The Second Great Patriotic War
After a seemingly endless “phoney war“, we’ve now reached the point where both teams for the 2014 independence referendum have ended their pre-season training and taken to the field for real. The “Yes” campaign saw the launch of the Yes Scotland in a cinema in Edinburgh, with readings from politicians and celebrities, music, the affirmation of goals and the rolling out of a new independence declaration.
Yes Scotland set an ambitious target of 1 million signatures to the declaration, and backed up the document with stirring calls to action from the likes of former Labour MP and independent MSP Dennis Canavan, Patrick Harvie of the Scottish Green Party, Alex Salmond of the SNP and the always-brilliant Hollywood actor Brian Cox – a man who was proud to support Labour at the start of the Blair project but subsequently became disillusioned and convinced of the merits of independence as a means to improve the chances of achieving what were once traditional Labour goals.
The Yes Scotland site argues that the core reasons for independence are good governance, an end to nuclear weapons on the Clyde, the divergence in cultures and attitudes between the rest of the UK and Scotland (reflected by Scotland’s consistent rejection of the Tories), the maintenance of the social contract, control over our own resources to secure the best returns, and the maintenance of health and education as cornerstones of our society rather than generators of private profit.
By explicitly targetting specific groups like women, “New Scots”, young Scots, businesspeople and creatives for independence, the Yes campaign’s website seeks to provide an all-encompassing platform of civic nationalism focused on inclusiveness and positivity. In contrast, while the “Better Together” hub pays lip service to those two ideals, the essence of its approach is entirely different.
The initial “No” leaflets are less than inspiring. All members of the European Economic Area (EEA) participate in trade free from barriers, yet the first offering suggests that English, Welsh and Northern Irish firms would pull out of an independent Scotland, in contravention of international agreements and apparently purely for the sake of being spiteful to the uppity Scots. The realities of business seem not to enter the equation.
The second piece is a more positive effort, but fails to note that there are areas of Glasgow that have worse health and social incidences than nations we send international aid to, let alone the fact that Scotland already pays 9.6% of this aid (Scotland’s total tax contribution as a % of UK Tax), with only 8.4% of the UK population. Scots already pay for this aid, and there’s no reason to suspect that we would not continue to meet our obligations to international development should we be independent. An independent Scotland will still send foreign aid, paid for by the same “life-saving Scots in East Kilbride”.
Beyond the leaflets, the Better Together site itself opens with the following:
“Better Together is a new cross party campaign that promotes the view held by millions of Scots: that Scotland is a better and stronger country as part of the United Kingdom. We are made up of people from all parties and none.”
“Scotland faces an historic decision. Given that independence would be irreversible and there would be no going back, the decision facing us is as great as any in our lifetimes. As different parties we have come together on this issue because with millions of our fellow Scots we believe our best future is to be part of the United Kingdom.”
“Our case is not that Scotland could not survive as a separate country – it is that being part of the United Kingdom is the best possible choice for our future. We can have the best of both worlds – a distinctive Scottish Parliament without losing the strength and security of the United Kingdom. We believe that Scotland is stronger as part of the United Kingdom and that the United Kingdom is stronger with Scotland as a partner.”
“In a referendum everyone’s vote will count and everyone’s voice needs to be heard. We will speak up, very loudly and very clearly, for the millions who believe we are better together. Over the coming months this website will give a platform for the views of Scots from every community and every part of Scotland. You will find expert opinion and analysis – we won’t always agree with every statistic or argument that independent experts offer, but we will try to give you as much information as you need. And you will also find opportunities to get involved in helping to make the biggest decision in our history”
In four paragraphs there are four assertions that we are “better together”, yet in none of them is any supporting evidence offered to back up such a claim. Despite the statement that “Our case is not that Scotland could not survive as a separate country”, the position is somewhat undermined by a video on the website says that Ireland was a small country and hit financial troubles, so Scotland would too.
The site then wanders into surreal territory, as it describes how the Union of 1707 was a Scottish invention – in fact a reference to the philosophical work of John Mair of Haddington when he hypothesised that Union between England and Scotland may have economic and military benefits in the 1520s. But as readers of this blog will already be aware, the Union was foisted on the Scottish people by vested interests and the positive case for the Union of the 1520s or even the 1800s has long since vanished in the ever-changing geopolitical landscape.
Having spun history to suit their own agenda (presumably in the belief that hardly anyone among the general public actually knows anything about the Darien Adventure and the genesis of the Union), the Better Together site goes on to scale to even further surreal heights:
PROSPERITY
“Times are really tough at home and really turbulent internationally. In the future Scotland’s prosperity will be strengthened by keeping the British connection. We need more growth, more jobs, and more prosperity in Scotland. We don’t need uncertainty, instability, and barriers for our businesses.
“In these tough and turbulent times, the size, strength and stability of the UK economy is a huge advantage for Scotland’s businesses. Scotland’s largest market is the rest of the UK. The UK is the world’s oldest and most successful single market and the UK has the oldest and most successful currency – the pound.
“Scottish businesses are increasingly having to win orders against smart, efficient and productive firms in foreign markets. These competitive challenges will only get tougher in the years ahead. The UK is better placed than a separate Scotland or England to help our businesses find and win new orders across the world.”
The UK economy is described as strong and stable, despite being in a double-dip recession (the Child Poverty Action group says that 1 in every 5 people in Scotland already lives in poverty, yet this is not raised as a failing of the Union). That state is widely expected by economists to decline further in the grip of the Coalition government’s austerity programme, which David Cameron and George Osborne show no signs of abandoning despite its manifest failure even on their own terms.
The campaign then cites the support of the UK government as key to gaining success abroad, despite the bulk of Scottish foreign direct investment and international development already being under the auspices of the Scottish Government.
SECURITY
“In an uncertain world Scotland’s security will be strengthened as part of the United Kingdom. The British Armed Forces that protect us are the best in the world. In Scotland we are proud of the Forces and proud of the vital contribution that Scotland makes to them. As part of the UK we have real clout in the UN Security Council, NATO, the EU, and we have Embassies around the world.”
The “Security” section of the Better Together hub is a curious rewriting of history that airbrushes out the Afghanistan and Iraq wars, pays no mind to the interventionism and imperialistic tendencies of the UK and fails to discuss the elephant in the room that is Trident. (Although we suspect that “the vital contribution that Scotland makes” is in fact a reference to Coulport, Faslane and Trident, since conventional forces have been cut to the bone and are no longer significant in their contribution to the UK’s armed strength overall, with most kit being relocated south of the border.)
The “No” camp also appears to believe, without any apparent grounds for doing so, that an independent Scotland won’t be in the UN, won’t co-operate with NATO, won’t be part of the EU and won’t be able to run its own embassies anywhere. The clear implication, despite the campaign’s protests, is that we’re just too small, poor and stupid to be admitted to supra-national bodies or take control of our own affairs.
INTERDEPENDENCE
“As Scots we believe there’s nowhere better, but we understand there’s something bigger. By contributing to and benefiting from the multi-national, multi-ethnic and multi-cultural United Kingdom of the years ahead, Scotland’s society and culture will be enriched.”
“Hundreds of thousands of Scots and English have made their homes in each other’s nation. Half of us have English neighbours. Hundreds of thousands of Scots were born in England. This interdependence – the coming together of family, friends, ideas, institutions and identities – is a strength not a weakness, and is an ideal worth celebrating. The truth is we’re better together.”
Judging by the first paragraph, the arguments for interdependence seem to revolve around insinuating that without the moderating influence of the rest of the UK, Scotland would be a racist and inward-looking nation. Presumably the reference to English friends and families is an attempt to imply a future of ethnic pogroms and mass deportation for all but “true Scots”. The belief that interdependency relates to ethnicity and is the sole preserve of the Union is a logical fallacy, especially given the pro-sustainable-immigration stance of the Scottish Government and the anti-immigration rhetoric of the two main Westminster parties.
Finally, turning its attention to itself, the Better Together states that:
“We are keen that this isn’t a place where we tell you what we think”
…only to immediately follow it with:
“We know that there will be trolls here and on social media, the cybernats. Welcome, even to you. We hope you will at least be civil.”
The implication, of course, is that anyone dissenting from or questioning the campaign’s pronouncements is automatically a troll and a “cybernat”, enabling them to be dismissed and belittled, and it’s in the single sentence above that the difference between the two campaigns is most revealingly encapsulated.
It’s all but impossible to picture the Yes Scotland site using similarly belligerent language with regard to its opponents, describing supporters of the Union as “cyberBrits” or accusing those expressing different views of trolling. Yes Scotland seeks – as it must, for the pro-independence movement starts from behind – to persuade people to change their minds by welcoming and including them. In terms of outlook and approach there are no strangers for Yes Scotland, only friends it hasn’t met yet.
Better Together, though, adopts such propagandist terminology because it’s fighting a war whose purpose is to avert change and defend an unpopular status quo, and as such it needs to make the electorate fear that change more than it fears its future under the current regime.
The most effective way to do that is to portray those advocating that change as dangerous extremists, and above all as enemies. Its “unity” is that of the Soviet people in 1941 and 1942, forced together even in their oppression and poverty by fear of a different oppressor. The USSR called World War 2 “The Great Patriotic War“, and while it ended the conflict triumphant its people would suffer untold misery, deprivation and persecution for the next 50 years – a picture anyone with an understanding of the present state of the British economy and society will find alarmingly familiar.
An independent Scotland, however, will not be an occupied country under the yoke of genocidal fascism, which only a slightly different strain of genocidal fascism can save it from. Scottish independence will not take the form of a totalitarian dictatorship, but of a country governed by a democratic, proportionally-elected parliament far more representative of that of the UK, where administrations habitually wield absolute power despite being rejected by two-thirds of the population at the ballot box.
Unlike its predecessor, the Second Great Patriotic War is above all else a war for democracy. As the biggest party at Westminster fights tooth and nail to defend the undemocratic privilege of the House Of Lords, the Better Together campaign has given the game away.
Roll on 2014.
Onwards and upwards!
The Brit nat parliament looks regal and stately, ours looks like a housing scheme reject. Was that deliberate or just down to bad taste? Maybe theoriginal was classy but the Labourites gave it to their pals who are used to building housing schemes and thought that would be more representative of Scotland… why do I mock it so? The reason is, in everything they do and say they bring their below par B team game to the table. For 300+ years e hav lost our country against our will and now we have to listen to their phony lies — this time they’re not even trying to bribe us (NO DEVO-MAX) because the polls show they’ve already won — at the moment they have.
It should be noted that we haven’t made any progress in winning people over to our camp — we need to argue our case loudly and clearly — we simply aren’t doing that. To try and convince ourselves tha all the pollsters are conspiring against us is silly.
The eonomic argument is strong — with the cuts of austerity we offer a choice — poverty or prosperity, yet we’re not at all voicing this argument to the Scottish electorate. It takes two years to get a simple message through to people — the economic argument is the win/lose argument.
Win / Lose ?
We must communicate the economic argument clearly — nobody I’ve spoken with even knows Scotland operates on a block grant system. That is basic, the very first thing to make clear and we haven’t.
Time to get it on.
Great article, as usual.
It’s an interesting comparison to make at the end there, because the vilification of the dastardly cybernats reminds me of the fifth filter in Herman and Chomsky’s propaganda model in Manufacturing Consent – anti-communism (which Chomsky has since updated to War on Terror). It certainly does read like an attempt to draw nationalists as “the enemy”. Well I’m sorry, but while I may consider unionist politicians to be enemies, I would never describe an ordinary member of the public who thinks the union is better as an enemy.
The whole thing is turgid, but that last sentence is utterly appalling. It seeks to invalidate any criticism in advance, and to paint an entire section of the public as knuckle-dragging morons who just flood the internet with anti-union hate and abuse. I’m amazed whoever wrote that even thought of putting such a thing in there. It tell you something about the mentality of the people running this campaign. It reminds me of that line in Knowing Me Knowing You With Alan Partridge episode 3 when, after making a slightly racist joke, Alan says “before people phone in saying that was racist – it’s not.”
There is certainly an irony in the fact that the Better Together campaign looks likely to be totally divisive. Normal people vs cybernats. Alex Salmond’s referendum. The SNP’s separatist agenda. The safe, cuddly union vs the unforgiving, unknown nature of independence. How tedious.
I see it differently,I see all the furore as by design,and the SNP,is playing it so well.OK some of us are fed up with all the Devo-Max stuff,but its the Bitter mob that have stirred it up by claiming that the SNP,want it in as a parachute,but no its all for independence the Bitter Mob will get the full blame as the bits of truth come out,they refuse to listen (as usual) to the people the SNP are listening but are getting blocked,not all the people realise this.The consultation has not yet been analysed and the SNP cant do anything until its been done.Patience please all shall be revealed,and I await the revalations like a virgin bride, all a treamor.The YES campaign is also waiting for the results of the consultation as was stated at the start.The SNP are like was suggested by so many blogs to get some distance from the YES campaign,and let them do the job.Me I think if the Devo-Max campaign is wasted,but that as the unionists keep on saying NO,then people will go for independence not as a trick or smoke and mirrors,but as proof that the unionists only care about the elite few in London.The SNP will have made a gallant effort as to include the people (and that is true) people will also see that we can run our country better than the bitter mob,and we are listening.Too many mistakes are made in a rush.
This is the comment I meant to leave.
Now I have been thinking and dagerous as it is I will persist.I have been thinking about the British thing and how some of our southern neighbours have this claim that we Scots don’t embrace being British,may I say the English establishment only start this British thing when they want to use the other people of this island,as there are so many cases when its always England never Britain until a Scot is winning or a Welsh person has won,it came to me that it is done in so many “little” ways.Even using the comedy programs like “Dad’s Army” the intro had England emblazoned across the south coast,yes that is part of England but were was the rest of Britain then?I have noticed this on numerous occasions and my wife always says ach “its only” whatever and not important,but as I continued thinking .Its like have just one little brick.its only one but when you get a thousand you get enough to build a wall,and that is what has been done all these little bricks have built the wall to divide.
@Charles Patrick O’Brien
Yeah, I was a little confused by the first one given the context of the article – despite the comment making sense on its own.
The second comment is good also. Its small bricks building a wall, to keep people “in their place”. I liked that comment when you put it on Bella (and that also explains the copy/paste of the wrong comment), and its quite true, although the comment left by poster ‘Tonyblack’ talking about scots tokenism in britishness where he says:
“I have two rejection letters from English publishing houses that I still scratch my head at. One states: “We have a Scottish writer”. The other says: “We’re not looking for a Scottish writer”
Is quite a powerful statement of tokenism in literature circles at least.
P.S. “Too many mistakes are made in a rush”
Excellent piece, as always, Scott. 😀
I have tried, on numerous occasions, to “fight” my way through the gumpf on the Bitter Together site, only to give up. I usually find myself screaming at my computer “WHERE’S YOUR BLOODY PROOF?” I don’t know how any one who is undecided feels as they read this garbage, but for me it is nothing more than infuriating to read their “claims” and yet at the same time not see any proof of their “claims”.
It is incomprehensible, at least to me, that a campaign group such as the Bitter Together would create a site like this and yet at the same time NOT have the slightest nonce to realise that people want INFORMATION! Anyone can go around and make ludicrous statements, because lets face that’s all their claims are, but it is only when the FACTS are produced that these statements can be verified and then become truthful.
Unfortunately, the Bitter Together crowd are carrying on the way they have always done, keep telling lies and hope that if they keep doing so often enough the people will believe them. This crowd do not believe if telling the people the facts, primarily because they do not have any facts to back up they crazy claims.
At the end of the day this crowd of dingbats are not fighting to save the union, despite their claims to the opposite, they are in fact fighting to save their seats in the House of Lords. They don’t care about the truth, all they care about is getting their hands on that lovely piece of ermine!
In reply to Stevie:-
“The Brit nat parliament looks regal and stately, ours looks like a housing scheme reject. Was that deliberate or just down to bad taste?”
Clearly the Holyrood building isn’t to your taste Stevie but it’s far from a housing scheme reject.
It wasn’t built or designed by “Labour’s B-Team” as you put it but by an international collaboration between the world class Catalan visionary architect Miralles and the then respected Scottish architects RMJM. That is exactly the kind of outward looking engagement with the rest of the World that I would hope an Independent Scotland would embrace.
Have you watched the rather excellent documentary detailing the ball-ups that the architect’s and builders had to put up with?
On the subject of the Parliament buildings, I used to despise Holyrood but over the years it has grown on me. Its partly due to the fact that when I see Westminster I get connotations of overbearing governance and a culture of privelige, yet the Holyrood building seems more “accessible”, less threatening and more open.
Still dont et me wrong, I would love to see the Independent Scottish Government meet at the old royal high school on Calton Hill. It just seems a more fitting place for an aspirational government to be rather than at the bottom of a gulley – out of sight.
And all for the price of avoiding a “Nationalist Shibboleth” on Calton Hill – the hatred and fear of the SNP runs deep in ‘Scottish’ Labour and even Donald Dewar was not immune. Personally I think the Scottish Parliament could easily have been accommodated in or near the old Royal High on Calton Hill – even if the chamber was slotted into the old Post Office building at the corner of North Bridge, there is/was plenting of Council and other office space around there that would have done very nicely.
I’ve used the Scottish Parliament building myself (I had to give evidence at Committee once or twice) and there certainly are some awkwardly shaped rooms and natural litter and pigeon crap traps in there. To my mind a confused and compromised design, that reminds me of a series of capsized fishing boats when viewed from the crags. Nice metaphor.
Is the issue not a simple one, many if not most English folks view themselves as British and view everyone else from the UK as the same.I work in a prediminatly international situation, lots of foreigners. Its only when the likes of me with my ‘accent‘ problem appears and says Scottish instead of British that I see the change of people’s description of themselves from British back to English.
One of the great losses due to the formation of the UK has been the concept of being English. Whilst we have done incredibly well to resist the North Britainisation of Scotland , it seems to have infected England silently…..
I still say that the press is the only enemy of nationalists, I mean, I made the mistake of skimming over some of the headlines today, and I saw “SNP try to re-write history”. I mean, seriously? After the bollocks they all come out with?. Maybe I’m just being cynical, but I think that generally, people are gullable idiots, and because of that, the priveliged elite will trample us whilst having the vast majority of the unwashed masses believe that it’s for their own good. I know it sucks, but they have a stranglehold on the media, everyone will read/hear the stuff they write and take it hook line and sinker =/.
Summary; there’s too many idiots in the world, (I mean, look at the average session in either parliament, whilst many in the Scottish Parliament manage to not make me cringe every time they open their mouth, Westminster is like a play pan full of mentally challenged, spiteful children who think too much of themselves) and we’re all fucked =/.
1887 people liked Better Together on Facebook.
6554 people liked Yes Scotland on Facebook.
Hope the referendum has a similar result.
I’d love to see their arses get kicked.
I just noticed a photo on the Better Together website.
2 wee babies, 1 wearing an England t-shirt, the other a Scotland t-shirt.
I clicked on it and was taken to a larger photo, which appears to be chopped from the front page of the Daily Record. They were too daft to chop out the unrelated headline underneath.
“£1.7MILLION OF HEROIN STASHED IN CUPBOARD”
http://www.blipfoto.com/entry/2145453
Total f*ckin amatuers!
Honestly, this whole referendum thingy could be a stroll in the park for us!
sorry for going O/T but I’ve come across this and thought folks would find it interesting.
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2012/07/gordon-brown-sold-britains-gold-too-cheap-to-bail-out-a-large-american-bank.html
We have all in the past talked about dear old Gordon Brown and his GREAT idea about selling off the U.K.’s gold at the bottom end of the market. Well here is the proof and it appears this also explains the reason why!
Bank market manipulation did not start in 2007/2008 it started in 1997 when Broon the Loon took over at number 11 Downing Street!
Nah Kenny, you’re wrong. I work in Inverness. One of the Girls in my team is Polish. When we went to London to see our boss he asked her “How long have you lived in England?” She’s never lived in England, only Poland and Inverness which is in Scotland. Had he said Brittain I would not have minded, but he classed a part o Scotland, and a very Northern one at that, part of England.
I know one example doesn’t prove the whole country thinks that way, but have you seen that Limmy video about Britains got Talent were all three judges talk about Us and Them when refering to Scotland?
People don’t get annoyed about something that only happens once, and as I say, most of the UK don’t think like that, but neither is the attitude so rare it’s not a problem.
John,
I have seen and heard it that way too, I’m never slow in correcting that assertion :O)
I got my Scottish money refused in a pub in Leamington Spa a few weeks ago. I was affronted and made my feelings felt vocally. Felt sorry for the girl afterwards as seemingly “it was policy”…..
I was on a flight from NY back to Scotland, and had to change flights at Shannon.
My seat was just behind business class, and i got speaking to the US girl next to me. She was the PA to her boss who was in business class.
Her boss came back after an hour or so (the worse for drink) and asked her how she was. “Fine”, she said, “i’m just speaking to Ian here, and he is giving me some tips about Dublin”
“Irish?”, says he. “Scots”, says me. “Same ddifference”, says he in an obnoxious manner.
The very nice girl apologised for her boss.
An hour or so later, he came back to check on his PA, and i asked him if he was Canadian. “YOO ESS A!” he bellowed. “Same difference”, says i.
The PA almost wet herself, and the twat wandered off muttering under his breath. 🙂
Slightly off topic, but on the subject of Brian Cox being near the front of the “Yes” campaign. I was just looking again at Francovich’s 1994 film The Maltese Double Cross, which is a searing indictment of the Lockerbie investigation. The narrator is Brian Cox. Maybe it was just a job, but I don’t think you could do that job and go on to think Megrahi was guilty.
I wonder if the topic will ever come up between him and Alex Salmond/Kenny MacAskill?