The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


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: 6,726 Posts, 1,215,029 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 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 toldyouso too wee too poor too stupid unionist of the day vote no get nothing

  • Recent Comments

    • Hatey McHateface on The Gender Of Mountains: “Seems that neither Sven nor Bob have anything sensible to say about the war in the east. No change there…” Apr 3, 19:26
    • Robert Hughes on The Gender Of Mountains: “Of course Swinney would bend over to * accommodate * the utterly farcical ” Red Menace ” bollocks ; another…” Apr 3, 16:25
    • Sven on The Gender Of Mountains: “Vivian O’Blivion @ 14.15. A senior source close to the First Minister has a brass neck to dare to even…” Apr 3, 16:12
    • Aidan on The Long Future: “@Xaracen – there is no such thing as a binary state, states can either be unitary (like the U.K.) or…” Apr 3, 15:02
    • Hatey McHateface on The Gender Of Mountains: ““there’ll be Ruskie tanks parked in front of Hollyrood if we’re no careful” That, my dear Vivian O’Blivion, is an…” Apr 3, 14:59
    • Hatey McHateface on The Gender Of Mountains: ““gutless pro Trump Brit Yoon NAZI appeaser” Iain treats us to another lesson on “hearts and minds”. Just in case…” Apr 3, 14:47
    • Young Lochinvar on The Gender Of Mountains: “The Khmer Vert should just pull the trigger of the metaphorical gun they are holding to their own “electability” heads…” Apr 3, 14:20
    • Vivian O’Blivion on The Gender Of Mountains: “The Scotland Editor of The New Statesman, Chris Deerin is full of praise for Mayor Swinney of Brigadoom. “The SNP…” Apr 3, 14:15
    • sarah on The Gender Of Mountains: “Yes – the ICCPR is an international obligation, however. For more information about the strength of the petition see Leah…” Apr 3, 14:12
    • Dunx on The Gender Of Mountains: “The HRC And the ICCPR are different things.” Apr 3, 12:54
    • MaryB on The Gender Of Mountains: “Thanks for that, Sarah.” Apr 3, 12:16
    • Xaracen on The Long Future: “As for the “principle of respect for the territorial integrity of states”, that can only apply to unitary states. For…” Apr 3, 11:48
    • sarah on The Gender Of Mountains: “Scotland Act 1998 clause 7 (2) Sub-paragraph (1) does NOT reserve – (a) observing and implementing international obligations, obligations under…” Apr 3, 11:30
    • Xaracen on The Long Future: “Ah, so it’s not an important matter of principle at all, then. It’s just a shoddy excuse to keep certain…” Apr 3, 11:28
    • Mark Beggan on The Gender Of Mountains: ““A gutless pro Trump British yoon Nazi appeaser” as opposed to an aborted pro Faggot inbred Lefty jizz stain.” Apr 3, 10:24
    • Aidan on The Gender Of Mountains: “@Mary – you’re right, but the UNCRC was successfully challenged in the Supreme Court on the basis that it extended…” Apr 3, 10:04
    • Sven on The Gender Of Mountains: “Iain More @ 08.15. I suspect that this will be in retaliation for the 82% Tariff which the Islands impose…” Apr 3, 09:49
    • Southernbystander on The Gender Of Mountains: “Is there not a serious problem of throwing the baby out with the bath water with this endless invocation of…” Apr 3, 09:44
    • MaryB on The Gender Of Mountains: “Aidan @ 6.23am Why don’t you Google UN Human Rights and ICCPR? The UK adopted the overall Human Rights Act,…” Apr 3, 09:36
    • Iain More on The Gender Of Mountains: “Ok we get that you are a gutless pro Trump Brit Yoon NAZI appeaser. Thanks for letting is know.” Apr 3, 09:22
    • Hatey McHateface on The Gender Of Mountains: “Why is this a gift for Scottish Indy, Iain? Is iScotland going to stand up to President Trump and the…” Apr 3, 08:48
    • Iain More on The Gender Of Mountains: “41% Tariffs on Falkland Islands. What did they do to piss off Fuhrer Trump? I had no idea that the…” Apr 3, 08:15
    • Aidan on The Gender Of Mountains: “Another cunning plan based on a whole heap of made up legal arguments which no court, anywhere, is going to…” Apr 3, 06:23
    • Hatey McHateface on The Sacrifice: “@Zimba Regarding moral inconsistencies. I believe a meaningful debate between fair-minded individuals acting in good faith first needs some kind…” Apr 2, 21:17
    • sarah on The Gender Of Mountains: “IMPORTANT: Leah Gunn Barrett attended the Public Petitions Committee at Holyrood today in order to see what would happen to…” Apr 2, 19:40
    • agent x on The Gender Of Mountains: “Caroline Lucas says: “He helped transform the fortunes of the Scottish Green party – taking the party into government for…” Apr 2, 18:13
    • Porty on The Long Future: “Have a wee look at her post and highlights of committee meeting today at Holyrood today, she’s a fighter, well…” Apr 2, 18:08
    • Porty on The Long Future: “So the game’s a bogey, so we call it a day?” Apr 2, 18:04
    • Porty on The Long Future: “So the game’s a bogey, so we call it a day?” Apr 2, 18:00
    • Porty on The Long Future: “Soz, double post…” Apr 2, 17:41

  • A tall tale



↑ Top