What’s your Plan B? Or more seriously, what currency will we use in an independent Scotland, and does it matter? @AussieGreg13

IN 2014, we might have been able to retain the pound, but that didn’t necessarily make it the right thing to do. Aside from keeping Poundland’s branding intact and ensuring we could still unlock trolleys at the supermarket, there didn’t seem to be an awful lot of long-term thought put into the currency union. Indeed, in the wake of Brexit, Irn-Bru bars, Pokémon cards or Pogs would seem like more sensible options than the pound!

That said, the present financial system is at best a casino, and at worst completely fictional. Central banks frequently inject billions of imaginary coinages into the global economy. National debts are now so high that none of us will live to see them paid off. An earlier generation might have been able to save up and buy a car or a house, but that is now impossible without the use of ridiculous loans. These days, we use debit cards because inflation has meant that physically carrying cash for a monthly shop would be absurd. This is not a sustainable arrangement going forward.

In my view, digital currency such as Bitcoin is the harbinger of what is eventually going to replace the existing economy. To explain this, allow me to draw a comparison with the entertainment industry when broadband internet first arrived. At the time, consumers had become sick of paying upwards of £15 for a single DVD or album, and so illegal peer-to-peer file sharing of music and films was rife. This was largely due to new technology offering fast download speeds and the unlikelihood of being caught. The effect this had on the music and film industries was profound, and they’ve only recently made a comeback through services like iTunes and Netflix. By taking matters into their own hands, customers forced the media to offer them hundreds of movies and albums for the price they used to pay for one. Digital currency could create a similar online mutiny, but this time within the financial world. If central banks are greedy record companies, then the Bitcoins of the world are the file-sharing renegades that are about to force their hand.

Digital currency takes all the benefits of the gold standard, but updates it for the modern era. The big appeal with the gold standard was that there was always a finite amount of gold on the planet. This is very different from our current monetary system where there are seemingly no limits whatsoever, therefore rendering it unsustainable. Bitcoin, on the other hand, regulates the amount of “coins” in its system based on the number of users, which allows it to retain a healthy value. This is much better than the quantitative easing nightmare embraced by central banks. Additionally, digital currencies operate on a peer-to-peer basis, and although this does create security issues, it could render contemporary banks obsolete. In effect, we could compete with mainstream finance in the same way file sharing once did with the entertainment industry.

I firmly believe that Scotland should have its own currency, but we should be mindful that digital is the future. It is highly probable that variants on Bitcoin will force banks to radically rethink the way in which they do business. Change is sorely needed in the financial world, and as we enter the era of free energy and artificial intelligence, it will become increasingly more urgent. Frankly, I think pioneering a new digital currency known as “Smackarooney” would be the sexiest thing the Scottish Government could do!

What are your predictions for 2017? @HappyGilmore14

IT seems like the further politics descends into parody, the more accurately parodies can forecast it. I’ve managed to drunkenly predict Jeremy Corbyn’s election as Labour leader, Brexit and Donald Trump’s presidency in the past, so perhaps my guesses for 2017 might carry some weight too!

Firstly, I do not believe that our reviled Prime Minister, Despicable May, will call a General Election. She is far more likely to push through her villainous policies with as little interaction with the electorate as possible. May witnessed her foolhardy predecessor, Ham Cam regularly gambling on the great British public, and very rarely did those bets go his way. Even when they did, they had disastrous long-term consequences for him. Unionists might have won the first Scottish independence referendum, but the Yes movement has been a thorn in the side of Tories ever since. It should also be noted that the pendulum swung consistently towards Yes throughout the indyref. So, in allowing it to occur, David Cameron effectively lit the fuse on the timebomb that will lead to the breakup of the UK. Similarly, Dumbo Dave gave the green light to a vote on EU membership, fully confident that the public would agree with his Remain stance. He had no such luck. This vote, however, had far more catastrophic repercussions, as it not only led to the UK voting to leave the European Union, but also fanned the flames of Nigel Farage’s bigotry blaze.

Speaking of the alt-right, I sadly believe that their rise will continue in Europe. I would advise you all to watch out for the Dutch calling for “Dexit” following their elections this year. Likewise, I can’t see the Trump train slowing down anytime soon. I imagine The Donald will create thousands of jobs through infrastructure projects – and I don’t just mean that wall he’s always on about. Indeed, I think that there is a very alarming chance that Trump’s superficially positive impact on the American economy will allow the less savory aspects of his government and personality to be overlooked. This is something we should all be vigilant of and speak out against.

I also think it’s safe to say that artificial intelligence is about to radically alter the way we look at employment. Soon many customer service, administrative, financial and industrial jobs will be performed by thinking machines. Automated checkouts, call centres and fast food restaurants are only the beginning. As such, I think there is a good chance that universal basic income might become a hot topic as we head towards 2018. However, as politics gets crazier and crazier, I’d say the only real guarantee for 2017 is that there are no guarantees!