Those of us of a certain vintage, will recall singing along to Edwin Starr’s anti-Vietnam war anthem in the 70s. The response was “Absolutely nuthin” but perhaps that’s not the whole truth.
Apart from the armaments industry and some mercenaries who are the obvious profiteers there are those especially on the right of politics who see the “blood and soil” version of nationalism as something worth fighting for.
There are also those who see war as a potential unifying factor and this sadly includes many UK Governments down through the years who have used the concept of glory and valour to their own ends. Britain has used that concept of glory, conquest and potential riches to lure countless generations of young men into uniform and subsequently the need to support “our boys” as a means of suppressing other views.
Even today we see the shambles of a government creating a nonstop “battle” with the EU as a tool to deflect attention from their many and various failings. Thankfully, this is generally a verbal conflict but we have seen enough examples of how things can escalate rapidly in the fishing industry. And sadly, we still need to worry about the future of the Good Friday agreement on the Island of Ireland although it’s perfectly feasible that this is more down to ignorance than deliberate.
I also suspect that much of the crap that comes from the mouths of UK ministers about Scotland’s future is also designed to provoke. I can recall various “armies” who have sought to advance the cause of Independence through violence and who have, at least in my opinion, done nothing but set us back.
I am also convinced that the likes of Jack, Ross, Kerr and Gove are fully aware of that history. Their use of profoundly anti-democratic tactics, comments and positions are quite deliberate. To argue that Independence is not in Scotland’s best interests is a perfectly reasonable (but wrong) position. To ague that Scotland must be denied the democratic will of the people is quite another thing.
When we are told that we cannot have another referendum for 60 years etc that is a quite deliberate attempt to deny democracy. It is also I believe an attempt to provoke the “wild” men and women in our movement to give up on democracy and take alternative tactics to achieve the democratic will of the people. They believe, and I suspect are correct, that if they can provoke people to turn from the ballot box to violence then the people will turn away from the entire Independence movement.It is obscene that any politician would seek to use such tactics but I for one can see no other reason why Unionism should seek to adopt such undemocratic positions
Those of us of a certain vintage, will recall singing along to Edwin Starr’s anti-Vietnam war anthem in the 70s. The response was “Absolutely nuthin” but perhaps that’s not the whole truth.
Apart from the armaments industry and some mercenaries who are the obvious profiteers there are those especially on the right of politics who see the “blood and soil” version of nationalism as something worth fighting for.
There are also those who see war as a potential unifying factor and this sadly includes many UK Governments down through the years who have used the concept of glory and valour to their own ends. Britain has used that concept of glory, conquest and potential riches to lure countless generations of young men into uniform and subsequently the need to support “our boys” as a means of suppressing other views.
Even today we see the shambles of a government creating a nonstop “battle” with the EU as a tool to deflect attention from their many and various failings. Thankfully, this is generally a verbal conflict but we have seen enough examples of how things can escalate rapidly in the fishing industry. And sadly, we still need to worry about the future of the Good Friday agreement on the Island of Ireland although it’s perfectly feasible that this is more down to ignorance than deliberate.
I also suspect that much of the crap that comes from the mouths of UK ministers about Scotland’s future is also designed to provoke. I can recall various “armies” who have sought to advance the cause of Independence through violence and who have, at least in my opinion, done nothing but set us back.
I am also convinced that the likes of Jack, Ross, Kerr and Gove are fully aware of that history. Their use of profoundly anti-democratic tactics, comments and positions are quite deliberate. To argue that Independence is not in Scotland’s best interests is a perfectly reasonable (but wrong) position. To ague that Scotland must be denied the democratic will of the people is quite another thing.
When we are told that we cannot have another referendum for 60 years etc that is a quite deliberate attempt to deny democracy. It is also I believe an attempt to provoke the “wild” men and women in our movement to give up on democracy and take alternative tactics to achieve the democratic will of the people. They believe, and I suspect are correct, that if they can provoke people to turn from the ballot box to violence then the people will turn away from the entire Independence movement. It is obscene that any politician would seek to use such tactics but I for one can see no other reason why Unionism should seek to adopt such undemocratic positions.