We’ve been hearing loads of stuff from Yes Scotland and Better Together (original site dead) about the forthcoming referendum on independence.
Better Together have been engaging in what they privately call Project Fear, a terrible strategy composing of nothing but FUD. A campaign of lies, skewed statistics and scaremongering. Ironically, Labour have left them and they refused membership to the Little Englander nuts in UKIP
Yes Scotland seem to have spent most of their media campaign countering the nonsense from Better Together whilst on the ground activists/supporters hand out bland leaflets devoid of any political content.
Radical Independence have been ignored in the media and their supporters are on the ground taking part in local campaigns and countering fascists.
When discussing the referendum someone said they were Not yet
, I described my position as Yes, but
.
The Yes campaign is uninspiring. The No a disgusting turn off of negative politics. I can’t find any reason to vote No. I might vote yes if the offering is appealing. But I may be convinced to spoil my ballot if the Scotland promised is a bland, uninspiring offering with no popular decision making process on shaping a constitution etc.
I have just looked at the Better Together site and here is the positive case for the Union
. I will add comments, bolded, in parentheses.
We love Scotland. We are ambitious for Scotland’s people and Scotland’s possibilities. Our case is not that Scotland could not survive as a separate country – it is that there’s a better choice for our future.
A strong Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom gives us the best of both worlds: real decision making power here in Scotland (like defence, social security and all the non-devolved powers?), as well as a key role in a strong (strong country = we have big nuclear missiles, cower before us) and secure UK (which engages in illegal imperialist wars fueling terrorist threats to civilians here). Now and in the future Scotland is stronger as part of the United Kingdom and the United Kingdom is stronger with Scotland as a partner. (Stay in the UK so the UK is stronger?)
In the UK the BBC and the Bank of England were founded by Scotsmen. The NHS was founded by a Welshman (currently being privatised by the Tories). The State Pension system was founded by an Englishman (Sorry, you now won’t get it til you are 67). Partners in these islands. Working together, better together.
We are proud that we fought together to defeat fascism (after ignoring it in Spain and cuddling up to it in Chile), and worked together to build a welfare state (currently being dismantled). But the case we make is about what’s best for Scotland’s future.
Prosperity
Times are really tough at home and really turbulent internationally (due to financial deregulation by the Tories to appeal to a small segment of the population in the South East of England). In the future Scotland’s prosperity will be strengthened by keeping the British connection. We need more growth, more jobs, and more prosperity in Scotland. We don’t need uncertainty, instability, and barriers for our businesses. (but let’s do nothing about metrication, the lack of which damages exports)
In these tough and turbulent times, the size, strength and stability of the UK economy is a huge advantage for Scotland’s businesses (have you read the news over the past 4 years??). Scotland’s largest market is the rest of the UK. (sounds like a threat…) The UK is the world’s oldest and most successful single market and the UK has the oldest and most successful currency – the pound. (measures of these successes please, what are the metrics?)
Scottish businesses are increasingly having to win orders against smart, efficient and productive firms in foreign markets. These competitive challenges will only get tougher in the years ahead. The UK is better placed than a separate Scotland or England to help our businesses find and win new orders across the world. (By doing? I can insert a snidey comment about dodgy deals to sell weapons to despotic regimes in the middle east like Saudi Arabia)
Security
In an uncertain world Scotland’s security will be strengthened as part of the United Kingdom. The British Armed Forces that protect us are the best in the world. (at killing people on foreign soil, defense??) In Scotland we are proud of the Forces and proud of the vital contribution that Scotland makes to them. As part of the UK we have real clout in the UN Security Council (one of 5 with a permanent veto option, completely undemocratic), NATO (defunct warmongers), the EU (which huge sections of the Better Together camp want to leave), and we have Embassies around the world.
Interdependence
As Scots we believe there’s nowhere better, but we understand there’s something bigger. By contributing to and benefiting from the multi-national, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural United Kingdom of the years ahead (the Tories and Labour preaching about multiculturalism after years of spreading prejudice against ethnic and religious minorities whilst trying to deny asylum to people who are sent back to be murdered by psycopathic dictatorial regimes for crimes like being gay), Scotland’s society and culture will be enriched.
Hundreds of thousands of Scots and English have made their homes in each other’s nation. Half of us have English neighbours. Hundreds of thousands of Scots were born in England. This interdependence – the coming together of family, friends, ideas, institutions and identities – is a strength not a weakness, and is an ideal worth celebrating. The truth is we’re better together. (would you stop having English neighbours after independence, this is nonsensical)
Our case is that Scotland is stronger now and will be stronger in the future – economically, politically, and socially – as a partner in the United Kingdom. (if it was treated as a partner rather than a vassal there would be a weaker movement for independence…)
