Hello, all.
It's still quite distant, but the day in September 2014 when Scotland will decide whether or not to claim independence and effectively secede from the United Kingdom is approaching. This is an interesting possibility from a historical standpoint- the conquest of Scotland by England, and the resulting United Kingdom of Great Britain (to which, in the words of W.S. Gilbert, some add, but others do not, Ireland) dates to the beginning of the 18th century, and has been unquestionable until the mid-twentieth. At present I cautiously support independence, but I'm keeping an open mind about the Union.
The present impetus for a referendum on Independence came out of the "Devolution" program begun, also by Referendum, in 1997, establishing a Scottish Parliament with significant but not total control of internal Scottish affairs. This accompanied the rise of the Scottish National Party at the expense of Labour, which had traditionally been strongest in the Highlands.
The Nationalists managed to win control of Parliament a few years ago, and since then their longtime leader Alex Salmond has ruled as First Minister of Scotland, chosen by the Scottish Parliament in its bizarre capital at Holyrood. I'm a little concerned at the level of devotion he seem to inspire from his party, which, when coupled with nationalist messages really gives a rather fascist impression, but from the past years I cannot deny that he knows how to run a government, and use it to care for the most vulnerable. While the trend across Britain from Blair to Brown to Cameron has been privatizations of vital sectors such as water and transit, Scottish governments in general and Salmond's in particular have pushed back, not only retaining the public infrastructure but extending further aid to Workers, particularly in the form of additional childcare. Scotland's economy is strengthening, helped I believe by the strong state role, and much of the credit for improving public services must go to Salmond, and capable deputies like Nicola Sturgeon. Youth unemployment is down 40 percent since he took office, and the SNP has remained firmly anti-war. Indeed, one of their top priorities is the removal of Britain's nuclear arsenal from Scottish soil. Back to the topic of youth in society, the government is just now pushing a bill which seems sure to pass, lowering the voting age to 16! This is pretty cool. Salmond and Sturgeon, (fishy as it sounds) know what they're doing.
The unfortunate part of all this is that Independence is not necessary to achieve the goals of the Scottish government. The most desired power which Scotland lacks is that to set its own tax rates- all the aid programs in the world won't last without the capital to fund them properly. This was to be originally offered as a third option in the referendum, but a combined effort of the Conservative and Labour parties got it booted. I regret to say that Labour leader and leftwing dreamboat Ed Miliband was a willing part of this effort. Parliament has gambled, probably correctly, that full-blown independence will prove less popular than a federal Scottish Parliament with the power to tax. The matter is further complicated by Scotland's desire to remain on the Pound Sterling rather than the Euro. That said, the benefits of a Scotland truly free to pursue a path of Social Democracy far outweigh these impediments, as we've seen, with boons to public health, working women, youth, and the anti-war movement already flowing from mere Devolution, an Independent Scotland could achieve so much more!
Scotland has shown it can manage its own affairs, and that its goals are significantly different than those of the Westminster government. honestly, I think a new Scotland, one more closely aligned with Northern Europe, could be a very positive force in global politics, and a check on an increasingly conservative and to some extent, militaristic England. Let's give Scotland its chance!
Solidarität mein Genossen und Genossinnen
Genosse Graham
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