scribz said
Actually utterly and completely false. Did you know RBS is also in england? Did you know that despite RBS's headquarters being in scotland, England got the tax of the economic activity n England? Why, would it be any different now? The HQ isn't even open to the public, it's the bank behind their chain branch, not a single dollar is placed their directly by their people, it's all just legislation and business meeting. Where it decides to go is irrelevant, RBS's problem isn't the lacking economic power an independent scotland, rather BBC going against regulation which brought a shock in stock prices in hours before RBS can take actionAs for everything else you said, scotland wants a lot of changes unanimously, but we're not the Max Devolution vote. Some of us now don't want a thing to do with westminister, and i'm one of them. They don't represent us, and they've never wanted to unless they felt they to. Scotland will have some teething issues i'm sure, and England will have a large blow to them too. But the money thrown back into the countries will be placed into the flow of people more across the north and south capitals, it will be a more beneficial economic model for both scotland, and anyone north of london. We shouldn't have to justify our economics any more, a strong case has been made for it, stronger than the vast countries in europe if they had to face a split. Things like being allowed in the EU when w'ell be more productive than france by calculations, sharing the pound even though we can do it without their consent and also having other options like the Euro and our own currency anyway, the first option will entirely be made anyway on accounts to england not being an idiot to losing economic trade with scotland and allowing us off with no debt. And this ridiculous idea that separation with cause harm to the economy for good, even though changes in the economic happen regardless of our economic situation, and that we're more than easily able to bounce back from it. It's just...silly to think that this is going to end in all doom and gloom. If we vote for independence on thursday, i'll miss england, I love the people there dearly, I have family that are english, and friends that are english, but I won't miss westminister, because despite being voted in, neither labour or conservatives in Westminster represent the honest workers of scotland, or england.
If Westminster sank into the Thames, nobody would miss the damned thing, we know that. Its foolish to think the same wont be said of the government of Scotland.
The arguments are economic realism. The world is not fair, the world is not easy, we will be hurt. Hurt doesn't begin to cover it, actually. Doom and gloom is the more laughable stories that Scotland would be open to a Russian invasion. That's doom and gloom. Pointing out the flaws in the SNP's arguments, of which there are many, is realism. Some of their arguments are contradictory, others rely on money that Scotland simply won't have. Others are either false or extremely optimistic estimates Hell, the white paper assumes the oil is priced at $150 a barrel... More than 50 more than its current value.
And no shit RBS is in England, I notice the sign down the street from my house. Its also 85% owned by the UK. The headquaters basing brings in a disproportionate amount of tax for Scotland. Honestly, I expect they'll end up staying once Salmond engages his race to the bottom corporation tax policy. He's about as Socialist as Thatcher and it takes one look at him to work that out.
Your problem is also assuming the EU countries aren't going to cover their own backs. France alone has two separatist regions, rUK is going to try and appeal to the voters anger... Same with NATO. No respected body in these organisation is going to want to encourage separatists.
A more beneficial model would be to reverse the shit Westminster has pulled in the past 30 years, not split the country in half and cause resentment on either side of the border... For no reason. The people have mostly the same values, their culture is hardly a massive reason for seperation. It not some irreconcilable difference, its a massive risk for no reason other than "Westminter don't represent us", of which the name in that sentence will simply change under independence
Using the pound without a currency union is not the same thing, and you are intelligent enough to know it. Its a terrible plan, and there wont be a currency union. Do you think the electorate is going to allow that? There is a real sense of abandonment down here. We chipped in to help in 2008, and now we have some git telling us that we've been stealing Scotlands oil and that we should bend over and do what he wants... Oh, and that our businesses will be nationalised in Scotland in a "day of reckoning"? And that they will take no debt if we don't give them exactly what they want? Do you know how many people, right or wrong, think that this is a betrayal? It seems to many that Scotland is being greedy and trying to make off with the money. There won't be a fair treatment of Scotland, its wrong but their wont be, not here, not in the EU, not in NATO etc. The campaign has been handled in such a way that makes it drip of venom.
Economic activity may happen, but that doesn't just reverse decay like a flash. This is going to hit us hard and we will feel it for many, many years, and neither will be well off even after the economy does recover. It will set us both back and give us a greater distance to go.
A lot of respected, big business people as saying this is a bad, bad idea. A lot of economists are saying this is a bad idea. The fact that nearly half of Scotland is willing to bet massively against the odds not only scares me, but makes me wonder what that says about humans. Why do we refuse to play it safe, especially when we have entered an upturn?