Tuesday 16 September 2014

The Day After Tomorrow.

Probably time to write something deep, meaningful and final about Thursday's vote. I think, if we dismantled the entire debate to its component parts it comes down to one thing: government exists to serve the people, not itself.

Over the past few days we've seen a concerted effort from big business - financial services mostly - to sway the vote.

It boils down to sovereignty. For the British State, we are all satellites held in the gravitational pull of Westminster (notionally backed by the Queen.) In short, we are subjects who exist to ensure the continuance of the British State and the institutions & business that co-exist with it.

Scotland on the other hand has it the other way round - we the people are sovereign - our parliament exists to do our bidding within the framework of an effective democracy where all votes count, not just those that separate who came first and who came second. 

People say they don't trust politicians, a fair comment. They could ask themselves what made them take that view, speaking for myself, it was the activities of Westminster politicians - (more specifically the actions of New Labour.) Rejecting an independent Scottish government because of the behaviour of Westminster politicians is - with respect - an incredibly daft position to take. It conflates the cause with a solution to what ails Scotland within UK politics, voting No is throwing the baby out with the bath water.

When all is said and done, the British Establishment in all its various manifestations wants you to remain because you and the country you live in has cash worth & resources it needs. On the other side, the Yes campaign believes that you and the country you live in has cash worth & resources YOU need. 

If they're lying about that; because they're accountable to us - unlike Westminster politicians - we can vote the buggers out.

It may seem unobtainable - but those business' uttering threats (or not in some cases) should exist to serve us - not the other way round. A redrawing of the compromise that exists between the citizen and big business is required - it won't happen overnight, but it won't happen at all with a No vote. Equally, all that chat about how it can't work because of some obscure indecipherable rule? We made the rules, they're ours - we can unmake or change them. The idea that the will of the people can be supplanted by rules supposedly created by the very same people is stupid and self-defeating.

A No vote is not a vote for the status quo - things will change. All these promises of new powers are not set in stone and 'the vow' we've seen isn't worth the paper its written on - literally. Unionist politicians said last night on TV that Westminster would speak with the Scottish people on the topic of further devolution - voting No means throwing away any influence we'd have in those talks and trusting the very politicians we claim not to, to deliver the goods.

A Yes vote on the other hand keeps the power in our hands. It gives the Yes campaign a mandate to pull together a team of people - from all parts of Scottish political & civic life - who's express and only concern will be the needs of people living in Scotland - regardless of where they came from originally.

As a resource rich, democratically stable country - Scotland can and will manage with independence. There are 206 sovereign states listed on Wikipedia, some are better endowed in terms of natural resources & economy than Scotland - however, most are not. 

There is no reason why Scotland couldn't become #207

One last thing...


"I dinna ken muckle about the law," answered Mrs Howden; "but I ken, when we had a king, and a chancellor, and parliament-men o' our ain, we could aye peeble them wi' stanes when they werena gude bairns - Bit naebody's nails can reach the length o' Lunnon."

... and that's all I've got to say about that.

Vote Yes.

3 comments:

  1. I wish I'd written that.

    "When all is said and done, the British Establishment in all its various manifestations wants you to remain because you and the country you live in has cash worth & resources it needs. On the other side, the Yes campaign believes that you and the country you live in has cash worth & resources YOU need."

    Sums it up...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pa

    Excellent blog and now that we are at the end of this first part of our futures I must admit I have my fears.

    In the event of a no vote I don't believe that Westminster will deliver any additional powers that are a) meaningful and b)will make Scotland a better and more prosperous place. My suspicion is that any additional responsibilities will in fact make us poorer and more limited in what Holyrood can achieve.

    We are at a very dangerous phase right now and the nay Sayers are gambling with something that they would appear to have little understanding of. I still believe it will be a narrow yes, but in the event of a no and a failure of the things I have highlighted above being delivered this country is in for some very very serious unrest. I am not saying violence but there will be the death of the Labour Party, a good thing, there will be demands for another referendum or you could have the situation that Holyrood just go ahead and hold one, get a massive yes and just declare independence. The NO side are playing with fire.

    I don't know if I will really sleep over the next couple of days as I hope and pray that enough people have seen the light. The alternatives don't bare thinking about. Either way there will be challenges ahead and in the event of a YES I certainly hope that Darling, Davidson, Curran , Lamont etc are finished in politics. I don't want any of them to have a place in our political lives, they are the scum of the earth. I also hope Jackie Bird loses her job, you don't want to see anyone lose their job, but I am yet to see a more loathsome creature on the BBC than Jackie Bird.

    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks Tris.

    While its clear to us, I hope that its become clear to enough others that we succeed.

    The fear mongerers are out in force in deed Bruce, I'm actually quite relaxed - every now and again I get a wee wobble and I certainly don't want to tempt fate... My main worry is that people bottle it.

    We've hashed and rehashed the arguments and it now boils down to trust. Will enough of us understand that its not about trusting Alex Salmond, but ourselves?

    I sincerely hope so.

    Otherwise, I'll be starting a business producing stickers that read "Don't look at me, I voted Yes." in rather large words.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for comment as always and I apologise if you have to jump through any hoops to do so. Its just that, I'm still being spammed by organisations who are certain I can't get it up or when it is up its not big enough or that I don't have anyone to get it up for.

Who knew blogging could be so bad for ones self-confidence?