Will Scotland go solo?
 

Anyone else as excited as I am? And is it selfish of me to hope that Scotland votes YES just to see how it will impact international politics going forward? The prospects are soooo exciting. It might well lead to the collapse of the entire Western state system (yes, big words there...but it just JUST might). Who next? Catalonia? Bavaria? Quebec? Emiglia-Romana? There's so many candidates. And then what? Scotland joining the EU when the 'UK' is leaving? Exciting times....I wish I was in University right now. So much to study and debate.

Thoughts?

I'm going to say my bit then respectfully decline from getting involved in this one because I've got to the point that I'll not be able to hold my tongue but what this has degenerated into at ground and grass roots level is disgusting.

The police are having to man larger polling stations and thousands of Yes campaigners march on the BBC because they feel a journalist ( a very highly regarded and senior journalist at that ) has slighted them? Leaders of our national parties can't speak on the streets because large mobs are screaming them down?

I'm out hanging up placards and going door to door canvassing and people are screaming at me, threatening violence and threatening to stab me?

I could go on for hours giving examples and I know my side have a nefarious element too but it's truly been a sad month for the democratic process and the tension and division this has brought up (in a country already permeated with sectarian aggro) isn't going to disappear come Friday morning.

I have to say Jim - that everything you listed there sounds like our current Republican Party. They are subverting the democratic process by repeatedly trying to discredit the current Democratic President. No matter the issue, if he is for it - they are against it. Right down to instituting lawsuits against him. But also neglecting to do their congressional duties at the same time. They are not representing their people, they are out on a witch hunt and they won't stop until he is out of office. They did pretty much the same thing to Clinton when he was President. Our government is for all intents and purposes - shut down for the duration.

I sincerely hope that does not happen to Scotland. Whichever way the vote goes I hope people manage to come together again and live together again in relative peace.

I don't think anyone has a clue what to expect in the event of either outcome tbh.

The YES campaign has been so aggressive and vociferous in every aspect that I can't see it all being calmly put aside in the event of a vote for the union and on the other hand, a YES win could see anything up to and including a mass exodus of population as well as business. I would certainly be considering upping sticks and moving south if the YES campaign gets its way - that is if the outcome doesn't knock +20% off of the value of our home!

Keeping fingers crossed that some common sense wins out here particularly given that the result is too close to call according to a number of polls.

Well I don't know a bunch of Scottish people but you and Jim have always been the voices of reason here. Upon doing more research myself I have to agree with both of you that a NO vote is the way to go. Unfortunately the passions are running so high that as Jim said - it isn't all going to go away on Friday morning - whatever the outcome.

I just asked a friend who researched this subject for the last TWO years to explain to me why people would vote YES outside the core SNP populist base. [He is actually one of the leading political scientists researching this at the University of Edinburgh. Google him - he's all over the media right now: Jan Eichhorn].

Just quoted some of his answer below.

Anyhow - interesting day today!

Honestly, there's idiots on both sides of the campaign like there is with anything.

From pretty patronising marketing from the UK government ("if you don't know vote NO" - which is the most astonishing thing I think I've ever read. Surely it should be if you don't know, go and ****ing find out") to the eejits who will only vote YES because of some dumb historical viewpoint that they hate the english, neither side comes out smelling of roses.

However I'd say in contrast to Jim's viewpoint that for the majority - even those who disagree with each other - the debate seems to have been pretty healthy, but then I haven't been knocking on doorsteps trying to push people to a certain side.

I'm conflicted personally in a lot of ways. My wife's english and I don't want her living in a foreign country that she hasn't chosen to do, but at the same time I think the current political system in the UK is completely broken and completely skewed to one side and whilst it may be more of the same under any new government, if you don't change anything you'll never know.

So I'm going to vote later, and I still don't actually know which way I'm going.

It's like I've been saying on Facebook mate, voting NO isn't a vote against change. If the YES and NO campaigners actually realised that there are common arguments in both camps, they could work very well together as one voice to apply pressure and force change to the UK system, rather than just seek to break away and everybody fight their own corners.

The heated emotional response to this whole referendum could be harnessed and put to great use going forwards. Where there's a will, there's a way.

In truth, the NO campaign has been completely hijacked by Cameron et al. They think that things can be allowed to stay as they are but that's not what NO voters are about. We want change too but just feel that Scotland going independent is not the best way to achieve it.

Today unfortunately marks what would be the 30th of my closest friend who was taken from us too early.

Me and my dad (who managed to keep his shit together and not banjo anyone, go Jimi!!!) Did a 5 hour stint outside a station today. I've got a degree in politics but nothing has got me riled up like this ever abd whatever the result, I'm sure down the line I'll tell my nephew ( and heaven forbid my grandson!!!) that me and theur granpa took it to the streets.

I'm off to bed now safe in the knowledge that the people of Scotland have spoken and I only hope that whatever the result, we remain a prosperous and peaceful nation.

Quis seperabit my friends, quis seperabit.

I eventually did vote YES, and that wasn't to be but at least 45% of the population have indicated in a big way that they aren't happy with the status quo.

Now if only England and Wales and Northern Ireland would do the same we might see some real changes in this country.

The funny thing is Jude and I have been talking about moving down South anyway so she can be near her parents and that would have been the plan whether Independence happened or not, but the sheer disparity for example in house prices from Scotland to there looks like it'll make that virtually impossible.