England Turning Resentful of Scottish Desire for Independence

[Torie]

Thanks for your comments Jas. A wise policy would be to only move forward when a majority of the Protestants agree in Northern Ireland, rather than rely on demographics (although I am not sure the cross religious fertility rates vary that much anymore). The change in the economic conditions in the Republic of Ireland, have really helped to lance the boil. Heck, this secular WASP if I lived in Northern Ireland, would not be adverse to hooking up with the Republic to get my taxes lowered. Why not?

[Keystone Phil]

Of course.

Assuming that is sarcasm, explain why you posted it.

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I was saying that that's what I'd like to see. You thought you'd shut me up about it "supporting" the break up of Italy. Whether you think the break up of the country is possible or not, that's not what this is about. I stated my opinion and you didn't like it.

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Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

See the comments above.

[Јas]

Thanks for your comments Jas. A wise policy would be to only move forward when a majority of the Protestants agree in Northern Ireland, rather than rely on demographics (although I am not sure the cross religious fertility rates vary that much anymore).

It would have been nice if the obvious variation of that wise policy would have been used when NI was created, but I digress...
The Catholic fertility rate remains higher than the Protestant one, but certainly it seems to have narrowed very considerably. The other dynamic which is new to the equation has been immigration into the North from Europe and the rest of the world over the past decade.

The change in the economic conditions in the Republic of Ireland, have really helped to lance the boil. Heck, this secular WASP if I lived in Northern Ireland, would not be adverse to hooking up with the Republic to get my taxes lowered. Why not?

Well, to move quite tangentially, our economic situation isn't what is was. We're on the brink of recession at the moment and I'm quite pesimistic about the future..but anyway.
Yes, many people from the North have moved south for employment reasons over the past few years and have contributed to the fact that there is now no town in the South without someone claiming British citizenship.

[Хahar 🤔]

Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

Your Stat Panel suggests you're frequently on well past midnight.

[Keystone Phil]

Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

Your Stat Panel suggests you're frequently on well past midnight.

Well, uh, thanks for checking that but that doesn't suggest insomnia. I stay up very late and sleep peacefully until late morning. 

[Хahar 🤔]

Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

Your Stat Panel suggests you're frequently on well past midnight.

Well, uh, thanks for checking that but that doesn't suggest insomnia. I stay up very late and sleep peacefully until late morning. 

Well, I'm still not quite sure what your point was with the insomnia thing.

[Keystone Phil]

Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

Your Stat Panel suggests you're frequently on well past midnight.

Well, uh, thanks for checking that but that doesn't suggest insomnia. I stay up very late and sleep peacefully until late morning. 

Well, I'm still not quite sure what your point was with the insomnia thing.

I don't need something to help put me to sleep. Thanks.

[Хahar 🤔]

Sicily and Pennsylvania have a much more interesting history.

Go and read about Welsh history sometime.

Luckily, I don't suffer from insomnia.

Your Stat Panel suggests you're frequently on well past midnight.

Well, uh, thanks for checking that but that doesn't suggest insomnia. I stay up very late and sleep peacefully until late morning. 

Well, I'm still not quite sure what your point was with the insomnia thing.

I don't need something to help put me to sleep. Thanks.

Don't make such funny assumptions.

[Keystone Phil]

Don't make such funny assumptions.

Again, Wales seems rather boring to me but most of my comments on this were exaggerated. Such a pity that the comments about Sicily (and even Pennsylvania) aren't deemed "exaggerated" by those posting them.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Assuming that is sarcasm, explain why you posted it.

Sarcasm is a totally alien concept to me, Phil.

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I'm not sufficiently egotistical to think that I could shut you up.

No, I just thought it would be interesting to change a few little details of your argument (and the argument of many other Americans on the interwebs) around. That's all.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Again, Wales seems rather boring to me

Welsh history is actually very interesting. And I'm not just saying that as a Welshman.

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If you think that you can detect hostility towards Sicily and Pennsylvania, then your Offense Radar is malfunctioning.

[Keystone Phil]

I'm not sufficiently egotistical to think that I could shut you up.

You're right, Al. I'm a loud mouth Italian American. There's no shutting up this stereotypical, dago, arrogant American, right?

[Torie]

Jas, I have another question to ask you. Assuming that NI became part of the Republic, how would the parties in Ireland be affected? Would they need to be reconstituted if this issue went away, to the extent their charters are influenced by the NI question? Which party would the Unionists feel most comfortable in, and would it vary by class, social views, religiousity, etc? Which party would Torie join?  Thanks.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm not sufficiently egotistical to think that I could shut you up.

You're right, Al. I'm a loud mouth Italian American. There's no shutting up this stereotypical, dago, arrogant American, right?

Two plus two does not equal fifty eight.

[Keystone Phil]

I'm not sufficiently egotistical to think that I could shut you up.

You're right, Al. I'm a loud mouth Italian American. There's no shutting up this stereotypical, dago, arrogant American, right?

Two plus two does not equal fifty eight.

And, as expected, I get a typical coded response from Al! Yay!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm not sufficiently egotistical to think that I could shut you up.

You're right, Al. I'm a loud mouth Italian American. There's no shutting up this stereotypical, dago, arrogant American, right?

Two plus two does not equal fifty eight.

And, as expected, I get a typical coded response from Al! Yay!

The fact that God himself would struggle to shut you up and the fact that you are an Italian-American are seperate. It's not my fault that you see ethnic (or sectarian) slurs behind the mildest of remarks.

[afleitch]

Yes, but how does one make money off of all of that?  Can Scotland make a living selling electricity to England?

It can make a profit selling electricty to England, Wales, Northern Ireland and even Norway if it wants to. But 'making a living' based on that alone? Of course not. No country bankrolls it's economy on just on industry ( a few Gulf states excluded) We already have a diverse economy and our industry has not 'gone to pot' to the extent that our industry and private sector would not be able to support the country. We have a very strong and independent financial sector for example particularly in banking.

I dislike the notion that Scotland is welfare dependent or a subsidy junkie, Such notions ignore the situation in Northern Ireland (which is a special case) and the regional diversities within England. (and indeed within Scotland) It could be argued fairly effectively that in terms of economic regions, Scotland is less 'dependant' than Northern Ireland, Wales, North East, North West, Yorkshire and Humberside, East Midlands, West Midlands and London (if you exclude the 'surplus' spending as a the result of London being the capital and base of various agencies etc) and is in fact a net contributor to the UK economy behind only the three regions that make up the 'Severn - Wash' wealthy part of the UK.

Which is also meaningless. As any part of the UK that wished to forge out on its own and be independent would be able to adapt and becomes a successful small European nation.

As for 'resentment' I don't know about that. But they would miss us if we left

[Keystone Phil]

The fact that God himself would struggle to shut you up and the fact that you are an Italian-American are seperate. It's not my fault that you see ethnic (or sectarian) slurs behind the mildest of remarks.

It's a mild remark to say that I can't be shut up by even God?

You're right, Al. I don't shut up. I don't cave like other people on this forum and just accept everything you say as the word of some heavenly, enlightened being. I can tell that it gets under your skin. To you, I'm just an arrogant, uneducated bomb thrower while you're the "mild mannered" genius.

By the way, it would be a real struggle to shut your mouth, too. I couldn't imagine going a day without hearing your brilliant yet vague insight into everything!

Pot calling the kettle black when it comes to arrogance, Al.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

It's a mild remark to say that I can't be shut up by even God?

Not that long ago you were complaining that people didn't "get" that your remarks were exaggerated...

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Vicktorah!!!!!!1111

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Totally wrong as it happens.

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Now, now, Phil... I don't think that anyone would accuse you of being uneducated.

Regardless, for someone currently touting their ability to observe and understand other people, you seem to have somehow missed that I loath educational snobbery... I would certainly never use "uneducated" as a serious insult. At least not as far as formal education is concerned.

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lol

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That depends on the circumstances.

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I do believe that I detect a trace of sarcasm here. Only a small trace. Certainly no overkill.

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I didn't accuse you of being arrogant.

[Torie]

Thanks for the post. Does Scotland within the UK pay more into the commonweal than it takes out, or not, and sans North Sea oil, what would the books look like? My impression, was that Scotland oil aside was the Mississippi of the Great Britain, or close to it. Maybe that is out of date thinking. One interesting factlet, is that next to Indian Americans, Scottish Americans are the richest, both ahead of Jewish Americans, allegedly. Who knew? Greek Americans are fourth. Maybe Scotland has just been too brain drained, ala one of my ancestors, who was a near genius apparently, and split around 1820 or so, for Montreal, to  build steam engines for water craft, one of which powered the first steam ship to cross the Atlantic.

[Keystone Phil]

Not that long ago you were complaining that people didn't "get" that your remarks were exaggerated...

Uh...relevance?

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Oh, I know, Al. You're for the working man.

[Torie]

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Damn, I'm jealous!

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Uh...relevance?

Some.

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It is possible to be quite sincere about that you know. Not everyone who claims to be on the side of the Working Class is a corrupt old fraud, brainwashed Trot or a Democrat hack paying lip-service to Working Class voters. I think that you'd probably find me much less objectionable if you realised that.

[Keystone Phil]

Some.

There's that classic annoying Al response! Vague as ever. Keep it up.

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Al, you can play up your love for the working class coal miners from West Virginia or Wales or whoever and still ooze that educational snob attitude.

For being someone who apparently can't be shut up, I'd like to just end this soon since it's going no where. I think you made a comment about Italy breaking apart just because that's what you "want" just to annoy me.

[afleitch]

My impression, was that Scotland oil aside was the Mississippi of the Great Britain, or close to it. Maybe that is out of date thinking.

Not in the slightest. And no disrespect to Mississippi in saying that. I was wrong im my assessment of GDP for the UK regions. Scotland has the third largest GDP per head in the UK behind London (which is skewed due to it's status - in the same way DC tops the US list) and the South East. If independent (without oil) we would have a similar GDP to that of New Zealand or the Czech Republic which is comparative with a nation of our size. With oil...well the jury is still out on that one.

Bear in mind that in Edinburgh has some of the highest priced real estate in the UK outside of London yet 20 minutes walk away you are in a council owned housing estate. Such is the way with all UK cities. RBOS (The Royal Bank of Scotland) based in Edinburgh is the worlds 5th largest bank and finance employs 1 in 10 of the Scottish workforce.





As for renewables

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renewable_energy_in_Scotland

The natural resource base for renewables is extraordinary by European, and even global standards