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| That's us that is. It will however be raining |
For any definite No voters reading this far the scarey stuff will start soon. I'm going to do the bad thing, the thing where I consider what an independent Scotland could be like - emotionally at least. At this point you might want to bring to mind a happy, safe memory, hold it in your thoughts for a moment, and when you feel ready to proceed just let the memory go for now, knowing that you can easily go to it should anything about my hopes for Scotland lead to panic or terror for you. I suffer from panic attacks, I'm not mocking (much).
Now that hopefully we're all feeling safe I ask you allow me a brief return to my alienated rage to facilitate dainty pro-Indy steps later...
If I can't put faith in the United Kingdom to reform itself that doesn't necessarily mean an Independent Scotland would be a good idea either. It could conceivably be worse than our current position, or so I am to believe from the Better Together campaign where I might find myself trapped in Brazil with Merks as currency, Somalian levels of government and only my haggis burning slowly in the fire to ease my dark Scottish pain. You know when I said I was alienated from everything that the United Kingdom has to offer as a political state? Yeah, I am also alienated, angry and offended by the views and attitudes shown towards Scots and Scotland. The level of disconnect from mainstream sources and figures, even some I would normally respect, has been quite staggering. In communication and relationship terms it serves to demonstrate again the disconnect and other-worldliness of the people I am meant to be happily bonded in union with. Unsurprisingly that too has made me angry, alienated and all that jazz. Really, really importantly for me, in terms of the independence debate here's the rub....
THIS IS NOT HOW I FEEL
When engaged in the politics, debate, passion, creativity, energy, camaraderie, discovery, joy, awakening - and so much more besides - I feel connected to the people I share a country with! I am an engaged human being who has some, agency, power and involvement in my social and political world. That's how I feel and it's bloody marvelous.
For decades I've felt my core values, sense of politics, fairness and all that "stuff" have been held like a battered shield against the constant attacks from the world of de-humanised power and profit. I've been told and made to feel that my battering from those inhuman profit hungry forces, with each inch of my self that I lose to them, is just a law of the universe and any sense I retain of social justice and some humanity about our society is reduced to a fools rose-tinted reference to a historical aberration. Let me summarise - the period of "socialist silliness" rightly ended with bin men catapulting dead bodies at Liverpudlians who were attacking brave Lady Thatcher as she defended the Falklands from the miners, who had traitorously allied with the evil Argentinians to force lazy unions demands for no-work/full-pay contracts on the masses. I've used a wee bit of license there, but it captures the important parts of the argument I feel battered by - stupid and alien. However....
THAT'S NOT HOW I FEEL NOW
It really isn't. I don't feel as though I am holding a battered shield to a never ending onslaught from the rich and powerful as they wage class war on me while telling me it's healthy for us all. As part of the Indyref debate I feel empowered and that the antics of the No campaign and vast majority of mainstream media merely serve to demonstrate that I do indeed have some power these days. The shrillness of panicked voices - Brian Wilson is my favourite - only serves to strengthen me more. It's magical! They're scared of my arguments - well not mine per se, mine are bollocks - but our arguments. They're losing control of the space and nature of the debate. Out of the box of "us" comes all the life and love of possibilities and ideas from sources in our civic society, not the SNP or talking heads on the telly. From us. Scottish folk. Ordinary punters. That's a bit special, don't forget this feeling. It's the steam that drives the piston of the changes we want in our world - aye a Trot reference, deal with it.
The Yes campaign for independence has captured a spirit of people like me as they meet in huge numbers, debate in pubs, leaflet and man stalls in public places. I've never seen a nation so alive with political discourse and activity. No wonder the politicians and their mates in the media are terrified. They can't get us back in the box and back to discussing how much we miss Princess Diana, fear immigrants and hate Europeans - Daily Mail stock headlines 101. That's the debate our English friends are having right now because they do not have the vehicle and mechanism we have. They do not have the opportunity we have. They don't experience the joyous political awakening and landscape of possibilities we do. Instead they have Nigel Farage.
Think about that for a moment. It captures what's happening across the UK. Scots are no different from our English friends - anyone making an ethnic case for independence can bugger off now, seriously. We're not abandoning them, we've found a way to have the conversations, find each other in the darkness and organise an escape from the hopelessly inhuman political economy of our union. If we lead the English like us will follow. People have great power when they awaken, we had just forgotten it and lost hope. Hope is what I have re-discovered when I consider the possibilities of Scottish independence. I'm not daft, I know it's not a magic wand and I know it'll be bloody hard, with hard times involved too, but why the hell should we be put off by that? It's like discovering the open door to your cell and being too lazy and conditioned to escape. No I'm not talking about Scots being prisoners of the English in our union, I am talking about us all on these islands being prisoners of a union and political system that now serves to beggar and imprison us all, with the exception of 0.01% of the population which our union serves to enrich. The very human awakenings of our politics and social conscience is an infinitely brigher light and hope for England than 59 votes in a den of thieves.
When I involve myself in the politics of the union and its reform I am alienated, horrified and pretty much done with it.
When I involve myself with the politics and possibilities of an independent Scotland life feels bloody good. As one of "us" I can make a difference and be involved. As a passive victim of what the United Kingdom has become I cannot.
The independence debate has made me feel alive. Alienated no more, dreadful no more - Reid brothers, have it, it'd be magic, seriously. I'm convinced that for me and us "BetterTogether" is a lie as a phrase and a campaign. We should bin that, let's be GallusThegither. Now sing along wi Sam...
Stevie
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