Absolute Bullshit, stop looking at The Mail and you may, just may unclog some of your bottlenecks. You do realise as recently as two of the last 3 Labour victories would have been accomplished regardless of Scotland? Do you honestly believe that the good people of England, Wales and N.Ireland would vote in any usles Govt. Regardless? This is still the UK - not ydet the Southern States of US- Sorry Houston Ranger.
I'm just guessing/joking the homosexual part but would be astonished if there hadn't been some going on. From what I have read the Americans were not at all welcome - they were considered inferior combatants and pretty sure the saying went like: Overpaid, over sexed and over here!
Some bedtime reading for you Swords:- On the same side: homosexuals during the Second World War Stephen Bourne reveals how, during a rare period of tolerance, homosexuals served the armed forces with distinction during the Second World War please log in to view this image http://www.historyextra.com/feature/same-side-homosexuals-during-second-world-war
We're all stunners over here Swordsy - remember it's the "different" that matters. Anyway, I'm sure you brush up a treat
Summary: There was no thought about independence when the Empire was thriving - we were all part of something much bigger, and the Scots played a huge part in both the trade, colonisation and military aspects. Similarly the rebuilding after the war and establishment of the welfare state was a collective exercise, and a sense of 'Britishness' was continued through huge numbers of workers in obviously pan British industries - British Shipbuilding, British Steel, National Coal Board, and critically solidarity across pan British unions. So when the first referendum for a Scottish Parliament took place in 1979, the result was roughly even, but more people didn't vote than either voted for or against. All eroded away, or in the case of the industry, deliberately destroyed (my interpretation not the programmes) during the 80's and 90's. Now, despite the perception attitude polling shows the Scots are only marginally more left wing than the English, but have a stronger sense of inequality and social injustice. There is a feeling that this could be addressed better alone rather than as a part of the UK, as there is little trust in either the Tories or Labour to do anything, both being 'austerity' parties. Although there are a small number of definitively anti English nationalists around, the shift is more down to these social policy factors than national identity. Sorry, more of a regurgitation than a summary. Helped me think it through a bit better. I'm still irritated by the low level of the debate, but the historical context was useful. The Union is a transactional, not an emotional, relationship nowadays. The only thing that irritated me about the programme was the continual references by all parties to the 'hopes and aspirations of the Scottish people', as if all 5 million of them share a common consciousness. Their hopes and aspirations are as diverse and contradictory as everyone else's, of course. Looks like the thread has moved on a bit since I took the dog out and wrote this....
And here's the crux trying to be level headed and not the secret sold out Anarchist that I am - I truly think that Scotland does have a chance of rebuilding and consolidating strategic parts of Industry it wants to concentrate on. Horribly showing my snobbisness here but was rater taken by the words of an ex Swedish Home Office minister whilst sharing a bottle of bubbly in an outdoor jacuzzi in Bstad that smaller European countries should start to concentrate on their own niches and be really good at them and stop trying to compete with Low costa countries on the ****. Scotland could do that, would Westminster allow that? It won't be Salmon that creates that, it will be the next generation, anyway, they're going to bottle it in the end, Then the resentment will truly start from all sides. FYI Stan - Bstad is Sweden's more reasonably priced Whisky Belt - Skål to you all
Bloody good summary there Stan. Its a pity I missed it. That point about the loss of industry contributing to a loss of commonality regarding Britishness is good 'un. I suppose Thatcher would have to be blamed somewhere along the line
From that article:- After his rejection by the army on the grounds that he was âsuffering from sexual perversionâ, Quentin Crisp enjoyed the war years, especially when America entered the conflict and began to flood Britain with handsome GIs. Crisp described this exciting arrival in his autobiography The Naked Civil Servant (1968): âLabelled âwith love from Uncle Samâ and packaged in uniforms so tight that in them their owners could fight for nothing but their honour, these âbundles for Britainâ leaned against the lamp-posts of Shaftesbury Avenue or lolled on the steps of thin-lipped statues of dead English statesmen.â Parading the streets of London in the black out, and enjoying brief encounters with the Yanks, Crisp commented: âNever in the history of sex was so much offered to so many by so few.â http://www.historyextra.com/feature/...cond-world-war
What's that anarchistic commune area in Copenhagen called, if its still there? Spent a couple of days there while traveling in about 1981. I don't remember anything about it now, but I don't think I remembered much the day after either.
Christiania, it's still going strong today. Problem is though, that the land is now worth Millions and the battle is no longer with Tax or police, it's the damn developers. Consistently still produces Denmark's rawest talents- the latest a fantastic Irish Dane born and brought up in Christiania - his name Lukas Graham. Don't know how to put up the links - sorry.
They were very hospitable too, especially considering they must have had loads of well meaning young freeloaders turn up 'just to see what it's like'. The me of then would be very unhappy with the deeply compromised me of now, and quite rightly. Ah well, f** 'im, I'm all right Jack.
If the Scots are looking for a model on how to do independence.......................................................................best look elsewhere [video=youtube;e5Z1dqJzxNo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5Z1dqJzxNo[/video]
