I think the Scottish referendum has moved way past petty politics, nationalism and SNP agenda for a lot of people. There has been quite a shift and a number of grassroots movements have gained quite a bit of momentum for channeling public anger and disappointment into tangible social changes.
I am so pleased to see so many people, who used to be disinterested or apathetic towards politics in general, have been campaigning, researching, discussing with friends and family. This is what politics and democracy at the ground level is supposed to be like. People engaging with and taking notice of what their government is or isn't doing, asking hard questions and trying to make informed choices.
I don't understand how some people in Scotland can say they are fed up with all the referendum talk. This is such a big decision of such profound impact! This isn't is a discussion for what fucking colour of pants we all should be wearing!
Anyway, as a nation of about 5 million people, it is pretty obvious that no matter how we vote in a general election, we rarely get the government we want. The sheer volume of England means the other nations will be sidelined. And a very London centric and Westminister approach means even other parts of England are left to languish. Something has to change. Something needs to shake the system up.
I don't think it's right that Scottish MSPs can influence matters pertaining to England and Wales, but neither do I want Trident sitting on the Clyde.
The opportunity to have a 21st century constitution where the rights and equalities of all can be enshrined for future generations is too good to pass up.
This isn't about Scots vs English, although there are always people on the Yes and No side that are full of nationalistic pride and hate. The majority of the people in the middle have no axe to grind, but we want to govern Scotland as we see fit because
we live here, and by we I mean people of all nationalities and backgrounds that reside in Scotland. We don't want "some" or "a little" power dished out as Westminister sees fit.
Scotland is given its budget from Westminister (we pay taxes too by the way) and
we decide that maintaining free education and prescriptions is far more important than penalising those who need social welfare the most. Scottish MSPs have also turned down a rise in pay. But ultimately the purse strings are held by Westminister.
Given all the austerity cuts and doom and gloom, I think sometimes you have to look deep inside and believe in yourself and your abilities. No there are no guarantees that independence will sort everything out overnight and no one in their right mind thinks it will be all smooth sailing. There are knobheads in Scottish politics too. However, there are no guarantees when it comes to staying in the UK either. Will the UK even be part of the EU in a few years? Who knows!
If every decision in life was made based on fear and negativity, people wouldn't leave home, move abroad, get into relationships and many of the nations we see today would never have gained their independence.
There is very little shown in the mainstream media about all the grassroots movements for independence, such as Women for Independence, and other political groups such as the Greens that are pushing really hard for a Yes vote.
The newspapers and news channels are really all about pushing fear and end-of-the-world scare stories. And it is certainly affecting the decision of a lot of people, especially those who are currently undecided.
If Scotland was really full of subsidised junkies, why are Westminister trying so hard to get it to stay? Surely they would be more than happy to let it go? The whiff of bullshit is strong in this one me thinks
Regardless of the outcome of the vote, I hope the people in Scotland continue to remain politically engaged and feel empowered to fight the urge to privatise everything and line the pockets of the wealthy.
The right to self determination shouldn't be based simply on whether you'd be a few hundred pounds better or worse off.
I also hope this spurs other parts of the UK to shake off feeling helpless and take back power from those sitting in the Westminister ivory tower. The results are going to be neck and neck and I doubt I'm going to get any sleep on Thursday
Topic: Scotland