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Indeed. And not an overnight thing either. There has long been political differences between England and Scotland, the latter of which commonly asserts that the United Kingdom as a whole is too dominated by the Conservative "Home Counties" in the affluent south and southeast of England. Scotland meanwhile - myth or not - generally swings the other way politically for the last four decades or so, and argues that policies they never voted for are consistently hoisted upon them.
Then there's also that Scottish national identity being more strongly distinct than say, a Welsh or Cornish identity.
It's relevant to the rest of the world too, given the cases of independence movements elsewhere, from Catalonia and the Basque Country to whatever Quebecois separatists now want to do. A successful yes vote can be a catalyst driver for them, tangibly or symbolically. A no vote will still change the UK dramatically however, because just having a referendum destroys the status quo and how relations between England and Scotland are handled.
Then there's also that Scottish national identity being more strongly distinct than say, a Welsh or Cornish identity.
It's relevant to the rest of the world too, given the cases of independence movements elsewhere, from Catalonia and the Basque Country to whatever Quebecois separatists now want to do. A successful yes vote can be a catalyst driver for them, tangibly or symbolically. A no vote will still change the UK dramatically however, because just having a referendum destroys the status quo and how relations between England and Scotland are handled.
Yeah, I imagine it's not a coincidence that they're doing this while there's a Tory as PM. Even though it looks like the No vote has won out, I heard that Scotland is aiming to change the balance of power a bit anyway. I really hope that they don't lose political momentum and they manage to get some of what they want.
A yes result would have been great to see for the purpose of science. How well would a small economy like Scotland function? Would it prosper decently like Ireland had with a greater GDP per head than the UK (at least up until its banks failed and it became a virtual basket case) and be a success story when the rest of the world seemingly kowtows to the whims of the financial markets at every opportunity? Or would it be a noble idea, but horribly mismanaged, or marginally worse off than it had been with the UK, like what people have said about the Czech Republic and Slovakia? Ah well, we may never know for at least a generation yet.
Great for Scotland that further devolution will likely be given to Holyrood, providing we can trust that the Tories won't throw the baby out of the bathwater and do their "b-b-but, why should we give them more powers when we don't even have an ENGLISH parliament and when Scots can still vote on issues affecting England, but we can't vote for Scottish and Welsh stuff in return*?!"
*West Lothian question
Great for Scotland that further devolution will likely be given to Holyrood, providing we can trust that the Tories won't throw the baby out of the bathwater and do their "b-b-but, why should we give them more powers when we don't even have an ENGLISH parliament and when Scots can still vote on issues affecting England, but we can't vote for Scottish and Welsh stuff in return*?!"
*West Lothian question
I'm not very familiar with Venezuela. I tend to glance at the odd few reports on how despite the promising first years of Chavez and the using of the oil boom to greatly reduce poverty, the PSUV had long flown off the rails in the country, and things have been descending into crime and economic hardship with stall in oil prices, and opposition protests supposedly banned and repressed. I feel for you guys truly, but I don't generally tend to celebrate the idea of a right-wing party taking over, and nor am I very optimistic that even in such an event of an electoral victory and a change in administration, that change will be greatly tangible or beneficial for the right people. I dunno.
As for the UK, I'd like to see a form of federal system, just to help blow away some of the stink of a centralised Westminster pampering only monied Londoners and the Home Counties, while having little interest in the North and in Wales. It's not going to happen though. The main parties are likely going to go to war over piecemeal post-referendum questions like West Lothian, let alone practically come up with ways to implement such a system when England is so disproportionally larger in geography, population and in economic terms. Divide England into regions, like super-counties? That'd mean artificial boundary lines and demarcations would have to be drawn. Places like Lancashire (with Greater Manchester?) and Yorkshire might work, but where does one stick Cambridge with? East Anglia?
Do away with the antiquated House of Lords. Have an elected second chamber. It works for Germany, Canada and Australia.
As for the UK, I'd like to see a form of federal system, just to help blow away some of the stink of a centralised Westminster pampering only monied Londoners and the Home Counties, while having little interest in the North and in Wales. It's not going to happen though. The main parties are likely going to go to war over piecemeal post-referendum questions like West Lothian, let alone practically come up with ways to implement such a system when England is so disproportionally larger in geography, population and in economic terms. Divide England into regions, like super-counties? That'd mean artificial boundary lines and demarcations would have to be drawn. Places like Lancashire (with Greater Manchester?) and Yorkshire might work, but where does one stick Cambridge with? East Anglia?
Do away with the antiquated House of Lords. Have an elected second chamber. It works for Germany, Canada and Australia.
You really have no idea how bad it is right now. But it's not a "right-wing" party take over. See, the right in Venezuela doesn't have a substantial number of supporters, even the candidate that opposed Chávez in the election was center-left. Most parties here belong to the left, it's just that the government uses heavy rhetoric whenever they can, and so, they call the leftist opposition "ultra-right wing", when they haven't done jack to earn that title. Even when I am fairly right wing, most of my opposition friends are lifelong leftists who despise the chavismo as much as I do. As for an electoral victory not having a good effect on people, well, we know that. We know that whoever inherits this absolute mess of administration is going to have a really rough time. Had the opposition candidate won, he would have to deal with the crisis we are living with right now. You are right. Crime is ever rising (my friend got robbed by the police this weekend. Let me reiterate that. The police.) Inflation also rises at abnormal levels. Car production has stalled. Scarcity and long lanes at every market. Repression. It's just horrible, I wish you'd never have to live in these conditions.
Looking beyond this game, I'm generally very concerned with the fact that young ISIS recruits from the west (and Western Europe sad to say, is quite a significant exporter of impressionable young minds off to fight for this barbaric "Caliphate") don't follow a sort of pattern we would expect young Muslims of this sort to. In Britain, we've been looking at young men who have come from stable families, neighbourhoods and lives. They have attended schools, may have had dreams of being say, Prime Minister or something, and would have had good friends not of their own ethnicity and creed. To have them suddenly pack up and head to Syria and astounding friends, family, neighbours and fleeting acquaintances, is just a terrifying prospect that begs some comprehension.
We can drop napalm on ISIS, and drone them all we want, but the real problem of deterring young men who have never previously exhibited clear signs of being impressionable before, is going to be an arduously difficult and multifaceted one. And for some reason, I don't think this game will have that much of an effect as stated. Their power of persuasion - presumably tactics that appeal to emotion first than anything that truly appeals to the nuances of Islam - is already potent enough with what they already do that I don't think a crappy modded GTA knockoff deserves the singular concern.
We can drop napalm on ISIS, and drone them all we want, but the real problem of deterring young men who have never previously exhibited clear signs of being impressionable before, is going to be an arduously difficult and multifaceted one. And for some reason, I don't think this game will have that much of an effect as stated. Their power of persuasion - presumably tactics that appeal to emotion first than anything that truly appeals to the nuances of Islam - is already potent enough with what they already do that I don't think a crappy modded GTA knockoff deserves the singular concern.
Dude not one week of living in Japan and I've already encountered huge bugs, though it was (fortunately) dead. A big spider about 2 inches across in my room. I identified it as an Asian relative of the yellow sac spider, which has a cytotoxic bite. Cool but creepy... eek
The weather here is so confusing too. It isn't particularly hot but I sweat a lot, but cool off fast. Weather report doesn't show it being any more humid than what I deal with at home so idk, maybe it's just a weird adjusting thing.
The weather here is so confusing too. It isn't particularly hot but I sweat a lot, but cool off fast. Weather report doesn't show it being any more humid than what I deal with at home so idk, maybe it's just a weird adjusting thing.
Politicians are cunts. All the same. Their differences exist within very narrow parameters and they serve no one but the rich and corporate elite. No matter who you vote for, shit stays the same.
How will Scotland feel once the UK inevitably sends ground troops to war again, hm? Wrong result, Scotland. Wrong result.
We need a revolution.
How will Scotland feel once the UK inevitably sends ground troops to war again, hm? Wrong result, Scotland. Wrong result.
We need a revolution.