Scottish independence: big government and the five magic words

Dateline: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The Scottish independence referendum has just concluded, and the first glance shows that the “No” vote – that committed to remaining part of the United Kingdom – will pass by a few percentage points. Ever since the Scottish Parliament decided to hold such an independence referendum five years ago, most of the world – including most of those in the United Kingdom – thought they were barking mad. Few gave the movement much credibility until some recent polls came out suggesting that the idea of Scottish secession just might be a plausible reality. In fact, results now show that a majority of those voting in the city of Glasgow indeed did vote for secession from London, a slap in the face to the centuries-old union between the two home countries. There are a few key takeaways from the Scottish independence vote. The biggest is that western governments love democracy theater. It’s like security theater in that its meant to inspire feelings of “freedom” when it really means the government is in total control of your life as their slave. We frequently talk here about how the government will but on a happy face for the public while doing its own dirty work behind the scenes. Politicians by nature want to be in control, and will do almost anything to avoid letting go of the levers of power. The western democratic system is frequently pointed to for those of us who don’t like what “our” countries have turned into. Politicians and their flocks tell us that if we don’t like the outcome, we either should have voted (because not voting means we “can’t complain”) or gotten out our side of the vote better. You don’t have to take this argument to extremes to see why it is so ridiculous. Whether the issue is equal access to restrooms and drinking fountains in 1950, slavery in 1850, or infecting blankets with small pox in 1750, the idea that a majority of people voting on something makes it right is tough to swallow. However, big governments love democracy for the reason that it is the perfect spectacle to convince you that you are free. Those in the Scottish electorate may feel upset that their side did not prevail, and that Scotland will not become a sovereign nation, but most of them will accept the result and belief it was the result of a just democratic process. Set aside the fact that the powers-that-be in London scoffed at the referendum until, partially by virtue of such a lackadaisical attitude, polls showed the Scots actually appeared ready to secede. This is how big governments around the world work. I’ve spoken at great length about why I prefer small, insignificant countries. Despite my dislike of governments in general, smaller countries are more accountable to their people. They don’t have the resources nor the desire in most cases to engage in massive spying operations, endless expensive wars, or massive wealth confiscation campaigns chasing every citizen around the world for a penny. Big governments use their might to keep those they disagree with at bay, whether it is trying to jail proponents of Bitcoin for devaluing the national currency or labeling anyone who disagrees with their tactics a “traitor”. Britain was wholly opposed to Scottish secession because it would make it more difficult for them to carry out the next steps in their totalitarian police state. A weaker United Kingdom would have less power to shake every citizen down for a penny, or chase guys with legitimate offshore bank accounts. The interesting thing is that, when their back was up against the wall, the British government decided it had to hand out some autonomy to the Scots in order to keep the in the union. When the government realizes the real consequences of money walking out the day, they will react with half-hearted attempts to save their hides. That is precisely why moving your money out of your home country – particularly the US, European Union, and the UK – is so important. As long as everyone where you live keeps their hard-earned cash in insolvent banks, local real estate bubbles, and artificially high stock markets, the government will do nothing to change things. It is only when the politicians realize that they have no other option to keep their grasp on power that they will actually consider throwing you a bone on taxes or putting the brakes on retirement account confiscation. The Scottish secession vote is a case study in how frightened governments react, and why your local western government is probably not ready to treat you as well as one of the financial hubs like Singapore. The good news of all of this is that the vote in Scotland has brought attention to the secession issue globally. I recently shared several of Europe’s large secession movements and the importance of diluting government power. The trajectory in the world is toward more countries, not fewer, and I believe new opportunities to “go where you’re treated best” will emerging in the coming years. The question for you is, will you choose to be a part of those places and benefit from the best banking, citizenship, residency, and business opportunities the world has to offer? Or will you stay stuck in your home country hoping that, if only you keep giving your government the money and power they crave, somehow they’ll change?