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Listed below are comments made by mcjbrown between Wednesday, 17th September 2008 and Tuesday, 17th November 2009.

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Wise warning 9:00pm on 17 Nov 2009 #161. JRMacClure
JRMacClure please post examples of what you mean when you say ‘too many attacks on Scots for being Scottish’ For I am struggling to think of any examples from my 51 years on this earth. I am not Scottish but half Scottish and the only relevance that has is that the whole English/Scottish dialogue has been part of my life since being a baby.
I think it is insulting to the hundreds of millions of victims of racism in history to compare the present Scottish/English situation to that.
Also not see how such a view moves the independence debate on.
Glasgow North East by-election 10:18pm on 12 Nov 2009 First past the post
Spending challenge looms 4:01pm on 05 Nov 2009 Guys take your eyes off the ball and look around, the whole stadium is on fire.
Oiling the political wheels 11:15pm on 18 Jun 2009 #29 Thomas_Porter, I think you missed my point I was not using history to argue for or against independence. In fact my point is you cant replay history to change the parts which you did not like. Meaning Scotland was (and still is) part of the UK in the 1970s. I also reject the idea the Scots have somehow suffered specifically because of the union with England and the creation of Britain. Scotland has never been a colony of England. In fact history shows us that Scotland and Englands partnership was specially formed to colonise the rest of the world. Hence the Empire and industrial revolution.
I think the subject being discussed here is would Scotland be financially better off if it had kept all the oil money from 1975. Well of course it would have. As an earlier post (#19) points out Scotland could have had a massively higher tax spending ability per head than we did as part of the UK. But the Shetlands would be even richer if they could ditch mainland Scotland. But as nether of these two situations actually occurred why beat ourselves up on this issue.
Oiling the political wheels 9:35pm on 18 Jun 2009 I think I have said this before in one of these forums but you Scot Nationalists could give the Armenians a lesson in suffering. Im real sorry that there is no trillion Dollar sovereign fund or you dont get to spend your spare time counting you Rolls Royces like some Arab Sheik but its not like England annexed Scotland for its oil. We have 400 years of shared history, the same monarch, the same class structure , common government, empire, industrial revolution two world wars etc. etc. And its not like Scotlands current situation is uniquely bad when compared with the rest of the UK (or Europe). Most people in Scotland today enjoy a good and prosperous life the envy of many despite the large pockets of poverty and destitution that still exist. Sadly such poverty also exists in other parts of Britain.

The fact is that when the oil was discovered Scotland was part of the UK. Any what if discussion about that fact is pointless. For Example How would that have worked? 1970 the discovery of the Brent and Ekofisk oil fields discovered 1971 cede from the UK. Or maybe Scotland would wait until 1975 for Independence. Just to hedge its bets. Sending the statement of UDI by second class post to Westminster no doubt saying thanks for bailing us out of that banking crises back in the 1705. Please find enclosed a cheque for the Queen, keeping the Russians at bay and the troubles in Ireland. PS. Can we still get Morecombe & Wise and Coronation St on the telly?
Oiling the political wheels 11:22am on 18 Jun 2009 Surely the point of the statement that there would have been a surplus for only nine years in the last 27 is that there was a limit to the manner from haven that North Sea oil was/is. A limited resource with an associated opportunity cost. I agree that Thatcher may have wasted the oil billions but I do not see how that was a curse specifically on Scotland as the rest of the UK suffered as well.

Any comparison to Norways economy is limited, did they have the legacy of coal, steel and uncompetitive manufacturing us in the UK had? Surely much of the eighties economic misery would still have occurred in this parallel what if universe where Scotland was an independent country in 1969? Is the Nationalist argument just about the money gained from oil and the we where robbed view of history? Will the future be decided by arcane academic debate on abstract points that can never be proven?

Scotland in the 1970s was part of the UK (as it still is). It is only recently that the SNP has gained any popular support and many (if not the majority) Scots still believe in the union. I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives and it is our shared interests that the union remains intact.
Speaking with confidence 1:00pm on 19 May 2009 Well put Brian the speaker may not be the most inspiring man in Politics but this mess was not his fault so why should he take the blame.

On another point I bet you a fiver that the finest legal brains the world in a million years could not formulate legislation that was bullet proof such that it was without loopholes that would stop a clever MP from getting us tax payers to pay for their moat cleaning. One clumsy news paper article and no MP will ever dare do so aging.

I think that once this whole mess is over we will realise what a big win it has been for freedom of information and ultimately all of us.
A time of crisis 11:47pm on 30 Sep 2008 #40 oldnat

After writing my post I had a look in both the Irish Times and Financial Times. It seems to me that the ECB is unhappy that the Irish are taking this course as they want to work on a European wide plan. However it also seems that the Irish government had little choice as Irish bank's shares where tanking. There will probably be a cost both politically and economically for Ireland. So maybe this is an imperfect but necessary response by the Irish.

Are you saying the statement “the reputation of the state so that they can gain access to funds” the Irish government is offering a promise rather than hard cash? If so then I think we could agree that this is not the wonder cure it’s billed as, but more a case of the Irish government backed into a corner taking desperate action to stop a bad situation turning into a disaster. Also if it is a promise that no depositors will lose any money than how is different to the line taken by the British government to do what is required?

Getting back to the issue of Scotland and independence which lets be honest is what this forum is about. It seems to me that some have implied that an independent Scotland unfretted by the shackles of the union would avoid the global economic crisis just as Ireland has. Well I don’t think Ireland has or Scotland could. Also I think that Gordon Brown (not a relative) specifically dealing with this crisis is doing a good job.
A time of crisis 9:45pm on 30 Sep 2008 #7
I don’t get ‘The Irish solution’ to guarantee all deposits, creditors and loans, surely since Ireland joined the Euro they ceded such power to the ECB? So basically they are just promising to find the money if required during the next two years. Has the ECB agree to support this plan?
I mean does the Irish government actually the have 400 billion Euro that they calculate they need to offer this guarantee. Is the Irish government sitting of a pile of cash or do they hope to raise it with taxes and by borrowing. As the economy moves into recession are we sure they can find the cash if required?
A lot of the commentary and news reports say this new scheme will raise new capital for the Irish banks as people will move they money into them because of the government guarantee. Putting aside the obvious problem of this being illegal state aid. Is this not just another case of banks building capital on empty promises? I mean it seems they might need the extra deposits before they can provide the guarantee.
How to spot the English 1:36pm on 17 Sep 2008 Yes it could only be in England, ...

O it could also be in Scotand, Wales and Ireland (both sides of the borders)

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