Pointless referendum on Scottish independance set for 2014

[Bugs ****ing Bunny]

I like how they describe Scotland as being ruled by a "Westminster elite" when Tony Blair was of Scottish descent and frequently criticised for stuffing his cabinet with Scots, Gordon Brown was as Scottish as an early death from alcoholism, and David Cameron is also far more Scottish than English.

[Dauphin]

And add in that Scots have a say in English only issues, but the English have no say in Scottish only issues.

[Dauphin]

Who gets to vote in the referendum? Is it based on where you currently live, where you were born, etc?

Do foreigners like the English living in Scotland get the vote? Do the myriad of Scots living in England get the vote? Will Sean Connery make a big song and dance as he posts his vote in from some Caribbean island?

The press comments I've seen seem to imply you have to pass the residency test.

[kentonio]

You just have to be living there, so English in Scotland = vote, Scottish in England = no vote.

[Dauphin]

So 15% of Scots don't get to vote because they moved south of the border.

[kentonio]

It has to be that way. How do you define who is Scottish? Is it only people born there? People who have a parent from there? A grandparent? Does independence affect someone who was born in Aberdeen but moved to London sixty years ago more than someone born in Newcastle who has lived their entire live in Edinburgh?

[Dauphin]

I don't disagree. I'm just amused that so many self-professed Scots, born in Scotland are not getting a vote.

[Dauphin]

Also, if the vote was for yes, would Scots who live in England have to apply for their Scottish citizenship (they would by default be considered English)?. That would be a great insult to many of them.

[Dinner]

And add in that Scots have a say in English only issues, but the English have no say in Scottish only issues.

That's why devolution of power was so stupid. If they really want to convert the UK into a federal state (which I think is stupid BTW) then England will need it's own state legislature like every US state has its own state legislature and then the Westminster Parliament would have to be the Federal legislature with a Constitution clearly spelling out which body has legal power over which issues. Honestly since the entire UK is only about the size of California it makes far more sense to just have one national parliament and stuff the regional ones.

[Dinner]

Who gets to vote in the referendum? Is it based on where you currently live, where you were born, etc?

Do foreigners like the English living in Scotland get the vote? Do the myriad of Scots living in England get the vote? Will Sean Connery make a big song and dance as he posts his vote in from some Caribbean island?

The press comments I've seen seem to imply you have to pass the residency test.

I think they should skip the whole stupid independence thing or at the very least just let everyone who lives there vote but if they do go with the one parent is Scottish thing be enough then technically even I could possibly vote in Scottish elections (which would be stupid since I've never lived there).

[Lonestar]

If these Scotch dickheads succeed in sundering the UK, I say we kick them off the Big Boys table at the security council and put the Indians or Japanese there.

[Hauldren Collider]

I imagine many SNP voters learned everything they know about Scottish history from watching the movie Braveheart.

I actually agree with this assessment...

[Hauldren Collider]

If these Scotch dickheads succeed in sundering the UK, I say we kick them off the Big Boys table at the security council and put the Indians or Japanese there.

That's not only pointless but a terrible idea from a US diplomatic perspective.

[Lonestar]

It's questionable that the UK deserves to be on the Security Council as it is. If Scotland goes you can bet your ass no one in the Rump UK is going to be willing to pay the costs entailed in building a new SSBN base, so there goes the UK nuclear deterrent. The UK conventional military is laughable(Denmark flew more combat sorties over Libya then the RAF did), and their economy isn't so powerful that they can throw their weight around with it.

So, stick Japan(the rump-IJN being bigger then the RN in tonnage) or India on there.

[Hauldren Collider]

It has nothing to do with whether they deserve it, it has to do with whether it serves our interests. The UN isn't about some pathetic notion of international fairness.