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vikingfreedom

Listed below are comments made by vikingfreedom between Tuesday, 23rd June 2009 and Monday, 29th June 2009.

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Devolution poll 3:10pm on 29 Jun 2009 Greenockboy

You really need to focus your energy on positives. Thisis the best time for generations to be a SNP supporter, so we need to build on our sucess not wallow about in self pity. So the BBC are pro unionist, what a surprise to absolutely no-one.

We need to be pursuing a positive agenda for independence not continually decrying the opposition to our beliefs. We need to make bold positive arguments for the benefits. If the unionist community have no positive arguments then the electorate will see the vision and respond accordingly.

Problem is we are not making the arguments we are content with decrying the unionists, which won't win the war. The arguments for independence are weakest in foreign affairs and defence, so we need to work harder at sorting these issues out.

But we will only win with positive argument, not be moaning all the time. We are a fair bit away form winninng just now, we cn continually dismiss these type of polls at our peril, so for all our good be a little more positive please.
Turning up the heat 12:11pm on 29 Jun 2009 Re the references to Texas:

Surely the parallel with Texas is not so stupid and irrelevant. They have a national identity and a local identity, feel Texan but also American. many parts of Scotland are the same, I feel Orcadian and am proud of my Viking roots, which is probably the most defining part of my cultural make up. I also feel Scottish and am proud to be so. But I share my Viking roots with ancestors all down the east coast of the UK and further. So there is a part of me that relates to the rest of the Island we live on as well.

I also dislike the idea of some homogeneous Scottish culture. It doesn't exist, the needs of Kirkwall are completely different to those of Springburn and the way we look at problems is different as well. We are no more alike that someone form Sprinburn is to someone form Kent in cultural terms. But the proposals on offer for independence do little to recognise that key fact. We should respect and celebrate the differences between our varied cultures across Scotland and reflect these in the decision making part of our government and decentralise power as low as possible. We need to recognise we are different across Scotland and allow those differences to be a positive influence and not try to ignore them. We should not replace Westminster with an Edinburgh version. I don't want to fight for Independence only to get there and find I have no more freedom than before.

I dislike the UK system of government intensely, it is corrupt and rotten. But is Holyrood really all that different? I am not sure it really is, the early days of the parliament were none to clever on the financial probity. No side can claim complete transparency over this although some are clearly more guilty than others the public tar them all with the same brush. That is the reality of public perception, however unfair it is.

What is required is to renew our politics and break the Westminster hold by offering an Independence for our nation that recognises the need for a new and different type of government. People have had enough of politics just now, we need a vision that will show something is different, demonstrate that lessons have been learned.

The SNP need to seize this moment in History and act. This is the best chance for real change we will ever get. What is on offer at present is nowhere near bold enough. We need to do better and offer Scotland a real chance to move forward. A referendum next year has no guarantee of a win, We haven't made the breakthrough on the undecided voters needed. We need a more bold vision or we will regret this for a long long time.
A delicate quadrille 07:11am on 24 Jun 2009 OLDNAT 39,41

I suppose there are some privileges that come with age and the right to be pedantic is probably one of them!

Inside a country the majority of taxation will come from income tax, set nationally, or corporation tax vat etc, levied nationally and divided out equitably amongst the localities. This should take account of circumstance to provide equality of opportunity across Scotland. But localities should be free to tailor services to local circumstances. For example the class size debate is irrelevant in large parts of rural Scotland, it is a composite class debate that is more important. In health travelling 15 to 20 minutes to an A&E would be a magnificent result for rural Scotland, yet is unacceptable in Glasgow.

But there must be an element of local taxation set locally. For example the good people of aberdeen might set a local super car tax given the amount of Porsche, ferarri@s etc in the Granite City.

But the main point is that the best people to solve local problems ar ehte peoplle with the problems, not Edinburgh. If we can attain this it would be real change and real freedom. them moment is here, we are at a crosroads and might lose the change by not being bold enough.
A delicate quadrille 00:04am on 24 Jun 2009 Neil

the issues around these areas are due to the lack of decentralisation. If Aberdeen had to raise the money they spent locally then they would have managed their services much better. government Interference is the problem.

We need to cut local people free and let them make their own decisions onn what services they need, on the bsis of a fair distribution of te resources from the centre topped with a real local tax set in each area in a form that locals want.
A delicate quadrille 00:00am on 24 Jun 2009 SNECKED AGAIN

You must live in a privileged part of Scotland if you don't see the need for radical change. Our nation is struggling, independence will not rid us of the debt we have, we need some new thinking for post independence.

Also when so many don't vote we shouldn't be arguing that because we got more of a smaller cake than before is a success. It must be seen for what it is, a set back, a failure to make a breakthrough. Scotland did not embrace our cause, we should be arguing that we need to get people to believe in a new Scotland where all live in freedom and are treated with respect. Real respect, where we value each others views, heritage, culture and right to live in peace. Where we ensure all get equal chances in life and equal access to public services that are the right ones for them, not services defined and controlled in Edinburgh, intended for the central belt and ignoring the rest of Scotland's needs.
A delicate quadrille 11:49pm on 23 Jun 2009 OLDNAT

It is very establishment to make such a pedantic point. The UK establishment doesn't allow us freedom in Scotland, my argument is the current independence offerings don't guarantee some of us any more freedoms.

You make the point about balancing freedoms with responsibilities. If that balance is skewed against sections of our nation then in my view that is not freedom.

We need to grab this moment or it will be gone and the best chance of freedom since the union will be lost due to a lack of courage and vision.
A delicate quadrille 10:53pm on 23 Jun 2009 OLDNAT

Freedom is not an incremental thing. We either have it or we don't. What the SNP currently offer lacks serious vision. It is almost Independence lite.

Surely with the current global mess we need a new vision, new ideas. We don't need more of the same.

We want and need real change. That is also a political reality. When 75% of voters don't vote in the Euro elections, we need different ideas, a different direction. I believe there comes a time when you have to seize the moment. that is now, we need bold imaginative leadership to take our nation forward.
A delicate quadrille 8:42pm on 23 Jun 2009 Re 4&5

What you both fail to recognise is that Alec's big idea is to create a wee version of Westminster in Edinburgh, where the remote and rural parts of Scotland are under represented. We will just be dictated to by Edinburgh in the same way we are from Westminster.

It would be great if he really had a "big idea" but it is really a rehash of what we have. We need real decentralisation of power to the people so that decisions are made by those most affected, not in Edinburgh. If that were included the independence movement would gain unstoppable momentum.

I want real freedom not a con-trick

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