Edinburgh Prof.: Scottish Independence Push 'A Vote for the Unknown'

The arguments in favor of Scottish independence rest on rosy assumptions about the economic and political impact of breaking away from the United Kingdom, Scottish business professor Brad MacKay told "MidPoint" host Ed Berliner on Newsmax TV Thursday.

Meanwhile, a "yes" vote on Thursday would actually weaken U.S.-British military ties at a time of heightened global conflict, European scholar Dan Kochis added.

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A disunited kingdom, if it results, will "weaken [British Prime Minister] David Cameron and weaken the chance the U.K. joins the U.S. in bombing" targets of the radical Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria, said Dan Kochis, European affairs researcher for the Heritage Foundation's Margaret Thatcher Center of Freedom.

Cameron already is holding back on bombing ISIS because of the Scottish referendum, said Kochis.

Brad MacKay, a University of Edinburgh Business School professor in Scotland, called the referendum "a vote for the unknown."

MacKay said that pro-independence campaigners have put forward an attractive vision of a more prosperous and just Scotland, but with underlying economic projections that "are very optimistic, indeed."

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