[jaxie]

Originally Posted by Kizzy

What is the alternative to an independent Scotland? stay shackled to this heckhole?...Name one thing that still makes you proud to be from Britain, I just can't think of one.
I want to, it's not a nice feeling to feel so detached and despondent when imagining the future here. Especially as you know it could be so much better, I don't think Nicola Sturgeon thinks the govt has our best interests at heart and I agree.

Tell me, do you know anything about Maastricht? What about the common fisheries policy? Do you know what happened when Ireland voted no to the Lisbon treaty? Do you know anything about Greece and the austerity imposed on it? What about Spain?

Why do you think the future could be so better? What are the facts that bring you to this conclusion? How do you think an independent Scotland would manage financially? What kind of influence could they have in the EU?

I'll listen to anyone's point of view but a genuine point of view needs to have back up. It has no substance if all someone can say is this is a fact because I said so or give some other evasive response. Hating your own country is pointless and rather childish unless you live in a genuinely oppressive regime, you don't, there are much worse places in the world where you could have been born. At least in the UK you can change things you don't like by participating or protesting.

What makes me proud to be British? I live in a democracy. I live in a country where you aren't arrested and tortured for your beliefs or for speaking and criticising the government. Where there is fair process of law. I live in a country that is generally tolerant with a fantastic welfare system and free health care for all. In the US for instance having a baby in hospital costs around $10000, here you can just go ahead without that financial burden. I live in a country where a couple of musicians and some comedians saw people starving to death thousands of miles away and did, and have done, what they could to help. I live in a country where people put their hands in their pockets and drew out the cash to help. I am from a people who aren't afraid to say no to tyranny. I live in the country who peacefully abolished slavery through process of law because it was wrong. There are thousands of reasons to be very proud of where you come from, how sad that you aren't proud. There is no perfect state, no perfect world but here you have it pretty damn good.