The Great Scottish Debate #3. Reckoning, Appraisal and a Letter to a Friend

 A chara Sophia

Dea-shláinte a thabhairt duit agus an teaghlach

How are you in Stockholm this weekend...disappointed after the result. May I give you my report to make the yes camp feel a little better.

2 yrs. ago close observers including the SNP knew there were not enough votes to win the yes campaign. The fundamentals just weren't there.

These fundamentals are mainly generational, the younger generation having the spirit and courage to take Scotland to dizzy heights, while older citizens, like everywhere, preferring the devil you know - especially, if you’ve known him for 307 yrs.

A Scottish piper joins an Irish set to deliver a fantastic
performance at the Reconciliation conference in Dublin
Castle last week, 2 days before the referendum vote.  2014

Alex Salmond also knew that Westminster would cut up rough as would big business and the Banking moguls. Such bold moves for self-determination are for far flung places and not for the extension to the family home.

However Salmond was wise to test how far he could close the gap and how difficult it would be to take on the opposition. He needed this trial run before the next and final effort to win total unconditional independence in an environment acceptable to all.  Preparation for war is everything Sophia and most are won even before they are ever fought. (Sun Tzu, art of war)

What he did was to close the gap from 25% in May 2013 to 45% at end of play 2014...and fought the opposition to a standstill, sacrificing himself just like Mel Gibson did in Braveheart. Filmed in Ireland I might now add. 

This is a remarkable achievement and makes the man a living legend.

You see Sophia, for every NO voter that now becomes deceased, and that is about 60,000 per annum, a new YES voter will join the register. 

Given there is a shortfall of  300,000 to reach 50% means Salmond is just 5 yrs. away from this magic number and 10 yrs. away to reverse this referendum result into a 55% YES favour. Allowing for errors in these figures, the next vote is 15 - 17yrs from now.

So the UK has this time to fix the family house and build a Federal Union or a Commonwealth Confederacy, because, the nature of the UK and its central system is now broken. If they act Salmond’s independence movement is a chapter for the history books. If they fail then the banner to march will rise again.

So I hope you didn't cancel the victory breakfast, for it was a great tactical move worthy of any Highland charge against the Sassanachs 

Salmond may resign as first minister but as a lightning rod for the independence movement that shook the world; his place in history is secured. Who will remember Darling, Brown or Cameron.

Your friend in Donegal

Slán go fóill

The Great Scottish Debate #2: Into End Game with the Red Queen.

Pawns become powerful pieces in any end game; Scottish separatist leader
Alex Salmond knows this all too well....but is it enough to take down a
Red Queen from her powerful position as head of the UK state.  2014

VIVA! VIVA!  The YES and NO - the Yin and Yang - the I Ching,  Divination,  Premonition , Prediction, Essentialism, Realism, Idealism, Existentialism and to sum it all up……The Book of Change…

It will never be the same after Thursday’s vote. Not for the UK and not for Europe. On one hand Westminster knows centralism is now gone….In Holyrood the Scots know this vote is a massive boost for the power of Democracy….In Brussels they must also know the will and nerve to change within the UK is carved from Grampian granite.

And this very nerve has powerful signals to send stretching across Europe from Span’s Leon to the Russian Donbass.

Centralism is no longer a given for Empire or Superstate but Confederate Democracy still has plenty of air to breath.

Salmond’s end game will be a master to watch.  His move to check the opposition’s defense of Scottish right to self-determination by declaring no second referendum for a generation is a classic play to idle pawns called don’t knows pondering their response…a deciding response for check mate.

 If self-determination fails who will be the voters to stand last man and claim it was their move which lost the end-game.  

The Red players must carefully examine the chess board for their final moves, as must everyone else contemplating Empire, or Confederate Democracy.