A Former Dundee Man

Top reasons for England to want independence from Scotland.

1. Scotland would vote for a goat if you pinned a red rosette to it.
2. Scotland has had more than its fair share of MPs and ministers.
3. Scots MPs can vote on English only laws.
4. Scots are idiots having free higher education … everyone knows that the lower classes should be kept out or at least lumbered with massive debt. Keeps the poor in their place.
5. Scots are embarrassing pro-European idiots … everyone knows that only the USA can be trusted.  And the European Union has ensured the longest period of piece in Western European recorded history.  Where’s the fun in that? We’re running out of time that we can still ride on the glory of World War II.  And that damn European Court of Human Rights really gets in the way of progress…
6. Without nuclear weapons Scots will be unable to defend themselves against inevitable Godzilla attack. Don’t want to be associated with such spineless, utopian, skirt wearing people.
7. Without nuclear power Scots will be a bunch of poodle walking, blouse wearing, flower sniffing, tree hugging…  Embarrassing to be associated with such people.
8. Scots want an all inclusive, well funded health care system called the NHS. Everyone knows that an exclusive, expensive US style insurance based system is far more effective.
9. Ayn Rand and Milton Friedman proved that trickle down liberalism is the only economic model that works.  The poor must be punished.  The bible says so.  The only Scot who understood this was Scotland’s own Adam Smith … after heavy re-interpreting and misreading.
10. Thatcher proved that no civilized country has any need for a manufacturing base or for exports to exceed imports. Only requirements are a giant casino banking system (financial services) propping up the accounts and keeping the already wealthy rich.  Scot’s don’t understand this.
11. Scotland supports any football team that is playing against England.  England vs Germany?  Becks beer half price and free bratwurst all round.
12. The only thing that Scotland’s football team wins are Fairness Awards.  What the hell is that?  Best fans?  Who cares?  Scotland can’t even take on Johnny Foreigner effectively.
13. Scots relegated their biggest football club to the Third Division just because they had some financial issues.  The powerful should be effectively shielded from the laws of commoners.
14. Malcolm Tucker and Jamie McDonald.
15. Oil is a disgusting substance that destroys the environment.

When considering Scottish independence it’s worth keeping an eye on Denmark.  Similar population size, about half the area and sitting at number 6 in the list of countries ranked by GDP per capita.  Denmark has an extremely high standard of living and adheres to the liberal, egalitarian Scandinavian model.  In terms of natural resources Scotland has Denmark well and truly beaten.  Denmark has an output of around 94 million barrels of oil per year against 656 million barrels for Scotland.  Both countries have lots of wind, but beyond that Scotland has hydro-power and holds far more potential for wave and tidal. Denmark has a lot of pigs, I believe.

Clever labour laws going under the term “Flexicurity“, high standards of education and investment in research and technology keep Denmark competitive.  And contrary to the unfair, immoral, neo-con insanity in so many countries Denmark does all this with a generous welfare state, an inclusive health care system and the lowest level of inequality in the world.  The winner takes all, punish the poor model of the UK and the USA does not work and only “benefits” a small percentage.  I put the word benefits in quotes because only the blind and selfish can be pleased with their own success while so many countrymen suffer.

Whether Scotland can match Denmark’s success is therefore down to the will of the people.  Scotland has historically shown a will to promote fairness and equality with strong commitment to free higher education and a well funded NHS.  For Scotland to fail as an independent land would take a high level of incompetence and/or corruption. Given the frightening state of the UK economy and the possibility of a vote to leave the EU in 2017, the state of the UK could diminish further in a slide towards the further economic ruin as exporters get hit by EU import taxes, the most deprived regions miss out on current EU funding and human rights goes out the window completely.