Independence Is A State Of Mind
Posted on March 1st, 2015
By Rab Bruce’s Spider
Alex Massie has always been one of the more measured and articulate writers on Scottish politics but he is an avowed Unionist and his sense of angst comes over clearly in his latest Spectator blog which you can read at:
It’s a terribly sad article and you can almost hear him sobbing with grief over the prospect of losing his beloved Union. His language is that of a man who sees his world crumbling around him. Words like "disaster", "wreckers", and "dismemberment" reveal a deep and very real dread of the Union breaking up.
It is, of course, emotionally difficult to deal with any situation in which something you cherish is lost or diminished. What those of us who want Scottish independence can’t understand is why anyone should feel such strong attachment to a Union which leaves Scotland almost permanently diminished. What’s also puzzling is that the language seems to portray the United Kingdom as some real, physical entity rather than a political construct that has long outlived its time.
The most perplexing part of the article is the reference to the Republic of Ireland. Mr. Massie seems not to acknowledge that the UK was dismembered (as he puts it) when the Republic won its independence from the UK. Both countries have had their trials and tribulations since then but is anyone seriously suggesting that Ireland’s independence has left the UK diminished? Ireland certainly hasn’t been diminished in any way and you’d be hard pressed to find any Irish citizen who, even in the depths of their financial crisis, was clamouring for the UK to reincorporate the Republic within the UK. That’s because, although many Unionists like to go on about the economic consequences, independence isn’t about that at all. It’s about standing on your own feet and taking your place as a proper country in the world. Financially, you may be better off or you may be worse off but you have the opportunity to make your own decisions as to how you wish to run your economy and your society.
The problem for Unionists is that they have a deep-rooted attachment to the UK without ever actually being able to explain why except in terms of fear of change. It’s as if they are content to live within a society that vilifies its poorest citizens, works to enrich the few and insists on taking aggressive action against other countries. It is a great pity that they cannot see how corrupt and self-serving the UK has become and their only goal is to thwart any attempt to change the current situation. Two years of lovebombing have been replaced by anger at a democratic movement aimed at giving Scotland a real voice in Parliament. It’s striking that none of the Unionist writers who comment on the surge in support for the SNP ever use the word, "democracy". But that’s the UK for you.
The thing is that, at a practical level, a large number of SNP MPs will not lead to the break up of the Union in and of itself. Nicola Sturgeon knows that calling another IndieRef now would be foolhardy. A second No vote would be disastrous and even a Yes vote would probably be by a fairly narrow margin, leaving a great many Scottish citizens traumatised if their mindset is similar to that of Alex Massie. Secondly, Westminster won’t allow another IndieRef anyway because they had such a fright last time and almost all of their dire warnings of the consequences have been shown to be mere scare stories so won’t work a second time.
So, the only threat to the actual break up of the Union is if the Westminster Parties prove beyond all doubt that they despise Scotland by joining together in a grand Coalition simply in order to prevent Scotland’s democratically elected representatives from having any influence in Parliament. Although The Times newspaper and several Labour politicians seem to favour this route, it is scarcely credible that Labour would be foolish enough to commit electoral suicide by joining such a Coalition.
This is not to say that the SNP have abandoned their ultimate goal and, in this sense, Unionists are right to fear the rise in support for the SNP. However, it seems likely that a more measured progression to independence is the preferred route now, through squeezing concessions from Westminster, gaining more and more devolved powers and demonstrating that Scotland can indeed govern itself successfully. A second IndieRef within ten years is a distinct possibility but will only be called for when the demand within Scotland reaches a level that means a significant Yes vote is a certainty.
These practical considerations don’t seem to enter the minds of the panic-stricken Unionists but what this shows is that, when it boils down to it, independence is a state of mind. For the pro-Indie voters, the prospect is scary but full of hope that we can make a difference. There will be problems and logistical issues to face and overcome but we will be doing this for our own benefit, and what greater incentive could we have than that?
For Unionists, an uncertain future is filled with nightmare visions, as if the current state of the UK isn’t a bit of a nightmare already, with war, terrorist attacks, increasing levels of poverty, corrupt politicians, and rich businessmen dictating Government policy for their own benefit.
It’s actually easy to feel sorry for Alex Massie. His fear of democracy bringing about a change in the society he clearly believes is a good thing is obviously very real. Perhaps he should take a look at other European countries such as France, Austria and Spain who have lost great empires over the course of the past few Centuries. They still survive. They have adapted and thrown off their imperial desires in a way that the UK still hasn’t quite managed.
Perhaps Scotland gaining independence might force the RUK to examine itself and recognise that its pretensions to world power are just that. Despite Alex Massie’s fears, the break up of the Union might just be the catalyst needed to drag the RUK into the 21st Century.
