When Alex Salmond parrots the words, 'Scots hate being bullied', whenever anybody says something that he doesn't like, 'and that'll only make them vote yes the more'. My blood boils.
Why should those outside Scotland not have the right to ask questions or point out weaknesses in some of his half-baked doctrines for we are all going to be effected by the result which ever way it goes. Even Europe and the World are going to be influenced in the long run by this insane state of affairs.
This utter tribal selfishness damages not only Northern Ireland, Wales and England, but the Commonwealth and foreign policy and military matters everywhere. But loony fanatics no matter where they are care only about themselves. They don't care about anybody else. They'll betray anybody. So just why does this arrogant, smug, tin-pot Napoleon not encourage open fair comments made by other nations and people unless he just wants power and not mature relations with non-fanatics? If spokesmen/women for the U.S.A., Australia, Germany or any other country mention something pertinent or otherwise, it triggers off the same old parrot response.
If any intellectual, business person, banker or expert dares to make any comment that's not popular in the yes camp, off goes the over-worn Polly response yet again, 'we Scots hate to be bullied and that'll only make us vote yes the more.' Honestly, it's like he's been touched by a mentally challenged fairy or something! It's infuriating! You'd be forgiven for thinking a child had written his and all the other fanatics' scripts.
But proper demagogues when fully scrutinized never really do say anything more than childish mutterings so we shouldn't be surprised there. But why oh why do people follow them? It's always far down the road that the reality comes out but by then it's always too late.
Scottish fanatics are making a grave and totally unnecessary gamble here, not just with their lives but ours as well and if it fails they may very well become pariahs because of it. The mood outside Scotland has become more grim as the referendum approached and as the level of these wretched people's selfishness is truly digested by the rest of Britain. Because as Britain becomes a laughing stock and far less influential and powerful in the World, Scotland will be even less than that, and who will care about them?
Worse, not just having childish arguments, they seem to want a divorce but keep everything they want as well. Well I hope that they don't get the pound, don't get into Europe and don't get into N.A.T.O. as well. If they cannot behave responsibly now, then how can anyone rely on them in the future? If they want to be on their own, they should be left on their own. They obviously don't want to take full responsibility for their own defense, or create their own economy. They want Europe, N.A.T.O. and the pound to protect them but do nothing for themselves. It's a disgrace. It's childish in the extreme.
Sadly, the backdrop to a lot of the passion is the never-ending pathetic 800 years and more of grudges, hatred and self-pity (especially the self-pity) concerning English and Scottish history. In fact the word 'pathetic' just cannot do it justice. More Scots were killed by Scots than by the English and the Scottish leaders were hardly Scots at all and were of the same blood mix basically as the English. Norman French, Viking, Saxon and other various mixtures. There was no unity and democracy on either side. They were feudal.
The Bruce and Wallace would have nothing in common with any of the modern day fanatics and wouldn't put up with them for long either. No modern Scot is genetically different from anyone else in the British Isles nor were they then really. We had all been mixed up long before then. This special difference between us all is not genetic. It is only brainwashed into us.
It's nationalism and there are two types. The healthy open-minded pride and the loony Mel Gibson rubbish kind based on dreams and lies. This is the type the fanatics espouse. It is Hollywood and nowhere near the truth, but silly little boys and girls seem to be attracted to this muck as were fools in Italy and Germany in the 1930s. My ancestors were Irish and were defeated by an Irish clan fighting for the English-it's always been the Celtic way. Do I hold a grudge against that clan or the English? No, I am English and proud of it. I'd have to be mad to be upset about something that did not even happen to me but happened hundreds of years ago. There's the point. You would have to be mad to hold a grudge against people who were not even there to attack people you never knew.
Should I hate the Vikings and the Norman French too because they attacked my clan long time ago as well. What about the Spanish? They tried to invade Britain too. Good Grief the list is endless! The truth is I am English and British and we have had the safest and most comfortable time in our history over the last 70 years.
It is true that there are many niggling problems but that is life. It's bound to happen but really we are truly privileged so it is madness to risk it all on the whim of a few megalomaniac dreamers who believe they are Rob Roy or somebody and throw it all away. Remember, when they do get what they want, the fanatics will then purge the slightly fanatic and half fanatics and then the rest will be in the firing line. There will never be any peace or stability in Scotland and the rest of the U.K. will be hostile to them as well. Add to that these times of terrorist threat, Russian and Chinese hegemony and global uncertainty. Then you can see just how mad the gamble truly is!
K.P.Gormley
Acorns,
Whitestone,
Devonshire,
![Letter: Scotland's independence campaign is motivated by damaging tribal selfishness and run by megalomaniac dreamers]( "Letter: Scotland's independence campaign is motivated by damaging tribal selfishness and run by megalomaniac dreamers")
