Scottish Independence Podcast 16

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Here am I talking about independence with Michael Greenwell for his excellent Scottish Independence Podcast project.  I always find it a bit painful to listen to my own speaking voice.  I was terrifically conscious of my slight speech defect as a boy and young man.  I never think about it any more, except when I hear myself recorded.  I also appear to have developed a very annoying nervous giggle. If you can put up with all that, I hope you might find the link interesting.

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16 thoughts on “Scottish Independence Podcast”

  • Fool

    Its usually good to laugh. Grieg / Greg the Jacobite made me smile. We weren’t taught that when we studied the piece for music O level. Your views are always worth hearing and I am sympathetic to your campaign.

    But – as much as I agree that Scotland has been treated as a colony, that history has been taught on a selective basis, that it would be great to see a liberal independently minded country emerging out this island to challenge this current malaise we have found ourselves sleep walking into since Bush/Blair – I have some reservations:

    1) you say you see the EU as essentially expansionist, but why break up something which has already expanded and which has natural island boundaries, there is a need for a renegotiation but is there a need for a divorce?

    2) You see the establishment as having become evil, acquiescence in boiling a human in oil might be difficult to suport, but is that a reason to leave? Electricity is positive and negative. England, Wales, Scotland and NI all contain a potential to be good and evil. I can see you have arrived at your conclusion that nothing will change without a big shock like Scottish independence, but nations don’t always work out according to the plans of their founding idealists, e.g. USA & Israel.

    3) Scotland will really have to tough it out for some time or turn into one of Norman Davies’ vanished kingdoms. Schmolo Sands also makes it clear how difficult it is for a new country to establish itself and how much myth building it must undertake. Scotland exists already and has a clear sense of identity, but those who came to Israel also had a real sense of identity. I hope you avoid letting Scotland build up an identity on the back of being anti English.

    Anyway, it would be interesting to see you as Secretary of State for Scotland.

    Maritime question: when were Scotland’s previous maritime boundaries set (i.e. before Blair & Dewar redrew them), and does Wales have its own maritime boundaries?

  • craig Post author

    Perfectly fair points. It’s a question of how bad you calculate things are, and how you weigh the risks an opportunities. But I would say that Scotland is a much wealthier and more sophisticated country than any of the comparators of recently independent states, and that is in general very helpful. It also means that there is vastly more evidence of the general political beliefs of the population -we can therefore be reasonably confident about the direction it will go.

  • michaelgreenwell

    I hope I may be permitted to intervene in the discussion but it’s also that…

    1. Perhaps after 300 odd years the union is becoming an outdated political concept.You talk of renogotiation but there have been so many broken promises, why should we really expect something real will arrive this time, particularly after a ‘no’ vote, which will only be seen as a reaffirmation of the union

    2. No, new nations don’t always work out according to their founding idealists, that’s why smaller democracies, closer to the people work better. Whether you’re pro or anti israel, don’t try to tell me that their rulers are close to the people.

    3. No one is talking about building up an identity on the back of being anti-english. I don’t know where you picked that one up.

  • Kelly ben Maimon

    Rather fascinating to listen. I’ve never heard you speak before. Regardless of how uncomfortable you may feel or think about recording, substance in that you were stating came over very clearly, in that, in this case, you were clear, concise, arrticulate and to the point Craig. Had no idea about Ghana’s role. So found listening, informative.

    My household is split on the issue of Scottish independence. My partner, Joshua (of 23 years), is half Scottish and is supportive of independence. I on the other hand swing in the opposite direction. So there are always fireworks, at the mere hint of the topic coming up, in conversation.

    Equally important, is to admit that I am ignorant in a couple of areas and need to brush up on History. About 3 months ago had a dinner party and amongst the guests invited two Scottish friends, that had never met before. One was from the McPherson clan and the other was a descendant of the Campbell’s. Needless to say neither said a word to each other. I was clueless of course, and tried to get people speaking. What I did learn, was that hospitality is sacred and should be respected at all times. Some things carry on from hundreds of years, it would seem. Why is that?

  • Brendan

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2619458/So-happens-Scotland-votes-yes-Camerons-quit-Queen-furious-Shetlands-taken-oil-Scottish-economy-tanking-A-brilliant-imagining-life-Union.html

    Sorry for DM link. Now they are stooping to using Science Fiction as a tactic.

    I maintain my position as Switzerland on this one. And I live in Australia, so don’t get to vote anyway. But lordy is the ‘no’ campaign pathetic. Are there not rules governing referendums? If there are, they are being broken. Astroturf groups getting 400k and being promoted on the bbc was strange, but lordy the bias in all the other media is blatant. I suppose we could complain to somebody or other, like the PCC, but that always seems a bit pointless.

    As ever though, this will add votes to the ‘yes’ campaign, because it suggests that idiot Cameron will resign if Scotland become independent. We’d be doing the English a favour, to be honest, they should thanks us.

  • Fool

    Maybe its time for the bees to fly to Scotland and find a new hive, but (mixing my metaphors) with the world as it is will it be akin to being born in a whorehouse i.e. tough going to survive and in need of some friends. Sometimes I think Wales should be independent and then I consider how easy it would be to steal it. To nab a little country maybe through corruption or just through honest alliances is perhaps not a difficult thing. So good luck.

    Michaelgreenwell: there has been a fair bit of animosity, new countries need to establish their identities (Scotland has a strong one already, but it will no doubt be adding to if after a yes vote) and many do so by a process of negativity: Israel V Palestine, us et al V terrorists, China v Japan etc. Defamation of one’s neighbour Is not an honourable route.

  • Kelly ben Maimon

    Well, that will please my partner enormously, Mary. Find elections exciting, so the referendum will be one to watch closely.

  • fool

    Miss C. I expected Leanne Wood to support the Yes campaign – it would be somewhat odd if Plaid did not. Its a funny thing the difference between a Scottish identity and a Welsh one, perhaps both have a lowlands and highlands distinction and the difference being that in Wales there are more highlanders about (i.e. those who were fortunate enough to be able to retained their locality and language) – Hwyl.

  • Peter Kemp

    As a bit of a rebel who is not fond of current Australian NSW state governments acting (certain individuals) like the NSW Rum Corps of earlier years – [throw them out and then for good measure secede from the ever incompetent Commonwealth] : best wishes for Scottish independence.

    On a lighter note, there is talk of currency choices today for an independent Scotland (merk, bawbee, groat, testoon and plack) which reminds me of Billy Connolly, who once said that copper wire was invented by two Scotsmen:

    “fighting over a penny” 🙂

    Now I’ll go with “Merk” there could be significant support of it from Germany

  • Jemand

    In the expectation of a YES outcome, has there been any discussion regarding the break up of the Union Jack?

  • Mary

    Wee Duggie as mealy mouthed as ever but letting in a little chink of light.

    ‘The pro-Union Better Together campaign will not be “intimidated into silence”, the shadow foreign secretary has said.

    Douglas Alexander insisted he would not be deterred from asking hard questions about the SNP’s plans for independence, despite criticism that the campaign has been too negative.’

    http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/top-stories/alexander-we-must-question-scottish-independence-1-3408524

    He favours another union too, that of the friendship between this country and Israel. He is a LFoI.
    http://www.sussexfriendsofisrael.org/douglas-alexander-dont-point-fingers-over-peace-talks-failure/

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