Aye or Nay on "saving the union"

We get a kick out of those who get terrified over the idea of change – it’s usually those who have embedded financial interests in not changing.  And there is no bigger group of such people than those who depend on government, one way or another, for their daily bread and their cushy jobs and their fat pensions and their well armed security details.

Gee whiz, you would almost begin to think like they do – without us, chaos.

As we look around it appears that people have this desire to be with others who look like themselves; who act like themselves; who share various levels of commonality in their morals; their values; their discipline; their charity; their character and their religion.

The melting pot mythology may have captured the imaginations of American politicians and propagandists (yes, we know, that’s redundant) but around the globe the looming developing nations are not based on propagandistic promises of mixing race, religion, culture and values – it’s the exact opposite.

Then again, in some places, the same people; the same culture; those with the same look, dress and behavior have survived for millennia.  Such is the way of the Scots.  Those funny sounding folk where the men wear skirts and so do the women.  These are the people who brought the world two** of the greatest gifts from any culture – golf and that wonderful smoky beverage – single malt whisky.

We are going to ignore golf because it is a challenge unlike most others – it appeals to millions even though only a chosen few can bring about the timely collision of a quickly swung club and a tiny ball resting nicely on mother earth with the purpose of propelling the ball a certain distance and a certain direction to land in a certain spot on a well manicured piece of earth with the intent now of slowly moving a different club to make contact with the resting ball so that it falls into a tiny hole about 3 times the size of the ball.  Sometimes, many times, it is possible to move the ball great distances in just one, or two, or three strokes and take as many or more strokes to move it very short distances into the tiny hole.  The Scots call this last activity – putting.

The Scots used to play this “game” on land near the oceans and seas and bays that surround their beautiful country.  Why did they choose these lands?  Because these lands – near the sea; near the salt water; had no productive growing purpose – you couldn’t farm them.   Nothing would grow on them but nature’s most hardy plants which were not tasty, or nutritional.  But like the very people who wandered over these links where land met sea; they were survivors – they were tough – they stuck together.

But let’s talk about single malt – quick lesson.  Making any form of booze is pretty simple.  You need to ferment something containing sugar – which means most things that grow.  Then you need to distill (separate) the alcohol based result of fermentation from the glop that was fermented and then, you can drink it – in the American Appalachian mountains this beverage is known as “white lighting.”   If you are a bit more patient and have the ability to plan ahead; fortunately the Scots do, you can age the product.  Aging is best done in barrels – wooden barrels – not plastic and the makeup of the barrel (wood source) as well as treatment of the wood (burning, prior contents) when combined with a patient aging process produces better tasting and no longer white, booze.  Single malt must be the product of the fermentation of just one grain – barley.  And those barrels must be made from oak and the aging period – minimum of three years.

Closing comment – we support Scottish independence for the same reason we support anyone’s or any peoples independence – we believe in people, not sheeple.  God love the Scots for their survivability – as to the Brits with their fear campaign – same old, same old.  Remember you wonderful people of Scotland – darn near everyone else has kicked the Brits out and life goes on.

Will fear win out, again?  We don’t know.  Just because fear rules America does not mean it will prevail in Scotland or any other place where the gathering of people with commonality of one or several things leads to a rugged independence of belief in self and community.  Regardless, TheFundamentals thanks you Scottish people for these two wonderful gifts but more we thank you for your spunk, your toughness and your God fearing independence.

** BTW, Scots have done much, much more.  The telephone came from a Scot as did penicillin and the flush toilet!   If you seek a tasty single malt, try Scapa, aged 16 years.