Scottish Independence: How does one decide the fate of a nation?

Today, First Minister Alex Salmond (or maybe 'not so affectionately' known as 'Big Eck') announced in parliament the date for the Scottish referendum on Independence. In 547 days, on Thursday 18th September 2014, the good citizens of our great nation will come together and decide the very future of Scotland with a single 'Yes' or 'No' question. I think it's a huge responsibility that weighs heavily on our shoulders and with the  knowledge that the whole world will be desperately awaiting the result, it really has the potential to change the face of the British Isles as we know it.

As I have mentioned before, I am a patriotic bastard (I'm actually the worst person you could ever meet). Therefore, my knee-jerk reaction is to vote a loud and resounding 'No'. Perhaps it's due to my half English, half-Scottish heritage, perhaps its due to fear, I don't know. But then, I remembered that I don't really have enough information to formulate an opinion yet. Therefore, maybe I should sheath my opinion until after I have vanquished my ignorance.

Personally, I don't think there is enough information being provided to the general public about the referendum. And it's not a simple decision either. The independence of Scotland would have such an impact on the entire running of our country, with the far-reaching consequences of our actions being felt by our descendants, the next generation of Scots. However, the lack of information is from both sides. You have one side telling you 'Independence is Bad' but not really going into detail why and vice versa with the Scottish government.

I'm concerned with the lack of transparency thus far. And I think a lot of it is to do with a complete lack of trust in our governments, both British and Scottish. The expenses fiasco, the lies, the corruption; it all feeds the public's contempt for the government. We all feel like we're not being given the full story, all of the time which is very counter-productive when attempting to make a decision like this. In short, we just don't know who is telling the truth or not.

Which is why, now that the date has been announced, I hope that this opens the floodgates to some serious debate on the subject. I don't wish to live in ignorance and I'm sure most of the Scottish population don't want to either. A series of healthy, CLEAN debates are desperately needed, which will help us all to see the benefits of becoming an independent Scotland and the disadvantages, coupled with some concrete facts which will hopefully give us a clear picture of whether Scotland is ready to become an independent nation or whether she is to remain within the UK. Then and only then, will we be able to make well-educated and rounded decisions about the fate of our nation.

However, until such a day comes where I see a strong argument for Scottish independence, my vote currently is a 'No'. And also, a strong point for the argument against independence is that the Union Jack would just look weird.

Anyway, Watch This Space!