Thanks Rattle, that explains a fair amount…although in no way will it stop me having fun with the Scots at work. Tee Hee.
But if the Scots leave the UK, that should mean the Union Jack has to be redesigned. The question for Oz is what do we do with our flag? We have the existing Union Jack in the upper left corner. Do we keep it as historically accurate or do we redesign the lot? I’m sitting here with a certain amount of dread thinking about what sort of flag some wanker from Sydney (I’m looking at you Ken Done) will come up with. I do not want to salute a tea-towel.
[quote]SexMachine wrote:
I’m actually a republican but I’m very much against Australian republicanism. For one thing, we already are a republic for all intents and purposes. For another, why fix something that’s not broken? And who the hell knows what would result from a republican referendum? We might end up with some kind of socialist Constitutional amendment.[/quote]
Ditto to that. Howard was brilliant the way he pitted the two republican camps against each other, and just waited for the carnage to ensue. They were so focused on tearing each other apart they forgot about the essential nature of Australians. The Queen, who is a lovely lady, gives us a holiday on her birthday, and its always a monday! Thats a day off work…for free! The Poms don’t get that, but we do!! So if we boot the monarchy we lose a holiday…no F’ing way mate. By the time the poor bastards realised that it was way too late. Poor bastards.
[quote]MartyMonster wrote:
Thanks Rattle, that explains a fair amount…although in no way will it stop me having fun with the Scots at work. Tee Hee.
But if the Scots leave the UK, that should mean the Union Jack has to be redesigned. The question for Oz is what do we do with our flag? We have the existing Union Jack in the upper left corner. Do we keep it as historically accurate or do we redesign the lot? I’m sitting here with a certain amount of dread thinking about what sort of flag some wanker from Sydney (I’m looking at you Ken Done) will come up with. I do not want to salute a tea-towel. [/quote]
I’m terrified of losing the flag. For one thing, it would be symbolic of the fact that we have already lost the nation - it would essentially be formalising the loss. For another, I have sentimental - almost spiritual attachment to it. It’s the flag my ancestors fought and died under. It symbolises the nation and I’m a hardcore nationalist. And also for the reason you mention. Who the hell knows what we’d end up with. I could live with the Eureka flag but I’m certain the left will demand some representation of "the land’s original owners’ - ie, aboriginal flag, a boomerang, dreamtime serpent or something ridiculous like that.
Lyrics taken from a 1791 Robert Burns poem concerning the Act of Union singing in 1707.
Fareweel to a’ our Scottish fame,
Fareweel our ancient glory;
Fareweel ev’n to the Scottish name,
Sae fam’d in martial story.
Now Sark rins over Solway sands,
An’ Tweed rins to the ocean,
To mark where England’s province stands-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
What force or guile could not subdue,
Thro’ many warlike ages,
Is wrought now by a coward few,
For hireling traitor’s wages.
The English steel we could disdain,
Secure in valour’s station;
But English gold has been our bane -
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
O would, ere I had seen the day
That Treason thus could sell us,
My auld grey head had lien in clay,
Wi’ Bruce and loyal Wallace!
But pith and power, till my last hour,
I’ll mak this declaration;
We’re bought and sold for English gold-
Such a parcel of rogues in a nation!
[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:
I’m voting yes, or at least, my mind is almost made up to vote yes, and this represents a 180° change in thinking for me over the past year or two.
I’m a great big Europhile, and I believe in free healthcare and education, so the way the UK is going under any of the main political parties doesn’t look too appealing to me. My hope is that an independent Scotland will, at least initially, boast the full left to right political spectrum and offer voters a real choice.
My yes vote is a gamble (I suspect that when faced with the realities of governance in the 21st century, the lofty ideals espoused by dreamy-eyed, romantic yes voters will fall by the wayside), and I definitely understand people wanting to vote no to protect investments in properties and businesses, etc. The numbers show that Scotland should be able to pay its own way, but I know that I won’t be happy if tax rates get upped to 50% to pay for a socialist utopia.[/quote]
You know, I have been thinking about this pretty hard for a completely non-involved person. My experience with Scotland involved getting very lost on a holiday one summer and ending up in Scotland with 4 little girls that needed to go potty badly. Friendly enough people, indeed.
Here are my thoughts as an outsider, also from relatively little country, but who really wanted to be independent from the English:
Being a little country kind of sucks. Being tied closely to a big country is useful for lots of things. Yes, England is problematic, but Scotland will be too small to go it alone, and will have to look to Europe. Remember the old Dylan song “you have to serve somebody”? Well, you’ll be serving Germany instead of England. At least with England you have a sort-of shared language and customs and peoples. Certainly history. And the English, for all their faults, are a very decent peoples. So that would be my worry no 1.
Worry No. 2 is economic. Oil is great when it is high and really bad when it is low. And it does go low. The economic swings are going to be much, much, greater, which makes for a hard time. So, while I get not wanting to support England now, they are around (with really good defense spending) when times are bad.
It’s going to be complicated as heck. I mean, is an Englishman-by-descent who spent his entire life in Scotland Scottish? How about the Londoner with a Scottish mom and an English dad? Etc.
In all, I think it is a bad move, but again, I am not Scottish or English and about as far from both as possible.
I was over in Finland a few years ago seeing family and was having a bit of banter with my Finnish stepmother, mocking her dour, cold country when she turned to me and said “At least we have our own country”
[/quote]
Canadians don’t seem to mind living under U.S. rule. [/quote]
Trivia, but I learned that there are more people of Scottish descent in Texas than Scotland.
I was over in Finland a few years ago seeing family and was having a bit of banter with my Finnish stepmother, mocking her dour, cold country when she turned to me and said “At least we have our own country”
[/quote]
Canadians don’t seem to mind living under U.S. rule. [/quote]
Trivia, but I learned that there are more people of Scottish descent in Texas than Scotland.
[/quote]
I was over in Finland a few years ago seeing family and was having a bit of banter with my Finnish stepmother, mocking her dour, cold country when she turned to me and said “At least we have our own country”
[/quote]
Canadians don’t seem to mind living under U.S. rule. [/quote]
“With 31 out of the country’s 32 council areas having declared after Thursday’s vote, the ‘No’ side has an unassailable lead of 1,914,187 votes to 1,539,920…”
[quote]Diddy Ryder wrote:
Or maybe they just haven’t woken up yet, ha. Just seen a couple more.[/quote]
It’s getting quite outrageous now tbh. I’m losing respect for a lot of people close to me due to their countless posting about this being Scotland’s darkest day and demanding a recount.
