The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland

Author Archive


Latvian lessons 127

Posted on October 24, 2013 by

Latvia has been ruled by others for most of the past thousand years, with Riga even being the largest city in Sweden until they carelessly lost it to Peter the Great in 1710. Independence from Russia came in 1918 and then from the Soviet Union in 1991.

latvia

I arrived in Riga a few months later and stayed for a year and a half. At the time I joked that, apart from my paid work, I was there to observe what they were going through and to take notes for when Scotland became independent. It’s been a long time but some things, I hope, will be relevant to the process over the next year.

Read the rest of this entry →

Tags:
Category comment, world

  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a thing that exists.

    Stats: 6,787 Posts, 1,222,153 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 Federalists Unionists and Devolutionists flat-out lies foreigner watch from the archives fundraisers galleries Greg Moodie 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

    • twathater on According As We Need Them: “You Posted, “You’ll just look like the other unemployment daytime drinker shopping channel serial masturbaters that seem to lurk on…” Jul 17, 18:16
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: ““don’t … contribute financially or socially to Scotland or Scots” And you do, TH? You’ve really swallowed the “assistance” line…” Jul 17, 18:12
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: ““as a wee mid-week treat for one” There ye gang, NC, fixed it fer ye. Pamper yersel soon!” Jul 17, 18:07
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: ““Governments aren’t really interested in the health and welfare of the poorest” By a remarkable coincidence, neither are most people.…” Jul 17, 17:58
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: “But first we have to understand why the oh-so-nice, touchy-feely, generous, warm, welcoming BRICS luvvies would be so mean as…” Jul 17, 17:47
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: “Sam always likes to fret about this kind of thing, all the while choosing to ignore the immense and accelerating…” Jul 17, 17:29
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: “@Northcode Strong, the fight is in this one, while the pseudonym holds fast, and the bedroom curtains tightly shut out…” Jul 17, 17:13
    • Hatey McHateface on According As We Need Them: ““moved to Glasgow” Are there no depths of hideous depravity to which the abusive, coercive state apparatus will not sink?…” Jul 17, 17:02
    • Northcode on According As We Need Them: “In the interests of harmonious relations between the two parties to a hoax union, or alternatively ‘The Union That Never…” Jul 17, 15:52
    • Northcode on According As We Need Them: ““…so you are willing to say to the face of any English neighbours ‘you are a plundering colonial occupier please…” Jul 17, 15:10
    • Rev. Stuart Campbell on According As We Need Them: ““The latest poll (IPSOS) of voting intentions for Holyrood has the SNP at 31%, “Other” (Alba, Liberation, ISP, etc.) at…” Jul 17, 15:02
    • Aidan on According As We Need Them: “@Mark – I love the way it’s described as “damaged a fence” as if it was some kind of innocent…” Jul 17, 14:57
    • Northcode on According As We Need Them: ““But to most people I suspect, what you are rationalising is bigotry, plain and simple. This is why I find…” Jul 17, 14:43
    • Mark Beggan on According As We Need Them: “It’s reality time for the Lefty do gooders. Terrorists forfeit their rights.” Jul 17, 14:02
    • Southernbystander on According As We Need Them: “Right, so you are willing to say to the face of any English neighbours ‘you are a plundering colonial occupier…” Jul 17, 13:33
    • Aidan on According As We Need Them: “That’s a fair summary – Xaracen is at least engagable, if wrong” Jul 17, 13:32
    • Marie on According As We Need Them: “Correct. I remember reading The Black Report decades ago about the shocking differences in morbidity and mortality between rich and…” Jul 17, 13:31
    • Aidan on According As We Need Them: “Even if we took your view that life expectancy dipped from 2011 rather than 2010 (although the data does not…” Jul 17, 13:22
    • sam on According As We Need Them: “Aidan You say: “namely that the causal impact must at least in part be caveated against the fact that life…” Jul 17, 12:39
    • Captain Caveman on According As We Need Them: “Sam’s a dullard cut ‘n paste merchant and troll, but he’s actually one of the “better” correspondents if you can…” Jul 17, 12:33
    • Aidan on According As We Need Them: “Oh it’s another cult member, they really do seem to make their way out of the woodwork don’t they. I…” Jul 17, 11:40
    • Stuart on According As We Need Them: “So no more about the ‘D’ notice then Professor Baird? Clearly you are not a guest of His Majesty. Safe…” Jul 17, 11:26
    • sam on According As We Need Them: “Intellectually, Aidan isn’t fit to lick the boots of Alf Baird so he resorts to insult. Yesterday, Aidan was trying…” Jul 17, 11:04
    • sarah on According As We Need Them: “And another awful thing – see Craig Murray’s piece today about the three women whose car damaged a fence of…” Jul 17, 10:35
    • Aidan on According As We Need Them: “Yes, obviously, I need to update the PM on how many times Alf Baird has posted that Scotland is a…” Jul 17, 10:27
    • sarah on According As We Need Them: “@ Dan and sam: Robin McAlpine’s article is a clear and compelling analysis of where the SNP is and our…” Jul 17, 10:26
    • James Cheyne on According As We Need Them: “Just for fun , Like trans whom claim they are in the wrong body, Scots are in a situation whereby…” Jul 17, 10:25
    • James on According As We Need Them: “Oh look. Font of all worldly knowledge “Aidan” is on early shift today.” Jul 17, 10:05
    • Northcode on According As We Need Them: “The sun is oan the shine and a’m mindit o’ a summer lang lang syne. A Simmer Lang Syne Mindit…” Jul 17, 09:37
    • sam on According As We Need Them: “Pressed post too early. That’s an extract from the submission.” Jul 17, 09:25

  • A tall tale



↑ Top