By Rab Bruce’s Spider

Do you remember those old horror films where the villagers became so fed up of being exploited, not to say murdered, by the vicious vampire who lived in the old castle that they picked up their pitchforks and burning torches and set off to deal with their overlord? It’s a traditional scene which always seemed bizarre seeing as the villagers waited until nightfall to set off to attack a vampire. Perhaps that was because flaming torches look better at night but it wasn’t the most intelligent way to deal with someone who slept all day and would die if exposed to sunlight.

These days, ordinary people have discovered an alternative to pitchforks and torches. Nowadays, they use the ballot box.

Unfortunately, it’s still not a totally effective weapon. The ruling elite may not have fangs and the ability to transform themselves into bats (although sometimes it’s hard to be sure) but they do have some significant weapons on their side, namely the financiers and the media. These twin weapons of mass disinformation are usually employed to terrify people into voting to remain docile as was demonstrated in the Scottish IndieRef last year. However, the SNP landslide in the General Election showed that some people had woken up to the realities of Westminster rule and this has sent a shock wave through the ranks of the privileged.

Things are even more dramatic in Greece, where the voters have used their ballots to say no to the severe austerity which has brought their country to its knees. They are to be applauded for this stance. It was quite revealing that, according to some reports, it was the younger people who voted overwhelmingly for a No response to the bail out conditions while older voters were more inclined to vote to remain under the cosh. That was a reflection of the pattern in Scotland’s IndieRef, the difference being that Greeks are currently in a much worse position than the Scots were and so probably felt they had less to lose by sticking two fingers up to the EU and ECB.

It’s all very inspiring for those of us who can recognise the machinations of the modern State and who want things to change but the problem is that effecting that change won’t be easy and there are signs that the Establishment won’t go quietly because, just like the vampires in the old films, they keep coming back for sequels. This is easier for the modern-day politician because they don’t crumble to dust when exposed to the light of day, they merely move into lucrative positions in the House of Lords or on the Boards of multinational companies so that they can exert influence on their successors in Government.

What does this mean for the ordinary people? The sad truth is that it might not be good news as the Establishment bring the full weight of their armament to bear.

In Greece, the resignation of Yanis Varoufakis, the Finance Minister, suggests the Greek Government is paving the way for a climb down rather than take the bold step of leaving the Euro and starting from scrath, repudiating their debts and attempting to rebuild their economy. The weekend’s referendum may have been little more than posturing in order to gain a few slivers of comfort in the form of minor concessions. That would be a great pity but you can’t blame them for not wanting to create turmoil by taking the fateful step of reintroducing the Drachma. Turmoil hardly begins to cover what would go on in the short term. In the longer term, it may well prove to be the best thing they could do but it’s a big step and the signs are that they aren’t prepared to take it. Ultimately, this will mean a victory for the Eurocrats and money men who will plunder Greece’s resources in a wave of privatisation, austerity cuts and continued financial problems.

Things aren’t as bad in Scotland but we are still seeing how difficult it is for even a massive voting shift to effect genuine change. The SNP are making a lot of noises but are really doing little more than reaffirming that Scotland’s voice can always be outvoted by England. Tactically, some might believe that it helps the cause of independence and perhaps it does but, despite all the nefarious goings on over the Scotland Bill and EVEL, the latest Opinion Poll suggests that, while support for independence has grown, a majority of Scots would still vote No in a referendum.

This isn’t meant to be a dispiriting comment, merely a recognition that overcoming the powerful Establishment is not easy. In the past, revolting peasants were treated with violent retribution, as witnessed by Wat Tyler’s fate when he led the Peasants’ Revolt against England’s King Richard II. These days, the Establishment uses financial weapons to take revenge on anyone who steps out of line. We’re seeing that in Greece and, to a lesser extent, in Scotland. Allied to constant bias in the media, those who protest are cast as outsiders with strange, unsettling ideas who must be opposed for the sake of stability.

So, as I’ve mentioned many times before, we’re in for the long haul here. Whatever happens in Greece, we cannot afford the spirit of the Yes movement to be drowned by the asinine braying of triumphant Westminster MPs as they vote down yet another move to give Scotland meaningful powers. We have at least five years of this to go, and probably longer because there is no point in calling for a second IndieRef while so many Scots are quite prepared to side with the lord of the manor. It will be frustrating and often heartbreaking but even if it feels like we are beating our heads against a brick wall, we need to keep the important issues alive. Greece will either be an example of what people power can do or it will turn into an example of how the Establishment wreaks its revenge. Either way, we must pay attention to the message and keep our eyes on the long term future.

Most politicians have very short term views. They concentrate on tactical manoeuvres to score points over their political opponents with little regard for the longer term future. They are counting on the dissident voices becoming disillusioned by their inability to force through any real change and that, for Scotland, is the biggest danger. Yes, the SNP MPs at Westminster need to fight the short term efforts of the Blue and Red Tories but we must not allow their lack of success to dishearten us from attaining our long term goal. So keep your metaphorical pitchforks and torches ready.