Originally Posted by Coys1882
Good post from a Yes voter on Reddit (love the bolded bit):
First, I'm 43, and have voted in national elections since 1992. I've never seen a Westminster party that represented me. Labour or Conservative are both slaves to the Square Mile. Note that this isn't "anti-English" ~ the English are wonderful neighbours, a lovely bunch of people, and I hope this continues whatever the result of the referendum. God forbid our relationship was anything like Israel/Palestine, or Ukraine/Russia. No, it's the Old Boy Network of Eton/Oxbridge/Bullingdon Club toffs who I object to.
North Sea oil will likely run out in 2050 or thereabouts. We've been extracting it for 40 years, but have no sovereign wealth fund like most oil-producing nations. Also, despite Scotland's vast natural resources (wind, water, coastlines), we are the worst in Europe for investment in renewable energy. That's extreme short-sightedness from Westminster, who always have and always will treat the oil like a slush fund to squander. The Nationalists promise both a sovereign wealth fund, and more investment in alternative energy, which makes them the best choice for those worried about the long-term future of the country.
Related to the above, when Margaret Thatcher came to power in 1979 (35 years in the past) our manufacturing industries at Linwood and Ravenscraig were in decline. Her government closed down everything, decimated communities (not just in Scotland, but around Britain), and left us to sink or swim. Being "in the Union" was a curse back in those grim days. I see no reason to assume the Westminster of 35 years in the future would be any different.
Since coming to power in the Scottish Parliamentary elections in 2007, the SNP have done a far better job of running the country than Labour ever did (from my perspective).
There are literally dozens of countries that have seceded from UK rule. Not a single one has ever decided it was a bad idea and asked to recant their independence. If everyone from Canada to Kiribati thought it was a great choice, why should we be any different?
My girlfriend is a Slovak. They went through their own "Velvet Divorce" in 1993. At the time, Slovakia's GDP was behind the Czech Republic by about a third. The financial gap between the two countries is now down to around 5%. Slovakia is about the same size as Scotland and has the same population, but has no coastline and fewer natural resources, so I think we could do at least as well as they did, relative to rUK.
I live in my own house. My parents live in a nicer, bigger house, which is worth more and in a better neighbourhood. If I lived with them, I'd be better off financially, and they'd probably do stuff like laundry and cooking for me. But I'm a grown-up. I want to live in my own place, be self-sufficient, and make my own decisions, even if I'm not as comfortable as I might otherwise be. I apply exactly the same logic to my country.
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