News from Scotland

[500channelsurfer]

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-64874821

Scotland's pro-independence party and government have a new leader named Humza Yousaf.

He speaks with the accent of a typical worldly Scot, is a seasoned politician and has jumped many political hurdles. He will head, for the moment, a coalition with the Greens. His baggage includes criticisms that occurred almost universally during Covid to cabinet ministers heading equivalent departments in the Western world.

He reminds me of Quebec during the late 1990s, when progressive and pro-sovereigntist governments lead with great fanfare to little achievement. History most often repeats, but accumulation of small conditional changes lead up to making history.

[-TSS-]

A hatemongerer of the first order.

Yet still better than his predecessor. 

We in the west seem to have come to the stage that not only foreigners come into our countries but they also become leading politicians.

Imagine it the other way round. A non-jewish PM of Israel. That just would be impossible.

[Aristides]

He was born in Glasgow. 

[Nationalist]

Interesting. And Indian Scot. 

Huh...who'd o' thunk?

Edited June 18, 2023 by Nationalist

[-TSS-]

On 4/4/2023 at 2:35 AM, Aristides said:

He was born in Glasgow. 

If a cat was born in a horse-staple...

 

However, if the Scottish people re-elect the SNP under his leadership then that is what they want. We'll see,

[SpankyMcFarland]

Brexit Britain is inherently unstable. The likelihood of an immediate break-up will be reduced if Labour win the next UK election but a virulent strain of English nationalism has been unleashed that is difficult to live with.  

Edited July 4, 2023 by SpankyMcFarland

[herbie]

On 6/18/2023 at 1:53 PM, Nationalist said:

Interesting. And Indian Scot. 

Huh...who'd o' thunk?

Gunderjit's yer uncle!

[Nationalist]

7 hours ago, herbie said:

Gunderjit's yer uncle!

No. I heard he's your real father.

Now go play stupid with someone else.

[OftenWrong]

12 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

Brexit Britain is inherently unstable. The likelihood of an immediate break-up will be reduced if Labour win the next UK election but a virulent strain of English nationalism has been unleashed that is difficult to live with.  

If only we could have such nationalism at this time. Then we could remove the traitorous globalist Trudeau, as Brits have done.

[Michael Hardner]

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

If only we could have such nationalism at this time. Then we could remove the traitorous globalist Trudeau, as Brits have done.

What nationalism exactly? The post you're responding to you is talking about a regional breakup, is that what you mean by nationalism or do you mean State nationalism? They are different.

 

Also globalist is a really weird word, since pretty much every national government in the g20 is more or less globalist including the US under Trump.

[SpankyMcFarland]

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

If only we could have such nationalism at this time. Then we could remove the traitorous globalist Trudeau, as Brits have done.

Britain has paid a big price for leaving the EU. For a start, it has instantly become another Canada, trying to negotiate bilateral trade deals with big beasts like the US and the EU from a position of weakness. The sort of additional trouble one should not volunteer for. 

[Michael Hardner]

19 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

Britain has paid a big price for leaving the EU. For a start, it has instantly become another Canada, trying to negotiate bilateral trade deals with big beasts like the US and the EU from a position of weakness. The sort of additional trouble one should not volunteer for. 

Here's an article on how Brexit has impacted the UK.  Overall, not good however maybe also not as bad as people thought.  It's important to note that it's very difficult to separate those impacts with the other major global events of late.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64450882

[Michael Hardner]

https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/imagine-uk-inflation-if-sterling-were-actually-weak-2023-06-30/

 

UK has had the worst inflation since Brexit, which makes sense.

[Moonbox]

b-b-but JUSTINFLATION!? 

[SpankyMcFarland]

2 hours ago, Michael Hardner said:

Here's an article on how Brexit has impacted the UK.  Overall, not good however maybe also not as bad as people thought.  It's important to note that it's very difficult to separate those impacts with the other major global events of late.

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-64450882

Well, ‘not as bad as people might think’ was hardly how Brexit was sold by its boosters. There were ‘sunlit uplands’ promised. 
 

https://www.theneweuropean.co.uk/the-brexit-freedoms-bill-announcement-and-boris-johnson/

And oodles of cash for the NHS. What a joke.

 

Not surprisingly, support for Brexit has taken a dive, especially among younger voters:

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2023/jan/30/changing-attitudes-to-brexit-three-years-on

 

The costs were obvious. Vast amounts of law and regulation would have to be changed and years of tedious negotiations with trade partners entered into. We’ll see about any potential benefits down the road. 

Beyond London, Britain has profound long-term economic problems it needs to address. Whether the UK in its current form survives Brexit remains to be seen.
 

 

Edited July 5, 2023 by SpankyMcFarland

[Michael Hardner]

13 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

1. Well, ‘not as bad as people might think’ was hardly how Brexit was sold by its boosters. There were ‘sunlit uplands’ promised. 

2. Whether the UK in its current form survives Brexit remains to be seen. We’ll see about any potential benefits down the road. 

1.  Well, the people who fell for that aren't going to be swayed by any kind of reason anyway.  The best we can hope is that they decide to stay away from politics.  Unless they take the time to seek out more objective sources and reject angertainment.

2. Benefits from isolationism do exist.  

[SpankyMcFarland]

I see Brexit mainly as a massive distraction. British politicians have been mesmerized by this issue for years at the expense of real problems that need to be addressed. 

[eyeball]

25 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

I see Brexit mainly as a massive distraction. British politicians have been mesmerized by this issue for years at the expense of real problems that need to be addressed. 

It was also to the benefit of those who don't want solutions.  Nowadays its culture wars that provide the distraction.

[OftenWrong]

14 hours ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

Britain has paid a big price for leaving the EU. For a start, it has instantly become another Canada

I see Brexit as an act of British patriotism. Brexit takes a stand against the massive federalism imposed by Germany, the powerhouse of the EU. The people spoke out and no matter what you might think of it, there was enough of them to win the vote. By separating from EU, British are putting their own country first. That's right fella - It's about making Britain great again.

And yes it will cost more, at least for a while, but by choosing Brexit they have said they are willing to pay that price for the future of Britain. Their position is weak because of globalization and too many years of dependency on the larger economic union. Not unlike when a person is an alcoholic or drug addicted, they must go through withdrawal when they quit. Detoxification can be painful, but you've got to make it through that.

Quote

trying to negotiate bilateral trade deals with big beasts like the US and the EU from a position of weakness. The sort of additional trouble one should not volunteer for. 

Britain was able to go it alone before the EU. Wasn't that long ago they were #1 in the world. Outsourcing and remodeling into a high-tech society, where you produce nothing also leaves you open to military attack. If you want to go to war, you need a certain industrial infrastructure.

[SpankyMcFarland]

12 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

I see Brexit as an act of British patriotism. Brexit takes a stand against the massive federalism imposed by Germany, the powerhouse of the EU. The people spoke out and no matter what you might think of it, there was enough of them to win the vote. By separating from EU, British are putting their own country first. That's right fella - It's about making Britain great again.

Brexit was an act of provincial English nationalism which also won in Wales probably due to the large number of English expats there. It was beaten in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London and is much less popular now than it was. Anyone who complains Alberta isn’t listened to in Ottawa should be able to identify with the plight of Scotland and NI here. 

Moderately-sized nation-states struggle to go it alone these days. None but the very biggest should even consider it and even they volunteer to belong to all sorts of agreements that restrict their sovereignty. 

 

12 hours ago, OftenWrong said:

And yes it will cost more, at least for a while, but by choosing Brexit they have said they are willing to pay that price for the future of Britain. Their position is weak because of globalization and too many years of dependency on the larger economic union. Not unlike when a person is an alcoholic or drug addicted, they must go through withdrawal when they quit. Detoxification can be painful, but you've got to make it through that.

Britain was able to go it alone before the EU. Wasn't that long ago they were #1 in the world. Outsourcing and remodeling into a high-tech society, where you produce nothing also leaves you open to military attack. If you want to go to war, you need a certain industrial infrastructure.

OK, they were ‘number one’ on some measures well over a century ago. WWI, let alone the rematch, should have dispelled any delusions on that score. Time to wake up and get real. Putin was a supporter of Brexit for obvious reasons. He and China want Europe disunited and weak. 

Edited July 6, 2023 by SpankyMcFarland

[OftenWrong]

32 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

OK, they were ‘number one’ on some measures well over a century ago. WWI, let alone the rematch, should have dispelled any delusions on that score.

So I guess dropping to a number two score after the world wars is not good enough. America may also soon be displaced from the top position.

37 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

was beaten in Scotland, Northern Ireland and London and is much less popular now than it was.

British are well-known as complainers, and to keep their government in check. Again wish Canada would take a page from that.

Otherwise, Brexit vote was all good. The people got to speak out. What I see is democracy.

45 minutes ago, SpankyMcFarland said:

Putin was a supporter of Brexit for obvious reasons. He and China want Europe disunited and weak. 

Globalists and their supporters are constantly invoking Putin as the bogeyman because he won't play into their hands. It's what Brexit and the Ukraine war are largely about. That's why we see the viceral media attacks. Same goes for the attacks on Trump. Because the three represent a different group of wealthy elites.

[Moonbox]

47 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

So I guess dropping to a number two score after the world wars is not good enough. America may also soon be displaced from the top position.

By who?  China? 

They're more heavily in debt than the Americans, and facing a suspicious new global market that's starting to divest away from them.    

47 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

Otherwise, Brexit vote was all good. The people got to speak out. What I see is democracy.

I understand the sentiment behind Brexit and even sympathized with it.  An economic/political union with wild disparities in wealth/priorities with free movement of people represents obvious problems.  The Germans have benefited enormously from it, and less so the rest.  That said, the UK is trading economic well-being for sovereignty for the forseeable future.  Whether that choice was worth it is for them to decide.  

47 minutes ago, OftenWrong said:

Globalists and their supporters are constantly invoking Putin as the bogeyman because he won't play into their hands. It's what Brexit and the Ukraine war are largely about. 

No, we invoke Putin because he's initiated the largest war in Europe since WW2.  He's not a bogeyman.  He's real, and he's a crook and a murderer, however you want to spin it.  

[OftenWrong]

4 hours ago, Moonbox said:

No, we invoke Putin because he's initiated the largest war in Europe since WW2.  He's not a bogeyman.  He's real, and he's a crook and a murderer, however you want to spin it.  

Hahaha, when I invoked globalists and their supporters, you came back with "we".

Now we certainly know where you stand. Not that there  was any doubt in my mind, of course.  

Anecdotally, while we fret in our armchairs about Britain I know someone who's here from England for a 3- month work term, he was surprised at how expensive our food is. Anecdotal I know, but then what have I got to gain by shitting you?

[Moonbox]

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

Hahaha, when I invoked globalists and their supporters, you came back with "we".

Now we certainly know where you stand. Not that there  was any doubt in my mind, of course.  

Yeah, gee, you 'got' me.  ?

1 hour ago, OftenWrong said:

Anecdotally, while we fret in our armchairs about Britain I know someone who's here from England for a 3- month work term, he was surprised at how expensive our food is. Anecdotal I know, but then what have I got to gain by shitting you?

Our groceries are expensive, and stupidly so.  He's probably right.  

[OftenWrong]

On 7/5/2023 at 9:15 AM, Michael Hardner said:

What nationalism exactly? The post you're responding to you is talking about a regional breakup, is that what you mean by nationalism or do you mean State nationalism? They are different.

Regional breakup? I was talking about Brexit. Nothing regional about that.

The British people chose to sever ties with the EU. That means they are no longer beholden to the whims of the EU Council. Giving the finger to the Germans. The old-boys in pubs out in those remote sheep-farming communities all raised a glass of lukewarm brown ale, and bellowed out "God Save the Queen".