Throughout this there's clearly a lot of brinkmanship going on, preparatory to adopting negotiating positions in the event of a Yes (or perhaps just trying to sound strong and manly while being confident the bluff would never be called). The greatest risk is that the politicians have said things that cannot be unsaid. Recall that they could yet be voted out before independence negotiations conclude, although the rather scary alternative also exists that next year's election will actually turn into a Hardest (Wo)Man Versus Scotland competition. Unknowable.
But there's equally the possibility that next year's election will turn into a Hardest (Wo)Man Versus Scotland competition after a No vote. An April survey indicated a substantial English mood to punish Scotland already, Yes or No. And yes, they're 84% of the population, and the pro-punishment margins (56% to 9% on "Levels of public spending in Scotland should be reduced to the levels in the rest of the UK") are so large that we couldn't stop them in a vote.
Recall that when Cameron and Salmond signed the Edinburgh Agreement, they signed a document which concludes "The two governments are committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome, whatever it is, in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom." I do hope that after the vote, that phrase is prominent in their minds, but I'm pretty sure that the only outcome which gives Scotland any real agency afterwards is a Yes vote.
I've totally ignored all the positive reasons I'm going to vote Yes because fear and economy have exhausted me. But I think there is a real brief hope of a better democracy here, and of Scotland serving as a good example to the rest of the world, and most particularly to the rest of the UK, whose democracy I really want to see improve. But that's probably just dreamy-eyed Indie bias.
I strongly recommend your taking a look at Bella Caledonia, and perhaps at Wings Over Scotland's Wee Blue Book (WOS briefly banned from Scotsman comments!) though. More dreamy-eyed Indie bias, but not all of it bad, and it offers a little variety versus the vote-no mass media.
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timeasmymeasure
Some TL;DR for you.. [5/5]
Date: 2014-09-10 11:45 pm (UTC)But there's equally the possibility that next year's election will turn into a Hardest (Wo)Man Versus Scotland competition after a No vote. An April survey indicated a substantial English mood to punish Scotland already, Yes or No. And yes, they're 84% of the population, and the pro-punishment margins (56% to 9% on "Levels of public spending in Scotland should be reduced to the levels in the rest of the UK") are so large that we couldn't stop them in a vote.
Recall that when Cameron and Salmond signed the Edinburgh Agreement, they signed a document which concludes "The two governments are committed to continue to work together constructively in the light of the outcome, whatever it is, in the best interests of the people of Scotland and of the rest of the United Kingdom." I do hope that after the vote, that phrase is prominent in their minds, but I'm pretty sure that the only outcome which gives Scotland any real agency afterwards is a Yes vote.
I've totally ignored all the positive reasons I'm going to vote Yes because fear and economy have exhausted me. But I think there is a real brief hope of a better democracy here, and of Scotland serving as a good example to the rest of the world, and most particularly to the rest of the UK, whose democracy I really want to see improve. But that's probably just dreamy-eyed Indie bias.
I strongly recommend your taking a look at Bella Caledonia, and perhaps at Wings Over Scotland's Wee Blue Book (WOS briefly banned from Scotsman comments!) though. More dreamy-eyed Indie bias, but not all of it bad, and it offers a little variety versus the vote-no mass media.