Comment on Council removes almost 1,000 flags from Derby streets
hellothere@sh.itjust.works 2 days agoScots Independence is a nationalistic endevour, it’s pushed on an us and them basis with the usual strength and weakness contradictions and ahistorical myth making.
Westminster is fucked, absolutely, and the current system does not work for anyone outside of south east England and London. But imagining that a unified Scotland even existed pre-1603 is something my Isles ancestors would dispute rather strongly, especially if insisted on by lowlanders.
We should be proud of our history, there is nothing wrong with that, but pretending that there is any genuine factual case based in history, economics, political structure, or anything other than emotion, is foolish.
Zombie@feddit.uk 2 days ago
Utter shite. It’s on a basis of self determination, not us vs them. There is zero anti-English sentiment behind it, despite what the Tories attempt to portray. Anti-Westminster? Absolutely. Anti-Tory? A fairly large amount, yes. But if you can’t be anti-political opponent, then what the fuck can you be against?
There is no ethnic element to it. It’s not Scotland for Scots, like other nationalist movements. Except on the basis of anyone who lives here and pays taxes can regard themself as a Scot. Whether they are white, black, brown, gay, straight, cis, trans, disabled, religious, atheist, none of that comes into consideration. It is not a classical right wing, ethnic, nationalist movement. It is a movement for self determination and proportional representation under a broadly left to centre left banner.
There is no harkening back to William Wallace or Robert the Bruce, or any other mythology. There is no preconceived notions that we all lived happily in harmony in the past until the Evil English™ invaded. Clan warfare is clearly understood. Rivalries between families and various landed elites is well understood. The Highland Clearances are clearly understood to have been a mixture of Scottish and English landed gentry causing atrocities for profit.
The fact you call it Scots Independence and hark to your Isles ancestors makes me question whether you even live here and understand this movement. I would be more inclined to guess you’re an American cosplaying because your great grandad once had a fart on The Royal Mile.
For more information about the independence movement, written by the people who are actually campaigning for it. See here:
www.gov.scot/newscotland/
hellothere@sh.itjust.works 2 days ago
Am not a yank.
For my sins I live a bit south of the border, and Aberdeen before that.
Thanks for proving the emotive part of my point though.
Zombie@feddit.uk 2 days ago
And you said you’re from Aberdeen?..
Jesus Christ. When was the last time you saw the gold paved streets of the silver city? It’s really benefited immensely from 50 years of oil wealth! It’s just swimming in money. Union Street definitely isn’t in disrepair and filled with bookies and the like… It has so much money it’s decided to open 5 more libraries just for a laugh, none have shut down, honest.
If you think Barnett is a net benefit to Scotland then I’ve got a bridge to sell you. This isn’t an emotive issue, it’s an issue of self determination. About getting a chance at real democracy, not FPTP, winner takes all, tyranny of the majority. You said it yourself that Westminster is fucked.
If this movement were emotive why would it be supported by everyone from anarchists, communists, socialists, and social democrats? Populism hasn’t been the tactic of engaging the population, as would be expected from an emotive issue. Rational reasoning has, which is why it’s garnered support from a broad spectrum of centrists to leftists.
Maybe think on where you get your information about independence, what biases you’re exposed to, what opinions you’re hearing from colleagues and friends who have no stake or say in the matter but will provide an opinion anyway. Ignore the fucking BBC on this matter, they are not impartial.
Return to my previous comment and click the link at the bottom. Read. And get your head out your arse for dismissing an entire political movement which has had widespread support since 2007 (breaking a proportionally representative system’s expectation of no majorities) as just an emotive issue.
hellothere@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Christ alive.
I completely agree my home town is fucked, it’s part of the reason I left. My point re Barnett is that Holyrood gets additional money from Westminster for all the cash it spaffs in London, while the bit a few miles south of the border I now live in doesn’t and has all the same problems.
I’m a massive supporter of devolution and local decision making, and a lot more powers - especially tax raising - do need to be devolved.
Yes a lot has changed since 2014, but where you are drawing the lines on the map to decide whether something is ours or theirs is something to consider.
It’s clear that you think an independent Scotland would benefit from oil wealth - I’d agree, if for no other reason than I can’t see Holyrood selling off the drilling rights to their executive mates in BP and Shell - but if the central belt votes for independence, and everywhere else doesn’t, but due to population distribution the overall vote is Yes…well, then what?
Is that self determination?
Or is the same madness we saw with brexit, of majority rule forcing everyone else to follow them?