Scotland an Independent nation. To be or not to be?

Over the years we've become quite accustomed to Scotland coming top of lists that should shame and embarrass us. A gander at lists on murder rates, alcoholism, drug dependency, poor health, obesity etcetera and there's always a chance that poor wee Scotland will be there or there abouts at the bottom of the pile. 

It's an optimist that doesn't get down about it. In this age of Westminster cuts, job losses, the weather, the crap 'soylent green' food that our supermarkets squeeze out at us, our cringe inducing tv, and our woeful sport, it's a brave chap that thinks Scotland could ever dare to top of any list.

Our Unionist chumrades do a lot to kick aspiration and ambition out of us. We're too wee, not smart enough, not healthy enough, don't have the creativity to make change. Take an interest in the world around us and we're accused of grandstanding or an embarrassment. There's no place in civic Scotland for the 'Big I AM', never raise your head above the parapet, don't take any risk, distrust change, avoid chance, do not pass GO, go straight to jail...


Whenever we attract International attention it's for annoying the big boys, trumpeting our minor achievements and expecting some sort of acclaim...That's why I'm absolutely delighted to announce that TIME Magazine has chosen Scotland to top their list of Top 10 Aspiring Nations.

Claire Suddath writing  in todays TIME says:


" Scotland has been formally joined with England since 1707, when the two nations dissolved their parliaments and united to form Great Britain. Yet despite centuries of being under London's yoke, Scotland still considers itself a separate country and periodically pushes for independence.

The Scottish National Party (SNP), which supports full independence from Britain, formed in 1934 and won its first British parliamentary seat in 1967. In 1999, Scotland elected its first Parliament in nearly 300 years (though Queen Elizabeth II formally began the opening session — maybe to remind them who was boss?). The Scottish Parliament controls domestic policy in Scotland, while Westminster still handles everything else. Because of this, Scotland could ban smoking when the rest of Britain still allowed cigarettes in public places. The SNP won the nation's 2007 parliamentary elections and has periodically urged Scotland to take up a referendum on independence ever since. Even if passed, the referendum would not be binding unless approved by the British Parliament."

Even though some of the aspirant 'countries' are obviously tongue-in-cheek, it's fantastic to see that despite the Westmister establishment determination for the status quo and the media blindly swallowing Unionist propaganda that Scotland's claim for normality is recognised by such an influential journal as TIME.

All we need to do now is persuade those that are blinded by the hypocrisy and propaganda and show that aspiring to be Independent is normal.