I can assure you SD that I have been a mod on here for some time and worked with PNP, I have great respect for the guy. We may disagree on this issue but we will I am sure still respect one another.
I would echo Spurf's sentiments and extend them to the as-yet-silent YV, who's probably far too sensible to get involved! This is the Spurs board. We can disagree and hold a sensible debate. Nobody has to explode or go into a sweary rant and storm off. You ****s.
I agree it won't be easy and I don't see this as easy but I do believe there is a will to go this way in Scotland from a lot of people and that is a start that will not happen in the present UK. OK SD you can stop crying now.
So you can see now PNP all those people watching this thread were only interested in seeing you and me having a fight. They have all gone!
I was going to extend my reply to SD, including a part about a new step-mummy, but I thought better of the implications about Spurf!
I fully believe that a population should be allowed to chose who governs them. Scotland fully has the right to have a referendum to leave the union- and it should be respected. However, I think most of these separatist groups, Scots, Catalonians, Occitanians, Waloons, Flemmy folk, Bavarians, Venetians, etc, etc, etc, don't realise that a split would not be in their best interest. Having a large single unified democracy has proven to be more stable and economically profitable that being small less significant on a global stage. There is a region why most of the worlds mega companies come from countries like the US, China, and Japan. They can take advantage of a single market to build their product before going off to conquer the world. It's why the UK and EU are so important to the British nations- being part of something bigger helps you get big. Being a smaller country doesn't mean you don't have big business... you do... and all the big money goes back overseas to HQ. The EU has more capital volume than the US and more people- yet fewer major global companies... why? Because the US, for such a long time had a larger domestic market. Scotland, the Basque, the Waloons all have rights to declare themselves independent, but in the long run it will hurt them.
I think if public opinion is close- then that is a boost for the YES group. YES people are ideologues and nationalists. They will have more passion to go out and vote. The majority could want to stay in the union- but still lose the referendum if they don't vote.
Rank Country GDP - per capita (PPP) (US$) 1 Liechtenstein 141,100 2 Qatar 104,300 3 Luxembourg 81,100 4 Bermuda 69,900 5 Monaco 63,400 6 Singapore 60,500 7 Jersey 57,000 8 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) 55,400 9 Norway 54,200 10 Brunei 50,000 11 Hong Kong 49,800 12 United States 49,000 13 United Arab Emirates 48,800 14 Guernsey 44,600 15 Switzerland 43,900 16 Cayman Islands 43,800 17 Gibraltar 43,000 18 Netherlands 42,700 19 Austria 42,400 20 Kuwait 42,200 There is the top twenty by per captia income. As you can see 8 of the top 10 are small countries. Which suggests that small is beautiful.
Yeah, cos who doesn't want to live that Falklands Isles lifestyle! It could also suggest that big outliers have a larger influence on smaller groups. Or that having a close relationship with Britain (Singapore, Jersey, Falklands, Hong Kong, USA-ish, Guernsey, Caymans, Gibraltar) is of massive benefit.
Not true. The UK's in the top 10, but is well behind various other countries, however you measure it. Still crap, obviously, but not the worst.
8 out of 10 are tax dodger havens or oil rich. Scotland is neither. There is some oil in north sea but nothing that will get you on par with the middle east. For the rest of the world a larger economy block helps.
Oh yes there is The West Coast of Scotland, see post 474 Nothing to stop an Independent Scotland offering attractive tax conditions, not saying they will but the flexibilty of small countries is the key to their success. Norway's oil resources are not as big as Scotlands they just managed it better. Whatever the reason they are richer making your argument difficult to sustain. Your larger blocks helps big business as you said but for the individual the smaller country not only provides a better living enviroment but also more money.
I can find figures on tax evasion in the Country where the UK comes 9th as you say, but I can't find figures for off shore. I suspect they will be almost impossible to find as the whole point is to keep the money secret. The fact that so many of these small rich tax havens have British connections should tell us something.
Oh please, don't do this to me! seriously? Lichenstein?, Luxembourg?, Qatar??, Bermuda? Out of those top 4 - 3 are notorious tax "havens" the other, a oil rich dictatorship!...
If you think that the whole of the country is in poverty now wait until your on your own with no EU substances and no currency worthy of investing in. save your selves as you have just one opportunity to do so and kick the snp into touch and vote no. your lives and the future of your children and future generations depend on it.
