Scottish independence -- How would you vote?

Quote: TheCesspit

As a half Scot from a Scottish father, that would drive my Dad insane to have his country called 'England' or him called 'English'. He was British first, Scottish second, and never English.

I'm afraid it is not just Americans who do it, but also Latin Americans. They say Inglaterra. But I imagine the British just assume Americans have read a little bit of British history.

As I understand it, you can use British as an adjective for someone from the UK, but you can't say "Great Britain" anymore since that would exclude Northern Ireland.

I don't know what you call someone from Northern Ireland. I don't think "Irish" is proper, and I understand the "Scotch Irish" is an American term. I think that "Ulster Scot" is more of a historical term. What is the correct term that you use?

The market at BetFair.com suggests the probability YES will win is about 21%. In sports I'm normally on the underdog, but when voting is involved I tend to respect the market and bet on the favorite. At least in US presidential politics and the Academy Awards.

Quote: Pacomartin

The past is the past. There is no stopping globalization.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but how many countries were there before World World I and now? How many countries now lay (or is it "lie") in what was Austria-Hungary?

Scottish independence is about as exciting
as S Carolina being separated from N Carolina.
Yawn.

Quote: Wizard

I'm not saying you're wrong, but how many countries were there before World World I and now? How many countries now lay (or is it "lie") in what was Austria-Hungary?

Scottish independence goes back to the time of the 30 years wars which ended up with the Peace of Westphalia. At that time Scotland shared a monarch with England under Queen Elizabeth, but maintained a separate parliament. It was only in 1707 that the parliaments were united, and the Prime Minister began to emerge as a power that equaled that of the monarch.



About 1878 and the congress of Berlin was probably the period of the least number of power in europe, and it has broken up since then.



But if Europe breaks up into it's 16th century identifiable nations, then it will be a nightmare. Venetian Republic, Piedmont, Naples, Sardinia, Hanover, Savoy, etc. All these places have minor independence movements.

Quote: Wizard

This Thursday Scotland will vote to declare independence from the rest of the United Kingdom. If you lived in Scotland, how would you vote?

If I lived in Scotland, then presumably I'd know what's involved and could cast a vote informed by some facts.

Quote: Wizard

The market at BetFair.com suggests the probability YES will win is about 21%. In sports I'm normally on the underdog, but when voting is involved I tend to respect the market and bet on the favorite. At least in US presidential politics and the Academy Awards.

Interesting, as polls seem to run it around 50/50. Certainly the narrow view I have with voters in Scotland it's a down the middle split.

The period when Mary Queen of Scots was a baby was dubbed by later historians as the rough wooing. Henry VIII had once killed his brother in law, the former King of Scotland, and tried to marry her mother (who wisely valued her head). Now he was a widower with a young son, and he wanted his son to marry the infant Mary Queen of Scots and unite the kingdom under his own terms.

The series of battles that resulted were considered a king of violent attempt at marriage of the kingdoms. When Henry VIII died on 28 January 1547 in his 37th year as monarch, the battles were replaced with what was probably history's first public relations campaign. The English had a boy king, and the Scottish had a girl queen, and the English tried to persuade the Scots that they should respect Britain's kinship. The Scots could not be persuaded, and married Mary, Queen of Scots off to the future King of France.

The justifiable paranoia of Queen Elizabeth meant that she never married, so eventually Scotland's royal family became the same as England's royal family.

But then the English threw out their Catholic King who was beloved of the Scots. His progeny leads to a line of succession which is now the royal family of the tiny principality of Liechtenstein (population 37K) which has the distinction of being (1) the richest royals in Europe despite their tiny kingdom, and (2) the only royal family where a Prince has married a black woman.

So if Scotland doesn't elect to become a republic, here are some photos of the family that could possibly be co-monarchs with Scotland and Liechtenstein.


Prince Alfons is now 13 years old, so this is an old photo


Prince Joseph-Wenzel is age 19. That is an old picture.

The children don't have frequent photos taken (until they are 21).

I'm going to get some money down on the YES at the bookmakers. I think there's a lot of value there:

http://www.theweek.co.uk/uk-news/scots-independence/60436/scottish-independence-odds-bookmakers-ignore-close-polls

Quote: TheCesspit

I'm going to get some money down on the YES at the bookmakers. I think there's a lot of value there:

I'll give you 3.5 to 1. I think the bookmakers will give you 4 to 1, but I'm trying to perceive an advantage too.