A united left; the only way forward.

With now less than 500 days to go till the Independence Referendum of 2014, the magnitude and importance of this decision becomes greater with each passing day. We have the chance to transform our nation, not only for us, but for future generations. I, like many others, see 2014 as the start of the path-way to a Scotland with social justice and equality at its core. However, that doesn’t just suddenly  become reality with a Yes vote in the referendum, 2014 is the starting block, but this isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon.

As a member of the Scottish Socialist Party, it pains me to say this, but we have become a shadow of our former self and are on the verge of becoming an irrelevance. From 6 MSP’s in the 2003 elections, to a loss of all deposits in 2011. In the period of 2003-2011, the economy has collapsed, the greed and failures of the capitalist system have been laid bare for all to see and demand for a fairer and more prosperous Scotland has increased. But yet, we as a movement have collapsed electorally. Why? It is the answer to that question that is the true tragedy of Left-wing politics in Scotland.

The right wing media, right wing parties, the establishment, ourselves.  Only one of those 4 groups before mentioned are to blame for the collapse of not only the SSP, but left-wing politics in Scotland, and it’s sadly the last one. We on the left are the main contributors to our downfall. Whether you believe that it was one man’s sheer stupidity and egotistical attitude, or one man’s sheer determination and fight for justice that brought about the split of the SSP and the subsequent shattering of the most successful Socialist movement in Europe at the time is in my opinion irrelevant. The only thing we do know for sure is the devastating effect that those years have had on the socialist movement as a whole and how we have failed the base of support that we had once worked so hard to build support from. The true tragedy of the left is indeed that, no matter how much of a blow our enemy strikes, we deliver a self-inflicted blow which harms ourselves even more. This country needs a united left which puts the needs of the people above old personal and political score-settling.

With each passing day we see the difference in Scottish Politics and the rest of the UK becoming clearer and clearer. The rise of the UK Independence Party in the English council elections is not only surprising, but equally as terrifying.  British politics is being dragged ever more to the right with the only “alternative” being a Labour party which has abandoned the Socialist ideology and promises only austerity. The prospect of a possible UKIP and Tory coalition government should be enough for any Scot to tick the yes box in 2014, however many are caught in the illusion that Labour still represent themselves and their communities and are a viable and realistic alternative, and even more are sadly disengaged with politics as a whole. So how do we enthuse, how do we bring people out of their homes and get them politically active, how do we fulfil people with the knowledge required to see for themselves what the future as part as the United Kingdom holds and how a Yes vote in 2014 can be the catalyst for real social change? 

The answer lies in a united left. A left wing party which stands defiantly behind the working class people of Scotland. A left wing party which supports the unions in their fight for workers’ rights. A left wing party which promises an end to illegal wars overseas and an end to the bloodshed which see’s working class men like the 3 members of the Royal Highland Fusiliers killed last week whilst serving in Afghanistan return home draped in a Union Flag . A left wing party which promises to restore economic growth not through austerity and welfare cuts, but through the introduction of a living wage and a commitment to housing. Most importantly however, a left wing party which listens to its people and answers their questions directly. A return to honest politics and an end to the out of touch nature of politics at present.

Only through offering real change and not merely the changing of a flag can we win the referendum in 2014. But as I have already said, 2014 is not the end of our struggle, it is only the beginning. And only through a strong and united outlook can we realistically bring about the changes which benefit the many and not the few. 

Liam McLaughlan

George Galloway Doesn't Believe In 'Countries'

....Even though he would quite like Palestine to be recognised as one.

If ever there was a man who you'd think would support Scottish independence, it would be George Galloway. He supports self-determination for nations across the globe, is deeply dissatisfied with the current political order and opposes Britain's excessive spending on WMDs and illegal wars. But for some reason, Galloway just doesn't seem to 'get it' as is shown in one of his latest tweets:

"To Scottish nationalists: I don't think "countries". I am an internationalist and socialist. Nationality means nothing to me. Get over it."

The first thing that strikes me is the way Galloway describes every person who supports independence as a "nationalist". I find it difficult to believe that an educated man like Galloway could actually see a constitutional issue like independence in such black and white terms. Supporting independence does not make you a nationalist. Yes, it is true that Scottish nationalists do exist and identify themselves as such, but it is also true that there is a significant movement that supports independence and abhors nationalism. I see myself as belonging to the latter. I don't care about flag-waving or William Wallace. I care about Scottish people getting the Government that they voted for. As a Green, I see independence as a direct means of achieving localism; putting power back into local communities and reinvigorating our failing democracy. I don't care about any nationality any more than any other. I care about my family in England, my socialist comrades in Spain, the Zapatista movement in Mexico and Kurdish self-determination movement just as much as I care about the 20% of Scottish children who live in poverty.

This brings me on to my next point. Galloway has no problem backing the 'independence' and 'self-determination' of nations like Cuba or Venezuela but seems to despise the idea of Scots running their own affairs. George says that the "world is my country" and yet, somehow, I don't think he'd be particularly happy with the suggestion that the Palestinians give up on statehood and become citizens of the world. Now, of course, I am not comparing the plight of the Palestinians to the Scottish people's dialogue on independence. Palestinians face drone attacks, political repression and apartheid in their own land. What I'm trying to do is show that George's black and white rhetoric can be used against him. If Galloway wants to give his two cents on the independence debate then he'll need to learn to do a lot more than isolate and divide the Scottish people along 'nationalist' and 'progressive internationalist who's happy to stay within the union' lines.

The quote shown above also seems to suggest that socialism and independence are incompatible. This, of course, is utter nonsense. Scotland's socialist movement has been intertwined with the independence movement for over a century now. Keir Hardie supported home rule, John Maclean supported independence and, most recently, the late Jimmy Reid stated his support for an independent worker's Scotland. Both the Scottish Socialist Party and the breakaway Solidarity party have identified the British path to socialism as a failure and independence as a means of tackling capitalism. Socialism can't be achieved with one large swipe across the world. Scotland has the opportunity to turn it's back on the neo-liberal consensus and become a beacon for social justice, sustainability, peace and democracy. Neither side of the independence debate owns socialism and it would be ridiculous to pretend that is the case. 

-Scott Lumsden, Scottish Green Party member.  

Why I Support Scottish Independence

I first realised that something was wrong with the union in the May of 2010. I was only 14 at the time but I recall feeling a sense of injustice whilst watching the votes of the General Election being counted across the UK. In Scotland only one conservative was deemed worthy to represent a Scottish constituency yet, somehow, we would be ruled by a conservative government.
To me, this is not democratic. Scotland did not vote for this Government. Nor did we vote for the bedroom tax, the savage cuts imposed on our social services or the privatisation of public institutions that will, once again, put wealth and power in to the hands of the few. It seems that the only viable way of escaping the brutal cuts inflicted on our communities is to vote for independence.
As we have seen in the 2010 General Elections, 2011 Scottish Parliamentary elections, the emergence of UKIP & opinions on EU membership: Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom are going in different political directions. I'm not saying that one is superior to the other, just that they are differing. Why should the rest of the UK be forced to stay in the EU on account of Scotland or why should Scotland be forced to leave it against it's will?
Independence isn't about separating ourselves from the rest of the world so that we can learn gaelic and watch braveheart all day. It's simply about having the power to make our own decisions. That is why I reject the label 'nationalist'. I am not a nationalist. I do not believe that Scotland is any better than any other nation. In fact, I would like Scotland to be far more involved on the international stage. But this vision of an internationally active Scotland differs to that offered by the neo-liberal unionist parties. When Johann Lamont and Ruth Davidson talk about 'influence' they are really talking about having the military power to oppress and to butcher other nations. I want Scotland to be influential like Norway which is holding peace talks between FARC and the Colombian government. Rather than spending billions on trident and illegal wars, Scotland would be better spending it's money on untied aid for developing countries, as well as dealing with it's own economic deprivation issues which has left around 1 in 5 Scottish children living in poverty. You must ask yourself: "Do I really see Westminster changing?". I would hazard a guess that most of you, like me, will answer "No.".
What I believe will be the main downfall of the UK is the unionist's refusal to acknowledge that anything is wrong with the current state of affairs. They ask why Scotland would want to leave the economic stability of the UK whilst Westminster is stripped of it's triple A credit rating, people across the UK face high unemployment and the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. Why would Scotland want to give up the flourishing democracy of the UK with it's unelected head of state, unelected house of lords and unrepresentative voting system? After all, look at how well they've treated us Scots. We've been blessed with the 'job-creating' nuclear submarine that was deemed too hazardous to be kept in England whilst RAF Leuchers is shut down.
Yes, there is uncertainty with Scottish independence. There always is uncertainty with any radical constitutional change but I believe this change is necessary if Scotland is to escape the undemocratic, war-mongering British state and create a more just, prosperous, peaceful Scotland that protects the most vulnerable in society.

-Scott Lumsden, Scottish Green Party member.

I would vote 'No' if...

A few tweets that I have seen recently under #indyref and #voteYes have been about #BetterTogether supporters deciding to support Independence. A question was raised by a user “How many Yes voters have changed to No voters?”, which I thought was a really good question. I asked myself would I ever be persuaded to vote No in the Independence referendum. I gave it some serious thought.

The Scottish government, who so happen to be presently the SNP, are asking the people of Scotland “Should Scotland be independent?”. (Which, by the way, is the official question now, I personally thought “Do you agree…” version was acceptable as it was the government asking the people if they agreed with them but that’s by the by.) They are promoting the possibilities of Scotland if we regain independence. These possibilities have yet to be ironed out legally, but still real potential actualities.

What if it was Westminster telling us how good Scotland is, how much we contribute to the UK economy. Telling us how valued we are as a people and culture. Reciting positive possibilities for the future of Scotland under a continued union, telling us about how Westminster is going to invest in us. Alas this is not the case, there are no positives of remaining in the union as all the arguments coming from the No camp are based on the uncertainty of some post-indy issues or reciting credentials that an independent Scotland could also have. They seem to be promoting fear and they themselves seem uncertain. But it really shouldn’t be them and us, as I have said before, it is all of us Scottish folk wanting the best for Scotland.

When I am presented with an article or report that suggests remaining in the UK is more beneficial than independence, I give it serious consideration. I will read the document and see what it is conveying. Most of the time it is in relation to statistics based on Scotland’s current fiscal status, e.g.: we cannot afford to run ourselves. However such statistics and figures become null and void after independence. Scotland currently has no borrowing powers, therefore we cannot have a deficit. This was pointed out to me recently by a fellow twitterer..er (?!), and I have yet to find a suggestion of otherwise. Also often with these reports presented to me, oil and gas revenue is not included as there is a potential that due to UK contracts there would only be a population ratio share rather than a geographical share. But yet again there is no such international law that would support England having a share of Scotland’s coastline and oil. I must also add that in no way do I think oil revenue alone will secure Scotland’s future, however it is a key fund that can help with the development of renewable energies and other industries.

So…would I ever vote no? Potentially, if the UK government was asking a referendum on “Should Scotland remain in the UK?” I would still vote for independence. For I truly believe that it is only the 5,254,800+ people of Scotland who should decide the future of Scotland not the 610 Ministers of Parliament representing England, Wales and Northern Ireland in Westminster, and the 775* unelected Lords appointed by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons.

*figures vary due to lifelong peerage and salary

- Debra Torrance.

Things Can Only Get Better

I have been back in Scotland now for a couple of months. I love Glasgow, it is my home and I was born here. I am a Glaswegian. I was forced to go in search of work and I really objected to having to leave my home and country to do so. However, since my return it has been quite a culture shock and I have come to the conclusion that Scotland is a crazy place because its electorate keep voting for more of the same. It’s like mass self-harming. England where I lived is much more prosperous, vibrant and cleaner than here. It is a nice place to live and in general England favours well out of being part of the union. The thing is, what struck me about England is that you would never know they were part of a United Kingdom. For many, it is just them and the ‘also rans’. Scotland is never reported positively. In English news, unless it’s a murder or bad weather it’s easy to lose touch. Scots may hear news every day about high politics in Westminster but I can tell you it is not reciprocal. In England, Scotland does not register as being remotely important or relevant.

 On my return, what struck me most is how poor and dilapidated Glasgow is. The roads are a complete mess with potholes and faded road markings. Pavements are just as bad. Dog fouling is atrocious. The fabric of buildings, especially public ones are decaying and shabby. It might be a time of recession but a lick of paint is nothing in the broad scheme of things. Indeed it should be compulsory that all buildings are kept and maintained to a tolerable standard. It looks to me that Glasgow is being run into the ground by the Council, whose Leader has a bigger salary than the Prime Minister of the UK.

 We have politicians in Scotland who are not earning their publicly paid wages yet a Government which is actually balancing the books is being attacked from all quarters of the media and unionist politicians for not doing enough!

 Good news is never reported in Scotland either. Invariably if its not a murder, job losses or some scare story about how bad Scotland will be, come independence,  then it just does not  pass the censors approval. Good news when it does arrive is usually reported akin to the Marvin the Manic depressive robot style of. ‘it’s a beautiful day, but it won’t last’. The bias of the MSM, BBC & STV is stark. It is no surprise that people have a jaundiced view of Scottish life, given the diet of doom they are fed each day.

 Having a walk through Partick, West End, Govanhill and attending Blochairn and Polmadie car boot sales, the resigned, downtrodden plight of people is evident on their faces. I have never seen so many miserable people. The shops are cutting prices to the bone yet not enough to stop hordes of Glasgwegians resorting to car boot sales to pick up goods at next to nothing prices. There seems to be a race to the lowest price In Glasgow and that will never work in anyone’s favour buyer or seller. The long term decline of value, of worth, of cost comes at a price of resentment of those more fortunate, lowering of expectation and almost certainly of aspiration. Or economy depends on people spending but somebody has to make a profit. That’s how the world operates.

 What has happened to the once great Scotland? Where has it gone? Where is the fight, the passion? I am not imagining it, it was once like that. There is no rage or anger about how things are and it is so painful to see so many people prepared to settle for less. It is a tragedy. It reminds me of Poland in 1986. Subdued, disgruntled people, scurrying round and doing the best they could to make ends meet. Grey, broken buildings, clapped out buses, infrastructure ignored or patched up. Worst of all, is the absence of hope.  I hope that people will say “enough” and start to fight back.  The next generation is depending on this one to make it better for them. Surely, there is enough self-respect left for that.

  If, like the Better Together supporters, you believe that this is the best that Scotland can do then it might be suggested that your aspiration levels are wanting. If you believe that Scotland, as a stand-alone nation cannot do better for itself than its current situation then by all means vote NO.

 You could also not bother voting at all. This would hammer home the charge of low aspiration and hopelessness I have just mentioned. As Bob Dylan once wrote, ‘a loser knows no success like failure, and losing is no success at all’

 Alternatively, VOTE YES for an attempt at standing on our own two feet and being accountable for ourselves and responsible for the welfare of the people who live here. It is incredible to me and to almost every foreigner I have spoken to about being an independent nation, that there are some people who need to be convinced that their country can be successful on its own. Countries around the world are doing it every day. It is normal. We might not be certain of our future in an independent Scotland, but it has to be better than what is here now.

Written by Frank Wilson.

Tide Power; The power of nuclear, without the deadly legacy.

If Scotland becomes an independent nation in the future, it cannot rely on dwindling oil and gas reserves, as a means of maintaining a healthy trade surplus. Oil itself will of course still flow from the existing and planned fields in Scotland's territorial waters. 

However, oil will be less important as a source of energy, as clean electric transport develops. Emissions targets will limit burning of fossil fuels and eventually, we will abandon oil and coal forever. 

In the overlapping years, as renewable hydro and offshore wind power generation matures, tide power will be waiting to produce perhaps double the output of the renewable arrays already in service. 

With 816 times the energy per cubic metre than wind power, smaller tidal turbines generate enormous quantities of electricity. Not only that, but unlike wind, this electricity will be produced every day, four times a day! 

Tides are predictable on a daily basis and by placing tidal turbines in various inlets, sea lochs and channels all around our coastline, the power may flow constantly. Just a grid management system is needed to switch in turbine arrays as they power up and to switch off machines which are finished their cycle. Arrays can be added to balance peaks at mid winter and pump water into hydro reservoirs to be released when extra base load power is needed (when wind turbines are stationary, for example). 

These undersea "Windmills" are similar to wind turbines, but only need to face in one direction, as the water flows in or out with the gravity of Sun and Moon pulling the ocean water around the Earth. 

Machines like these are currently being tested off the North coast right now, and with the Scottish Government funding, plus massive investment by utility firms, tidal energy will be the motive power for the "Mighty Atom" which Scotland is striving to become. If all this work is to be worthwhile, we as a people need to get behind our Government at Holyrood. We need also, to shake free from the vested interests in the UK oil/gas industry, as we'll as the nuclear lobby. To do this, we need independence and politicians with vision. I think you know who I mean!

Gordon J Ross

Independence, Nationalism & Internationalism

A few weeks ago I had a conversation with my boss about how the concept of nationalism reconciles itself with the idea of solidarity. His argument was one of greater collective responsibility taking precedence over issues of autonomy, self-governance or in this case, independence. Playing devil’s advocate, he made a good fist of it, and I did concede the point that I might have more in common with a 22-year-old from a metropolitan English town than with people from the Western Isles or other remote areas of Scotland. I suppose it’s a fair view, and one that has always brought issues of class as well as struggles of race and gender, historical and geographic elements, and wider social structures into line with how we hold the nation as the best way to analyse and describe society.

But I also think that I missed my point somehow. Something I’m similarly afraid of doing here!

I’ve never had any bother with people substituting independence with separation, or calling us separatists rather than nationalists. A rose is a rose, and this is one that’s not worth bickering over.

But equating Scottish independence with some sort of unwavering self-interest or abandonment is annoying. It’s the same reasoning that angers me when some Scots use self-interest as a way of sticking with the Union. When the‘English subsidy’ argument is played (its truth here is irrelevant), and Scots use it as a reason againstindependence, I can’t help but feel the opposite. Isn’t it an embarrassment if your neighbour hands out subsidies? Surely we have more pride than that. Surely your neighbour doesn’t deserve being made to ‘play the fool’. Isn’t that a reason for change?

Nationalism and independence for me have never been about revelling in ostracism and neglect; about choosing – about aligning - about picking-your-side; about ‘turning-a-cold-shoulder’to the troubles faced by others; about pure self-interest in the face of the good and greater causes. Nor is it about excluding Scotland to global (or even British) issues in exchange for our own greener pastures.

Independence for Scotland is about our future. And it’s a process as well as a destination. I’d argue that it’s also a stance. There are causes all around the world worth supporting. None are hard to find. They range from climate change to economic improvement - from social and legal justice to nationalism, separatism and independence - from a peoples’ freedom to their cultural and historical recognition, the world over.

Catalonia and Scotland are often used as the two prime examples or case studies in the ‘Nationalism’ and ‘Regionalism’chapters of politics textbooks. Similarities are easy to find. Both share a different sense of nationhood to that of the states to which they belong. Both have had a rich cultural heritage with language playing an important role. And the differences too are also fairly easy to find. It has been a long time since Scots and Scottish culture was suppressed. Catalan identity and culture was suppressed until the 1970s. Catalonia also had a parliament of its own some 20 years before ours was reconvened, and continues to operate with greater responsibility over matters of autonomy.

Last century Catalonia had war on its doorstep and found itself as one of the main strongholds for the Republican side of the Spanish Civil War. It was the location of the Loyalist’s last stand and a rallying-point for the anti-fascist fighters. This presumably has reasserted, and perhaps redefined or redrawn what it means to be Catalan.

I was first drawn to Barcelona (if you exclude the footballing side of things) by the story of Ethel MacDonald. Ethel was a Scottish anarchist who travelled to Spain in the 1930s to report, both on and for, the Republican side in the fight against Franco. (A brilliant documentary telling her story is available here on YouTube). To me it showed the best side of Scotland, a side which again is often found wanting today. It showed the idealism and optimism of a person who viewed the world on a genuinely international scale, and who acted through the courage of her convictions.

Whilst I doubt that Ethel was ever a Scottish nationalist, that is not the important point. This is not ‘tallying-up’ who the good and bad guys are, or who’s on whose side. But she can be held up as a beacon and an example to follow; a true internationalist and a woman who should be a strong cultural and historical inspiration for Scotland. But sadly, like so much of our rich history, this story isn’t taught in our schools. I had to learn much of our history - after those formative years - by reading the brilliant work of Arthur Herman (himself an American). However one-sided the central strand to that book may be, it gave a view of Scotland that was scarcely to be found in our education system.

And apart from her reporting, to me Ethel also embodied the struggle of a country seeking recognition – seeking to define itself. That country was both Spain and Catalonia, but in a way I also thought she spoke of Scotland. The Spanish cause was universal; fascism meeting anti-fascism, with the outcome having great consequences for Catalans, Spaniards and Europeans alike. The cause was international. I can’t remember where I read or heard this, but per head of population, more Scots headed to join the XV International Brigade and fight Franco than any other nationality. If that’s true then it’s a history that we should be proud of, and one that we should be encouraging in our schools.

My brother used to live in Barcelona, and I was lucky enough to travel there a few times each year to visit. It is a place with an explicitly international feel; a city so vibrant and awash with culture that it may as well reflect the world at large. But it is also a city with a distinct and rooted Catalan identity. The locals are often quick and eager to assert their language, their identity (perhaps rightly so) and yet the pull factor of Barcelona for many people around the world remains undeniable. It is perhaps unique. The history of the War and Franco’s suppression is all around, and yet it’s a place reborn and redefined as a distinctly ‘World City’. It’s why you don’t feel so guilty (or angry?) when walking down Carrer de Sants to see ‘Go Home Tourist’ (in English I’ll add) graffitied onto the face of a building.

Where does the sense of your own culture and national identity stop, and that of the Universalist and Internationalist inside of you begin? It isn’t always an easy thing to ask yourself.

Only recently have I started speaking to an exchange student at university – a Kurd who moved to America at a young age - and who proudly identifies with both nationalities. The energy, pride and enthusiasm he has for his own Kurdish culture doesn’t detract from the sense of principle that seems to come hand-in-hand with being an American – including the attachment to liberty and fundamental human rights so beautifully laid down in their constitution. He wears his‘dual-identity’ a lot better than I have been able to with my ‘Scottish-as-well-as-British’one. This was also a reminder to me that we Scottish nationalists do not have a monopoly on Scottish national identity, and that it isn’t ‘wrong’ to feel both British and Scottish.

Although that still isn’t going to dissuade me from fighting against the notion!

This man is now a friend, and has helped enlighten me to the struggle faced by the Kurdish people throughout the middle-east. The Kurds are a truly‘stateless nation’, and have suffered serious, repeated and often brutal suppression and repression and the hands of neighbouring governments - from those of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Iran. It’s not an aspect of Middle-Eastern politics that is given much coverage in the UK, and perhaps the wider Western World, but the struggle of a people to achieve recognition, freedom and respect is a familiar one. The material is there to learn more about the Kurdish plight, and it is something that I think deserves more attention from the wider world. In relation to Europe, the violation of human rights by the Turkish state towards the Kurdish people there appears to be affecting their case for accession to the EU. And in Iraq, the brutal genocide embarked upon by Saddam Hussein resulted in the death of many thousands of Kurds – thousands of whom died through the state’s use of chemical weapons.

Kurdistan too has been subjected to bloodshed from within, with Civil War compounding state repression and adding to the misery brought by both Gulf Wars in the area over the last two decades. I suppose it puts the grievances we feel into perspective. But then again independence is about a better future, and there’s nothing wrong with wanting a better future.

Learning from my friend Kahin was interesting and enlightening. Not that this 22-year-old Airdrieonian had anything to contribute though - my ignorance was embarrassing. But if you want to know more about the uplifting reconstruction that is on-going in Iraqi Kurdistan, the late free-thinker Christopher Hitchens has written well on a cause that you sense was very close to his heart.

Scottish people with a nationalist inclination should be supporting all of these causes, not least and not just, our own. Soft or civic nationalism today seems to me to be about localising governance as well as improving our political architecture - a far, far cry from the patriotism and jingoism tearing this continent apart in the early 20^thCentury. An independent Scotland need not, and certainly should not, be an inward looking country, ever impoverished by the genetic ‘chip on our shoulder’.

Think about Scotland as a truly international country and Edinburgh a ‘Barcelona of the North’.

Would Scotland benefit, and in return benefit the world, by having her own say on the international stage, her input into global issues? Scottish nationalism and independence isn’t – at the very least doesn’t have to be – an introverted, introspective, parochial, self-absorbed and bickering ideal. It can be as dynamic, as egalitarian, as outward-looking and as encompassing as we choose to make it.

It’s also why I have a hard time trying to understand the argument, often levied at us, that there are too many pressing matters at hand (usually economic) and that Scottish independence MUST take a backseat. Independence holds the potential to become a means to their ends - a tool to help. There’s no absolute guarantee that independence for Scotland will drastically improve our living standards or our happiness. But I’m steadfastly convinced that it will prove a sound and solid ‘building block’ to a better future. It’s hard to neglect a lot of the good that has resulted from the independence of many former British colonies and territories. Yet many at home still seem stridently unwilling to even listen to the merits of the Scottish cause.

Clichés can often irritate. But take a moment to think of any truth that you can see in this statement – “You’re often keen to support independence for any other country, but never for your own!”

It has often been levelled at our opposition, and it’s not an argument that I’ve given much thought to until writing this. But the logic is there, proudly pointing out the contradiction behind some progressives’ thinking. It’s also a cliché to see a Palestinian flag, next to the Senyera of Catalonia and the Tricolour of Ireland, in a sort of bannered collage - a homage - to typical ‘soft-left, liberal’ causes. But isn’t there a reason that clichés become so? Perhaps these causes bring out something in us – compassion, romanticism, idealism?

And where is the Saltire? Supporting and being part of these causes for us is one in the same.

Scottish nationalism is a progressive cause - the next logical step in dispersing democracy. Being a nationalist doesn’t negate being an internationalist. They’re not ‘mutually exclusive’.

Don’t let the opposition Unionists argue otherwise. Just because you’re a Scottish nationalist doesn’t mean that you don’t care about English and Welsh healthcare reforms, the Eurozone crisis, Spanish unemployment, maquiladoras, gender equality, peace in the Middle-East, North Korea, climate change, social justice or even bloody space exploration for that matter! Everyone in this planet is in it together.

Visca Catalunya! Alba gu bràth! And freedom, respect and recognition for the Kurdish people

Contributed by Ross Croall