Our Scotland - www.our-scotland.org

Baldrick · On A Journey (500 Miles) Joined: 12 Aug 2006 Posts: 47

I hoap it's ok 2 b here. Naow that is Lordships orft on holydayz I hav 2 weaks 2 kill. Sew helo!

skintstudent · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 5:56 pm Post subject:

hi,,I am Alison...mature (!) student studying politics.

Hello... Very Happy

Theresa · Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 10:52 pm Post subject:

Hello to you both -- Alison and Baldrick. Wecome to the forum!

By the way, Alison -- the "politically correct" term for a mature student is "non-traditional" student. I know, because I was one!
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"Qui tacit consentire." Silence gives consent.

ladyinthemists · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:16 pm Post subject:

Welcome to the Our Scotland forums, Alison, enjoy!
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She who laughs, lasts

Gathering of Scottish Clans

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3796

Welcome Alison - hope you enjoy the forums! Smile

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"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

Highland Laddie · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 8:03 am Post subject:

Hi everyone - I've just joined this morning. Looks like a great site and I hope to make a decent contribution.

I live in Fife (well someone has to Laughing

) and support Raith Rovers. (SLG - Jim Baxter was my hero as a wee laddie)

Theresa · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:03 am Post subject:

A warm welcome to you, Highland Laddie!

There's a town called Fife not too far from where I live in Washington State - actually quite a charming place.
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"Qui tacit consentire." Silence gives consent.

SLG · Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 10:33 am Post subject:

Welcome to Our-Scotland Highland Laddie. Glad you like the site Very Happy

Looks like another disappointing season for Raith, you could do with uncovering anther Baxter eh!

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3796

Hi Highland Laddie, welcome to the site.

Hope you can make a positive contribution here. Very Happy

_________________
"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/

Fazigadgie · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 7:30 pm Post subject:

Hi,

I read some of your articles and was glad to see a lively debate on Scottish independence. I therefore decided to join.
I'd tell you something about my self but go on, be honest, you're not really interested are you? Smile

The reason I looked at the site was that I have the feeling that we have not yet found the "key" to Independence. I'm a memebr of the SNP and a few years ago now was extremely active in the party but I found myself disallusioned. Not really with the party itself, I only ever joined to try and help independence come about. I think it was more with the fact that I'm unsure that a broad based political party is the way forward at all. Don't get me wrong, it's the only game in town at the moment and so I'm still a member and still vote for the party at every opportunity. However, I feel someone out there must have a better answer to turning the Scottish people on to the independence idea.
We need to start thinking of other (or possibly additional) ways to promote the cause. Promoting English independence? Scottish independence without Glasgow? A single issue party? I know all of these ideas have been raised before but I just feel the right one has yet to come along.
Anyway, enough of my waffle, I hope the debate will continue and that just maybe, someone on this site will find the "key" to turning on the voters. Tony Blair was willing to sell his soul to the devil and put "New" in front of his name to get people to vote for him, surely we can come up with an alternate plan?

Faz

Reluctant Hero · Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:57 pm Post subject:

Hi Fazigadgie

Welcome to the forum, hope you enjoy it here.

You will find many of the ideas you raised discussed here and more, possibly with the exception of Scottish Independence without Glasgow!!

SLG · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 10:37 am Post subject:

Awright Faz, welcome to the forums.

I get what you're saying, but I think the independence argument is strong enough to win a referendum as it stands. For me it's about manipulating the political situation to achieve that referendum. By themselves, the SNP are not going to be enough. The SNP will take us most of the way, but there needs to be something new to give that final push to independence IMO. That could be a number of things. I'm a member of Independence First which you've probably read a fair bit about on the forum. A right-of-centre pro-independence party could emerge to tip the balance. But at the same time who knows what's going to happen with the pro-independence left.

In UK terms, there is a growing English independence movement, and one if its members posts here. There are also links to English nationalist campaigns in the links section. I think there's also a fair chance that the Tories can get into power in Westminster in 2009 - and this could be a crucial development if we don't make the breakthrough in 2007.

Also, if there is another Labour/Lib Dem coalition after next May (possibly with conditional support from the SGP), people will get even more sick of them and be even more keen to vote for change in 2011.

Theresa · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:19 pm Post subject:

Hi, Faz - welcome to the Forum!

Good to see that you're thinking through the Independence issue so carefully. I don't think there's any one key to bringing it about - seems like a number of factors combine to make the movement effective. And that's what I see happening. As I've said to others, nationalism is a messy business! Wink

It's natural to get discouraged and even disillusioned when you're involved in politics. It's part of the process. But please hang in there just as you have been. Here's something a friend recently gave me:

"To accomplish great things we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe."
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"Qui tacit consentire." Silence gives consent.

Fazigadgie · Posted: Tue Oct 03, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject:

Hi all,

Thanks for the welcome. Please be assured, I'll not be trading in my SNP membership anytime soon but my days of knocking on doors are well and truly over. I just don't believe this is going to win votes the way it probably did in the 70s and 80s. I still think this activity may have a use at local elections but General Elections appear to be won and lost in the press. I'm also unconvinced at winning local elections is actually a good thing. Don't get me wriong, I take my hat off to all those Nationist councillors out there and the sterling work they do but in arranging for (let's say) a local youth club to be opened in a school, they will create opposition among some of the residents. These residents then remember one thing. "The SNP brought those thugs into my area and so Salmond's not getting my vote ever again" Now this is a hypothetical case but I have come across many such cases in my days of canvassing. The SNP have added dozens of councillors over the past 10 years yet our share of the vote has not risen accordingly. Are we persuing a pointless policy?
Okay, I was only supposed to use this forum for introductions so again I thank you for welcoming me and promise to move this debate over to the main site should anyone want to continue this thread.

Faz

azzuri · 'Our Scotland' Fossil Joined: 12 Sep 2005 Posts: 3796

Welcome to the forums Faz. There are some people who will NEVER vote for Independence, that we just have to accept. What we need to do is stop wasting our time trying to convince these people and turn it towards those we can convince.
_________________
"Every single person on this planet is unique. Just like everyone else..." - Random Guy in Edinburgh Pub

Possibly the funniest site in the world, 'The Daily Mash' - http://www.thedailymash.co.uk/