Questions for the Canadians and on their perspective on Scottish Independence from the Academic Entrepreneur
I am asking these because in my “ethnographic experience” in Canada, I’ve noted one or more of the following around the issue of Scottish Independence:
a) apathy surrounding the issue;
b) a lack of an awareness of the issue to any depth;
c) complete ignorance of the issue or that it even exists;
or
e) an opinion (somewhat strong) that Scotland should stay in the union and not achieve independence.
Rarely have I noted support for an independent Scotland in Canada.
Thus, the Twenty Questions:
1) Are you not independent yourselves from the UK? Yet a member of the Commonwealth?
2) Is being a member of the Commonwealth and Independent more beneficial to your country than being dependent and centrally controlled by Westminister?
a) If so, then why should Scotland be denied and opportunity to enjoy the same benefits?
b) If not, then why don’t you rejoin the UK? By this logic, Westminster ruling over your country would be more beneficial?
3) Will and independent Scotland’s relationship with the rUK not look similar to Canada’s relationship with the USA?
4) Isn’t your population ratio to the USA about the same as Scotland’s population ratio to the UK? Does this matter?
5) Would you follow the USA into more illegal wars than you have already? Is it wrong for the Scottish people not to want to follow the UK and the USA into more illegal wars therefore?
6) If you believe Scotland shouldn’t be independent from the rUK, does it not follow that you should be dependent on the USA and controlled by Washington, DC?
7) Would Canada be a more democratic country if it were to enter a union with the USA? Would Scotland be a more democratic country if it separated from the UK and pursued its own independence? Does democracy even matter?
8) If Scotland can’t have its own currency, or shouldn’t, then doesn’t it follow that you should ditch the Canadian dollar for the US Dollar, or a new Americo currency for that matter? Or should Canada join the Euro? Why or why not?
9) Shouldn’t Scotland be free to set its own immigration policies? Is the country not sparse in population like yours and experiencing brain drain too? Should the USA thus control your country’s immigration policy? Should Westminster control Scotland’s therefore?
10) Should the USA lay claim to your oil reserves as its neighbor to the north? Should the UK lay claim to Scotland’s therefore?
Canadians love hockey. But do they care about Scottish Independence?
11) Isn’t Canada really just a Big Scotland? Isn’t Scotland really just a Wee Canada? Why or why not?
12) Is the Quebec independence movement and its past referendums really the best analogy for the Scottish situation? Or isn’t Canada itself a better analogy for the Scottish potential for independence?
13) Morally, as an independent state, shouldn’t Canada and its citizens support Scots and their move towards independence? Why or why not?
14) Should your young men and women not be recruited as soldiers for the USA’s military campaigns and perpetual wars? If not, then why should Scotland supply the UK with their young men and women for the same?
15) Can the USA keep nuclear weapons in your country? Should the country not be permitted to do so? Therefore, is it OK for the UK to keep the same in Scotland?
16) Can the USA put nuclear power plants in your country to power the USA? If not, why not? Therefore should the UK put such in Scotland?
17) Should the USA control your natural resources? Why or why not? Should the UK control Scotland’s?
18) Why doesn’t Canada join the EU? Why doesn’t Canada adopt the Euro? Are you a fan of NAFTA? Why or why not?
19) Young men and women aged sixteen and older are permitted to register to vote in Scotland’s Referendum on Independence. Why can’t sixteen year old citizens vote in elections in Canada? Are young Scots simply more intelligent and better informed than young Canadians and therefore more able voters? Should sixteen year old citizens be allowed to register and vote in future Canadian elections at the municipal, provincial and federal levels?
20) Should the borders between the USA and Canada be guarded and more difficult to penetrate? Why or why not?
In response to the Canadians using the Quebec analogy to Scotland’s independence movement, my Scottish friend, who also lives in Canada, responded to me with this email:
”
The people of Scotland, aged 16 and older, will be given an opportunity to vote on the issue of independence for their country on the 18th of September, 2014. They will be asked the question “Should Scotland become and independent country?” to which they have two choices: either YES or NO. The whole world is watching. Which way would you vote and why?
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