As you said, it is a very common line of argument, particularly from those who have an agenda to disparage the science behind evolution. But as ever, it is an argument based in a significant misunderstanding. Darwin never said that human beings are descended from monkeys. No serious evolutionary...
To the OP. Hi, gerbilmore, I operate very much at your level and not at the level of most of the contributors to this thread in terms of my understanding of this stuff, but I have a perspective to offer that might assist you. It isn’t specifically about what you raised in your original post...
And so now that it is over the thing I find myself wanting to do is to speak in praise of Gordon Brown and believe me, I never saw that coming. I was no fan of Gordon Brown during Labour’s years in power. But those speeches he made in the last few days showed all of the passion and charisma he...
I have just heard the first prediction based on a poll conducted today (an online poll rather than a traditional exit poll) and the prediction was 54% - 46% for No.
Yes they are allowed, in the UK they are called exit polls, (voters are asked how they voted as they leave the polling station) but they are notoriously unreliable. It would seem that a high proportion of those so approached tend to be 'economical with the actuality'. It is expected that the...
Not sure how seriously people are taking this point but here’s how I see it. It is less than entirely fair on the rest of the citizens of the UK that this vote is open only to Scottish people. But the idea that the whole of the UK should vote on the specific issue of Scotland’s independence is...
I have expressed by concern about the result of this vote and my belief that no-one’s best interests would be served if Scotland votes for independence. But now I find myself wondering what is going to happen if the result is not for independence. For sure, it is going to be one hell of an...
Well, again SteamKing, my understanding and recollection of events differs markedly from yours. I do not see a vote on the independence of Scotland as being the logical consequence of the devolution of powers that has been an on-going process over several decades in British politics. Devolution...
Crystal ball gazing again, there is another thought that occurs to me. I am quite in acceptance of the possibility that all of the doom saying will prove unfounded and Scotland will do just fine on its own. I retain my doubts about the prognosis, but sometimes patients with a poor prognosis do...
Yes, very telling. I think the comparison with the Canadian relationship with the US is a very interesting one. Canada clearly has a very distinct identity from the US and no-one doubts how important that is to them. Clearly Canada does very well economically on its own. Perhaps the on-going...
Well, I am wholly with you on the questionability of the benefits to Scotland of independence. But it does seem clear that, at the very least part of the imperative for independence among the Scottish people is resentment at their perceived treatment by the English. I might like to try to argue...
As an Englishman, I do not align myself with the views expressed by either Steamking or AlephZero. I find it difficult to understand how either of them think that their comments are helpful. For my part, I think that what the UK seems to be headed for will be nothing short of tragedy. I am as...
Okay Fredrik, maybe you are right. I have to say that my general feeling about Oscar, when I have seen him playing for Chelsea, has been that he isn’t really all that good. He seemed to me to be more hype than genuine quality. There were some of the earlier matches in the World Cup where he...
Hmmm. Not sure I agree with that. I found great significance in it, and not just in how much it annoyed the Germans to concede it. Until last night, all the pundits had been talking about how anonymous Oscar had been throughout the tournament. Last night Neymar wasn’t playing and suddenly Oscar...
Oh dear, I do feel a compulsion to point out the obvious. Believe me, I offer no criticism at all to those who have expressed their dis-interest here – they are, of course, perfectly entitled to it. But the Cambridges did not ask the world’s media to camp outside the hospital. The world’s media...