We are told that if Scotland votes to cut its ties with England, that will be a disaster on a par with the loss of the American colonies in 1776; but it is far worse than that. Scotland isn’t a colony, for heaven’s sake. It’s a part of our being, of what makes us “us”. This vote isn’t just about saying “yes” to Scotland – as the ballot paper seductively and misleadingly implies. Under any circumstances, Scotland will exist and prosper. Under any circumstances people will wave blue and white Scottish flags and take pride in their Scottish nation and its success. Alex Salmond and his crew aren’t really asking people to say “yes” to Scotland’s success; they are asking them to say “no” to one of the oldest and most successful political unions in history. The Salmond campaign is not a manifesto for creation, but for destruction.