Scotland votes 'Nae' - Will Stay In The UK

 

Scotland has voted stay in the United Kingdom. The results were:

	Votes	%

NO	1,914,187	55.42
YES	1,539,920	44.58
TARGET TO WIN	1,810,042

Only four of Scotland's Councils - Glasgow, Dundee, West Dunbartonshire and North Lanarkshie voted for independence, although a couple of the others were close.

What happens next is interesting, a little.

 

Brit PM David Cameron had promised the Scots a number of goodies if they voted to stay in, and now will come the task of delivering. It's called 'devolution of powers' in the local  lingo, and what it means is more autonomy for Scotland and the right to set its own tax levels, perhaps. The details were deliberately left kind of foggy.

The Brits plan to draw up a  white paper - a parliamentary agenda of sorts -  by the end of November, setting out the proposed new powers Scotland's parliament will gain. And a new "Scotland Act" law would then be published if all goes according to plan by January 25, 2015  for the House of Commons to vote on.

However, since there's a new a UK general election due in May 2015, the legislation would not be passed until the new parliament takes over. Cameron is something of a weasel and as a Tory isn't going to get too many votes in Scotland anyway since what Scotland finally gets at the end might very well be a lot less than they've been led to believe.

Another interesting paradox..since  this is a 'devolved system'  Scottish MPs in Britain's lower house, the House of Commons   get a vote on spending and other budget matters in England while, since Scotland already has semi autonomy  and its own independent parliament, English MPs have no voice in how these things are run in Scotland because the Scottish Parliament handles them.

If Scotland gets even more autonomy, there will be more areas where English MPs have no say on Scottish matters while Scottish MPs in Britain's parliament continue to have a vote in how similar things are run in England. Look for an outcry in the near future at this basic unfairness in the future, which might even eventually lead to a kind of federalist system. 

It remains to be seen if Scottish National Party leader Alex Salmond resigns



Why did 'No' win? There are probably lots of reasons, but I think that the bottom line is that a number of Scots have gotten very used to the welfare state and life on the dole and didn't want to take a chance on anything that might disrupt it or change it. And there were enough of them to carry the day.

UPDATE: Alex Salmond has formally announced his resignation as head of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and has said he will also step down as First Minister of Scotland after the failure of the independence referendum.

"For me as leader my time is nearly over but for Scotland the campaign continues and the dream will never die," Salmond told reporters in Edinburgh.

He said he would not accept the nomination as leader of the Scottish National Party at their annual conference in November and that he would then resign as First Minister.

"After the membership ballot I will stand down as first minister to allow the new leader to be elected."

The Two Things That Would Sink An Independent Scotland No One's Mentioning

 

The votes have been cast in the Scottish referendum by now, and in a few hours we should see the results.

Frankly I have no particular dog in this fight except that I normally favor people running their own affairs. Most of the arguments the Brits have been using amount to scare tactics, but just like any divorce  both sides have cards to play in the negotiations that are going to occur if there's a 'yes' vote.

The Scots are going to want their fair share  of assets they helped pay for, like consulates, military hardware, public works and infrastructure, government revenues and other joint national assets. The UK is going to want the Scots to assume a portion of the UK's joint debt, perhaps agree to house Britain's Trident nuclear subs for a few years, and maybe a cut on the North Sea  oil revenues in exchange.

All this can be worked out.

But an independent Scotland is absolutely bound to fail unless there are some radical changes. And not for any of the reasons I've heard anyone on the NO side mention.

One of the chief reasons the Scots want out is because frankly, they favor much more of a welfare state than the English do. In fact, there are a lot of the English that favor Scottish independence because of it.

The Scots envision themselves as another Norway or Denmark, but that kind of society comes with a huge price tag. I doubt many 'Yes' voters have ever seen what a Danish tax bill looks like.

And believe it or not, going that route is one of the chief things that will smother an independent Scotland. Sky high taxes and regulations are guaranteed  to send manufacturers fleeing and foreign investors seeking more inviting climes.

Even worse, that sort of environment destroys one of the major things an independent Scotland has going for it  - the entrepreneurial spirit the Scots used to be renowned for world wide. The Scots are relying on the oil, but all indications are that it's tapping out. What will really make an independent Scotland succeed is the energy, brains and marketing skills of its people. Singapore or Israel would be a far better model for Scotland than Norway.

But of course, there's another problem the Scots are going to have to overcome to make an Independent Scotland a success, and this one's the real kicker.

The yardstick for a population to replicate itself is a fertility rate of at least 2.1 per woman. The current rate (as of 2010, the last census) of non-Muslim Scots? About 1.2 kids per woman, while the Muslim rate in Scotland is 2.8 to 3.0..and that doesn't account for the ongoing immigration that's still incoming.Or polygamy.

Jimmy may not be pumping out the bairns anymore, but Abdullah is. And even more, because the native Scot population is aging while the Muslim immigrants tend to be younger, you'll see at some point in the not too distant future a disproportionally Muslim electorate. Sharia, anybody? It already has a decent start in the UK anyway.

I have to maliciously chuckle at this just a bit because of the  profound anti-Israel bias common in Scotland, which frequently crosses over the line into rank anti-semitism.The Scottish National Party and it's leadership have been particularly odious, comparing Israel to ISIS and calling for a 'Zionist-free Scotland.'

 


This, by the way is one reason I have no feelings one way or the other about an independent Scotland.But that aside,  unless the Scots start having a lot more kids, they aren't going to have a country anyway, and there's an ugly surprise in store. . The kilts, sporrans, tartans and  and pibrochs that the Scottish national movement now embraces as symbols of their heritage will give way to burkahs, niqabs, and squalor.

And that's what will ultimately make an independent Scotland a failed state, unless things change.

How Scottish Independence Could End Britain's Nuclear Deterrent

 

Scotland will hold a referendum next month on whether to remain part of the UK or become an independent country. While a large number of voters are undecided and the jury's still out on whether the Scots will vote 'yes' on independence, one interesting result of a yes vote could very well be the end of Britain as a nuclear power.

 

Currently Britain bases all of its arsenal of 58 Trident II D-5 missiles and 160 deployed nuclear warheads in Scotland, along with its four Vanguard-class submarines that can be used to launch them. The subs are based at Faslane, an inlet at the mouth of the River Clyde on Scotland's west coast near Glasgow.

The Scottish National Party(SNP) as well as the other parties pushing for independence have pledged that an independent Scotland would be a nuclear-free zone within four years of breaking off from Great Britain. That position appeals to a large part of the Scottish polity, who feel that the UK basing its nuclear arsenal in Scotland rather than in England or Wales makes Scotland a target in the event of hostilities because it's 'housing England's nukes.'

A “yes” vote would almost certainly force what's left of the United Kingdom to find a new home for the weapons and a new home port for its nuclear subs. The problem is that at this point, that facility simply doesn't exist.Britain might be able to lease the base from Scotland for a couple of years, but that's about it.

To build a new base would cost billions Britain doesn't have and might take close to a decade. It's likely that Britain itself might choose to scrap its nuclear deterrent instead. That's especially true given the state of Britain's military today, including the renowned Royal Navy, which has been downsized almost to the point of being a coastal defense force.

As it is, the UK plans to slash an additional 30,000 personnel from Britain’s already reduced armed forces by 2020, and any kind of military spending is unpopular, particularly among Britain's expanding Muslim electorate. The UK made a point of quickly declining to participate in air strikes on Islamic State President Obama announced earlier this month, limiting their participation to a few humanitarian supply airlifts.

To add to this factor, a vote for Scottish independence would essentially mean a divorce, with the accompanying negotiations over facilities, bases, armaments and personnel. Scotland would need to develop and equip its own defense force, and since Scots are well represented in Britain's military and many would likely want to serve in the newly composed Scottish forces, the attrition in Britain's forces might be even more severe than what's on the drawing board.

 

 Perhaps I should include a personal comment at this point.

There are a great many arguments back and forth about Scottish independence, and frankly I have no particular dog in this fight except that I normally favor people running their own affairs.

As for the military aspect, neither an independent Scotland or what constitutes Britain's current government seem overly valuable as allies just now. But I'm absolutely in favor of the UK scrapping its nuclear deterrent. It's a bad idea to leave nuclear weapons in the hands of who may  likely be taking over in a few years.

 

Never Trust A Weegie - Glasgow To Heart Hamas Tomorrow

 

The City of Glasgow, Scotland plans to show its support for Hamas by flying a Palestinian flag from city chambers tomorrow in 'solidarity.'

 

Glasgow's Lord Provost, Councilor Sadie Docherty wrote a treacly condolence letter to Mousa Baboun,the mayor of Bethlehem. " “Glasgow is home to many friends of Palestine and this is a deeply distressing time for them…We hope that peace can be found to ensure the human rights for the people of Palestine.”

This is the height of irony to anyone who knows anything about what Yasser Arafat and the PLO did to Bethlehem's Christians. 

Need I mention that Bethlehem is in Area A,  the part of Judea and Samaria under the control of the Palestinian Authority? And that any complaints about human rights or the lack of same ought to be addressed there, rather than Israel?

Ah,but never mind. The need to heart Hamas and slander Jews has a history in Scotland. It's downright fashionable.

Of course, not everyone is going along with the program,

On the city council’s Facebook page, the comments run to phrases like “disgusting decision,” or a “step backwards” for the city.

One commenter, David MacIntyre, wrote, “By allowing the Palestinian flag to be flown from the City Chambers [it] looks like a show of support to the Hamas terrorists. All our hearts go out to the innocent people killed and injured in this latest fighting… Glasgow is a very diverse city and also has a large Jewish community. How will they feel to see this."

As if Lord Provost Docherty and the rest of the Hamas groupies care!

 

And you know what the real joke is? The Weegies are likely to find out exactly what Bethlehem's Christians found out sooner rather than later. The yardstick for a population to replicate itself is a fertility rate of at least 2.1 per woman. The current rate (as of 2010, the last census) of non-Muslim Scots? About 1.2 kids per woman, while the Muslim rate in Scotland is 2.8 to 3.0..and that doesn't account for the ongoing immigration that's still incoming.Or polygamy.

Jimmy may not be pumping out the bairns anymore, but Abdullah is. And even more, because the native Scot population is aging while the Muslim immigrants tend to be younger, you'll see at some point in the not too distant future a disproportionally Muslim electorate.Sharia, anybody? It already has a decent start in the UK anyway

That cross on that town hall will go, and so will the cross of Saint Andrew for a more 'culturally enriched' banner.

 

Then we'll see how much they heart the likes of Hamas and Islamists when they have to live under them.

Church of Scotland - 'Jews Have No Right To Israel'

A report commissioned by the Church of Scotland titled "The Inheritance of Abraham? The 'Promised Land,'" essentially says that the Jewish people have no right to Israel, using the same sort of reasoning prevalent in replacement theology, an anti-semitic reading of Christianity that claims that G-d's Biblical covenant with Abraham is null and void because, you know, it's the Evil Jews:

The church, which in recent years has jettisoned its once philosemitic character, opened a wide rift with the Scottish Jewish community with the report. Among other controversial statements, the report argues that, “Christians should not be supporting any claims by Jews, or any other people, to an exclusive or even privileged divine right to possess particular territory.”

'Christians should not be supporting any claims by Jews, or any other people, to an exclusive or even privileged divine right to possess particular territory'? Well then,Jimmy, that should include the Arabs who call themselves Palestinians and want an apartheid state where Jews won't be permitted, shouldn't it? As a matter of fact, it ought to include the Scots, who have a referendum on independence from the UK coming up next September.

If the Church of Scotland is going to take this stance, I expect them to be in the front lines opposing both. Unless they're filthy hypocrites, which is more likely, isn't it?

You see, this report attempts to use a blatantly skewed and selective reading of scripture to legitimize what is de facto Jew hatred and anti-semitism, the singling out and denial of the right of self determination to the Jewish people alone.

It quotes a number of rabidly anti-Israel writers and uses a ridiculously inaccurate reading of Israel's history to make the point that the Jews have no right to a country because of their 'injustice' to the Arabs calling themselves Palestinians. No mention is made whatsoever of the attempts at the genocide of every Jew in Israel the Palestinians were eager participants in, or the almost 1 million Jews expelled from the Arab world simply because they were Jews.

The Church commissioned report will goto its annual general assembly, where its 700 members will vote on whether to make it official Church policy. Given the Church's recent record of anti-Israel activity, I wouldn't be at all surprised if this latest outrage is adopted.

Scottish Council of Jewish Communities Director Ephraim Borowski said the church should withdraw the report.

"On behalf of the Jewish community of Scotland, we call upon the church to withdraw it [the report] from the forthcoming general assembly. If the Church cannot build bridges, can it at least refrain from burning them?" Borowski told the London Jewish Chronicle newspaper.

Mr. Borowski misses the point. The  reason the Church of Scotland commissioned this report in the first place was to provide justification and cover to burn those bridges. Simple as that.

The irony is that given the rapidly increasing Muslim population of Scotland and the low birthrates of native Scots, the members of the Church whom vote for this atrocity are going to find out that turning against Israel and the Jews isn't going to win them any points with their new masters.

Nor will it win them any points with Almighty G-d, if history is any indication. Ask the Romans, Egyptians, Babylonians, Spain, the Nazis...

On the other hand, if you believe that G-d runs this world, then Israel  exists, either as a test or as a precursor to messianic times by His grace and design.

So we'll see whom lasts longer, shall we? A declining church embracing anti-semitism and dhimmi status or the modern miracle of Israel, the Jewish homeland.

Hotel Cancels Jewish Charity Event After Violent Threats By Pro-Palestinian Activists

 

Jewish student from Scotland's St Andrews University were stopped from holding a charity ball after the hotel involved canceled the booking because of threats it had received from Pro-Palestinian activists.

A dinner and black tie ball scheduled at the renowned St. Andrews Golf Hotel was expected to draw a huge crowd from all over the UK. The money that was raised was to be sent to seven Israeli charities supported including the Jewish National Fund (JNF), Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) and Save A Child's Heart, which helps fund heart surgeries for children all over the world, including Palestinian children.

Instead, according to the Jewish Telegraph, the hotel canceled the event after receiving a number of threats from pro-Palestinian activists. Hotel manager Niall Thompson was quoted as saying that he felt that he had to cancel 'due to health and safety concerns for staff and hotel guests'.

Paul Morron of the Glasgow Jewish Representative Council said he spoke to Thompson, to try and salvage things, but to no avail. "I conveyed the extent of the concern of the Jewish community that a hotel of its stature had caved in so easily to intimidation - something that would damage its reputation."

"I contacted Inspector Meek, of St Andrews Police, and he told me that they had not had any serious concerns about policing the event.

"We regard this as a very serious incident, setting a worrying precedent in Scotland. It's not up to others to dictate to the Jewish community what charities they should support. That's just not acceptable."

Apparently it's acceptable in Scotland, which has a growing Muslim population and a cadre of hard core terrorist groupies like the Scottish Palestine Solidarity Campaign (SPSC).

A lot of people are already boycotting a number of brands of Scotch because of this kind of nonsense.

Perhaps tourism to St. Andrews ought to be added to the list.

(h/t, The Commentator)

Why I'm Boycotting Scotch

This is a tough one, but I feel it's something that needs doing.At least when it comes to certain brands.

The West Dunbartonshire Council in Scotland, in a fit of absolute bigotry voted unanimously to boycott products made in Israel. In fact, the resolution is up on their website.

It reads:

‘This Council deplores the loss of life in Palestine which now numbers well over 1,000. This Council also recognises the disproportionate force used by the IDF in Palestine and agrees to boycott all Israeli goods as a consequence. Officers should immediately cease the purchase of any goods we currently source, which were made or grown in Israel. Officers should also ensure we procure no new goods or produce from Israel until this boycott is formally lifted by WDC.’

No mention of course, of the 'disproportionate force' involved in using civilians as human shields, putting missile site in schools, mosques and hospitals, or shooting an anti-tank rocket at a school bus.

Now, West Dunbartonshire is also the site of some famous distilleries that manufacture some of my favorite brands...and in view of what I consider to be a stand with Hamas and a racist boycott of the only Jewish State on a par with the old Nazi slogan 'Kauft nicht bei Juden'('Don't buy from Jews'), I've decided that the fine products of the following distilleries are going to do without my patronage in the future:


Morrison Bowmore Distillers Ltd. info@morrisonbowmore.co.uk
Distillers of: Auchintoshan, Bowmore, Glen Garioch, McClelland’s

Loch Lomond Distillery Co. Ltd mail@lochlomonddistillery.com
Distillers of Loch Lomond, Scots Earl, Distillery Select, Glen Scotia, Littlemill, Croftengea, Craigslodge, Inchmurrin, Glen Douglas, Inchfad

Chivas Brothers media.relations@pernod-ricard.com
Distillers of Ballantine’s, Chivas, Royal Salute, Clan Campbell, Something Special, Passport, 100 Pipers, Imperial, Long John Aberlour, The Glenlivet, Glendronach, Strathisla, Longmorn, Scapa, Tormore, Jameson, Paddy, Powers, Walker Special Old, Wisers

This is the best list I have of the addresses of distiller's in the West Dunbartonshire Council region. Please let me know if I missed any inth ecomments section and I'll add them to the list.

Below is my letter to Morrison Bowmore Distillers, and similar ones went out to the other two, focusing on some other brands I've enjoyed:

Dear Sirs;
I've long been a fan of your fine single malt, Auchintoshan. But I'm afraid I won't be drinking it in the future, or any other Scotch made in the West Dunbartonshire area.

Recently, the West Dunbartonshire Council voted unanimously to boycott Israeli products. I saw this on their own website, and the unfortunate nonsense they're spouting makes no mention of the aggression visited against Israel by the Palestinians they're so enamored of..the rockets fired against Israel's civilians, the murder of the entire Fogel family including a 3 month old baby, the naming of streets and public squares after people who murder civilians, the making an honorary citizen out of a child murderer. It's quite obvious the Council could care less.

That's fine, they have the right to voice their opinion and stand with whom they wish, but so do I. And I cannot just ignore their choice to stand with evil and indecency. The symbol of Scotland is a thistle and it's motto, as I recall is 'No one hurts me unharmed'. I've always admired that, and I feel the same way.

So I'm afraid Auchintoshan and I are going to become strangers, along with a few other brands of Scotch I've long enjoyed. I've heard some of the Japanese brands have wonderfully improved their quality, and there are, after all other Scotches produced in other parts of Scotland. And as I'm sure you already know, I'm not going to be alone in that, as this becomes more widely known and more publicized via the Internet. In fact, I'll be publicizing it myself on my own website.

I'm afraid I simply don't have a choice in the matter, as someone who's interested in simple justice.

Regards,
Rob Miller, United States

I urge you to take a stand on this one, publicize this and write them yourselves.

( Hat tip Jameel at The Muqata)

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