I haven’t counted them nor have I psycho-analysed them
And of course the English Media like to play this up, biased as most of them are in the matter!
I have lived here for a decade, and outside drunken neds in Glasgow I have never come across serious claims to Dungeons and dragons like mythology. Much more likely is the rather boring ordinary person who sees a Free Scotland as a more liberal, more modern country than it can be while dominated by England.
Either way we will win because considerable powers will be devolved after the referendum if it fails, especially if it fails narrowly.
This will result in more envy from England about how things are better in Scotland- free prescriptions, free eyecare, NHS dentistry, no NHS privatisation, better paid nurses, better paid teachers, no bedroom tax, and many other current advantages, before the Calman and other proposals lead to freedom to set income tax, borrowing powers, gun control, speed limits, election administration (including votes for prisoners!), drink driving, professional regulation, insolvency practice, resrved powers for Scotland as an entity over the BBC, HSE and Crown Estate. Additional bribes are currently on offer from all three parties of the No campaign to try to avoid independence.
So Scotland look very different in five years time. Whether that would be enough to stop another referendum in a decade remains to be seen- it is not going to go away. Ten years of Tory Government would help considerably!
So mere conjecture then!
No, my experience. You clearly don’t like it, but your refusal to acknowledge it is endemic in the Yes campaign.
The main source of English media I read is indeed biased. The Guardian is full of pro-independence articles chastising various English people for having opinions, or not having opinions, or daring to believe “no” would be better for everyone.
In fact, your kneejerk assumption that my source is biased English media isn’t too different from what I’m talking about. There’s a default assumption that everything south of the border is more corrupt and slimy.
My impression that many people hold various misconceptions is based on what I’ve seen/heard them say, not what other people are telling me they said.
How many such strange people have you actually met, and how many have merely been displayed to you by the media?
With all due respect, it’s a bit odd to characterize yourself as a typical Yes voter with their finger on Scotland’s pulse. According to your earlier posts you are from England and have lived in Scotland for less than ten years. So what’s with the anti-English sentiment?
I may have missed it, but I haven’t seen Pjen express anti-English sentiment.
Fair enough, but post #362 is certainly heading in that direction.
In my experience, there’s a certain type of Englishman who is so afraid of being seen as a colonial oppressor that they overcompensate by embracing the liberation movements of whoever is around them, especially if it’s anti-English somehow. (I once worked with an English immigrant in the U.S. who embraced the wackiest Tea Partyism, complete with bumper stickers all over his car.)
I’m not making that claim about Pjen but (prejudiced, I know) I feel that the Yes or No sides may be more accurately characterized by someone who was a lifelong resident of Scotland.
I don’t think there’s anti-English sentiment from Pjen exactly, but he comes across as someone who has found a new identity and embraces it a little too strongly. Part of this is a general “Scotland >>> England” theme throughout his posts in this thread. There’s nothing wrong with thinking that exactly, the whole package put together leaves the impression that he’s a little dismissive of England and the “no” side. We English are especially good at comparing ourselves unfavourably to others. ETA: As just expressed by LC Strawhouse.
I hope you won’t take offence at that observation, Pjen. None is intended.
So, more like “the zeal of the newly converted” is what you’re saying, yes? Maybe, I suppose. I’m not sure it’s such a terrible thing, though.
As to the various campaigns, well, I’m 42 years old and have lived in Scotland for 32 of those years (the others in England and the USA). I’d say you have about 30% of people who are and have always been nationalists and would vote “yes” regardless of any arguments presented. These folks are the ones most likely to blame the English for Scotland’s faults, although the don’t all feel that way.
Then you have about 30% hardcore unionists who will vote “no” whatever happens. They probably like the English.
For the 40% of us in the middle, English-bashing is something we do at football matches only.
Speaking of football, everyone I know who supports Celtic seems to be intending to vote “yes”; everyone who supports Rangers intends to vote “no”.
Two more groups to add to the corrupt society elites and D&D fanatics: non-Scots living in Scotland and Scots living anywhere else that will take them.
English born Scottish residents are twice as likely to vote for Union against Independence.
Among the non-English immigrant group, they tend to like the less oppressive feel of a proposed Scottish Government approach to future immigration.
Scots living outside Scotland usually have no vote. They seem to split fairly evenly between the two camps.
The proposed feel of a Scottish Government appeals to my sense of fairness and compassion. I dislike English Conservatism. My sons are growing up as Scots and I want the best for them.
I really like England but there are English attitudes that I despise. I find Scotland to be more to my temperment.
(would you have asked the same question of an immigrant to Scotland from Pakistan?)
Thank you. I have now expressed some very mild anti English sentiment, but I am more pro Scottish than anti English.
All my claims about English reaction to Scottish difference under their own government are live and active in England- why don’t the Scots pay prescription charges when we do? why do they get NHS dentists? Why are there teachers and Nurses better paid? Why don’t their teachers strike? and so on, usually accompanied by the suggestion that it is the English paying for it.
I don’t display the Saltire (I have a Cornish Flag on my car and on a flagpole in the back garden as a humorous aside to nationalism. I am in no way a pretendy Scot, being very much identified as an Englishman well settled and happy in Scotland and happy to be identified with the goals of the SNP. I have no desire to wear a kilt, drink Tennats Lager or get pished at Hogmanay, but am partial to Haggis and whisky.
I am part English in culture and part American (educated at US High School and University) and visit fro two weeks every year and remain in contact with many of my school and university friends via Facebook and email. I consider myself sort of European/American in background, rather than English, appreciating both heritages. I am a sort of floating internationalist. Scotland happens to be where I have latterly felt most at home and where I have chosen to raise a family.
Scotland also, sadly, has the most inequitable land ownership in the western world, much worse than England. Those guys would love an independent Scotland so as to consolidate their power even further.
That amount of balancing between a bunch of different trends/cultures might not be too healthy. Why not just embrace your inner British Colonial Warrior? Stuff like this can be pretty stirring. 
The conclusion you reach in your second sentence doesn’t follow from your first. Those landowners are about as Unionist as you can get.
(As an aside, the landowners cannot restrict access to the bulk of their land under Scots law)
There have been accusations in both directions and they have probably not made any public statements either way. However, an independent Scotland will simply make these extremely wealthy and well-connected people bigger fish in a smaller pond.