What also amused me a little was the agonsing going on in the media in England over the proposal to change the voting system. In Scotland, we’ve had STV for local Council elections and a mix of systems for the Scottish Parliament for some time now and Armageddon has not yet arrived because of it!

Yes, interesting times…

When do I get my Scottish passport then ?

Yes Frazer, thinking along the same line.

Re Suhayl
I agree but thought it funny that whilst there was all the arguments over which was a fairer voting system no mention whatsoever of moving to a fully elected second chamber.
I’ll take a voting system first then look at how it works.

Superb result. It’s crazy to think that since 1707 Acts of Union Scots have never been asked if they want to be ruled by Westminster. If a overall majority is made official I’ll consider today the day when democracy comes to Scotland.

Right, so possible future is independent Scotland and a truncated UK – mmm, that’ll fit in nicely with global corporate investors. Smaller national units are always so much easier to coerce.

“There is not going to be any effective opposition”

There wasn’t much opposition worth the name anyway, although perhaps the Tories made a reasonable fist of it. Annabel Goldie’s politics may be fairly despicable but she is a good parliamentarian, sticks to the point in debates, and is willing to compromise to make a deal. Quite often her jokes are funny.

New Labour on the other hand have been politically comatose since the trauma of defeat in 2007. ‘Opposition’ to them meant blindly lashing out at anything and everything proposed by the SNP, voting down perfectly sensible proposals (tax on large supermarkets, minimum pricing for alcohol) in order to claim ‘broken promises’ by the SNP. They briefed the (few) councils where they had control to frustrate the SNP’s target of smaller class sizes by spending the money allocated for that purpose elsewhere, leaving teachers unemployed. Some socialists.

I shed no tears for the Lib Dems – they were exterminated, and good bloody riddance. I have no problem with people defending the Union, it’s an honourable enough position and perhaps a case could be made (though I’ve yet to see it). But what precisely is ‘liberal’ or ‘democratic’ about refusing to support a referendum? Your friend Tavish needs to think of a new name for his ex-party, and maybe you should arrange for him to have a dictionary to hand so that this time he doesn’t pick any big words he doesn’t understand.

Saor alba.

‘These will be resisted by the Tories, which will set up precisely the confrontation needed over the next four years to prepare for a referendum on independence.’
Any SNP proposal to vary Corporation tax should prompt the Tories into ditching the Barnett formula- ring fencing 10% of UK public expenditure to a country with considerably less than 10% of the current UK population will stick in the craw of the English at a time of heavy cuts in public expenditure.(I’m English BTW).
Tinkering with the Barnett formula will however destroy what is left of the Scottish Tories, increase Nationalist sentiment north of the border, and give the neocon wing of the Tories the squits, as they contemplate the loss of Scottish submarine bases if independence comes. Interesting times indeed.

As you know Craig I was unenthusiastic towards your idea that an independent Scotland is the best solution for crucial changes necessary in the UK especially by altering English perceptions by comparison. I am now of the opinion this is the best way forward.
I too have been awake all night after disturbing intelligence *rumours* that (1) Bin Laden has been either deep frozen for years or was even on a type of life support developed by NASA to maintain his body appearance. (2) The US administration is allowing pressure to build before releasing a picture of his corpse, this gives time for expert government medical advice on the authenticity of the image. (3) This is very scary – a ‘dirty bomb’ plot after the image release is in the making (retaliation from OBL’s death has already been planted in the media) in an attempt to (a) prevent the union of Hamas and Fatah (b) distract from Middle-East calls for change (c) reinforce dollar transactions (d) Bolster Israel’s military methods and enforce the American police state.
No I have NOT gone mad – I expect ridicule from some – all this from a credible source and of course I personally take responsibility for my comments. America is frantic and frenzied and this is monstrous – but ‘entanglement’ may save the day.

Mike Cobley, well, at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors. Westminster seems happy enough to do their bidding anyway.

Mark..sorry mate, conspiracy nut though I am, even I have trouble believing this one unless you would release your source and back it up ?

“at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors.”

The SNP got into bed with Donald Trump to allow a massive housing development/golf course onto an unspoilt dune system near Aberdeen. A Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) meaning it was the best such wildlife habitat in the area.

If I lived 4 miles further north, I wouldn’t vote for Alex Salmond’s lot.

Wow!

But being more thoughtful,I hope the SNP sees in these results not an endorsement, but a threat from voters, saying: look at us – we can erase major political parties, no problem. Feeling lucky, punk?

Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system? I think it strikes a reasonable balance between having representatives for individual geographical constituencies and giving some representation to points of view which are more widely distributed.

Frazer – Thanks for your courtesy – much appreciated – let’s wait until the image is released – the pressure is growing (starting with the comics):

http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/244941

“Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system?”

No need to expand on Craig’s answer, except to emphasise that it is a VERY horrible system. You could potentially have a large number of MSPs in Holyrood none of whom were previously known to the electorate. 1930s Berlin?

STV!

I think Scotland is your natural place to stand in elections Craig, with independence beconing its the place to be.

I agree, with STV, or AMS for that matter, you get the most proportional representation of all, regional lists are mostly made up of carefully selected candidates with propped spines.
Why does Eddie izzard need to stand for a major party? With his believes and standing he could easily stand as an Independent and win, to organise a campaign for him would be a doddle, why stand for a party with hang up and dogma when you could easily make it on your own account.
he can run marathons, he’ll have no problem with leafletting.

Interesting idea from Ingo -standing in the Scottish elections, I mean.
I havwe been saying to people here( US) for a while that things are loooking interesting in the UK, from the point of view of what is happening in Scotland. Labour’s kicking is really no bad thing. The ‘Labour’ I know of in Glasgow and elsewhere is a deeply offensive thing that has spawned some monstrosities. It does not need kicked, it needs assassinated and buried at sea to allow some kind of newly defined radicalism position to emerge.
(I speak as a left leaning pacifist-but there times when desperate measures are needed).
The labour party has cruelly presided over some of social disasters. The life expectancy in some parts of West Scotland are beyond disgraceful and I am convinced the moribund Labour party, entrenched in its own filth, and the needs of the ‘English’ labour party to indulge anything labour in Scotland, in order to shore up the UK labour party has been one of the main reasons.

So interesting times indeed. I expect some real heavy duty dirty tricks from the UK gov/Cameron but also Labour, in the near future, and, ever more underhand ways of tying Scotland to the south. It will be a catastrophe for them to ‘lose’ Scotland, although if Scotland goes independent it will be a hard slog for a while.

I think we should all be particularly careful regarding any predictions of ‘beckoning independence’ for Scotland, despite the SNP’s victory. You’ll find that there is a great deal of nuance in what we, as a nation, think of independence. Polls undertaken on the matter consistly hold support for a ‘Yes’ vote in a referendum at around a steady 35% or so (even after five years of sNP governance). The real question that this election throws up, I think, concerns the electorate’s desire to stretch the bounds of the Scottish Parliament, and to develop the extent of devolved power from Westminister – which isn’t the same thing as secession from the union, but again – it doesn’t read as well as the headlines…

What this election (and the opinion polls showing only about a third or so would vote for full independence) really shows up is Scotland’s wish to eat its cake and have it too.

If I were a Scot I’d support that too. It’s a win / win: no tuition fees, no presctiption charges, free personal care etc, on the same taxes as the English. No brainer.

But as an Englishman living in England, can I have an English Parliament / Assembly too, and a chnce to vote for a system that would have only the English voting on English issues.

Fat chance, I know, but let’s not delude ourselves this is anything but self-interest at play in Scotland.

Craig,

There are appreciable differences between a wilderness, a nature reserve and a links golf course. I do know some of the latter including the Sandwich ones, famous for their orchids especially the rare Lizard Orchids (which are more like weeds in the Dordogne.)

Untamed sand dunes are dynamic environments: fore dunes, dune ridges, dune slacks, dune grassland and dune heath etc. Subject to blow-outs and then the creation of new dunes, the shifting and movement of the ridges.

It is the wet areas with such plants as Creeping Willow, mosses, sedges, rushes, marsh orchids which are most at risk to make fairways. The ridges may stay but are stabilised. Blown sand not wanted.

Are you in favour of the 8-storey hotel, 8-storey blocks of flats, a new 500-home village planted in a low lying, sea-fog vulnerable, coastal landscape? Surely this is grotesque, unsustainable, over-development to match the ego of ‘The Donald’?

That Scottish politicians and the planning system were so gullible as to fall for Trump’s propaganda is not a good omen.

Well said Chris K. http://www.eco-essentials.co.uk/trump.php

Word is that Trump has Soros money behind him and that he is considering running in the 2012 race for POTUS. God help us all.

All the best for the new Socialist Republic of Porridge.
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And now that comrade Salmond has hopes for other treasuries to embezzle from, maybe he can give back to the Russian people, all those Roubles that Moscow lent him in the 80′s?

John K – is that not what autonomy and self-determination are about? Do you vote in an election for anyone elses’ representation?

No, didn’t think so…

Ed Davies wrote “Could you expand on what you think is so horrible about the regional list system? I think it strikes a reasonable balance between having representatives for individual geographical constituencies and giving some representation to points of view which are more widely distributed.”

I think it’s a pretty good system, because when people have two votes – one for the constituency and one for the regional list (by PR) they’re more willing to give their second vote to a small party or independent, because they don’t have the same fear they’ll risk wasting their only vote.

Chris K wrote ““at least an independent Scotland would have a chance to stand up against global corporate investors.”

The SNP got into bed with Donald Trump to allow a massive housing development/golf course onto an unspoilt dune system near Aberdeen. A Site of Special Scientific interest (SSSI) meaning it was the best such wildlife habitat in the area.”

That’s true – and even when the local council’s planning committee voted to put the condition on it that it not be built on the SSSI, but could still be built on the rest of the ground, Trump threatened to scrap the whole project. Salmond then over-ruled the council (including the SNP chairman of the Planning Committee) to give Trump exactly what he wanted.

Trump is currently going through the courts to try to force pensioners out of their homes.

I was hoping the Greens would do a lot better and i’m bitterly regretting not campaigning in the elections for them.

The SNP with an overall majority might turn out to be as likely to cave to billionaires and big firms as Labour and Conservatives have been with big majorities in the UK parliament.

Sean

I have no problem with the Scots (or Welsh or Northern Irish for that matter) voting for what’s in their best interests. As I said, it’s a no-brainer.

My point is that the English, alone in the UK, haven’t been given the opportunity to have such a say. What about “autonomy and self-determination” for US? The media rarely discuss this basic unfairness. All that gets talked about is the interests of the Scots, Irish and Welsh. It’s as if the views of the English (84 percent of the poulation) don’t count. We’re just serfs who pay our taxes.

If it’s the only way for the English to achieve autonomy, I’d support the breakup of the UK.

Mary, there is no evidence to believe that Soros is behind Trump, and at this point it Soros would not do such a thing.

In any event, Soros would be subject to campaign finance limits, so I’m not sure why it would matter all that much if Soros did back Trump.

Greece has threatened to quit Euro. Scotland can take their place surely? Salmond favours euro entry, although doesn’t like to talk about it.

I’m a bit sceptical that Soros would want anything to do with Trump. They seem to have very different political opinions, plus Soros seems to be a smart man, while Trump is a buffoon who goes on about Obama’s birth certificate and what a genius Donald Trump supposedly is.

http://77inquests.blogspot.com/2011/05/77-inquests-7-july-inquest-verdict.html

Nothing new here – move along.

Surely independence for Scotland heavily relies on the independence of Salmond, a privy counsellor, who presumably has take an oath part of which is as follows:
‘You will to your uttermost bear Faith and Allegiance unto the Queen’s Majesty; and will assist and defend all Jurisdictions, Pre-eminences, and Authorities, granted to Her Majesty, and annexed to the Crown by Acts of Parliament, or otherwise, against all Foreign Princes, Persons, Prelates, States, or Potentates. And generally in all things you will do as a faithful and true Servant ought to do to Her Majesty. So help you God.’

As for Paisley – the town of David Tennant (McDonald)! and also where I grew up – while it was always a Labour stronghold, in recent years, that had began to change, with the SNP winning the Council elections for the first time. This Scottish Parliament win for the SNP consolidates that trend.

“Polls undertaken on the matter consistly hold support for a ‘Yes’ vote in a referendum at around a steady 35%”

I notice that in any yes/no poll, absent a campaign you will get a simple three-way split: 1/3 yes, 1/3 no, 1/3 don’t know/don’t care. The thirty something percent figures you see are often a percentage of the entire electorate, in other words the true yes/no divide may be much closer to 50/50.

But that’s without a campaign. Here’s a thought experiment: if you listed the powers at present reserved to Westminster (i.e. not devolved to the Scottish Parliament), put a tick box beside each one and asked the average Scot to place a tick beside any powers that he thought should remain at Westminster, which do you think he would select? Any? My point is that ‘independence’ is just a word that can have different emotional connotations for different people. Once a campaign puts solid information in there, the game changes – and the SNP campaigning machine is formidable. You can confirm this line of reasoning by noting that the Unionist parties, including the ‘liberal’ ‘democrats’, will not under any circumstances countenance a referendum – quite simply their guess is it would get a ‘yes’.

More immediately, the Scotland Act, aka the Calman Proposals, will be re-visited. This was another Unionist sop to deflect separatist feeling, but now they are hoist with their own petard. Legislation that they expected to be largely empty of anything but rhetoric, nursed through by a Labour-dominated committee now looks like a piece of heavy artillery fallen into the hands of the enemy. The Scotland Act that started its journey towards the statute book under the last government will likely be a very different animal from the one that arrives. Professor Calman should have stuck to telling us that BSE infected meat was safe to eat.

http://www.justice4andy.com/kenneth_calman_14.html

Whilst people have mentioned Trump just a thought for Seve’s family.
St Andrews will always be 1984 for me and not that idiot Trump!
RIP Seve.

“Tavish Scott is a very decent person”

So many in politics are there with just one intention on their minds, their own self enrichment. Their role model is T.Blair… http://www.neurope.eu/articles/98788.php

Here is a man who can explain it all, a man who has always had his finger on the political pulse… http://s1.b3ta.com/host/creative/40640/1250101498/Wibble.jpg

It was an exciting night which extended well into day. A memorable time indeed.

As for the commenter who states Trump is trying to evict pensioners from their homes, that is untrue. He withdrew his legal protest some months ago and the pensioners and others, are safe.

In the past 24 hours so much has been said about England not having their own parliament. The solution lies with the English. If they continue to vote for unionist parties then they will have a unionist parliament. Of course, once Scotland takes independence little will chance. Westminster will continue to be the parliament of England, Wales and N Ireland.

As I say, the solution is in the hands of the English.

Off topic but this made my blood boil.

‘Alisher Usmanov, the Russian mining magnate, has risen to become Britain’s second richest man after more than doubling his wealth to £12.4 billion.’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/8498759/Sunday-Times-Rich-List-2011-Fortunes-of-super-rich-soar.html
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See Craig here and other posts of you enter Usmanov in the search box.
Alisher Usmanov, potential Arsenal chairman, is a Vicious Thug, Criminal, Racketeer, Heroin Trafficker and Accused Rapist
by craig on Sep 2007 2nd in Usmanov, Uzbekistan

I thought I should make my views on Alisher Usmanov quite plain to you. You are unlikely to see much plain talking on Usmanov elsewhere in the media becuase he has already used his billions and his lawyers in a pre-emptive strike. They have written to all major UK newspapers, including the latter: Mr Usmanov was imprisoned for various offences under the old Soviet regime. We wish to make it clear our client did not commit any of the offences w…
/….. http://craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/09/alisher_usmanov/

Independence is a complex idea, moreso nowadays, when there is a wideranging interdependence between nations, so even if there is a successful referendum on independence, it will be more about a re-negotiation of the terms of interaction with the various entities we are already aligned with. Westminster will still have a great influence, and all intellectual activity in the rest of the english speaking world will still be important, rprobably more than the domestic or home-grown variety.
What independence-seekers are saying, in effect is that within Scotland we can set up fiscal administrative and institutional systems and some (limited) policies that will be more effective than those that exist at the moment and are determined within the context of the larger entity called the UK.
Independence will not be a panacea and will probably create as many hardships and inconveniences as those that are relieved.
in a sense the process is going against the stream of the last period of history which has seen amalgamation and union, as a more effective means to access better prosperity.
I am not arguing against independence, but trying to place it in a realistic context.
i see the situation as a little like the slightly analagous situation that existed in relation to Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, within the context of Scotland, where a distinctive and generally more stable and serviceable set of arrangements for critical matters such as education existed alongside a much larger, dominant value system-that of the central belt.
Unfortunately, for reasons that I cannot quite discern-(complex demographic and political/economic changes?) these distinctive and effective values and arrangements were eroded and undermined anbbd became less serviceable than elsewhere, and what was good was lost or became untenable in circumstances. The situation that now exists is worse, or at least as bad, as elsewhere. i.e. there is no longer a distinctive or more serviceable value system.
I think i am saying that there are, whether we like it or not, forces that are impossible to resist and smaller groups can find themselves exposed at times.
Now of course I don’t mean catastrophically so, just relatively so, and that may lead eventually to a call to amalgamate in some way.
The relationship of technology and how technique can favour or disfavour smaller or larger political entities is also complex. i think it is possible that mass communication is creating a desire within mature technical societies such as in the UK, more needy of distinctive qualities, and is creating the confidence to seek those many comforts of smaller groups which in turn favour social unity, while remaining connected to the wider world.
as for Salmond being a privy counsellor, there need be no conflict, since he can maintain his oath while askinng for a change in political arrangements. he is not calling for a separation from the crown, but an adjusted relationship.

Off topic but this made my blood boil.

‘Alisher Usmanov, the Russian mining magnate, has risen to become Britain’s second richest man after more than doubling his wealth to £12.4 billion.’

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/8498759/Sunday-Times-Rich-List-2011-Fortunes-of-super-rich-soar.html
.
See Craig here and other posts if you enter Usmanov in the search box.
Alisher Usmanov, potential Arsenal chairman, is a Vicious Thug, Criminal, Racketeer, Heroin Trafficker and Accused Rapist
by craig on Sep 2007 2nd in Usmanov, Uzbekistan

I thought I should make my views on Alisher Usmanov quite plain to you. You are unlikely to see much plain talking on Usmanov elsewhere in the media becuase he has already used his billions and his lawyers in a pre-emptive strike. They have written to all major UK newspapers, including the latter: Mr Usmanov was imprisoned for various offences under the old Soviet regime. We wish to make it clear our client did not commit any of the offences w…
/….. {craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2007/09/alisher_usmanov/}

“most crucially, the power to borrow money so Scotland can run a more Keynsian economic policy”

The mess in the Eurozone right now has convinced me that monetary union without fiscal union is a Really Bad Idea.

If Scotland were to borrow money whilst still using the British Pound it would adversely affect the rest of the UK, while Scotland retains the whole benefit. It’s a form of the Tragedy of the Commons but asymmetric: Scotland alone would be motivated to borrow recklessly, threatening the prosperity of the whole of the UK and forcing it to cut spending.

Expect lots of quite justifiably pissed off English too.

I want scottish independance we will get the benifits of our Gas & Oil.Freedom
too decide whats best for Scotland.Not told to do by another Nation

It’s good fun for constitution watchers. The Crown Estates must be massive. Fascinated how this one’s gonna develop. 4-5 years is a long time, ceteris paribus.

The more you think about it, the more reasonable it sounds for Scotland to want to fuck off but not go independent. It gets slightly irritating to get economic or speak of currency or soverignty but to speak of land mass, not only oil wealth but HQd there and manufacturing there etc etc. Very interesting.

The CIA safe house in Abbottabad – this ‘blog’ is likely to ‘disappear’ take haste.

http://aangirfan.blogspot.com/2011/05/cia-safe-house-in-abbottabad.html

I heard on the BBC this morning that the Abbottabad house is going to be blown up ‘to prevent it becoming a shrine’. You could not make it up.

Mary and Mark, there’s more here:
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http://craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2011/05/the-best-writing-on-bin-ladens-death/#comments

@Mark, meant to ask earlier – what is “entanglement”?

I am going to apply for political asylum in Scotland.

Cameron must be filling his trousers over the prospect of an Independence bill being advanced. Such move would also be the final straw for English democracy, no longer could we be without and english Parluiament that replaces that of the UK, with all its fineries. You get a scottish treasury raising its own taxes and no more problems over split loyalties.
Not to speak of that nice big thistle you get on ya passport.:)

B+stards. They know they have us over an (oil) barrel.

9 May 2011

British Gas owner Centrica warns of higher prices
Centrica has warned it may close a UK gas field because of higher taxes
UK gas field may close in tax row
Oil study wary of tax hike impact
Chevron issues oil taxes warning

The owner of British Gas, Centrica, has warned that customers may face higher energy bills.

Centrica said “end-user prices” did not reflect the price it was paying for gas on the wholesale market.

The company also said that it was likely to cut investment in the UK after the Government raised taxes on North Sea oil and gas production.

Centrica said the tax hike would erode profit growth in 2011, sending the company’s shares down 3%.

The company’s statement said that the worldwide energy market had been thrown into turmoil following the natural disaster in Japan and unrest in Africa and the Middle East.

“In the UK, the forward wholesale prices of gas and power for delivery in winter 2011/12 are currently around 25% higher than prices last winter, with end-user prices yet to reflect this higher wholesale market price environment,” the statement said.

The company said average residential gas consumption in the first four months of the year was 19% lower, while electricity consumption was down 4%.

Centrica also warned of the impact of a rise in energy taxes. Last month, the government unexpectedly raised a supplementary tax charge on North Sea oil and gas producers from 20% to 32%.

“We continue to expect growth in our 2011 group earnings but at a more modest rate than anticipated at the time of our last results announcement as upstream profits have become more highly taxed,” the company said.

“We no longer expect to maintain the previously projected high levels of investment in the UK,” it said.

Centrica said last week that it may shut one of its gas fields in Morecambe Bay as the tax rise made it unprofitable to run.

It followed a decision by Norway’s Statoil in March to put some developments on hold as a result of the tax rise.

Are you concerned by Centrica’s warning that energy prices might rise? Are you affected by the issues in this story? Send us your comments using the form below.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13331606

Craig wrote about St Andrews University recently. This report of an outrageous action against two students has just come to hand.

Defend the right to criticise Israel: Wednesday 11th May 2011 at 9:30am

Meet outside Cupar Sheriff Court
County Buildings
St Catherine Street
Cupar
KY15 4LX
Map

ISRAEL CRITICS FACE “RACISM” CHARGE

OPEN LETTER:

Two students at St. Andrews University are facing racially aggravated conduct charges after allegedly making comments and gestures critical of the State of Israel and its flag.
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They are due to be tried at Cupar Sheriff Court on Wednesday 11 May 2011 at 9.30am.
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Media reports have already jumped to the conclusion that the charges are designed to imply: “St Andrews University students in court to face anti-Semitism charges” (Tayside and Fife’s Courier newspaper).
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http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=3634:defend-the-right-to-criticise-israel&catid=247:notices-of-coming-events&Itemid=200705

Radiation levels are soaring at Fukushima:
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Japan detects radiation up to 700 milliserverts at Fukushima nuke plant
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/world/2011-05/09/c_13866296.htm

This might be of interest to some of the readers here.

“Stolen Children, Stolen Lives” was directed, filmed and produced by Gerry O’Sullivan and edited by Cara Holmes. It shows the arrests and abuses of Palestinian children, aged between 9 and 15, in the West Bank. The documentary outlines the impact on these children and on ex- Israeli soldiers. It is in two parts.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zaeERjVReE&feature=BFa&list=ULuma1ELkEOL0&index=1
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PS Where is Craig?

Sorry Jon I missed your question – What is entanglement?

Entanglement can be observed in the Quantum world of particles. A single particle of light, a force carrier, can be split into two ‘opposite’ particles that instantaneously communicate with each other. If we erase one the other disappears and if we make one the same as the other they are detected as being opposite. Spooky? No, we are all interconnected in an interconnected universe.
Entanglement is why we occasionally have numerous feelings of connectedness with our loved ones at a distance. Even our own minds can become entangled and result in the experience of us hearing the telephone ring and somehow knowing – instantly – who’s calling. Such experiences, are due to real information that somehow bypasses the usual sensory channels, yet to some of course such suggestions are mere delusions. Can psychic experiences be studied by science, or are they beyond the reach of rational understanding?

When the quantum world is examined very closely, we find reality is woven from strange, “holistic” threads that aren’t located precisely in space or time. Tug on a dangling loose end from this fabric of reality, and the whole cloth twitches, instantly, throughout all space and time.

Science is at the very earliest stages of understanding entanglement, and there is much yet to learn. What I’ve seen so far provides a new way of thinking about the psi. Psi experiences once regarded as rare human talents, divine gifts, or “powers” that magically transcend ordinary physical boundaries may indeed be real and the psi becomes an unavoidable consequence of living in an interconnected, entangled physical reality. The power of intention is bound up with entanglement, it is not an ego driven something you do, rather a force you connect to. Max Planck said, “This force is a concious and intelligent mind. This mind is the matrix of all matter.” Everything in our universe or the *material* world is intended and we are all connected to that source of intention.
So, for example if we all think that we live in a dangerous and hostile universe then we *will* live in a dangerous and hostile universe.
Our connection to the source has been contaminated by social conditioning; our minds work by action and reaction. Every thought *is* an intention, yet our thoughts are in conflict,we simultaneously set a goal and then unset it. We are sabotaging ourselves.
Our universe has mass which is bound to time. Time is our enemy, it weakens the connection; even if we make a positive intention for the greater good we may ‘run out’ of time. For example you may intend to do something that you believe is perfect, sound, even exciting; you decide to ‘sleep on it’ – alas in the morning something is different, something has dissipated. Time perfectly controls our lives; we plan, we contemplate, we ponder, we mull over, yet the best laid plans…
Nuclear weapons – nobody likes them, yet we reduce, we argue, we regulate, we deter, we discourage and we defend. We intend to destroy them years from now; again time has defeated us.

Believe therefore in entanglement and ‘make it happen’ – believe in yourself, collectively we can make anything happen.

Thank-you Mary for the link…

Maybe it is we English who should be encouraging Scotland to leave the UK. We would derive many benefits from this: http://www.bruceonpolitics.com/2011/05/17/should-we-kick-the-whingeing-jocks-out-of-the-uk/
The fact is that it is inevitable, you can’t give one sector of a nation completely different treatment to other sectors of that nation. Tony Blair has started the chain of events that will lead to the break up of the UK.