I’ve had a few emails, texts, and conversations following my recent blogs which I accept have been glass half empty blogs. The blog regarding Scotland resulting in some interesting conversations and a few people asking if I am ok, I am fine but somewhat disappointed with the direction of travel of the independence debate.
Sometimes my blogs are about trying to shake things up, a conversation with someone I know who had all but given up on yes and who took particular umbrage to myself blogging that Scotland was not a country showed their passionate belief that Scotland is and they will never give up believing that and fighting for it. That is maybe a positive at the end of the day if it reignited some passion in the debate.
For myself, the blog remains my opinion, nothing more and nothing less, no more important or less than anyone’s else’s opinion. My truth being no less valid or more than any other. Right now, I just don’t see where we are going as a movement. If the Supreme Court decision encourages more people to move to yes that is a good thing, how we get to an actual vote, or a referendum, remains the issue.
The work of new media, Salvo, and even the return of Wings is positive but there are times I think it is a circular discussion about strategy, about process, how many people out there right now care all that much when they are so stressed about the cost of living, food, heat, jobs. I am not sure that the way we have been doing things is working out all that well. I can see the failure of the SNP at every level, they have let us down no matter what anyone says. We can all see the failure of Westminster and the Tories, both a disaster for Scotland but it hasn’t been enough to get people angry.
We have a lot of 90-minute patriots and unionists who celebrate burns, they then switch back the next day to their colonisation and Scotland just becomes this former country for me that is something from a short bread tin. If our politicians don’t act as if Scotland is a country, if the politicians and the rest of us can’t see a Scotland that is better than it is right now then is there even a Scotland worth fighting for anymore.
I guess it comes down partly to vision, partly to fight, and partly to strategy but without the vision and the fight the strategy, or lack of doesn’t matter. I appreciate that I am totally at a loss as to the way ahead, while it doesn’t stunt my desire for democracy it does affect my motivation and my hope.
These opinions don’t take away from the hard work that many are doing, or I don’t intend them to, but right now there doesn’t appear to be any real direction. I want to see a socially liberal left of centre independent Scotland but right now that feels farther away than it ever has for me, I won’t give up, I won’t hide or stop expressing how I feel as that is what this blog has always been about, but can anyone truthfully say that we are on the right tracks.
grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com 
Long before 2014, as an exile, people here in Denmark would ask where I was from because of my accented Danish. When I said Scotland, they’d invariably say something like, ‘Is that British?’ or ‘Is Scotland an actual country?’
It’s incredible to think that we as a nation are as old, if not older than Denmark. Yet our identity has been systematically eradicated by our southern neighbour. Denmark’s good fortune was that it’s current powerful southern neighbour did not unify into a dominant unitary state until the 1870s.
It was the same story in Ireland as in Scotland, until they got a truly serious pro-indy party at the 1918 British GE. Even Wales, which is in many ways more colonised than Scotland, seens to have a stronger sense of national identity.
So you were ‘t far off with your blog. Of course, in no way to disrespect Ireland or Wales, the need of the colonial government in London to keep its iron grip on Scotland and our huge natural resources is ‘foreign policy’ issue number one for England. It is unlikely that any British-run Scottish referendum will ever deliver independence. We can only guess how many long term ‘agents of influence’ are embedded within the SNP – my guesstimate is 1/3 of SNP MP/MSPs are either working actively for the British state or have been ’compromised’ into doing so.
The UN route is our best hope, imo, as there are no radical pro-indy MP/MSPs in the SNP. Sturgeon has wilfully suffocated the SNP as an indy movement. She may be England’s key asset, she certainly behaves as though she is.
We are repeating Irish history, but so far without the popular up-backing of the more radical ISP/Alba/SSP. Therefore a popular movement is such as Salvo/Liberation is needed.
Peter
I totally get the fight is harder in so many ways for Scotland. The English don’t care about Northern Ireland, if they can get shot of it without hurting their image they will. Wales they just view as a part of England, they won’t give it up without a fight but at the end of the day they will if it suits their interests, Scotland as you say is the bank that keeps England afloat in so many ways, and that makes us a colony and not a country for me. I have never been a flag waver, never been a Burns lover, never really cared all that much about Scottish National sport as it felt like a lie to me, ever since I was about 14 years old, I could never bring myself to embrace it, it all felt false and still does. Maybe the UN is the only route left but we also know they are toothless and as long as the USA wants nuclear weapons in Scotland to protect their North into Europe and Russia if need be makes our route even more difficult. For me Scots need to get angry, very angry, and fight for their country and we are not there, not by a long shot and that is depressing. Sturgeon has done to the SNP what I believe was her plan, she is maybe not a spy or any of that, but she is not indy that is clear. No one would come up with her strategy or have such poor governance by genuine mistake, there is more going on here with her.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
The train has gone into a siding with Sturgeon driving, but she won’t last for ever, and in my view not for much longer. It looks like there’s a shake-up happening in the Westminster lot, with Sturgeon’s ‘friend’ being forced out, and more positive signs at Holyrood over people standing up to her.
She’s far too arrogant to change course voluntarily, or even with pressure, but her doubling down will expose more of her weakness and duplicity. She’ll have to go before real progress is made. But the engine is still sound, and a new driver with sights set on independence will put us back on the line. I can think of the ideal person for the job.
No need for despondency. Stick at frustration level and enjoy the bounce when it comes. Try a bit of trampolining now to see what it will feel like!
Grumpy Too
I wish I had your optimism, but I don’t sorry. It is the end game for Sturgeon but that is at least two years away, sadly what I am hearing from members in the SNP I know is that Robertson is the next in line and it will be managed process that see him prevail when the time comes, I hope they are wrong, and in many ways, I don’t really care as the SNP are not the answer anyway. The gradualist at best approach won’t work, I really believe that only anger will work, only anger will wake people up but as they have enough to survive, to not starve, then the colonisers will have done their job. Yes, I am very frustrated as we could be so much better, have so much more to offer. As long as we act and remain a colony then Scotland for me is something that is in the past, if people really want to have a Scotland, a country, they have fight for it and get angry at how it is treated. We are not there and won’t be in my life time in my opinion.
Thanks for commenting.
Bruce
Noticing that the glass is half empty is a sign that you care. An optimist has little concern for a glass that is half full.
Stuart
That is an interesting way of looking at it, never looked at it that way, thank you for that.
Bruce
Reblogged this on Ramblings of a now 60+ Female.