and they say the scots are tight. sheesh

" Queen warns Scots to think 'very carefully' about referendum vote "

So Scots weren't or aren't thinking carefully prior to the Queen's 'advice' ?? Comes off as rather condescending.

Queen warns Scots to think 'very carefully' about referendum vote - Telegraph

This is quite good and covers a similar vein

How the media shafted the people of Scotland | George Monbiot | Comment is free | The Guardian

Funny article. The problem with everything to do with this referendum is the mud-slinging. EG: that article you've linked to says how Salmond is compared to Mugabe. Horror! You can't say that!

But wait. This is taken from an article that opens with "Salmond’s fatuous comparison of the Scottish referendum with the first free elections in South Africa 20 years ago was an insult to the millions of black voters who were denied the franchise and to the campaigners who fought apartheid"

Then goes on to say he's less like Mandela and more like Mugabe.


Now, both sides are guilty of these kinds of things (it just so happens that this is the example put in front of me) and it's really starting the bore me.

Politics isn't an innocent game of perfect honesty but I'm really bored with wild claims from both sides. They do nothing but confuse Joe Average and make him believe any shite some halfwit posts on facebook.

Fingers crossed for 'No', but **** me it's going to be close eh. (I wouldn't mind a yes, just to have another passport though...)

It's certainly going to be an interesting end to the week.

I’ve read a lot of the arguments from both camps, and still get the feeling that a lot of the yes voters are living in the past, hoping to escape from the tyranny of brutal and uncaring rulers (the same ones who govern the rest of us).

It is all quite sad to me - when people ask, I'm British. It seems that a good proportion of Scots don't see it this way (and I've seen some unbelievable comments on friends Facebook pages recently, it's shocking how divisive this has all become).

If I were Scottish I’d be thinking hard about if the grass really is greener on the other side, I suspect it is not.

All I see is both Scotland and the 'new' UK both being weaker if the Yes vote prevails.

absolutely. both sides and the "main stream media" have done a great disservice to the electorate.

Nobody will be held accountable except perhaps Salmond if its a yes vote as he will actually have to act and deliver on his promises but frankly the whole affair has been an insult to the people of Scotland and indeed the rest of the UK. The journos however will carry on as if nothing happened and the drivel they spouted will be forgotten by most.

At this stage its officially too close to call, almost every poll is within the margins of error.
They are either very very wrong or it will be close
I am not looking forwards to Friday morning, I dont think my heart will be able to take it!

Agreed. It's been insulting some of the shit that's been spouted from all corners.

Still, I rely on the fact that thanks to such great, strong English rule the Scots are an educated bunch and can make a sensible decision.

perhaps but many scots do not feel the need for an internationally "strong" country able to project power world wide, its a concept that seems to be irrelevant compared to the ability to be able to have self determination and self governance.

Scots know all too well that we are a wee country but as we have no desire to conquer new lands and frontiers nor play global policeman this fear of somehow being weaker is irrelevant, we are a wee country, so what, we're not seeking to build an empire but to control our own country.

Well thank **** we didnt let you near our education system and have kept it separate from yours for the last 300 year then!

A fact you might have known had you had the privilege of a Scottish education

I was talking purely from an economical point of view. That would be my worry if I was Scottish.

Come on, let's just call up an agreement.

You can keep telling the little ones what's what in schools and we'll let a local government in Scotland pick which days your bins get collected and what colour to paint the post boxes.

Fair deal?

Absolutely honest opinion.

I've spent hours and hours pouring over government numbers. Scotland can more than carry its own weight financially and has done for many years. Yes oil helps tremendously and when it runs out there had better be an economy in place that relies on it for at minimum sub 5% of its GDP, with 50 or so years left there is time to do that.

Will it be able to go on a spending spree? absolutely not

will it be able to become a socialist utopia?
perhaps in 50 years if there have been 50 solid years of solid sensible budgets and reality checks, so i actually doubt that.

Will its suffer in the short term? Absolutely and given the media shit storm of the last month that will be far worse than it might otherwise have been.

Can it prosper once a fully functioning government is in place and all divorce proceedings have finished? Again absolutely but not without sensible governance but then again the UK itself must have the same to also prosper.

Is it a worry? of course but the Uk itself is picking up the pieces of a financial meltdown that was entirely avoidable. There is risk inherent everywhere and its a very cliched line but also very true that who best to look out for scotlands interests than those who live there and have the most to lose by cocking it up.

The union may offer a large degree of protection but it comes at the price of whats best for the union and usually south east england and is very often not in scotlands best interests.

The likes of the north of england also suffer from that risk but as they do not currently have a referendum and nor have they established a political party or popular movement to force change they are beyond my concern at this point.

thank you sir, shall i doff my cap whilst bowed or is merely a stoop acceptable?

Depends, do my shoes need cleaning?

In all seriousness though, I'm just genuinely excited about this whole affair. A bit sick of the bollocks but excited that something monumental might be around the corner. Never have I seen so much news, input, posts, comments or interaction with the public. It's properly involving (unless you can't vote) and has caught the interest of the masses.