Quote from a_person:
So is Scotland btw.
At least israel is capable of defending itself, at least israel is a real country unlike Scotland.
Oh did I mention that Israel's contribution to science, technology, medicine etc in the last 60 years far exceed the Scottish contribution during its entire existence?
Scotland is part of the UK and contributes manpower to the armed forces of the UK, Scottish troops are fighting and dying alongside US troops in the war on terror, no small feat.
I like Israel and the Israelis but small resource impoverished countries such as Israel do not add up to much in the grand scheme of things and the resource rich states no matter how culturally alien they are will always be favoured.
Since we are getting into a dick wagging contest here is a list of Scots achievements.
Joseph Black (1728-1799) physicist and chemist, first to isolate carbon dioxide
James Burnett, Lord Monboddo (1714-1799) philosopher, judge, founder of modern comparative historical linguistics
Adam Ferguson (1723-1816) considered the founder of sociology
James Watt (1736-1819) student of Joseph Black; engineer, inventor (see Watt steam engine)
Macadamised roads (the basis for, but not specifically, Tarmac): John Loudon MacAdam (1756-1836)
The pneumatic tyre: Robert William Thomson and John Boyd Dunlop (1822-1873)
The overhead valve engine: David Dunbar Buick (1854-1929)
Tubular steel: Sir William Fairbairn (1789-1874)
Cloud chamber recording of atoms: Charles T. R. Wilson (1869-1959)
The first iron-hulled steamship: Sir William Fairbairn (1789-1874)
The first practical screw propeller: Robert Wilson (1803-1882)
Cordite - Sir James Dewar, Sir Frederick Abel
Roller printing: Thomas Bell (patented 1783)
The teleprinter: Frederick G. Creed (1871-1957)
The first practical application of the telephone: Alexander Graham Bell
(1847-1922)
Universal Standard Time: Sir Sandford Fleming (1827-1915)
Practical application of television: John Logie Baird (1888-1946)
Fax Machine - Alexander Bain
The underlying principles of Radio and The theory of electromagnetism - James Clerk Maxwell (1831-1879)
Radar: Robert Watson-Watt (1892-1973)
Logarithms: John Napier (1550-1617)
The MRI body scanner: John Mallard in 1980
The hypodermic syringe: Alexander Wood (1817-1884)
Identifying the mosquito as the carrier of malaria: Sir Ronald Ross (1857-1932)
Identifying the cause of brucellosis: Sir David Bruce (1855-1931)
Discovering the vaccine for typhoid fever: Sir William B. Leishman (1865-1926)
Discovering insulin: John J R Macleod (1876-1935) with others
Discovering an effective tuberculosis treatment: Sir John Crofton in the 1950s
Developing the first beta-blocker drugs: Sir James W. Black in 1964
The Refrigerator: William Cullen (1748)
The Flush toilet: Alexander Cummings (1775)
The Dewar Flask: Sir James Dewar (1847-1932)
The waterproof macintosh: Charles Macintosh (1766-1843)
The modern lawnmower: Alexander Shanks (1801-1845)
Electric clock - Alexander Bain (1840)
Modern economics: Adam Smith
I could go on and on there are a lot more.