The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

Author Archive


Small is beautiful 88

Posted on May 04, 2013 by

Are we doomed to decline if Scotland separates? I can think of lots of good reasons why Scotland might want to vote to remain part of the United Kingdom. But the Commons’ Foreign Affairs Select Committee report this week is not one of them.

smallcountry

According to the report, if Scotland votes for independence, it would mean the UK was “a world power in irreversible decline”. Setting aside the question of whether we should expect folk to vote in the interests of geopolitical greatness, does being small mean you’re doomed to be weak? Not at all. The assumption that in geopolitics strength comes from scale is simply not true.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category analysis, comment, scottish politics, uk politics

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,672 Posts, 1,203,144 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

    and finally and firstly arithmetic fail braveheart klaxon britnats captain darling cartoons Chris Cairns confused cringe crybabies dateline debates Devo Nano Douglas Daniel Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries hamish hypocrisy liars light-hearted banter lizards memogate misinformation one nation perspectives poll project fear project feart qft Scott Minto smears snp accused soapbox the positive case for the union The Vow ticktock toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “No one ever explained convincingly why Sunak committed political suicide and needlessly called a GE which he was widely expected…” Nov 25, 10:52
    • sam on The Unbargain Bin: “Call the roller of big cigars, The muscular one, and bid him whip In kitchen cups concupiscent curds. Let the…” Nov 25, 10:35
    • Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “While they send hundreds of thousands of Ukr@inians to their deaths. Lot’s of videos of press gangs operating there snatching…” Nov 25, 10:07
    • Robert Hughes on The Unbargain Bin: “Aye , wee used-country salesman , Z was publicly * hawking * U to all the beneficent altruists , eg…” Nov 25, 09:26
    • Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “Wow that is some honking patter right there. Running around from one comment to another denying what the whole world…” Nov 25, 09:13
    • James on The Unbargain Bin: ““You Can Polish a Turd” by John Main” Nov 25, 09:07
    • Breeks on The Unbargain Bin: “BlackRock I understand will “aquire” permanently, vast reserves of rich “Ucrane” resources once “Ucrane” defaults on the lend-lease style debts…” Nov 25, 08:44
    • gregor on The Unbargain Bin: “Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show: Belly Up: Penicillin Penny: “Penicillin Penny she’s the queen of the sunset strip If…” Nov 25, 08:19
    • gregor on The Unbargain Bin: “World Economic Forum: Partners & people… Blackrock: https://www.weforum.org/organizations/blackrock- inc/ UK Government: https://www.weforum.org/organizations/united-kingdom-government/ Keir Starmer: https://www.weforum.org/people/keir-starmer/” Nov 25, 07:58
    • gregor on The Unbargain Bin: “Keir Starmer: “I’m determined to deliver growth, create wealth and put more money in people’s pockets. This can only be…” Nov 25, 07:53
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: ““But what choice is there?” For England? that will be for the people of England to decide on the basis…” Nov 25, 07:43
    • Mia on The Unbargain Bin: ““Vote for more of this?” You are absolutely right in all what you say. In Scotland we should not vote…” Nov 25, 07:37
    • Alf Baird on The Unbargain Bin: ““These malignant groups curry favour with supine Governments, Scotland included, no matter how psychotic, gen0c1dal, criminal, corrupt, unhinged, and Fascist…” Nov 25, 07:33
    • Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: “In the last GE, Labour took approx one third of votes cast, on a turnout of less than two thirds.…” Nov 25, 07:21
    • Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: ““gen0c1dal, criminal, corrupt, unhinged, and Fascist by literal definition” I’m horrified to read “gen0c1dal”, just horrified. The people need to…” Nov 25, 07:05
    • Mac on The Unbargain Bin: “Petition for a new GE. Nearly 2 million signatures. Going up fast. Sign here. Fuck Two Tier Keir. https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700143” Nov 25, 07:05
    • Hatey McHateface on The Unbargain Bin: ““now at 1.665 million – perhaps the masses are rising at last” Nah. The masses are counting down to Xmas…” Nov 25, 06:59
    • Breeks on The Unbargain Bin: “Interesting? There is something fundamentally dysfunctional in our political landscape. Public opinion and formal, unequivocal mandates are set aside with…” Nov 25, 05:24
    • Michael Laing on The Unbargain Bin: “But what choice is there? I believe people saw Labour as the least-worst of the available options. They’re dire, but…” Nov 25, 01:44
    • Campbell Clansman on The Unbargain Bin: “Of course Scotland did NOT have “direct democracy” pre-1707. Just another moonhowler fantasy.” Nov 25, 00:54
    • Peter McAvoy on The Unbargain Bin: “On the discussion of Scottish politicians autobiographies I would like to read Patrick Harvies that towering intellect and oratory tell…” Nov 25, 00:44
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “1.7 million on the petition to call a General Election now because Labour aren’t honouring their promises. That is almost…” Nov 24, 22:47
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “Indeed. If only we had direct democracy as Scotland did pre-1707 and as Switzerland now has. That petition is now…” Nov 24, 22:12
    • Robert Hughes on The Unbargain Bin: “or Francis Bacon . I can imagine a ” Screaming ” Swinney .” Nov 24, 21:50
    • Tinto Chiel on The Unbargain Bin: “It’s not just here, it’s also in the sump which is the House of Commons. In fact, the whole political…” Nov 24, 21:19
    • Southernbystander on The Unbargain Bin: “This all seems a bit confused as the ‘official’ line is he left because of the sale of the Observer…” Nov 24, 21:05
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “Apparently it is well known to insiders – presumably that includes the press – that Holyrood is a sink of…” Nov 24, 20:40
    • sarah on The Unbargain Bin: “1,509, no 1,510, 853. Amazing. How embarrassing for Starmer if it reaches millions and the press/tv report it…” Nov 24, 20:31
    • James Gardner on The Unbargain Bin: “Actors telling Jackanory stories, more the fool the folk ….” Nov 24, 20:25
    • Tinto Chiel on The Unbargain Bin: “Yes, sarah, I reckon any Hieronymus Bosch painting could depict Holyrood quite accurately 🙂 .” Nov 24, 20:15

  • A tall tale



↑ Top