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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.

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    • factchecker on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Some good news today. “…a spokesman for the Scottish government said: “Our economy is one of the best performing parts…” Jul 25, 18:41
    • Spartan 117 on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Few things worse in life than “Socialists” who at the slightest sniff of power dig in and engorge themselves at…” Jul 25, 18:23
    • Hatey McHateface on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Alf Re your wish list at 4:08. Surely the most third-rate economist would understand that the feasibility and profitability of…” Jul 25, 18:11
    • Hatey McHateface on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Some great comments today. There remains but for Wally W. Walrus to expectorate partly masticated rotting fish guts over it…” Jul 25, 17:50
    • Young Lochinvar on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “On a cheerier note. Listening to Smooth Radio the hourly newsreader had me smiling, for all the world her rendition…” Jul 25, 16:37
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““ By definition, it is surely a rhetorical question also, since I am hardly likely to have published work on…” Jul 25, 16:32
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Alf – firstly, that is a description of (in your own terms) how GDP growth could be delivered, it’s not…” Jul 25, 16:29
    • Alf Baird on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““Scotland’s output would double” Near neighbour high-GDP sovereign states with similar or far lesser resources illustrate that a major increase…” Jul 25, 16:08
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““So who do we believe?” 😀 😀 😀 And on that bombshell, time for a Negroni I think. Saluti! 🙂” Jul 25, 16:02
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Indeed Dan – it’s a case of: – the independently audited figures show one thing; – the (former) head of…” Jul 25, 15:51
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Indeed Dan – it’s a case of: – the independently audited figures show one thing; – the (former) head of…” Jul 25, 15:51
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Northy “First, questioning someone’s published work isn’t a demand for credentials; it’s very often a request for clarity about the…” Jul 25, 15:42
    • Dan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Waiting on new boys CC and AIdan pulling up Stu for posting this “shite” back in the day… https://wingsoverscotland.com/on-our-own-two-feet/” Jul 25, 15:33
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Alf – I’ve published work on a range of subjects, but my work, unlike yours, isn’t written starting with the…” Jul 25, 15:02
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Alf – Scotland’s GDP per capita is around the same as neighbouring countries like Finland and Belgium, and above almost…” Jul 25, 14:49
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “*what has MEAN per capita have to do with “rich”” Jul 25, 14:44
    • Aidan on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Confused – comedy gold from someone who thinks that incorporating a network of companies makes any person or enterprise “tax…” Jul 25, 14:44
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““So that’s a big ‘naw’ then, ye’ve nivver published hee-haw aboot onythin.” Heh. Well, I’ve written countless landmark technical reports…” Jul 25, 14:35
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “@Alf What has per capita GDP got to do with being “rich”? Especially if comparing the UK (and by extension…” Jul 25, 14:32
    • Alf Baird on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “““the rich”” i.e. normal developed sovereign countries (GDP per capita, 2025, US$: Statista): Ireland – $130,650 Switzerland – $115,620 Singapore…” Jul 25, 14:08
    • sam on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Jim Cuthberts academic qualifications, his work experience in the Scottish office and elsewhere puts him head, shoulders, torso, pelvis, legs…” Jul 25, 14:06
    • sam on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “This is what I said above in my reply to Factchecker. “His point is not that more powers have been…” Jul 25, 13:38
    • Alf Baird on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““I never claimed to have my own work” So that’s a big ‘naw’ then, ye’ve nivver published hee-haw aboot onythin.…” Jul 25, 13:24
    • Anthem on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Did you make that up all by yourself CC. That’s some pile of shite.” Jul 25, 13:24
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Good points, eloquently raised. Well debated. 🙂 I’m walking the dog and have to do some shopping, but will come…” Jul 25, 13:06
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: ““More bullshit about tax from the resident fuckbrains. – the rich don’t pay taxes. They never did.” Well, the forum…” Jul 25, 12:40
    • Northcode on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “You’ve raised several points, but they rest on assumptions that don’t quite align with the structure of the discussion. “Ah,…” Jul 25, 12:38
    • Confused on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “More bullshit about tax from the resident fuckbrains. – the rich don’t pay taxes. They never did. (And the french…” Jul 25, 12:20
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “*your” Jul 25, 11:58
    • Captain Caveman on Ain’t it funny how things change?: “Ah, the old “where’s your own work” deflection. How weak. I never claimed to have my own work (self published…” Jul 25, 11:39

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