What the Hell Is Going On in Scotland? Let John Oliver Explain

[geardaddy]

Scotland heads to the polls on Thursday to decide if it stays a part of the United Kingdom or not. How should you, an American who saw Braveheart a few times, feel about this? Let John Oliver break it down for you:

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. Ironically, in the UK we get "the uploader has not made this video available in your country"

(as last week's Oliver YouTube video said too). It seems an Englishman in the US is unsuitable viewing for the English or Scottish, even when talking about Scotland.

[geardaddy]

2. Well, if that's not censorship I don't know what is

That and the BBC took out Salmond's response to a question during the debate and the correspondent said Salmond "ignored the question."

[thesquanderer]

22. If it is the uploader blocking it, then it's not british censorship (n/t)

[geardaddy]

43. That is the right answer.

I was wrong.

[CBGLuthier]

41. How can anyone living in the modern era not understand the concept of rights management

and that HBO is not allowing its content to be viewed through youtube outside of the US. Censorship? What a fucking joke.

It is not censorship and yes you do not know what censorship is.

[geardaddy]

42. I stand corrected.

Thank you.

[Warpy]

5. You can always use Tor

and hope to link up with a computer outside the UK.

[Cali_Democrat]

14. Try using a proxy server in the US. nt

[Spitfire of ATJ]

16. That's funny considering the BBC blocks Dr. Who in America,....and he sounds Scottish.

[IcyPeas]

25. try this program called Hola

It's an extension that makes it looks like your IP address is in whatever country you pick. (for example, I choose the UK and then I am able to watch British tv shows from BBC iPlayer that I am normally blocked from. I can watch many shows from bbc, itn, stv channel 4, etc. try it, it's great. (I have been watching The Great British Bake Off and your version of Masterchef). But I have watched some Scottish documentaries and debates also using Hola.

https://hola.org/

[muriel_volestrangler]

26. Thanks (and to others for suggestions)

I looked to see if there were suggestions of trustworthy proxy servers, and I saw anonymouse in a list, which I remembered using many years ago, so I tried that, and it worked (I had a browser extension that used to get around restrictions like this, but YouTube and others figured out how to stop it working).

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. LOL! Brilliant!

[Warpy]

4. Too funny! However, he did hit on all the big problems

like the way the oil revenue from the North Sea field has disappeared into London without benefiting the Scots at all except with a few jobs here and there.

This didn't happen overnight. The rumblings have been going on since the 70s.

[pink-o]

35. yeah...the 1670s! n/t

[Warpy]

40. If there is one thing a Celt knows how to do, it's hang onto a grudge

and yes, there is still resentment there of the abandonment of the Stuart line in favor of the Hanoverians. So not only are they being ruled by conservatives in London, their queen is a German.

Maybe Ulster is next. It's full of people hanging onto grudges of some 700 years duration plus Protestant colonists who travel to Britain and find out they're Irish.

[tnlurker]

6. For Later reading

[virgdem]

7. That was Epic...

so damned funny and brilliant.

[CatWoman]

27. the unicorn was a nice touch

[virgdem]

46. That part was hysterical..

I have not watched his show yet, but I will make a point to catch it on Sunday nights.

[seaglass]

8. That was excellent! :-) n/t

[FSogol]

9. Pretty funny. n/t

[mcar]

10. Oliver is brilliant

Love it.

[SomeGuyInEagan]

11. Damn ... we could have had a wookie ...

... in a top hat. If only.

[geardaddy]

12. That would be awesome.

[underpants]

13. Sheep and threats

that was too funny

[freshwest]

31. Yes, it is! And the haggis (eek), unicorn and bagpipes! LOL!

Unfortunately, we have a less hysterical version of the three sheep with a threat with the Tea Party...

[marions ghost]

15. Scotland wants the Nukes gone

I support Scottish independence for that reason (not just because the English stole my Scottish ancestors' land)....

[riderinthestorm]

17. Absolutely great! Big K and R! nt

[roguevalley]

18. mine too, marions ghost

15 kids kicked into the road from the farm near Newpitslago, Aberdeenshire. My grandmorther spoke of it like it was yesterday. My g. grandpa lived it.

[marions ghost]

23. I get the impression the English were pretty ruthless

and land was the big issue always. You have a real story there in your family--relatives who actually remember the "removal." It was a consistent push. Not surprised there is bad feeling today.

My ancestors from Perthshire seemed to have skirmished for a few generations with the British early on. One of them led a contingent of men to help William Wallace at the siege of Perth. (Trying not to think of a "millionaire Australian anti-semite on horseback".....lol) They got accused of being witches when they were really just farmers and herbalists (and maybe read some of the European alchemist literature).

They were cheated out of their land in the end, which is why one of them came to America. In America they were very insular and married cousins, or other Scots--so my Scottish heritage is strong. My aunt made things out of the tartan for all of us.

I'm thinking--go Scotland--especially on the nuclear issue.

[dickthegrouch]

19. Ireland part of The Flag?

Not as I was taught its components.
St George cross (England): Red, vertical cross on white background
St Andrew's cross (Scotland): White, diagonal cross on blue background
St David's cross (Wales): Red, diagonal cross on white background.

There was no Northern Ireland in it AFAIK.

[geardaddy]

21. St. David's Cross is gold on a black background.

St. Patrick's Saltire. Red on White.

St. David's


St. Patrick's


Neither Wales nor N. Ireland are represented in the Union Flag (unless you count St. Patrick's saltire, since it is part of Ireland historically)

[Tree-Hugger]

20. This was brilliant nt

[Demeter]

24. England doesn't stand a chance, does it?

[A Little Weird]

28. I love John Oliver!

No disrespect to the bald eagle, but I would go with the wookie in a heartbeat.

[hootinholler]

29. Unicorn huh?

That's fucking awesome!

I did not know that and I'm of Scottish descent.

[sarge43]

37. Well, the unicorn is a supporter of Scotland's coat of arms.

[Samantha]

30. Truly hilarious!

Laughed so much I had to wipe away the tears.

Sam

[freshwest]

32. Definitely sharing this one!

[Godhumor]

33. Seeing him perform live in November

Absolutely cannot wait.

[arikara]

34. OMG that is hysterical

Unicorns and bagpipes. Cameron and a racist Australian millionaire.

[pink-o]

36. who has the Stone of Scune right now, anyway?

Give it back, England!

[sarge43]

39. It's under the cornation throne in Westminister Abbey. n/t

[muriel_volestrangler]

44. No, it's been in Edinburgh Castle since 1996

On St Andrews Day, 30 November 1996, the Stone of Destiny finally returned to its homeland amid much ceremony, and was installed in Edinburgh Castle, taking its place alongside the Honours of Scotland, the country’s crown jewels. About 10,000 people lined the Royal Mile to watch the procession of dignitaries and troops escort the stone from the Palace of Holyroodhouse to the castle.

You can see the Stone of Destiny and the Honours of Scotland for yourself at Edinburgh Castle or you can see the replica of the stone that sits in the grounds of Scone Palace in Perthshire.

http://www.visitscotland.com/about/arts-culture/uniquely-scottish/stone-destiny

The agreement is that it will be used in the next coronation in Westminster Abbey. Though if independence happens, that might be changed, I suppose (will there be a separate Scottish coronation?)

[sarge43]

45. Ah. Thanks for the info.

Good that it's back home.

If there's independence and Scotland retains the monarchy, they'll insist on a coronation with all the bells and whistles. They were not happy at all with the hand wave last time. On the other, there'll just be a national shrug.

[Glassunion]

38. I watched this last night. F'ing brilliant! KnR!

[adirondacker]

47. Kick for Unicorns! Thanks for posting! nt