looks quite possible cameron is covering up the discovery of a new oilfield in scotland

Everything is fine honestly. Oohh ouch, that arrow that just went into my thigh hurts, but just a flesh wound, and OH! well even though they are raiding my home, things are fine, just fine, I AH! well this second arrow may pose more of a problem, being in my abdomen, but believe me when I say, really, the world is doing just fine. I'm just going to sit down right here and rest for a moment....

im not having a go, im just entirely unconvinced that everything isnt rapidly heading towards a huge shitstorm when the population doesnt stop rapidly increasing, and we keep on munching resources like there is an absolutely infinite amount of everything.

im also guessing you havent recently lost your job, been unable to find another one, and been sanctioned the loss of your benefits for 2 months for being 3 minutes late to a job seekers interview, leaving you unable to even pay for your food.

 

 

cos that happened to me, and if i didnt have plenty of decent friends, there would have been an option between food banks, stealing, or death.

 

so to say that the UK is all fine and dandy is just completely wrong. a first world developed country should not leave its citizens to starve to death in the name of 'austerity' while politicians denounce benefit seekers as criminal scroungers and claim 20 quid each morning on their breakfasts.

Everything is fine honestly. Oohh ouch, that arrow just went into my thigh, but it's just a flesh wound, and OH! well even though they are raiding my home, they seem to be leaving my studio alone, well, no, there it goes, but all in all things are fine, just fine, I AH! well this second arrow may pose more of a problem, being in my abdomen, but believe me when I say, really, the world is doing just fine. I'm just going to sit down right here and rest for a moment....

 

....sorry, must have drifted off, I was dreaming about visiting the pyramids. I'm just going to rest my eyes for a....

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:54 PM, doublename said:

Americans are going to be shocked as shit if/when this happens, because our media hasn't said word one about Scottish independence. Its going to seem like it came out of nowhere like all those other easily predictable things.

 

 

you have independence movements there that they don't want to encourage. California, texas, the north west. It's coming. ;-]

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:58 PM, messiaen said:

and claim 20 squid each morning on their breakfasts.

 

you eat that for breakfast over there? and that much of it?

 

i knew things could get exorbitant, but...

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/one-million-are-now-living-below-the-poverty-line.24643715

 

 

 

a million people below the poverty line in scotland. its actually quite chilling to realise that a huge chunk of the population, because they are secure in their own ability to pay rent, and eat, dont realise the enormous amount of people living mere minutes away from them that cant. because it means people wont ever really get round to making things change.

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:50 PM, messiaen said:

if it doesnt make any difference to england wether scotland stays or not, why does the goverment emply so many media scare tactics and hire so many people to persuade the scottish to vote No?

Oh, that wasn't my implication. I just meant that Cameron seems pretty indifferent about the whole thing, sure he's "reached out" for Scotland to stay, but other than that, he's kept his hands clean regarding the whole thing. I thought at the very least a debate would happen.

 

I've been a swing vote since a date was set, but I'm steering towards no for now. I don't think it's as black and white as many believe it is.

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:54 PM, doublename said:

Americans are going to be shocked as shit if/when this happens, because our media hasn't said word one about Scottish independence.

 

wait until they hear about catalonia, so far polls say independence will win. spain, of course, are so nice and non-nationalistic that they have threatened to do bad things and call mommy if the referendum actually happens. first-rank political personalities are suggesting that the catalan premier should be thrown in jail. lol

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:03 PM, NorthernFusion said:

 

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:50 PM, messiaen said:

if it doesnt make any difference to england wether scotland stays or not, why does the goverment emply so many media scare tactics and hire so many people to persuade the scottish to vote No?

Oh, that wasn't my implication. I just meant that Cameron seems pretty indifferent about the whole thing, sure he's "reached out" for Scotland to stay, but other than that, he's kept his hands clean regarding the whole thing. I thought at the very least a debate would happen.

 

I've been a swing vote since a date was set, but I'm steering towards no for now. I don't think it's as black and white as many believe it is.

 

well, i would imagine because hes so universally hated in scotland, that his personal presence in the debate actually works against the argument of staying in the UK.

Edited August 4, 2014 by messiaen

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:58 PM, messiaen said:

im also guessing you havent recently lost your job, been unable to find another one, and been sanctioned the loss of your benefits for 2 months for being 3 minutes late to a job seekers interview, leaving you unable to even pay for your food.

 

then you are guessing entirely wrong. i was made redundant from a job of 5 years and was on benefits for about 13 months solid, i couldn't get housing benefit and i was extremely poor, couldnt afford food and was generally fucked. recently i have found work and am now much more stable and have a good income, but i absolutely know what it's like to live on benefits - i've done it many times, i've squatted, i've been "homeless" (although never on the streets, always had mates i could crash at etc). i'm 37 and lived an interesting and varied life to say the least. i just think that most people would do well to turn off the fucking news, and worry about real things like finding love, maybe raising a couple of kids, creating a good life for their family and trying to achieve something meaningful to them.

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:01 PM, delet... said:

 

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:54 PM, doublename said:

Americans are going to be shocked as shit if/when this happens, because our media hasn't said word one about Scottish independence. Its going to seem like it came out of nowhere like all those other easily predictable things.

 

 

you have independence movements there that they don't want to encourage. California, texas, the north west. It's coming. ;-]

 

 

it's not coming. stop saying these things.

thats completely your choice, if forcefully maintaining ignorance and just enjoying life is what you want then thats all well and good, its not like ive done anything other than party and fuck for 5 solid years. i just dont like being deceived and fucked over by rich, greedy and morally bankrupt cunts who appear to have a license to pretty much get up to whatever the fuck they want, and i believe that localising scotland to a democracy controlled by, and in turn controlling 4.5 million people instead of 65 million would ultimately benefit the people up here a huge amount.

 

remember that you also live in london, where an asbolutely vastly larger amount of public money is spent than in the north of england and scotland.

 

 

to quote boris johnson

'A pound spent in Croydon is far more of value to the country than a pound spent in Strathclyde'

 

so i wont be sticking my head in the sand and forgetting all about it, il be paying attention to the place i live and trying to keep informed and sensible about it.

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:27 PM, messiaen said:

if forcefully maintaining ignorance and just enjoying life is what you want

 

i'm not ignorant, precisely the opposite in fact. this is why i believe people need to worry about real issues rather than stuff they have zero control over. you gotta just play the game with regards to all the government stuff you can't control - you think in an indepenent scotland you still wouldn't have been penalised for being late for your JSA appointment? independence or no, in reality very little will change for the man on the street in scotland - you'll still have the same problems as a country you have today, and still be governed by a small minority who control majority of money and power - whether scottish, english or arab, their priorities will be much the same. worry about the stuff you can control. anyway, that's all i'm trying to say and think it would be good if more people did this. and yes, i absolutely want to just enjoy life - doesn't everyone? peace.

Edited August 4, 2014 by BCM

this is precisely what this referendum means though. it is something i can control. i can vote for it, hopefully along with another 50 percent or more of the population.

Edited August 4, 2014 by messiaen

ok great! good luck the scottish independance issue is honestly not what i'm worried about here really, i just got annoyed by deleter's insistence the the UK is somehow heading towards total breakdown and we're all fucked. we ain't.

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:04 PM, poblequadrat said:

 

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:54 PM, doublename said:

Americans are going to be shocked as shit if/when this happens, because our media hasn't said word one about Scottish independence.

wait until they hear about catalonia, so far polls say independence will win. spain, of course, are so nice and non-nationalistic that they have threatened to do bad things and call mommy if the referendum actually happens. first-rank political personalities are suggesting that the catalan premier should be thrown in jail. lol

Geography and history aren't taught until age ~12 in a lot of US public schools, I'd be astonished if anyone who hasn't vacationed there can find Catalonia on a map. sadlol

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:41 PM, BCM said:

ok great! good luck the scottish independance issue is honestly not what i'm worried about here really, i just got annoyed by deleter's insistence the the UK is somehow heading towards total breakdown and we're all fucked. we ain't.

Children of Men isn't a documentary?

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:41 PM, BCM said:

ok great! good luck the scottish independance issue is honestly not what i'm worried about here really, i just got annoyed by deleter's insistence the the UK is somehow heading towards total breakdown and we're all fucked. we ain't.

yeah theres not a revolution on the way or anything, but its worth noting that britain allegedly has the worst quality of life in the EU.

 

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/sep/29/uk-worst-quality-of-life-europe

 

its not all sun and roses, even if there arent bodies piling up in the street as there are in the middle east etc.

its also true that scotland becoming independent will almost certainly have no bearing on your average man in the streets life in the england, however i completely disagree that that is the case in scotland.

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:56 PM, messiaen said:

its also true that scotland becoming independent will almost certainly have no bearing on your average man in the streets life in the england, however i completely disagree that that is the case in scotland.

 

well, i guess there's only one way to find out!

 

exciting stuff. certain opinion polls are at 70% yes, and the official , expensive report that the goverment conducted had the results supressed and no-one was told the results so you can be pretty sure that they werent to their liking.

 

good times.

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:47 PM, doublename said:

 

  On 8/4/2014 at 5:04 PM, poblequadrat said:

 

  On 8/4/2014 at 4:54 PM, doublename said:

Americans are going to be shocked as shit if/when this happens, because our media hasn't said word one about Scottish independence.

wait until they hear about catalonia, so far polls say independence will win. spain, of course, are so nice and non-nationalistic that they have threatened to do bad things and call mommy if the referendum actually happens. first-rank political personalities are suggesting that the catalan premier should be thrown in jail. lol

Geography and history aren't taught until age ~12 in a lot of US public schools, I'd be astonished if anyone who hasn't vacationed there can find Catalonia on a map. sadlol

 

 

 

Well, we aren't the most cultured country in the world either. It's not like Catalonia is well known anyway - I mean there's a full-fledged literature in Catalan, modernist art, and whatnot but even European exchange students are so shocked that Catalans speak Catalan that they always demand university professors to impart their classes in Spanish even if they don't speak Spanish themselves. It's as if we only exist to play the role of keeping visitors inside their bubble, pretty sad really.

 

Anyway, I like your attitude, BCM. Things have changed a bit as of lately but even now many Spaniards will still tell you that any vote on independence is "nationalistic" and that Catalans, Scots, Quebecois, etc. are "thieves" or "racists" and that the referendum should be prevented at any cost. It's refreshing to see you Brits just don't care!

Edited August 4, 2014 by poblequadrat

But the real question of importance here is: What happens to that lovely Union Jack? Would we just have the Welsh dragon with a red cross behind it?...Actually, that sounds pretty awesome.

 

Seriously, I'm happy if the Scots stay and if they want to be independent. Why not? And if it pisses off David Cameron, then even better! We hate the cunt too.

 

As for over population, I believe ebola is doing its best to cure that problem as we speak. And the end of the world is fine, we were kinda crap to it anyway. I imagine it would play out similar to Doris Lessing's Memoirs of a Survivor, where everything is procured via bartering and money is used as kindling.

  On 8/4/2014 at 6:05 PM, poblequadrat said:

Anyway, I like your attitude, BCM. Things have changed a bit as of lately but even now many Spaniards will still tell you that any vote on independence is "nationalistic" and that Catalans, Scots, Quebecois, etc. are "thieves" or "racists" and that the referendum should be prevented at any cost. It's refreshing to see you Brits just don't care!

 

 

As messiaen says, it's emotional for Scots themselves but for English, as there will likely be no massive change, it means not much to Englanders. However, I bet if there was something greater at stake--perhaps the aforementioned oil was crucial to us (I guess it is really) or if Scotland had the right to take the pound with them etcetera--I wonder if we'd be up in arms just as much as the Spaniards?

There's a live TV debate tonight with Salmond vs Alistair Darling which should be a good watch. I think Salmond will wipe his arse with Darling because Darling is a charisma vacuum. Whether or not it will have any impact in the polls is doubtful as everyone has pretty much made their mind up at this stage, there are a lot of hoorah henry's in Scotland who want to remain united. Not to judge them but they tend to go out shooting grouse, shop at Waitrose and have named their kids Horatio and Tarquin.