David Cameron thought he was being clever when he forced Scotland to take a straight yes or no vote in laving the union. But smugness is his middle name and this could be the most political gamble of his whole tawdry career..
With a day to go, he seems to be panicking as the vote looks as if it could go either way. Lets remember this vote is not about nationalism, it is about redressing some balance. It is about a nation that has been violently supressed, a working class that has been binded in chains, that has been ripe in exploitation and oppression. This for many is now being seen as a vote against the Conservatives and their friends who have for years mismanaged Scotland's economy. The same Conservatives who in Scotland are more reviled than since the days of Thatcher, who many blame for the poverty that wreaks daily misery on peoples lives.
It would not be heartbreaking if the people of Scotland chose a new beginning, it would just be part of a journey of recovery that often people need to take. If not taken now it could be centuries before the opportunity arose again. It is interesting how his so called opposition both the Labour Party and Liberal democrats leaders joining Cameron in calling for a no vote, see how much these abusers of power have so much in common.
Whatever the outcome Salmod as leader of the SNP finds himself in a win win position, even if he loses his vote Scotland could be granted new powers, but a no vote would leave Scotlands hands tied, when like all small nations what is needed is their absolute freedom. I personally as a Welshman have never seen myself as being part of the UK, I also reject the class system that this institution is based on, believe no borders are actually necessary that power needs to be given back to the people, we need to say no to sham democracy, yes to more equality, more autonomy.
I like the fact that the yes vote has garnered new strengths of feeling, a kind of anti-capitalist rhetoric, bravely dancing towards a future, not dancing to the intruments of division that has kept many people downtrodden in yesterdays memories. A fight for a different society, a fight for fairness and social justice, a struggle that could in the end inspire us all. A new future that sets a template about how our different wealth is shared.
New hopes where imagination is recaptured, dreams are nurtured, a different form of society is experimented with, for the good of all. Sadly the fact remains that like all governments, a future independent Scotland will nor be able to maintain the promises that is is making, it might be unable to share its wealth, protect the NHS, like other governments, will seek to attack the unemployed, the disabled, outsiders, night get stuck in the narrow contstraints of nationalism, but in the end like any new democracies, opposition to its policies will still be encouraged. It's gotta be better than the template already in place, some say I'm a dreamer, but I am not the only one, and in all my hopes I really do like the idea of Cameron and his coherts getting a real good kicking, and I support a new society that arises that creates new possibilities, against the stagnation of the present system in place, a new era of radical change.
The Westminster government tells us we must keep a 70 year old weapons system called Trident, operating from the West Coast Of Scotland, and Independence threatens this, but they don't say is that there are millions of pounds worth of oil and gas reserves here too, and that by removing Trident these fields become more viable for the economic prosperity of Scotland as a whole, that could see it becomming one of the richest economies on the planet.
I truly wish more people were taking a stand and challenging the notions of the British state. A new politics that everyone is not afraid to engage with, that excites, and does not forget the power of the individual.more power to the people. The powerful do not want to see anymore change, but the people daily are increasingly restless., and with collective pressures for social, economic and political change, surely that can only be a good thing. Yes or No, we need people to keep pushing for a more caring society, some radical change, otherwise the status quo just sits back and smiles, carries on beating us, this political consensus and our compliance I believe needs to be shattered, for the sake of us all.Voting does not change thing, many of my friends say, but critical support for an independent Scotland is better than no change at all. This celtic cousin is holding his breath , hoping for something that changes our political landscape forever, whatever the outcome, the way the UK is governed will never be the same again, and the voters decisions in Scotland, whether they vote or not will have a lasting impact on our lives here in West Wales too.
