An interesting perspective on the Scottish independence vote at
Protein Wisdom, starting with the reflection that Scotland can't have a socialist paradise if it continues to belong to the UK, or the funds to pay for it if it doesn't. Beyond that, though, the votes didn't break down quite the way everyone expected. Generally, for instance, my impression was that older voters said "no" while young ones said "yes," but it turns out that the very youngest voters said "no" by 57%. Also, the Labour Party was officially against independence, possibly because the UK Parliament stood to lose so many Labour members if it lost the Scottish contingent, but the rank and file tended to vote "yes."
I can't see why small-c conservatives wouldn't be the backbone of the "No, Thanks" campaign in any case. That is the general small-c conservative response to almost any question proposing some sort of radical change.
ReplyDeleteAnd no doubt a "Yes" vote would have changed things in radical ways. I'm surprised at the teenagers, though: when I was a teenager, I could barely be restrained from running off to Montana one week, joining the French Foreign Legion the next, and so forth and so on. I'd have voted "Yes" at 16 even just to do something where nobody knew how it would turn out.
Funny - that was essentially my take on the situation :p
ReplyDeleteI've been surprised by the number of right/libertarian leaning folks hoping for a "yes" vote.
I'd have voted "Yes" at 16 even just to do something where nobody knew how it would turn out.
Which is why letting kids vote isn't a good idea. The vast majority of them aren't well informed (something that can be said of their elders, but to a lesser degree) and don't think things through.
I think a society that has an Elf syndrome so bad they think 16-18 year olds are "kids" is its own death spiral problem.
ReplyDeleteIn other sane countries, 13 is when man training is starting or even finished by some standards.