Better Together and borders: the Lie of the Land

A border? Oh my God! A border's like this, isn't it?

Economic case for Scottish independence: the economic facts

 

 (If you have difficulty with the clip you can click here to see it on YouTube)

 

This is, without doubt, the clearest, most compelling explanation of the economic facts underpinning the independence debate that you will see. Few of us studied PPE or economics to degree level but anyone who's interested and prepared to devote 36 minutes of their time (as anyone who plans to vote ought to be) will find that the facts here are sourced back to GERS (the veracity of which is accepted by both sides) and then explained and explored in a way that is clear but unpatronising and, when you hear them for the first time, quite jaw-dropping.

If you watch this and still plan to vote No, fair enough.

Business for Scotland: the Case for Independence

Business for Scotland's guide to the economics of independence is only 15 pages long and packed with fact, all sourced, and plain-language explanation (get it here):

• what are the data sources (what is GERS and why do both sides trust it)?
• what does Scotland's balance sheet look like (can Scotland afford to be independent)?
• what do Scotland's revenue, expenditure, GDP, debt ratio and deficit look like and compare internationally and to the rest of the UK?
• can Scotland afford to defend itself?
• how important is oil?
• why are we well placed to provide pension cover?
• what about the EU?
• what currency will we use?
• what about the banking crisis?
• what opportunities would we have to pursue different economic policies?

15 pages: read it now or download for later.

The road to Wellville remains open

I genuinely didn't know that the following exchange apparently represents a common belief:

"Poster 1: Wow f***ing wee, Do you really think there will be a national health service in an Independent Scotland?

Dont be f***ing stupid.

Poster 2: Why would there not be?

I don't think the Scottish people would have it any other way.

Poster 3: I think we'd struggle to cover all the public spending required.

If we really wanted an NHS, some other part of the public sector would have to go bye bye."

The answer to all of this is unbelievably simple, straightforward and objectively verifiable: we already have a separate, independent NHS Scotland, comprising our various local Health Boards, and we are already paying for it. NHS Scotland already administers to Scottish patients, each ascribed and identified by means of a Community Health Index, or "CHI", Number.  We already cover the cost of this system of health care provision. The Scottish Government has done that, within the terms of its balanced budget, since devolution was introduced. Could it be simpler? We know we can have it and pay for it because we already have it and are already paying for it, from our own resources.

Know your onions

See the graph above. I've now decided that "onion farmer" is the one thing I will not permit my children to be. Surely if the price of onions varies from time to time, then the idea of making a living through growing and selling them becomes a ridiculous and unattainable dream? Let your heads rule your hearts, girls, I'll say. The notion that you might make a living through the propagation and sale of onions on a commercial basis, coping with price fluctuation by means of, say, some kind of budgeting exercise, is fantasy, pure and simple. Some dreams must simply remain unlived.

And don't let that fat liar Salmond tell you otherwise. Him and his madcap plans for allium husbandry. 

See:

• Maximising the Return from Oil and Gas in an Independent Scotland
• 10 Facts About Scotland's Oil and Independence
• The Economics of Independence (Full Version)

The road not taken

Driving instructor: Good morning Mrs. Smith. You want to sign up for some lessons, I believe?

Mrs. Smith: That's right, yes.

Driving instructor: Great. OK, if we could first of all just....

Mr. Smith [muttering]: Bloody waste of time.

[Pause]

Driving instructor: I'm sorry?

Mr. Smith [loudly and challengingly]: I said: “Bloody waste of time”!

Mrs. Smith: Darling, we agreed that...

Mr. Smith: “Agreed”? Ha! I didn't agree anything. You didn't give me a chance. You just decided. [Muttering] I never get a say in anything any more.

Mrs. Smith: Darling, we agreed that I'd do this.

Mr. Smith: Yes yes. All right. Don't go on.

[Pause]

Mrs. Smith [to the instructor]: So where do I sign?

Driving instructor: If you could...

Mr. Smith: Are you saying I can't drive?

The Squillion Pound Black Hole

Black holes are really interesting, aren't they? “But I wonder”, I thought, “just how big black holes actually are? How 'big' is something so unimaginably dense that it sucks even light into itself? Is that really, really big or really, really small?” And then I thought “Where on earth am I going to find THAT out? What entity will possess the combination of wisdom, gravitas and expertise in matters astrophysical that I need?”

I thought, of course, of the two obvious answers but NASA was less than helpful, frankly. Their answer to the question “How big are black holes?” is: “Black holes can be big or small.” “OK”, I thought, “Better Together it is then”.