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Thursday 13 October 2016

Thoughts on Thursday: Scottish independence

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-37634338

Although I agree with the argument for an independent Scotland, it's still just another example of insular 'us before them' populism.

They (the SNP, speaking for the majority) turn away from the Tory's Westminster unhappy that they do not have control of their own land and now they wish to "take back control" just like the argument that won the leave vote, but Scotland still wishes to be part of the EU. What happens when the EU issues a ruling that they disagree with? Take back control again?

I'll be clear, I massively distrust the SNP. They are a one-issue populist party, who now are the anti-austerity party and apparently democratic socialists. Tomorrow, they could be whatever is popular. Yesterday, they we happy to sell off 'their' land to Trump to ruin with a golf course (here).

At least, they have more of a plan for Scottish independence than the leave campaign ever had for Brexit. However, as a friend says, it's difficult to predict the future...

I foolishly grew up with the idea that we were working on a future that was everyone working together for each other (too much Star Trek utopianism). Really, we were always working on Ghettoising the world. You stay in your corner, we'll stay in ours. Until someone needs someone else's resources/land.

The history of the world is countries breaking apart and forming together, cf. Empedocles 'Love and Strife', constant turning-away-from and turning-towards, unification and separation. The rest, as he says, is commentary.


At one time through love all things come together into one, at another time, through strife's hatred, they are borne each of them apart.