Hem low, i am ray swarez. A long long time ago there were many different nationalities separate countries on the island of britain. The people spoke different languages over time, practiced different varieties of the christian religion, made different alliances around the world, in time, the riches and most powerful of the countrys in britain, england, united whales scotland and ireland under one monarch and one government run from london, after three centuries of union, the people of scotland have agitated for more and more autonomy, running more of their affairs in scotland. Now many are saying they want a complete break, to become a separate selfgoverning country, making that almost inconsequential line, into a Real International border. Will that benefit the scotts . Do the english want them to stay in the United Kingdom . The polling is in two weeks, and scottish Public Opinion is closely divided. Should scotland be an independent country . In just two weeks, more than 4 million voters will have the chance to either check the box yes, or not. Scottish governments first minister alex salmon is leading the crusade for the yes campaign. Few societies anywhere have secured this opportunity. To vote themselves this is an opportunity peacefully, and a process agreed andeen agreed and consented. It is an opportunity which may not come our way again. Alster darling head of the Better Together campaign, is arguing for keeping the status quo. We do not need to divide these islands into separate states in order to assert our identity. We can have the best worlds with more decisions become taken here, backed up by the United Kingdom. According to the b. B. C. , throughout 2013, Better Together led strongly in the polls by an estimated 50 to 33 . Now, the gap is dramatically narrowed, this week, the pollsters atugov says four want independence, 53 want to stay with the United Kingdom. We have the results in the industries confidence, i think we can do it. So we will always be scotts. I think it should stay that way. But the referendum is not just about national identity, it is about money, and politics. Scotlands north sea oil and gas reserves, are worth an estimated 2. 5 trillion. The s Campaign Says thats enough to help fund a new nation. But Better Together, says oil money is not reliable, and will eventually run out. They would continue using the british found. We believe the best option for scotland, what i am seeking a mandate for, is to have the pound sterling so we pay our messages we pay our mortgage, we get our wages, i am seeking the best option, so our prosperous economy keeps it going. But the three major parties of the United Kingdom say they wont allow an independent scotland to use their sterling. Of course we can use it. Awe. We can use anything we want. The problem is, if you are using somebody elses currency, you dont have a central bank, so our Financial Services cant exist in scotland. If Voters Decide on september 18th they want to stay in the union, its improbable there would be another push for independent for some time. If first minister do come out victorious, its likely they will host a huge party. 307 years after the acts of union, is scotland nearly a region of one country, or still such a distinct separate particular place that it has the same claim to independence as more recently established countries like the czech republic. Croatia, or astone yeah. On a more practical level, would scotland be a kingdom or a republic. Have an established church, an army, membership in the european union. And what would be used for money. In abbeer deem. Joining us to consider the future of scotland, lord jeremy a liberal democrat member of the house of lords the Upper Chamber of the british parliament, and adam ramsey, a Campaign Fresh the pro independent group yes scotland. Our guests join us from scotland, welcome to the program. Adam lets start with you. Why an independent scotland, and why now. I think people all across the u. K. Are pretty fed up with the kind of broken westminster political system, the fact that we have jeremy on the telly with us tonight, who is a life member of the house of the legislature, thats by the Prime Minister of this country, we have one of the most undomic systems in the western world, and so the chance to escape that system i think is thrilling. That system that makes britain the most unequal country in europe, and it has imposed particularly on scotland, and other parts of the u. K. As well, particularly right wing brand, of economics. We want to get away from it. I know in recent decades scotland has become tera incognito to the conservative party. But dont political pendulums swing back and forth. Because you dont like the current government. I think it isnt just the conservative party, if that was the case the labor Party Provided over a massive increase in equality, and i think more and more people aacross the country, are beginning to realize the thing that is broken is the system. Or normal countries stuck in this parliament that was built for a previous era. We live in a modern world, and joining the nations on the international stage, is much much better for us than hiding behind the big bully on the world stage. How about it . Dissatisfied part of the country, that has the ability to decide its own future. Maybe, deciding to get out. Whats your counter argument. Well, i think it is something that all of us that believes in the United Kingdom takes a great deal of pride in. The United Kingdom is facilitating a democratic process, athrilling democratic process. For one nation, that makes up the United Kingdom, can decide whether or not it wishes to stay part of the union. Now, i was a member, directly elected member of the Scottish Parliament for two terms before i was appointed to the house of lords. In the scottish legislature. With 100 power, how it was spent, and people who supported the s p, or independent, argued for that while i was a member of the t soish parliament, and as i am a member of the house of lords now. Now, i think the real question is, should scotland carry on its part of the United Kingdom and see it flourish . If that is the case, then we have to focus on the real issues for scotland. For the areas currently, that is the responsibility of the Scottish Parliament, and retomorrowing westminster, and i am a reformist, i am a liberal democrat, i believe in a second chamber. Effectively to vote myself out of a job but i would prefer for scotts to be in the parliament to playing a role on the global stage, but also on all of these issues that effect parts of the United Kingdom, rather than to leave the union, and then seen somehow to try to negotiate our way back in. Back into the european union, back quite cure usually into nato, so i think the best opportunities for scotland, going forward, not to rely on our past, is for scotland to play a leading role in the United Kingdom. Isnt scotland in a pretty sweet position in some ways . One than shared by england . You have representatives making decisions and also representative whose go down to westminster to vote on other national platters. Certainly i have lived most of the last five years of my life in england. I feel sorry for people that dont have this opportunity to break from that stifling westminster politics which has been so damaging to people in the u. K. The most unequal country in europe. It is not a reason to remain governed by that system. Almost the entire budget set by werners. It isnt as though kit protect itself from the worst decisions made. Parliament that has the entire budget set by another parliament, there are very few democratic bodies like that in the world, and jeremy is right, he was a member of the parliament for two terms and i didnt vote for his party, but they did a good job. Then either of the government, more conservative and democratic democrat have done now, so i think the success of him and his colleagues is a testament to what we can do. The question in this is which power dozen we want to be held. I cant think of any power i would rather have decided than a closer more democratic one. Foreign policy, do we really want to have imperial werners to decide if we are going into the future of iran. No, i would rather have one closer to us. Lord, what do you make of that argument. When the Scottish Parliament endorsed having Nuclear Weapons and really the there is two arguments here. The first is basically Party Political. And you dont really make constitutional change, and i dont think the future of scotland is part of a union or not, should be determined by Party Political positioning. You may have different policies. The question is part of in the nations across britain, whether you can have a stronger base. Some of the best in the world, so proud of these units also benefit massively from United KingdomWide Research funding. Where i am speaking from this evening one of the best in the world, received the same amount of money from u. K. Based research grands as it does from the government and the parliament that i was a member of. So it is so inter2009ed that the United Kingdom and scotland playing a leading role, provides the best base to grow our economy. And actually, i think it is not the best platform to say that we are moving away from these nations that are currently our partners. Into what will be a different country, with barriers and in certain areas like trade, a degree of competition. And if it is so clear, that we should be so disstability from the other parts of the union, im puzzled why the first minister is so keep to say that we will have an on server status, in the bank of england, which would be the bank of a foreign country, running our currency, setting Interest Rates the the english economy, but would effect scotland, and inflation rates can we wouldnt determine, thats actually less awe townmy, and less influence over the scottish economy. It is a very curious argument. I am going to jump in, because we will talk about the brackett callties of this divorce. Later on in the program, we will be back with more inside story, after a short break, stay with us. These young people deserve justice anatomy of a protest. The police look like theyre getting ready to come down the street with militarized Police Departments forces their message. Theyre actually firing canisters of gas. A fractured Community Demands answers what do we want . Justice when do we want it . Now faul lines, Al Jazeera Americas hard hitting. There blocking the door. Ground breaking. Truth seeking. We have to get out of here. Award winning investigative documentary series. Special episode Ferguson City under siege only on Al Jazeera America you are watching inside story. Im ray swarez. Soldiers and silver servants invaded stood guard and kept the books in the farthest reaches. Scottish politician writers and musicians have had a profound and long standing influence on broader british culture. Now almost half the voters of scotland tell pollster they are ready to leave the United Kingdom, and establish or reestablish an independent scotland. Theres a national debt, and a portion of that would have to be accepted by scotland. There are expenditures for old age, university funding. All kinds of intertwined both revenues and expenditures and it would seem pretty tough to pull those apart, and make them into two separate and distinct entities. Can you do it. Well, of course, the first thing to do is the parliament already decides many such things. We have already done that for a lot of public services. The small european cants the average size for population for a country so of course we could do that, and of course we dont have to do it in everything. It doesnt mean we cant share power. Much of the research funding, and before the break, what the vice chancellor of that university has said we already have a pool, so obviously in some areas it will make sense to continue to work together, and of course we should do that where it does. I think it should, because i think those things are better when they are closer to people, so they can hold politician to account better, i think one of the big problems is that International Corporations are very very good at taking control of and not being politicians in parliament. Particularly when they are far apart from us. It is rare that people would voluntarily decide to be less powerful, less influential in the world. About the size of the american state of colorado, the scotts would i think cut a smaller figure on the world stage, isnt that fair. Wed have our own seat at the u. N. By getting your own vote, at the world trade organization, you suddenly haveless power. At the moment, scotland is represented on the world stage by politician we often have them voted for, and the interest of Financial Sector in the city of london, who act very little in our interests. I think not only would we have allowed our voice in the world stage, the f we are there ourselves. It represents the interests of big corporations. In a multi polar world, governed in many ways as setting the rule oz if game, rather than with brute force. Isnt itsier to be a small country. United kingdom is a very small country in the world. 90. 6 of the population, but i think as a whole, with its contribution it had made, and with scotts at the leading element of that, and in many respects the edge of it as Prime Ministers foreign secretaries head of the diplomatic service, the way that scotts have played their role within that, they think with our brand as far as soft power in the world, as well as our influence around the world, as the United Kingdom, taking a part, then i think that something where i scotland benefits from massively. Now, whether or not the Foreign Policy at the time, is agrees with or not, that is the real issue. There have been over my time as a political life, say over the last 15 or 20 years has been scottish foreign policies may not suit the political views of other people. But never the less, they have been there. They have been playing their real role. I simply challenge whether or not we would have the kind of breadth that we would want to have that pays proper tribute. On international aid, for example, i mentioned the u. K. Of the world population, the second largest aid budget in the world. 400 Million Pounds alone has been the age budget. Simply would havent that ability to have the breadth and impact around the world, and i think that would be regrettable. We will be back after a short break, the scotts are hardly unique in wanting to run their own affairs. The people of belgium, the people of quebec, all live in a restless relationship, does an independent scotland make sense, in a National Cultural way . Its hard to add up, stay with us. Hundreds of days in detention. Al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. Thousands calling for their freedom. Its a clear violation of their human rights. We have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. Journalism is not a crime. News. In the United Kingdomife converged. The scottish identity remain, but a lot of countries have regions that differ and accent, political sentiments, religious traditions. We are looking at the coming vote today on the program, still with us, lord jeremy a lib rat democrat of the house of lords the Upper Chamber. For the pro independent group yes scotland. Lord, are there bonds of National Association that people havent reckoned with yet . Only 14 days short of the vote. Have people in the other side of the arguement been minimizing how easily scotland will live without england and wails. I think so. And i think south of the border there will be a really deep feeling of loss if scotland does make the decision, but it is for the people of scotland to decide. And it is a wonderful thing that theres a democratic process. Just to on english side, i hope very much, that a young person born in my hometown, will want to play a role in the scottish stage, or the british stage, or the international stage, and not be divided by an international border. Be able to cherish identity, allow that to flourish, and give them the best opportunity, thats why i think they should vote to stay, and see itself flourish, and tackle the issues of equality, of economic development, of social justice. Of environmental justice. That challenge scotland and england. Where i was born and brought up. Adam, i have to tell you, someone who has traveled widely in the country, looking from the outside, i have been surprised at how lively some scotts say that they could do without being british, that it is no longer part of their identity. Have you really wrestled with this . What being inside a much smaller and much differently constituted country would be like . Look, britain is the name of the island that includes most of scotland and whales, and just as Northern Iraq we john people, they have been independent for more than a century now,ly still feel british after i vote yes, in a fortnights time, and i think many people will too, and i always find thisarment difficult, because look, a year ago, two years ago, the leader of the party was proposing we introduce a bail bond, the british statement is very fond of borders and treating people from other countries in horrific ways. What they are against what they are saying is they are british nationalist, they support add british identity, and they want to proct so i dont believe in borders anywhere in the h the world. Im not interested in creating National Barriers but theres no you can drive from dublin to belfast, and not have your passport checks. So there wouldnt be passport checks between scotland and england, that is not the issue, i am not interested in particularly in questions of identity, theres someone campaigning in new castle just south of the border at the point, that they should be allowed to join scotland if we vote yes, and they want to come i am more than happy with happen p i am not concerned whether its scotland or we extend the border south. What i am interested in is a new and democratic country. The product of scotland and england coming together, so we can better concur the world, and the state has been set up for that purpose in and say that in 2014, we are living in the shadow of the imperial age. Soon after the collapse of our umpire. It is time to put that powerful history to bed, time to build a better future, and the way to do that is bring power closer to people, we want to join a network of nations we dont need big lumbering bureaucracies any more. I have to go, that brings us to the end of this edition, thank you adam ramsey, in washington, im ray swarez. On america tonight, young and restless. A movement sparked by flash point ferguson the death of an unarmed teenager and a Brutal Police response. Now, how the feds are stepping in while young protestors across the nation, are stepping up with more protests. Also tonight, women this wartime. The mother serving as protectors and fighters against the dangers of the islamic state. Why is it important to you as a woman to be