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I'm worried, What happened to the lessons of the last century? I had a grandmother who lived through both world wars and lived to own and use a smartphone.
Much important history has faded from living memory. We mock, harass and intimidate our historians and philosophers.
We for get the optimism and courage of our parents' generation who stood up for civil rights, equality and social justice. We look the other way as hard-won rights are eroded. We sit idly by while we let tyrants exploit us and dismantle our democratic structures and rob us of our sustenance.
At times like these I turn to popular music for inspiration and wisdom. I would like to share one particular retrospectively enthusiastic piece I've recently discovered from more optimistic times and I'd like to think it hasn't been in vain quite yet. We are still the human race.
It's by Montrose (also a Scottish town) and is called Space Station #5 and goes like this:
Start, with the sun
And move on out
The future's in the skies above
The heavens unfold
And a new star is born
Space and time makin' love
Now, I'm sure that's the sort of thing Homer Simpson had on his 8 track in his car back in the day.
I don't care. It's much better than war.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday February 12 2022, @11:46PM (7 children)
They are more local, right? And get local enough, then the only tyrant over you would be you.
(Score: 3, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 13 2022, @02:33AM (6 children)
Kinda like how the Scots want to leave the UK and rejoin the European Union.
They've seen the tyranny of Westminster first hand.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Sunday February 13 2022, @03:48PM (5 children)
Indeed. The interesting question is why they want to replace that UK baggage with EU baggage. I'm sure there's a good reason or two in there.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Sunday February 13 2022, @09:19PM
Read a book sometime and stop asking dumb questions.
(Score: 2) by Freeman on Monday February 14 2022, @02:59PM (3 children)
As far as I understand it, it's somewhat like the Texas/USA situation. Except, if the USA had been trying to take over Texas for a good hundred years or more? There's a lot of history in European countries. While there may be some history in the USA, a lot of it's lost due to the main way knowledge was passed down by Native Americans was through verbal stories. Otherwise we (the invaders/foreigners/non-native americans) brought a good bit of baggage with us, but were also trying to escape some of that baggage.
In any event, there's still a good number of Scots that would rather not be part of the UK. My guess is that element (independence movement) isn't a significant portion of the population, let alone 50% or more.
Joshua 1:9 "Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee"
(Score: 1) by khallow on Monday February 14 2022, @03:59PM (1 child)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by quietus on Thursday February 17 2022, @03:48PM
In case Scotland decides to declare independency, they're likely to go that route. Tearing away from the UK will likely come with an initial decrease in GDP, to be compensated with increased government borrowing to soften the blow. This might place Scotland in the position of not being able to reach the public spending deficit rule (at 3%), required for accession into the EU.
That rule has been breached before, though, and Scotland is looked upon favourably in general public opinion. What might be more of an obstacle is that candidates typically only have been allowed in after a lengthy accession period: abandoning that methodology might be blocked by Eastern European member states.
For an interesting further (economic/political) analysis, see here [fedtrust.co.uk].
(Score: 3, Interesting) by turgid on Wednesday February 16 2022, @10:00PM
You'd be surprised. And the more England blunders about, deaf and blind to the other nations that make up the UK, with its regressive, xenophobic, conservative, authoritarian attitude, destroying decades of progress, the more the other nations look elsewhere.
I want a Scottish passport now, and I lived in England for over 20 years. I'm back and ready to make a go of it.
I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed opponent [wikipedia.org].