Just keep it running. When it stops, reload. Let the suspense build.
Apologies if we seem to be taking this too lightly. It’s actually a very big deal, with potential global consequences. The Queen is gnawing her knuckles. Even the palace guards are feeling the pressure.
Consider… If Scotland votes yes, a nation of 5.5 million people, all of them deranged Scots, will become the world’s smallest — but hardly the weakest — nuclear power.
What if they lose a big soccer game to Manchester United or Chelsea? You see what I mean about consequences?
God save the Queen.
Like all Scots, I too love her ancient Saxe-Coburg ass to death, regardless of the outcome.
P.S. All kidding aside, here’s an essay, by a Scot, that lays out the relevant history and the stakes of the independence vote. Please, please read the whole thing.
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A momentous occasion. Either way, I think it will bring significant change to the island. And Europe as well.
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Not just Europe. If Scotland votes for independence or comes close with major benefits in recompense, other countries will follow. Parts of Italy, Spain, and Belgium are watching with an eye to secession. Quebec will probably fire up again. Texas and California will sniff what’s in the air and try try again.
This is genuinely earth shaking. Typical of the cussed Scots. Creating a ruckus is far more important than winning today, both literally and figuratively. For example, even if they vote ‘No’ narrowly, they will absolutely, definitely be back for another try and another, etc. It’s who they are. The UK is already sundered. Always the Scottish Prime Directive.
The Brits may save the Union Jack tonight, but for the foreseeable future it will have to be rendered as a CGI construct with the white cross of St. Andrew pulsing like a strobe. Beautiful.
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Here’s a piece I just ran across: http://www.cato.org/blog/scottish-independence-will-kill-socialism-both-sides-border
The TL;DR is that (modern) Scotland has a high concentration of socialists, which — if removed — would allow conservatives in the UK to get reforms passed. Furthermore, the stress of independence might cause Scottish socialism to collapse, and force a smaller gov’t. The article cites the breakup of Czechoslovakia as an example. Of course, there were no Scots involved there, so who the hell knows if it’s applicable…
It was news to me that Scotland had such socialist tendencies. Not what I would have expected from Scots.
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Dirty secret but true. The Scots are sick in the head. (Who’d have thought the Viking countries would become such socialist sissies either?) But there’s a Catch-22 about the fate of socialism. If Cameron is the PM who “lost Scotland,” he will lose a vote of No Confidence. The Tories will have to find (where?) a new party leader who has the balls to capitalize on the loss of all those Scottish Labour votes in Parliament.
Labour could easily glide into a new Scot-free majority. Unless UKIP proves to be more than a passing fad. But as every intelligent UK pundit insists, absolutely nobody knows what will happen next. It’s a guessing game free-for-all. Scottish Heaven, the final price of their whim notwithstanding.
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Incidentally, in honor of the Scottish vote, I checked out from the library Neil Gaiman’s recent short story, “The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains”. Set in “a mythical country very much like Scotland”, it’s a tale of greed and revenge, good and evil. It was a fun read, with very nice illustrations; although the occasional switch back and forth from conventional prose to pseudo graphic novel was a bit jarring.
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