ProudToBeAScotsGirl
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Probably a stupid worry, but...I was thinking about the idea of Scotland becoming independent, and a worry came to mind. I can see many wonderful good changes, but I worry for possible bad ones. Would Scotland still remain as it is now, a small, peaceful country without too much growth as far as destroying beautiful natural places to build new buildings and such? Would there still be preserved villages and towns, and would the beautiful countryside be left alone? I guess I wonder if, as an independent nation, it might feel the need to compete as far as growth...and that might mean losing a lot of what I feel is what makes Scotland such a wonderful beautiful place.
If im worrying for nothing, that's great! But it's been bothering me terribly laitely.
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I imagine the countryside will remain intact - probably with the exception of a number of windfarms - villiages will probably stay the same - hopefully towns will become a bit bigger with greater investment - and personally I'd like to see greater investment in buses and railways so its actually easier to get around Scotland.
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IF Convenor
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PTBASG, Scotland is not and never has been Brigadoon.
Of course Scotland will compete in the world. There's not much point in becoming independent if all we're going to do is stagnate and hope a few tourists will show up to watch us being quaint while we part them from their money. That is not to say that we will suddenly pave the whole place in concrete and tear down anything which doesn't make money. We are only 5 million people so it's not as if we will need a never-ending supply of high rise offices or a shopping mall in every glen.
Be realistic, you can't expect us to live in a theme park, but you can expect us to appreciate what we've got and not make a mess of it. It's part of being grown up and independent.
One thing I hope we're grown up enough to do is to stop those useless wind farms. We don't need to build hundreds of them to send power down south.
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ProudToBeAScotsGirl
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Ah good thank you! No don't worry I didn't expect Scotland not to compete, in fact I know it could do it easily right now from what I have learned from this forum. I guess where I grew up im accustomed to a lot of building and tearing down of nice places to make room for new shops or more often housing, and Scotland has always been an ideal sanctuary for me to escape that. All around me I realized how small towns were very quickly growing into large towns, then cities, and I was so thankful to see Scotland isn't like that. I would be heartbroken to see the lovely towns and villages of Scotland follow in that to compete with the world (on that level).
I do hope (and I truly believe it possible) when Scotland becomes independent, we won't notice any major changes. Simply the long overdue ones, like pushing out the British stuff and promoting Scottish culture. Also wee things like the wind farms you mentioned, im sure there's many I don't know of. Actually why not keep them and charge England for taking power from them? Just a thought. Oh and other things like having Scottish currency be legal tender (I read somewhere it isn't) and proper Scottish coins. Also more programs and things on Scottish Gaelic, and especially children in school NOT being told they are British (that bothers me). And naturaly, the Scottish Parlement having proper power instead of minimal power. I would love to see the Scottish embassys actually be able to deal with folks like me instead of me having to go down to london. Oh and Scottish passports instead of British ones!!!
Major appologies if I say anything stupid, im still quite new to this, but I keep checking back to this forum to make sure I am aware and educated. After all, I want to be able to spread the word...and be able to support what I say too!
Sometimes I think about this so much I feel like I need to make a big difference to help, but being very small on the scale of things and not very good with politics, I feel quite helpless. I realized that maybe the best thing I could do is simply make sure I live a Scottish life and not a British one. Buy Scottish produce and other Scottish products all I can, celebrate Scottish holidays, support the Scottish teams and watch the highland games, etc. Learn to make traditional Scottish foods and make sure my children known they are Scottish, not British. Well, they will know technicaly they are British by law, but not by heart. And that's what matters!
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I quite like the idea of wind farms - if they are done correctly - obviously I think they should be used along with other renewable sources to power Scotland.
I'd love to see many of these awful shabby victorian buildings torn down and replaced with something more modern and get rid of cobbled streets also - sometimes this need to preserve anything thats old just because its old attitude goes to far. I bet if the caves we used to live in were preserved by our ancestors we'd all be living in suped up caves with digital tv and broadband. I think we need to have some focus on a new architecture style that is distinctly Scottish yet modern - I mean I dont see the point of having buildings which when you look at them could be from anywhere in the world.
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azzuri
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| Avatar wrote: |
I'd love to see many of these awful shabby victorian buildings torn down and replaced with something more modern and get rid of cobbled streets also - sometimes this need to preserve anything thats old just because its old attitude goes to far. I bet if the caves we used to live in were preserved by our ancestors we'd all be living in suped up caves with digital tv and broadband. I think we need to have some focus on a new architecture style that is distinctly Scottish yet modern - I mean I dont see the point of having buildings which when you look at them could be from anywhere in the world. |
That's what they did in the 60s and 70s - look at all the shitty buildings we've been left with as a result.
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ProudToBeAScotsGirl
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Now im worried again! I love the cobble streets! And I love a lot of the old stone buildings, which may include the "shabby victorian buildings" you mentioned. Ugh, leave it please! I mean, there's some old, but modern-made buildings in Glasgow that could be all modernized instead, am I right? Again sorry if ive said anything stupid, im still catching on to some things.
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"That's what they did in the 60s and 70s - look at all the shitty buildings we've been left with as a result"
yeah all the ugly grey tower blocks - I'd like to see them torn down aswell - it should be illegal to have dull coloured expressionless buildings.
Come on cobbled streets are a nightmare - tear them up. Sure there are many nice victorian buildings many of which could be modernised - but there are plenty to tear down along with as Azzuri points out the flats built throughout the 60's - 80's.
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ProudToBeAScotsGirl
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| Avatar wrote: | | Come on cobbled streets are a nightmare - tear them up. |
Why? I loved walking on them in Stranraer.
| Avatar wrote: | | Sure there are many nice victorian buildings many of which could be modernised - but there are plenty to tear down along with as Azzuri points out the flats built throughout the 60's - 80's. |
My point exacly, I think the older buildings should be left alone, or at the very least just repaired and modernized a bit on the inside. I love the old stone buildings that look old on the outside, but house a perfectly modern bank on the inside, it's beautiful! But I do agree with fixing the ugly modern buildings first for sure.
I hope the only modernizing stays in the large towns and cities and the small towns and villages don't expand, and that there's still loads of farmland and beautiful hills to look at. That's all I worry for, I want Scotland to remain a beautiful peaceful farming country as it is right now. But I supose I shoulden't worry yet! When Scotland becomes independent it's not like a bunch of beautiful stone buildings will be torn down and hills dug up overnight. There will be a chance for average folks like me to have a say on such matters. ^_^
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"Why? I loved walking on them in Stranraer."
for one thing they are a bit hazardous - especially for old people, but yeah I wouldnt worry most people seem to be against any form of progress that damages their sentimentality.
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neil8r
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I think cobbled roads are kept because of pressure by motor mechanics who probably make a bit extra out of having to change the suspension on folks cars more often. 
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Blackadder
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IFC wrote;
| Quote: | | Scotland is not and never has been Brigadoon. |
No ... but it certainly is marketted abroad like that!
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IF Convenor
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Do you believe adverts?
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mal
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So, is the advert above me true? 
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Blackadder
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I never believe in adverts. I only invest in the companies that make them.
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Robert Craig
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| neil8r wrote: | | I think cobbled roads are kept because of pressure by motor mechanics who probably make a bit extra out of having to change the suspension on folks cars more often. |
Aye - tear up the cobbled streets, and replace them with cycleways!
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Aventinian
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| ProudToBeAScotsGirl wrote: | | Simply the long overdue ones, like pushing out the British stuff and promoting Scottish culture. |
Nothing like a spot of cultural imperialism and using the organs of the state to crush dissent.
Oh and other things like having Scottish currency be legal tender (I read somewhere it isn't) [/quote]
There isn't a legal concept of legal tender in Scotland - all reasonable payment for a debt must be considered. Moreover there isn't a Scottish currency, there are minted coins and Bank of England notes - which are state run - then there are what are in effect promises to pay from banks which happen to be located in Scotland.
| Quote: | | Also more programs and things on Scottish Gaelic, and especially children in school NOT being told they are British (that bothers me). |
I don't think schools should be telling people what culture they should identify with. However I believe it is far more likely to occur in your ideal state than my British one.
You see, I don't care what culture people are. I don't care if they consider themselves Scottish, British, European, Arab, Glaswegian, Highlander, or any of the above in any combination - because I bother about politics and identity (whether nation, race, gender, sexual orientation or faith) should have nothing to do with that.
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Aventinian
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| azzuri wrote: | | That's what they did in the 60s and 70s - look at all the shitty buildings we've been left with as a result. |
Agreed. Modernism can go bugger itself.
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