Is There a Contradiction Between Euroscepticism and Unionism?

Is there something contradictory about being in favour of the UK leaving the EU, but being against Scotland leaving the UK? Eurosceptics cite that they don't want to be ruled from Brussels, but likewise the SNP does not want to be ruled from London. Are unionist eurosceptics not being hypocritical in denying to the Scots what they want for themselves?

Not at all. Firstly Scotland is going to have a referendum on independence. The first thing that eurosceptics want is a referendum on the EU membership. If we lose we will accept the result just as we will accept the result of the referendum on independence.

Why are eurosceptics against the EU? Personally I'm against the EU not because I'm against unions in general. The United States, for instance, strikes me as an ideal multi state union. Why does it work? Because there is a common identity, a common language and there are common political parties which stand in every state. Each state has a lot of devolved power and each state devolves that power still further so that a great number of decisions are taken by politicians who are close to the people who elect them and who can easily be voted out if they go against the wishes of the electorate. Overseeing all of this is a strong national government, with responsibility over matters, which affect the country as a whole. Of course there are faults with American democracy, but on the whole it is an enviable model.

If the European Union were like that, there might be a case for being a member. But the EU can never be a free, democratic multi state country like the United States, because it lacks the conditions for being a successful nation, a common identity and a common language. It is for this reason primarily that the Eurozone is failing as an optimum currency union. Whereas someone from New York can easily seek work in California, someone from Greece cannot easily seek work in Germany. Whereas richer parts of the United States are happy to transfer money to poorer parts, richer parts of the EU resent the idea of subsidising people who they consider to be foreigners.

Britain already is an optimum currency union, because we have the conditions for being an optimum nation. We have a common language, culture and identity. We do not see people from other parts of the UK as foreigners. We have in Britain what the United States has, a fully democratic country, we have what the EU lacks and can never have.

It is for this reason that I am opposed to breaking up the union of the UK, while being in favour of breaking up the EU. There is no contradiction here.

Scottish independence makes no more sense than Texan independence. Of course each of these formerly independent States could function successfully on their own, but they each benefit from being in a political fiscal and currency union with other people who speak the same language as them, have similar values and cultures and just as a Texan benefits from not being a foreigner in Washington, so a Scot benefits from not being a foreigner in London.

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The Scottish independence referendum will be in 2014. I'm campaigning for Scotland to remain in the United Kingdom, by means of a regular blog exploring all of the issues involved. Please come and join the debate by clicking on the above link.

There Is Nothing Impossible With Inner Peace

What is inner peace? How can we achieve inner peace? These are the most obvious questions that would come to our minds; when we are reflecting internally and ask ourselves if we have inner peace within ourselves.

We cannot expect others to give us inner peace, at the same time we have full control over experiencing our inner peace. To gain inner peace we don't have to enrol ourselves to a mountain retreat! (but that might help to discipline us quicker); we can experience inner peace now, exactly where we are. When we understand the value of having inner peace, we will make deliberate efforts to make it a reality.

Inner peace is achieved from within. We cannot expect to find it externally; meaning it's not something that someone can give us. Sometimes we are delusional that when perfect circumstances arise; or when we strive for the highest status professional, we may get a glimpse of inner peace, but it's always short-lived. We apprehensively struggle to find that perfect person to share our lives in the hope, that we will eventually experience inner peace naturally.

We are often dismally disappointed, that after fufilling our dreams achieving status or finding a perfect life partner, we realize that we don't feel peaceful. We poignantly become aware that our quest for life is still meaningless!

How would I define Inner Peace?

Inner peace is when we are entirely and wholly satisfied and at ease with our current life experiences in various subjects i.e. Self, Health, Money, Relationship and Work.

Inner peace is the most valuable thing that we can cultivate. When we "Let Go" of everything that happened in the past and focus totally and fully in the present. Who am I is not the story about the past. History does not make, "who I am today". My past is the story of "who I was". Who I am today is a choice. I am free to make choices today. All choices that I make today will influence my present and future life.

Therefore to find inner peace it's vital to let go of what happened in the past and concentrate fully in the present. Often we have heard self-help gurus emphatically mention, "Be present in the Now". But we fail to understand how to go about being in the Now. We ask, "How can we do that?

By fully appreciating your life and everything in your life now, we become present.By being non-reactive and positively respond to the present-day challenges, we become centred in the now.By accepting obstacles as opportunities for future growth, we become wholly present in the now.By being at ease in the unknowingness or uncertainty, when we let go of the past, we become fully present in the now.

Being alive is not about getting things done or accumulating possessions or titles. It's about living and enjoying now. Living comes only from "being". We can ask ourselves, "Are we living our life?" Or, "Is life living us?" Is life is just random events with glimpses of joy and inner peace? Are we having knee-jerk reactions to life or crafting authentic optimistic energy into life? Are we in control of our life or are we griped by fear and incapable of taking any action. "We can only find Inner Peace when we totally surrender our past"

Your past keeps you away from your present. If you focus on what happened in the past then it will not let you enjoy your present. Let go of your past by appreciating your present and you will experience Inner Peace.

"The more I stop trying to force outcome and simply be in the flow, the more magic that my life is meant to be, will appear. I made a decision to "let go" and enjoy while appreciating what I was going through and where it was taking me. That is when I realized that I could control everything that I was experiencing. I simply experienced it without labeling it as bad or good, beneficial or loss, releasing all judgement and having faith." You can read more on http://www.thesoulfrequencies.com/divine-laws-of-universe or email to divya@thesoulfrequencies.com
Light, Love and Joy always

Divya Vinai Shah
TSF Visionary & Founder
The Soul Frequencies
http://www.thesoulfrequencies.com/

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Is There Political Bias in the Mainstream Media?

The mainstream media (sometimes referred to as "MSM") has been a target of Republicans for some time now as being somehow biased and unfair toward the GOP and conservative views in general. For their part, Democrats have targeted networks such as Fox as being unbalanced and unfair, even during times when pundits who openly share their political leans are not being featured. The intensity of these feelings about the media seems to be increasing as time passes and as social media outlets play a stronger role in politics.

The problem with these assertions of political media bias for both sides of the political aisle is that they are hard to prove. Republicans and conservative bloggers point out correctly that many mainstream media members do fit demographics more typical of Democratic voters - given the colleges they went to, the attitudes of the professors at those colleges, and the demographics of the states where they live. But then again, it would be unfair to assume that even if more mainstream media members vote for Democrats or hold personal liberal opinions that they would necessarily be biased in their reporting.

On the other hand, while many pundits employed by Fox news may have a conservative or right-wing lean, that does not mean that the regular news broadcasts on the network are equally biased. That also would be unfair, and may merely be the result of a hyper-sensitivity to that possibility by people who are charged up by the opinions of the political pundits on the station.

Several scientific studies have tried to explore whether there is any mainstream media political bias. One study out of UCLA found no evidence of a left-leaning bias in the mainstream media, and in fact found that political media reporting overall leaned to the conservative side. This study simply counted the number of times various media outlets mentioned liberal and conservative advocacy groups and political organizations, but these methods were faulted as not accurately measuring bias. Other studies have tried to measure potential political boas in the media by comparing the types of stories written during election campaigns and putting stories about different candidates and parties in "positive" and "negative" categories to see which party seems to get more of the latter. Still other studies have taken a retrospective view of political media bias by looking historically at whether more positive media reports tend to follow certain leaders, depending on their political lean. There has been no meta-conclusion reached as yet about media bias based on these studies.

The fact that in this age where statistical science is well advanced we have not been able to prove any "liberal bias" in the mainstream media or conservative bias in the non-pundit driven news broadcasts on conservative stations like Fox might suggest that perhaps there is none overall. A recent possibility that has gained steam is that the mainstream media stays so adamantly central and middle-of-the-road politically that those who have views on the far right or left do not feel they are completely covered or heard. That leads to claims of bias because the media reports seem to always disagree with their own off center political opinions and beliefs.

For more information about potential bias in the mainstream media and related coverage of politics from an independent view, please see our blogs at:

Foxes in the Henhouse: Coverage of politicians and political groups who do have hidden agendas and secret loyalties

Campaign Report Cards: Your chance to grade the mainstream media and other aspects of each political campaign.

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Is There A Eureka Moment When Searching For Success?

So, when does the light come in our pursuit of success? I for one believe that eureka moments do occur. That flash when you say to yourself. Now I get it. But first you need to understand what it is your after. If you're flying down the highway at night without the headlights on your in big trouble. Life is like that to. There is no waiting around to get inspired. It's like paying for your kids to go to university. Many will just lumber along and not know what they want. Change the situation to they are paying for their education and they will figure it out pretty fast what it is they want to do with their life. If it's your dream your success rate is much higher than if it's mom and dad's dream transferred to you.

It was the Roman Philosopher Seneca that said" Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity" This is not what I would call the eureka moment but an important step. You should put yourself in that position to be ready. Take those steps in the direction to seize the moment when it occurs. I feel that success lives in the top few percent of the population. The difference is that success does not appear in getting the job or project 90 percent done. It appears when we get it completed. It's the last bit that's so hard to obtain, yet it's so close.

These following steps will help prepare you for seeing the eureka moment when it appears. And it will...
Knowing what you want is paramount. When you know what it is you are after, your mind is always on the hunt towards that end.Turn over all the rocks is a favorite saying of mine. You never know what underneath.Search for someone who as excelled in your field of passion. They will be happy to share their defining moment.Write down some goals. Your success rate will take a huge jump.Accept the advise of others with open arms and see how you can adapt their eureka moment to make it yours.Most importantly believe their will be a sign. That flash when you go, Oh My God. There it is right before me.

We have all had the should of, could of, would of, times in our lives. Those are in the past. I ask you this. Would you jump at the same opportunity if it came along tomorrow? If not. File it away as it will be just back ground noise that will cloud your judgement. Know what you what. You are in the launch position. When that eureka moment comes you are ready for lift off.

Paul's many years of business and life experience have provided him with the expertise to deal with complex issues regarding success and obtaining your goals. Paul has developed a passion for writing and chooses to share this knowledge with his readers and clients. Paul has lived and taught much about what he writes about. This is what separates Paul from those who have just studied it from those who have experienced it,studied it and taught it. Life is full of tough decisions and some times we need a coach to help us through that. Paul can help you get pointed in the right direction and gain control of your life once again. For more information please go to http://www.toyourfuturesuccess.ca/.

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