Scotland elections, Pakistan, Republican debate

We had a lively, wide-ranging show.

 

Steve Hynd, who is Scottish, details the hows and whys of the huge win by the populist Scottish National Party last week when they won a majority in parliament. The SNP describes itself as center-left, which by US standards would be considered far left. They favor no fees at universities and have already instituted free prescriptions for drugs. Scotland has huge mostly untapped wind, wave, and tidal power and could easily support itself should it vote for independence, something the SNP plans on bringing to referendum within five years.

 

The SNP, who have been around for decades, won because they a) never gave up, b) clearly stand for something. This is how to win in America too.

 

The Republican debate was characterized by a surprising amount of antiwar and anti-drug war views. Ron Paul has always championed such views. It's unclear whether some of the rest believe this too or are just mouthing such views to make Obama look bad (just like how the anti-war movement was mostly anti-Bush.)

 

Will bin Laden's assassination boost India's stature in the region? They've already started making overtures to Afghanistan with offers of funding, perhaps to combat their proxy war against China in Pakistan. The US isn't particularly relevant.
 

With Steve Hynd of Newshoggers, Josh Mull, and Bob Morris of Politics in the Zeros