eventually vote the way they want them to. <br /><br />At any rate, it is rather troubling to think that as many as 45% of Scots are dissatisfied with the current status quo - actually much more than that, since many of those that voted in favor of saving the union did so only with the understanding that Scotland's position in it is open for renegotiation via additional devolution. It is a troubling thought for the future of the UK, and does unfortunately mean that some sort of drastic reform will be needed to restore public consensus in the union. I don't know what form it would take, but I do find it interesting that the British government has used the concept of a federation so often throughout the Empire and Commonwealth as a solution to governance (Canada, Australia, Malaysia, India, South Africa, the West Indies), but has never thought of applying it to the homeland.<br /><br />Also interesting is that referendums on independence and abolishing monarchy are totally fine to re-do if the "correct" result isn't achieved, but the referendum on UK membership in the EEC is considered totally unassailable for all time, even though the EU of today is quite a bit different from what was then basically just a free trade zone.<br /><br />The American media has totally missed the point on this too - I can't stand how many times I've heard the referendum couched in terms like accountable government, localization, etc, when its the opposite. The SNP's supporters wanted MORE government, MORE welfare, MORE regulation, HIGHER taxes and were angry that the UK government wasn't doing enough of that. This was a referendum on "independence", but that doesn't always mean the same thing as "freedom". Robhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08368547834849724343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8783969302315257415.post-73118153343830844762014-09-20T05:26:20.253-05:002014-09-20T05:26:20.253-05:00As someone taking a new appreciation for the US, I...As someone taking a new appreciation for the US, I'm insulted by the assertion that some Scots think they're "like America." No they aren't! The political situation between Scotland and Great Britain and the relationship that the Thirteen Colonies had with London was completely different. The reasons for the fight were not manufactured, colonists felt cheated out of the Ohio territory and even some in parliament felt they couldn't tax the Colonies the way they were without adequate representation. Scotland is quite literally making things up, going off of "Braveheart" like it's historically accurate - when did Scotland stop hating that movie anyway? - and digging up the Wars of Independence like they have anything to do with the current reason Scotland is a part of Great Britain.<br /><br />SNP is flat-out unintelligent rabble, and I'm quite happy that the UK - particularly Scotland - remembered their own history and wisely voted to stay together.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14148584087910957605noreply@blogger.com