TELL me of any union in history that has survived, been successful, and has stood the test of time – and more importantly, where the nations involved are treated equally fairly and democratically. It would be easier to name the ones that have collapsed for one reason or another, like the Soviet Union, the union of the former Yugoslavia (now six happy independent nations), the union of Czechoslovakia (now two happily independent nations of the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic), the union of Austria and Hungary and its empire (now both independent, and happily so), and the union of India, now separated into Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.
Norway regained her independence from Sweden in 1905. Lucky Norway is now ploughing her oil wealth into her people’s pockets, but without independence Sweden would have had Norway’s oil revenues for their Nordic Union and straight into the banks of Sweden’s capital, Stockholm. Norway also guards her sovereignty very jealously, and trades with but remains aloof from joining any union, and that includes the EU.
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Many people in the SNP think we should follow Norway’s example. I am one of them, especially now that the European Union may be in the process of forming an army. God forbid my grandkids or great grandkids are called up to that army, and all because our generation joined the EU without thinking over the many drawbacks and serious implications that surrendering part of your hard-won sovereignty entails.
Right now, two large countries have already clashed over the Black Sea peninsula of the Crimea. President Putin is so determined to annex it to Russia that he is spending a colossal amount of rubles building a bridge from the Russian side to take and annex the peninsula. This is the only reason for the bridge, as it is not an island, but its existing roads enter from the Ukrainian side.
It is essential that this dispute must be kept localised in the Black Sea area. The EU must keep out of this dispute, or we could see a confrontation escalate into a war.
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I don’t want to be part of any union that has a military agenda. I don’t want to hand over control of the newly independent nation of Scotland to any foreign power, or gang of foreign powers, who could outvote us, like they do in Westminster, only in greater number.
I will be voting SNP, as only they can deliver independence, However, independence is such a sought-after and valuable asset that when we obtain it we must be like Norway, hold on to it and guard it jealously. This will allow us to trade with and befriend anyone whom we choose, especially within the Commonwealth, an organisation which is a more open and transparent, which has no political agenda, and does not commit its members to any involvement in far-off disputes that may, and often do, flare up from time to time. So let’s keep them well away and let them remain remote, as they are none of our business.
Independence allows us too remain aloof from such remote squabbles, whilst joining any alliance or union leaves you obliged to help in any policy or dispute that your new partnership may have on its agenda.
I want Scotland to be like Norway: FREE, independent, wealthy and contributing valuable input to world peace, and prosperity, from our seat in the United Nations. That seat in the UN awaits the Scottish representative who, I am sure, will be welcomed with open arms and a standing ovation.
God speed the day.
Iain Ramsay
Greenock
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