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The REAL Reason Britain is Freaking Out About Scottish Independence
David Cameron and the British media have been freaking out about the potential Scottish independence.
They've blathered on about "history", "common defense" and other red herrings.
But it's really all about oil ...
Specifically, if Scotland becomes independent, it gets to keep 90% of the revenues from its huge oil reserves.
The New York Times reports:
Scottish nationalists have long argued that being governed from London has deprived their country of its fair share of the wealth from Britain’s oil and natural gas fields, which mostly lie in North Sea waters off their shores.
“It’s Scotland’s oil” was the rallying cry in the 1970s that helped raise the profile of the Scottish Nationalist Party, which now leads the country and is pushing for a vote to secede in the referendum on Thursday. Alex Salmond, the politician leading the separatist movement, has pointed to North Sea energy as the treasure that would help finance an independent Scotland — ensuring that the country could continue the generous public spending, including free university tuition, that he is promising voters.
Al Jazeera notes:
Massive oil reserves in the North Sea are at the heart of the Scottish independence debate. Many are questioning whether the reserves are just for Scotland or if the rest of the United Kingodm should continue to benefit from their profits.
NBC writes:
The ‘Yes’ campaign … says Scots should have total control of their own affairs and that revenue from Scotland’s offshore oil fields would sustain the country’s economy.
In addition, as Max Keiser explained:
(1) The UK can now borrow cheaply using the giant Scottish oil reserves as collateral
(2) If Scotland leaves, the collateral (oil reserves) is no longer available
(3) So the cost of borrowing money for Britain skyrockets
Scotland’s North Sea oil reserves are slowing running out, and so oil won’t be such a valuable resource forever. But for now, it is still invaluable (especially as collateral for British borrowing) … and the key to Britain’s panic over potential Scottish independence.
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Ordinarily I'd say there's no chance TPTB will allow a "yes" vote.
But the forces of history are now in favor of the fracturing of nations into constituent parts.
The over-complexity of modern states can no longer be supported by energy resources that are available.
However, there is still enough energy available to support smaller political entities.
The same process will show up here in the US shortly.
Marshall Mc Luhan proposized exactly what has been happening for the past 45 years (at least) (Playboy magazine of 3/69 article) and I whole heartedly agree with both you and Marshall.
Strangely it has been smaller states that are doing the thing now, but it is coming here. At least 6 seperate soverign states is my guess. We will see it happen before too long.
Don'd forget we are scheduled for a Constitutional Convention in 2016. Ought to be a fun year for all. Come armed. Milestones
2016? We are not going to make it. USA is F'ed. Keep watching O-TV and O-Hollywood. Your viewership makes them stronger.
I used to read playboy for the bush shots.
I like my shots neat and I try to avoid doing them in the bush because of snakes and bugs and things.
What is Norway's Oil funded soveriegn wealth fund up to now -- $300,000K per capita? Must make every poor Scot a wea bit
jealous. Can hardly blame them for wanting all of it....
Yes, but the Norwegians are not "canny Scots"; they seem to have fish oil for brains. Their entire Soverign Fund is invested in the EU Stock Market. !! I suppose they can always go back to fishing and growing potatoes.
So which year did that SWF lose value again? What with all their 'liberal' spending sprees on education/healthcare and other such 'nonsense' malinvestments? Must'a' been '98, 99, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004... I mean in 2008 it cratered fer shur, right?
http://www.finfacts.ie/artman/uploads/3/Norway-sovereign-fund-Oct202010.jpg
Yeah, you wish you had fish oil for brains
I'm wondering if EXXON/Mobil and BP are considering different forms of "tax inversion strategies" in their home countries along with massive currency hedges in order to protect their corporate profits and be one step ahead of corrupted politicians who will find ways to "F" them along with currency devaluations that seemingly come out of nowhere because of their governments moronic war efforts and alliances.I'd be depriving government of taxes if I were them.You can be smart or be a dumbass with paying Government corrupt unconstitutional income tax.It goes to support war.They both just got "F'd" on revenues from Russia's massive arctic oil plays.Those are big hits to take and you can bet when the smoke eventually clears,and it will eventually,that both those outfits will have to find a way to trade outside the U.S. Dollar system(SWIFT) in order to keep up global revenues.If they don't,others including Chinese companies are ready to fill in and take their places.But,the Russians need American Technology you say?No, they don't, the west gave away almost all oilfield technology to the Chinese when Stephen Harper the Canadian Prime Minister allowed the Chinese to buyout Nexen.Nexen is one of the largest oil companies in Calgary,Alberta,Canada,where most U.S. oil subsidiaries are located.Why was the sale allowed?This is very old news by the way.Because Nexen had more operations going on and land outside of Canada than within.Makes sense doesn't it?If you are approached by the Chinese and want to sellout for a big profit?Find a way over the long run,so you are not a threat to any National interest and Political Bullshit.Russia will just gets help from the Chinese instead,they've got plenty of experienced people.Don't you hate it when stupid,blonde bimbets on TV spew a line of propaganda about how everybody needs Washington Politicians and their corruption?When you own 4 trillion of the U.S. Government's debt in Washington,you can do what you want.You've got a lot of collateral,a lot of staying power.Like almost forever?If they don't like U.S. Treasuries,they'll just gradually dump them all and buy all the gold and silver on the earth.But they'd never do that.It's a slow kill.
"The Picts are flooding over the Wall ! Call the Legions !"
"The Legions have left."
"Call the Angles or Saxons"
"They are off in some heathen land."
"Curses! We have no choice . Call William-whats-his-name . But the cure may be worse than the disease."
See http://andreswhy.blogspot.com/2005/09/whatever-happened-to-william-whats...
"Your majesty, the Scots are revolting!"
"Yes, but I do love Balmoral in the Summertime."
Vote 'YES' for Texas !
half the friggin country is moving here, sucession will be cake in 10-20 years.
scorched earth of a different kind here vs typical heat
Screw the ones who set up the carpetbaggers to leave their non Texas political wreckage.
Its very ugly.
If secession does come, I hope the all the imported libtards abandon Austin.
cockroaches are almost impossible to get rid of. They have owned it for decades. UT student body is world amalgamation by design and has very little to do with Texas anymore.
Texas better secede quick. Once Obama keeps sening over all the illegals over the border, and then makes them all citizens, a majority of voting Texas may vote to secede and become part of Mexico.
Obama is a puppett - the elites who control this country have been systematically destroying our nation for a long time -actually, it really got started and cranked up in 1913 when we created the Fed and gave up our soverignty to the banksters.
Civil War Chapter Two would be perfect for these bloodthirsty Washington criminals. They'll get to use all of those body bags and bullets DHS ordered
"Chances, people tell you not to take any chances, then they tell you that there aren't any answers, and I was starting to agree, but I awoke suddenly in the path of a lightning bolt...Everyone I see just walks the walk with gritted teeth, but I just stand by, and I wait my time; they say "You gotta tow the line" they want the water not the wine, but when I see the signs I jump on that lightning bolt!" -Jake Bugg
Wonder whether Diebold" will play a part.
Better hand count those ballots, Scotland.
Never trust the Tri-Axis of Evil (London, DC, Tel Aviv) to (a) Honestly count votes or (b) Truthfully reveal black box voice recordings from planes they shot down.
Scotland owns the oil areas at sea.
Who owns the rigs?
Most of the Oil (what ever is left of it) is located in the seas around Shetland and Orkney isles. Scotland colonised these Island in the 15th centunry. A campaign for a referendum of gaining grounds in the Islands.
So whos Oils is it anyway Mr Salmond?
Another question:
Who owns the navy?
Nice rigs you have here - you don't want something bad to happen to them...
Isn't the fleet moored at Scapa Flow, Scotland? I bet Scotland won't be tricked into giving up their nukes like Ukraine.
If they do not link to pound will Scotch prices plummet? How can this not be good?
If it is about oil then there will be blood.
Wait till you see the import duties that the Kingdom of England, Northern Ireland, and Wales imposes on Scotch whisky. They will all be drinking Canadian Club and Old Grand Dad before this is over.
Arrmans Black Booster Whiskey comes in a anti freeze container, 4 bucks for 5 liters.
That's the stuff that gives rise to Kennedy, Capone, and Lansky type fortunes. Bootlegging black marketeers are always sitting on the sideline waiting to pounce as the people get their stuff.
For the first time, I think "yes" has a very real chance of winning. The City, Cameron the Rothschild puppet, and the Queen are all getting a bit shrill for them to have this sown up.
Hope springs eternal...
I do not watch shit O -TV for years. I follow news on the web. RT is the only good news source.
The UK Telegraph is incredibly shrill. From comments here - the BBC is insanely going off the deep end. Bill Clinton is for no along with celebs, Beckham and endless other shiteheads.
The Telegraph had a picture of a laser projection of NO on some building. Maybe BBC HQ or some building in Scotland. The propaganda and campaigning is outrageous. The Yes votes and campaigners are practically compared to ISIS/Al Qeada/NovoRussia.
Endless lying on Scotland, fake ISIS, Syria, Ukraine - these people are so evil.
Leave it to GW to point out the obvious.
I reckon any body with half a brain, today, knows the fear mongering and bribes aren't about the English or Paki's having 1st dubs on the lasses' on their wedding nights.
I hope they make it "yes".
It could be inspirational to the progressives to kick the red states out of their nation. Heck, maybe even Qubec will give it another go.
Mon dieu! If Quebec had really wanted to leave Canuckistan, all they had to do was allow the rest of Canada to go to the polls in that referendum; I'm certain that everyone else would have helped to realize the separatists' dream and sent them packing
Cameroon pomises chok'lit ice cream and cake and baloons if you vote NO!!!!! ha ha ha ha ha!
The last of the old Commonwealth. "Nothing in common, certainly not wealth".
Excellent quote, which I had forgotten. Bang on, as our English Cousins like to say.
If true, Scotland is headed to Banana-republic territory. A large public sector, with citizens having a welfare-mentality, relying on one state-owned commodity to pay for it all. Its the African recipe for corruption, dictatorship and political chaos
So what.
It'll be their bananas, corruption, dictatorship, and chaos and not a bunch of english twats like Piers Morgan.
Who names their kid multiple boat docks?
What the hell do you know about it? They're some of the most fit and productive people in the world. Does the phrase "economic colonization" ring any bells? How about deliberate subversion of opportunity by the rulers? Ever heard of that ? An "African Recipe"; really it's not even worth replying to.
You're describing what's happening South of the Scottish border. Immigration galore as well to make it look like your XYZ African shithole.
Up the schemies!
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgwELFu6Erw
Yes, just like Norway.
Like Venezuela.
The neolibs hate Norway so much they named a rat after it.
http://www.rodentpestcontrol.co.nz/pest-control-norway-rat-looking-up.jpg
A nation whose natural resources primarily benefits it's citizens is against everything that democracy today stands for...
...I have no idea what that even winds up meaning.
If a majority decided tomorrow that private property could be confiscated by the state for re-distribution to "the citizens for the good of all" (mineral rights & everything) that would be "a democracy"...wouldn't it?
If we go all "democracy" where does the line get drawn? No more than two state mandated cars, no cabin at the lake, why can you afford to fly and I can't?
How about if we flip the question of "majority rule"...no EBT, SNAP, eugenics perhaps...to make the issue go away?
Be careful with "democracy"...its not what you think it is.
And if you still don't get it; remember that Democracy is what got you Obambam; the Kenyan wonder-boy. Decmocracy tends to devolve into control by the ignorant masses.
I think you meant a "Representative Republic"? Those electorial votes are a bitch!
Democracy is: Allowing the state to implement an unread law that stipulates, if you do not buy something you do not want, from a website that does not work, you will be fined by the state you still feel compelled to protect, out of your own ego or ignorance for asking the state to do it in the first place.
Welcome to the real world of "democracy".
Enjoy it while you can ;-)
back to the article: it's not only about oil or oil as collateral for debt
it is too a crisis of identity. the United Kingdom fostered a British Identity, first in a British Empire, then in a British State, with British Citizens
the British UK is a multinational state, then there was never a doubt that Scotland isn't a Nation as much as for example England or Ireland
on the other side, did you note how some British citizens have a big, big problem with an European Identity? They see themselves as Westerners, but not as Europeans
and now part of Scotland says that their preferred identity is first Scottish, second European, third Western (but no nuclear weapons and less military interventions, which is a very important Atlanticist/Western part of that nexus), strike the British, thank you very much
from a continental point of view, all this is self-inflicted. Westminster championed Western/Atlanticist goals too much, and too often, was too often first Western, second British, third English/Scottish/Irish/Welsh, and fourth European
remember how often we had to hear from British/Londoner sources that the EU and the EUR have to break up? because... because... they have to? as a matter of... faith and conviction? well, a lot of this has to do that the UK is a "superstate" containing many nations, and a currency union to boot. so in a way, for some British citizens, there is a direct conflict between the British and the European versions of "the same thing", even, or perhaps because they are differently structured
You're leaving out the part where England conquered the Scots.
as relevant as the part where Scots conquered/administered an Empire for Britain. England did not conquer Scotland. In 1603, after the death of Elizabeth I, the English throne was vacant, and the English called the Scottish King James to take it. Later, in 1707, the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments merged voluntarily