Got to love Glasgow.

[CommRLock78]

LMAO!! Really dude? I suppose you still think he's from Kenya, too? I think we have a bagger here.

Not necessarily. Obama gets a lot of criticism from the left as well, because many of his policies (especially regarding matters of security) are virtually indistinguishable from George W. Bush's. Drones, anyone? The continuing existence of Guantanamo, anyone? The still totally overblown "Homeland Security" apparatus, in which nothing has changed, anyone? The ongoing war on whistleblowers, anyone? The total lack of any consequences for the warmongers of '01-'08, anyone? And last but not least, the total surveillance of practically everybody on this planet, anyone?

If I were the Nobel Peace Price committee, I'd feel really awkward about my choice for 2009 in the meantime.

I agree completely about all those things, and have been putting pressure on him and others to see an end to them, but Dawn Trader was giving the usual Rush Limbaugh listening, Fox news watching trite shit with no basis in reality.

[Cody]

It's possible that Dawn Trader was speaking tongue-in-cheek - and anyway, what has politics to do with Glasgow? Apart from the upcoming independence, of course - when all the Scots-in-exile will return joyfully to Salmondland. <imagines watch-towers and razor wire going-up along the border - Gretna Green looking like Checkpoint Charlie>

[CommRLock78]

It's possible that Dawn Trader was speaking tongue-in-cheek - and anyway, what has politics to do with Glasgow?

I suppose you could be right - I'm just tired of hearing the silly non-sense. If the Tea-Baggers were to actually point out the things that Commander McLane mentioned, I wouldn't be heated, but they've been on Obama's case since he took office, starting with harrassing him about his nationality.

Apart from the upcoming independence, of course - when all the Scots-in-exile will return joyfully to Salmondland. <imagines watch-towers and razor wire going-up along the border - Gretna Green looking like Checkpoint Charlie>

Is that true? (I know there's a referendum coming up, I probably should know more, seeing as I am one of those Scots-in-exile). Anyway, if they really are going to finally get their independence, that will be one of the happiest days of my life!

[Fatleaf]

Anyway, if they really are going to finally get their independence, that will be one of the happiest days of my life!

Funny that, a lot of Scots people who don't live here saying they should be separate....

A separate Scotland under Salmond..... The first thing I would do is move out before it all when to the dogs. It would be the ruination of Scotland.

And please moderate the language, this is a family forum.

[Dawn Trader]

Gosh O mighty... I touched a raw nerve. certainly not on purpose.
I am not a tea bagger, rush fan or fox news watcher. (UGH, UGH UGH)
I can trace my family heritage back to the Lamont Clan located on the Firth of Clyde.
as to politics... the scone dilemna is certainly a political happening that just happens to be humorous.

[Celt]

It's possible that Dawn Trader was speaking tongue-in-cheek - and anyway, what has politics to do with Glasgow? Apart from the upcoming independence, of course - when all the Scots-in-exile will return joyfully to Salmondland. <imagines watch-towers and razor wire going-up along the border - Gretna Green looking like Checkpoint Charlie>

And we might invade England again . . . It's a long standing tradition that has been missed in recent years apart from a few Forays by our football supporters . . . Maybe we'll get further than Derby this time!

[Cody]

<chortles> Can we have our goalposts back, please?

[CommRLock78]

Gosh O mighty... I touched a raw nerve. certainly not on purpose.
I am not a tea bagger, rush fan or fox news watcher. (UGH, UGH UGH)
I can trace my family heritage back to the Lamont Clan located on the Firth of Clyde.
as to politics... the scone dilemna is certainly a political happening that just happens to be humorous.

I must apologize - your comment earlier sounded like the nonsense that republicans have been spewing since Obama got elected, and I took it the wrong way. Sorry about that.

I too trace my heritage to Lamont clan (my surname is Lock). My great great grandfather was from Glasgow - hence my interest in the thread .

[Diziet Sma]

Face it.. as George Carlin points out; "There is only one Party in America [and most others, btw], the Rich Party. It has two branches, Republican and Democrat, who pretend to disagree. And you're not invited."

<probably paraphrased - it's been a while since I watched it>

[CommRLock78]

Face it.. as George Carlin points out; "There is only one Party in America [and most others, btw], the Rich Party. It has two branches, Republican and Democrat, who pretend to disagree. And you're not invited."

<probably paraphrased - it's been a while since I watched it>

Well, yes and no: I've lived in the US my whole life now and my observations have shown that the Republican Party always hides their true intents, always comes in way over budget, always leave Democrats to clean up after them, and always work to funnel more money to the top for the benefit of the few. Always. The democrats have their warts too, but the way I see it, they are not nearly as bad as their other Rich counterparts.

[CommRLock78]

Funny that, a lot of Scots people who don't live here saying they should be separate....

A separate Scotland under Salmond..... The first thing I would do is move out before it all when to the dogs. It would be the ruination of Scotland.

And please moderate the language, this is a family forum.

Live in exile for a while and you just might not be so smug about it. Indeed, live in exile in the desert for a while and see how you like it. It's no fun feeling like you're being cooked by the sun, so yeah, it will be a happy day for me. If this Salmond guy is such a jerk, vote him out .

[Diziet Sma]

The democrats have their warts too, but the way I see it, they are not nearly as bad as their other Rich counterparts.

With the clear exception, of course, of Dubya 2.0, aka B. Obama..

[Fatleaf]

Live in exile for a while and you just might not be so smug about it.

Live in exile? You choose to be in America and it seems you are turning out to be just another loud American that likes to tell everybody else in the world how to live without having any real grasp of the issues involved.

I will give you a few facts to enlighten your uneducated mind,

If Scotland separate they will be an entirely separate country and that brings colossal changes to how it is now.
Currency: A separate Scotland will need to have a currency to use and it already been confirmed that it could not use Stirling so that limits the options drastically. They could start their own currency that will be practically worthless or they could join the Euro which would mean complying with the economic rules set effectively by Germany. Either option will leave it fiscally weak and or without real control over their own budget.
Security: As a separate country they will have to build an armed force for the air, sea and land. With all the coastline Scotland has the Navy would most likely be the priority which would have to include at least one submarine. Scotland would also not qualify to be a member of NATO so that will bring a whole raft of difficulties.

Now with just those two things - Currency and Security - the cost will run into the billions. Scotland has a small population. So what kind of county will it be in comparison to how it is now. Scotland would end up like Greece.

So no, I am not being smug, I just know the issues involved before running my mouth.

[cim]

Security: As a separate country they will have to build an armed force for the air, sea and land. With all the coastline Scotland has the Navy would most likely be the priority which would have to include at least one submarine. Scotland would also not qualify to be a member of NATO so that will bring a whole raft of difficulties.

Would they have to build such an armed force? None of the geographically-near European neighbours are likely to either invade or be appropriate targets for Scotland to invade, and no-one would particularly expect a small country to contribute vast armies to the annual US/Europe invasion of some middle eastern country. That seems to me to be a budgetary line which Scotland could drop to token levels instantly.

(All those arguments also apply to a unified UK military budget, but no-one's going to do the sensible thing there)

[Disembodied]

There's also the issue as to what might happen to the value of Sterling, should it suddenly find itself without the support of 95% of North Sea oil and 100% of the whisky exports (the two top earners for the UK Treasury). I'm guessing it might drop, sharply: that might be an incentive for Holyrood and Westminster to, you know, negotiate. As far as I'm aware, nobody has confirmed anything about anything.

A personal request amidst all this: can we keep things civil, please?