In todays blog: Politics. So if you're of delicate constitution(al mindset) .. you've been warned! :-)
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn suggests a vote should go ahead but quotes a labour party position at odds with that statement.
Mrs May is unlikely to want this to happen (if it does), before Brexit, but then effective, binding and lasting brexit negotiations can't really be concluded without the Scottish question being settled.
It would appear safe to say then that we live in changing and unpredictable times. The once solid generational truths now can no longer be taken for certainties
What is Democracy?
Scotland voted via referendum convincingly to remain in the EU, yet narrowly to remain in in the UK. The UK as a whole, via the same process voted narrowly to leave the EU.
This then is the conundrum of modern day politics. To do "the will" of one "people" one must be seen to "ignore" the will of other "people". On the one hand there is just cause to ask the Scottish people what they wish for their future generation, yet in doing so there is great risk to life as we have known it on these isle's for generations.
To deny the Scots a say given the monumental change in the political equation since they were last asked dooms them to follow aboard the lone ship of brexit, not as willing crew, but unwilling stowaways bound to the ships fate but somewhat powerless to direct its course since the tiller is firmly held in the resolute hands of Westminster, and they haven't seen fit to tell even the first class passengers the destination.
It seems to me, as the casual observer, that the wielders of the reigns of power are now at odds. Each of them serving the more local members of their support base. This isn't in and of itself a bad thing. However due to timing and to some extent co-incidences that one might call synchronicity, it's resulted in a perfect storm where each of those "local" interests are now mutually exclusive.
So how scared or concerned are people? Well....again this mostly comes down to local concern. In many cases wholly justifiable. "will my benefits cease" can I still get EU assistance for my business, will my job be secure?.. can I afford a bed/food/house/car/bills (delete as appropriate)
How does this current state of affairs happen, you may ask?
It seems that as a wholly self benevolent individualistic human nature marches towards "freedom" and it's inevitable "triumph" in failing to learn its own limitations, so the community & social bonds of benevolence for others and shared endeavour for moral purpose that held together generations before us continue to become weakened, stretched, taught and thus begin to fracture.
Then of course other bonds take their place, ones of shared lineage, place of birth, of world view and (again) self interest. Accent, language and borders, us and and them become talking points. We begin slowly to "other" those who don't share our immediate needs, and who see the world as a different array of colours to our own perception. None of this occurs maliciously of course, it all benevolent, well meaning and peaceful. (ish)
Until someone arrives to take advantage. That's game changer right there.
So, am I "for" a 2nd Scottish referendum?
I do believe if the first minister gets her approval then Westminster "should" "allow" it. For to do otherwise would delegitimise the narrow voting margin by which brexit is touted as the will of the people. (since it was similar narrow margin percentages involved in the Scottish independence vote) It would send a message that the "will of the people must be done but some peoples will is more important than others, thus only the right will counts"
That's tantamount to hypocrisy on a huge monumental scale.
However thats problematical in itself since Scotland voted in the EU referendum as part of the "whole" UK and it's the statistical representation of a part of that demographic not the whole picture that would be used to justify the second independence argument in this case.
Such is the nature of referendums and statistics. They tell you little beyond numbers.
Do I wish for Scottish independence. Well, I'm not Scottish. So my knowledge is limited on a first hand basis. What I can say is should it happen, oh lord what change that will be...
Finally, none of this is happening in isolation. I mentioned a perfect storm of synchronicity, consider the global moves to more of the "me" and "us not them" rhetoric and you have at best worrisome rhetoric and at worst the prelude to dissolution of the world as we've known it for the last near century. A dissolution that will not be without it's pains.
If one subscribes to the writing of plato, there exists a staged system of levels to human societal development.
Aristocracy - This regime would be ruled by a philosopher king, and thus is grounded on wisdom and reason
Timocracy - subverts the wisdom of a aristocracy for vested self interest disguised as public service.
Oligarchy - An extension of the timocracy that elevates the rich into positions of power even if incompetent
Democracy - Freedom is seen as the supreme good but becomes a form of slavery. Democratic man wants to buy stuff with his money, and is somewhat self obsessed with unnecessary material-istic wants.
Tyranny - Things degenerate more into a chaotic lack of discipline the result of which is that pursuit of power is all consuming, the power that is needed to preserve order.
The rise of the "alt right" and other nationalistic & not wholly morally motivated political entities with seemingly fractured relationships within the US, Europe, and the UK make me wonder if we - humanity - are perhaps walking, very morally and benevolently but none the less blindly, towards a tyrannical world state in global politics. One where "the government" knows best, and the unquestioning populace acquiesces to the will of those "in power" and 'with power" so that what passes for "order" can be maintained. Of course that's because I live in an area of the world where this isn't (yet) the case, for some that tyrannical vision is already their lived truth.
All done in the name of "the people" of course. But the question remains "which ones?"
So lets stay stubbornly optimistic, we might just need that
Sarah .
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