Agreed Callum. A trip to Norway a few years ago truly opened my eyes to how far off the pace we are. An independent, northern European country of c. 5 million people. Yes, funded by North Sea oil and their famous Sovereign Wealth Fund, but also driven by a very obvious national self-confidence. Travellng round Norway through great tunnels through mountains and bridges and great ferry services over fljords, and state of the art infrastructure connecting communities everywhere. It felt like they were literally 50 years ahead of where Scotland (and much of the rUK) is right now).
I was in Oslo last summer, loved it. I'm also a regular visitor to Copenhagen on business. Although I wasn't tempted by a dip in the Baltic Sea that seems to attract the locals. Norway operates on a higher plane to Scotland, that country is levels above us. I don't however see Scotland becoming a Scandinavian style country as Lesley Riddoch does. We need to find our own way that makes best use of our unique geographical situation and market.
First our people have to understand Scotland's colonial reality before we can find the only remedy to our 'condition', which is decolonisation and liberation.
We have come some way to better understand this, with formation of 'Salvo' and 'Liberation Scotland' and its lobbying work at the United Nations, and now the creation of 'Alliance to Liberate Scotland' Party standing in the May election on one single policy - independence.
Until we decolonise from English rule there is absolutely no chance of developing Scots or Scotland as we would naturally be able to do - because "the colonized with to develop but the colonizer holds him back" (Memmi).
The rise of China is testament to the human capacity for innovation, the fall of the US testament to how the rent seeking & speculative propensity of capital actually stymies innovation instead of encouraging it.
If we manage to avoid engulfing ourselves in one big massive mushroom cloud we'll soon find out who the real innovators are.
The US is a democratic country with a free spirit. Remember who it was who kneecapped the Robber Barons of old. No country does creative destruction quite like the USA, where nothing stands still long enough to rent seek. You may dislike the current President but he is the legitimate choice of the American people. Contrast that with China, which is a totalitarian regime. Where the people are neither free of mind or choice.
Western governments continue to pour public money into fossil fuel extraction. They allocate enormous budgets to military technologies to project power and wage war. They bail out every financial institution brought down by its own greed. These are resources that could have been directed towards solving social problems – from poverty, to climate breakdown.
Infinite growth on a finite planet is not only undesirable, it is economically and environmentally unsustainable, yes Scotland needs to do better but not in the neo-liberal economic sense it has to do better from a socio-economic sustainability level, we have the resources we just need to find the political wisdom and leadership.
The usual Malthusian green slop that ignores the human capacity for innovation. Growth is how Scotland wins, Green is why we are failing. PS I'm an environmentalist, just not a Green.
No Calum, you’re a tartan Tory. That’s why I never swallow the nonsense that an independent Scotland will be fairer than the UK. Tell the millions of Americans who are without healthcare or have been bankrupted paying for it, how prosperous they are.
Agreed Callum. A trip to Norway a few years ago truly opened my eyes to how far off the pace we are. An independent, northern European country of c. 5 million people. Yes, funded by North Sea oil and their famous Sovereign Wealth Fund, but also driven by a very obvious national self-confidence. Travellng round Norway through great tunnels through mountains and bridges and great ferry services over fljords, and state of the art infrastructure connecting communities everywhere. It felt like they were literally 50 years ahead of where Scotland (and much of the rUK) is right now).
Another Scotland is possible.
I was in Oslo last summer, loved it. I'm also a regular visitor to Copenhagen on business. Although I wasn't tempted by a dip in the Baltic Sea that seems to attract the locals. Norway operates on a higher plane to Scotland, that country is levels above us. I don't however see Scotland becoming a Scandinavian style country as Lesley Riddoch does. We need to find our own way that makes best use of our unique geographical situation and market.
And the obvious answer is....INDEPENFENCE NOTHING LESS. Vote Alliance to Liberate Scotland on the list.
But it's OK for supermarkets to micromanage prices?
Competition sorts out the supermarkets. The state setting prices is a sign of failure.
First our people have to understand Scotland's colonial reality before we can find the only remedy to our 'condition', which is decolonisation and liberation.
We have come some way to better understand this, with formation of 'Salvo' and 'Liberation Scotland' and its lobbying work at the United Nations, and now the creation of 'Alliance to Liberate Scotland' Party standing in the May election on one single policy - independence.
Until we decolonise from English rule there is absolutely no chance of developing Scots or Scotland as we would naturally be able to do - because "the colonized with to develop but the colonizer holds him back" (Memmi).
https://salvo.scot/scotlands-colonial-status/
Aye!
https://x.com/i/status/2044936856492806512
The rise of China is testament to the human capacity for innovation, the fall of the US testament to how the rent seeking & speculative propensity of capital actually stymies innovation instead of encouraging it.
If we manage to avoid engulfing ourselves in one big massive mushroom cloud we'll soon find out who the real innovators are.
The US is a democratic country with a free spirit. Remember who it was who kneecapped the Robber Barons of old. No country does creative destruction quite like the USA, where nothing stands still long enough to rent seek. You may dislike the current President but he is the legitimate choice of the American people. Contrast that with China, which is a totalitarian regime. Where the people are neither free of mind or choice.
Poppycock! To put it politely!
Western governments continue to pour public money into fossil fuel extraction. They allocate enormous budgets to military technologies to project power and wage war. They bail out every financial institution brought down by its own greed. These are resources that could have been directed towards solving social problems – from poverty, to climate breakdown.
https://graceblakeley.substack.com/p/whos-afraid-of-the-china-shock?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=3aajie
Infinite growth on a finite planet is not only undesirable, it is economically and environmentally unsustainable, yes Scotland needs to do better but not in the neo-liberal economic sense it has to do better from a socio-economic sustainability level, we have the resources we just need to find the political wisdom and leadership.
The usual Malthusian green slop that ignores the human capacity for innovation. Growth is how Scotland wins, Green is why we are failing. PS I'm an environmentalist, just not a Green.
No Calum, you’re a tartan Tory. That’s why I never swallow the nonsense that an independent Scotland will be fairer than the UK. Tell the millions of Americans who are without healthcare or have been bankrupted paying for it, how prosperous they are.
I’m old enough to recognise the use of cheap insults to disguise a missing argument. Try harder John.