Brits Beg Scots to Stay

From an iron fist to an outstretched hand. That’s the difference 238 years can make. Instead of 56 men signing a Declaration of Independence from British control, nearly 5 MILLION Scottish citizens will be signing THEIR name on a BALLOT in an effort to split apart from the United Kingdom.

You know what they say, you can catch more flies with honey than you can with vinegar. And this time around, it seems the British Parliament learned their lesson. Prime Minister David Cameron is switching up their approach, promising Scotland a much bigger seat at the table if they decide not to opt out of their 307-year marriage with the UK. Cameron urges the Scots to vote no this Thursday, promising them a better chance to resolve their problems INSIDE the UK than out of it.

No matter how you cut it, this is a step away from centralized control. Wales and Northern Ireland are watching closely to how this power move plays out, and so far, England is playing nice. But Cameron doesn’t avoid ominous warnings altogether. In his urgent plea to keep the wealthy Scottish state onboard, he said his term and his policies may not always stick around, but leaving the UK would last forever.

Scottish National Leader Alex Salmond is critical of Cameron’s stance against ISIS, and he’s leveraging the turmoil to inflate a critical sense of timing. Salmond says NOW is the time for Scotland to step out and make history, taking their own stance in foreign policy.

But the vote for independence carries much more weight than mere symbolism. Should Scotland elect to cut ties with the 6th largest economy in the world, many investors fear the global stock markets could feel the consequences for years to come.

The ripple effect would reach all the way across the pond. Foreign Affairs Analyst Niles Gardiner says, “Fears over the economic fallout will spook US markets, frighten investors,” plus, he said it would only make matters worse in dealing with Ukraine. The move to split apart wouldn’t just hit England. It would extend to the European Union, too. Any move that weakens the United Kingdom, weakens the EU. New trade rules would likely have to be established for all of the smaller countries in Europe, and it could take years for all of that to sort itself out.