When Scotland got its long awaited referendum we all had our hopes. Some for an independent Scotland, some for nothing to change, some for the information to help them decide and some that didn’t care, probably hoped to remain anonymous.
An old mate of mine would criticise us for voting in the Government, whether it was Thatcher, Blair or Cameron. He said he didnae vote them in, then admitted that he – didnae actually vote. Radical. He even wrote to them to say they couldnae count on his support? It just gets better!
For Scotlands Referendum, the Yes camp, people rallied around a shared Vision. A Vision of a new Scotland, a free Scotland.
I don’t think anybody believes that on 19 September 2014, Alex Salmond will come on the telly (not the BBC) and tells us that we’ve made, everything’s fine now and the ‘jam tomorrow’ just arrived.
If we thought it was hard getting a YES vote, just wait until we begin turning that into a reality. The hard work will only be starting and it will only get harder and harder and harder. Scotland will make blunder after blunder and fall on its face time and time again. Not as Westminster predicted – as it hoped!
But Scotland will pick itself up, again and again. It will use the blunders and f*ck ups to do it better, to try harder. Some of us will probably not see it – but eventually our kids and their kids will. But how will we know they appreciate what we achieved, what we worked for, what we struggled for and blogged for? Trust me, they will. They will, because of what we had. More powerful than a corrupt media, mightier than all their weapons, more cunning than their deceit – we had a Vision, a collective Vision for a Scotland free to work together, yes Better Together if you will, free to work for the people they represent because they have been put there by the people they represent.
Such is the power of Vision. Martin Luther King had a dream and he made it happen. The people of Scotland have a Vision and they will make it happen.
In this Vision, Scotland will be truly accountable to the people they represent. Scotland will be free to raise its own finances and fund the things that matter to the Scots. Scotland will be able to grow its economy based on its natural and human resources – we all know what they are, they’re too many to list. This will be a Scotland that does not need to find its place on the world stage – it’s already got it. Scotland will be able to invest in Scottish industries, Scottish health, Scottish welfare, Scottish education .. Scottish jobs. It won’t always be right, it won’t always be fair – but it will always be Scottish.
There will be no place for Scottish payday lenders, Scottish food banks, Scottish cash converters, Scottish bedroom tax, Scottish poll tax … ya di ya di ya di ya.
This is just one Vision. There are lots more and many more will come along. One certainty is, it will be hard, bloody hard. But is this the right way? It’s the only way!
Vision is like the horizon. When you get there, it’s still on the horizon and when you get there, it is still on the horizon. Does this mean you never achieve your Vision? No, it means you go on achieving your Vision!
But why is Vision important and what is special about our Vision?
Well, here’s the thing. What is special about our Vision, is Vision itself. We actually have a Vision. I don’t just mean the SNP, I mean the Greens, the Labour for Independence, everyone associated with other Independent political movements and of course all those Scots who want an Independent Scotland but are not interested in the politics of the debate. Some of these Scots will be Conservatives and Liberal. Did I miss out the Respect party? Yes, that was deliberate.
So, here’s the thing;
Surely, Better Together has a Vision. Of course they do, they want to … mmmmm, No, actually, they don’t have a Vision. That’s what’s wrong. That’s the flaw in their argument.
BETTER TOGETHER DO NOT HAVE A VISION!
They want things to remain the same. That’s not Vision – that’s lack of Vision. That’s like Martin Luther King addressing the crowd saying ‘I have a dream, I have a dream – but let’s forget it, turns out it’s only a dream, get your shackles back on guys – sorry’.
We’ve heard of UK plc (a buzz term) but what of Scotland plc – why not? In one sense, Scotland is a business. It takes money in, produces stuff, pays money out and develops its people. Like every business, whether it’s a single trader or a Global plc it must have some vision, some idea what it’s about, where it’s going etc. Would anyone in their right mind want anything to do with a business that has no vision? Me neither!
Based on what we hear from Better Together, what is their ‘wish’ for the future of Scotland? Has to be; do nothing, – stay as we are, – stay with the Union even though we can’t explain why, – leave to Westminster, they have ‘promised’ to do right by us?
Has anyone, at any time heard a single word from Better Together that sounds remotely like a Vision, especially from Alistair Darling or Alistair Carmichael, regarding the future for Scotland – nada!
This isn’t just a bad thing, it’s a disgrace and an insult to the people of Scotland and they will answer at the ballot box!
Remember, Cameron replaced Michael Moore, the Scottish Secretary with Alistair Carmichael – what was that about? Perhaps Michael Moore had a Vision, anathema to Cameron, or rather Cameron’s Vision.
If Scotland did vote No (don’t panic – I have a nightmare!) what would we be saying to Westminster? First of all, don’t imagine for a minute that Westminster does not know that they are shafting us! Every time they look at their North Sea oil and gas account balance – they know they are shafting us. A No vote says to Westminster, ‘that’s OK, go on, knock yourselves out, we don’t care’.
Some might consider voting No to stay in the Union and nothing will change, life will just go on. No, No, No it will not go on same as before, it will never go on as before and it will never be the same (and thank your God for that). But consider this:
- All the promises from the Westminster parties – who will deliver them? Only one of them will be in power unless (God forbid!). The party in power will definitely NOT deliver anything promised by one of the other parties. The party in power will, and has always, delivered to their own electorate or where there are votes that count to them – so that’s Scotland out.
- We are all aware that the YES campaign is massive and growing. If a No vote was returned there will be a massive number of dissenters in the country. If it was close (thank goodness this is just a ‘supposing’, I’m starting to panic) but if it was close then Westminster would know that it was only a matter of time before we were back for another go. That means that Westminster has to do 2 things: First, hammer the dissenter – they don’t know who they all are, so they hammer us all. It’s what they do, just take look at Scotland’s history. Second, recognise they have a small window of opportunity to strip out all the assets from Scotland that they can. For example, that will mean a massive investment in North Sea resources to get as much as they can, while they can. Why do you think Blair and Brown secretly partitioned 6000 square miles of North Sea territorial waters for the UK in 1999 representing 15% of Scotland’s oil and gas reserves?
- At an early rally a woman in the audience recounted the analogy of the ‘battered wife’ who keeps returning to the home where she continues to get beaten up … until there is nothing left. Is that a Vision for Scotland – are we all just battered wives? All of us, even the men and the children.
That is why on 18 September 2014 all Scots must consider their family, their children, their neighbours and their families and their country folk and vote YES.
A narrow win will do, but we want a landslide!
Special thanks to John (the Stig) who offered this concept
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