Why I support Scottish independence and think that all Socialists, especially Marxist Leninists, should do so.

I have Scottish matrilineal ancestry and this makes me biased on the subject as does the fact that the Larnians came to Ireland from ancient Caledonia.

The British working class is not united against Westminster. The working class of Scotland, England, Wales, and Cornwall have not revolted and descended upon Balmoral, Kensington Palace, Buckingham Palace, the Palace of Westminster, and the City of London.

It would be a more manageable and realistic task to unite the Scottish working class against Holyrood. The voice of the Scottish working class is weak and isolated under Westminster. Under Westminster, Scotland did not have a legislature for two centuries.

There is a democratic deficit in Scotland. The working class in Scotland always votes against the Tory party and Tory policies only to end up being perenially governed by the Tory party implementing Tory policies on Scottish workers due to people in other countries voting for the Tories.

Working-class solidarity would not disappear with independence. Union workers aren't going to become less sympathetic to Orgreave victims with a majority for yes.

If Scottish nationalism was a divide et impera strategy against the British working class then why did the establishment fully back the better together campaign for no? Why did the three major Westminster parties make the vow, especially considering that we now know that they'd no intention of devo max? Why was project fear directed against yes for the benefit of no like it would be two years later against leave for the benefit of remain? Why did all of the British corporate media support no like they supported remain? How come the establishment and media didn't call for a second referendum in September 2014 like they did in June 2016 and like they did with the Nice and Lisbon referenda in Ireland? 

The idea that Scotland needs aid from the rest of Britain, Barnett consequentials, and handouts is ludicrous. North Sea revenue has just reached a record £28bn. Holyrood could fix Scotland's problems and still have funds left over to reinvest. This is without mentioning that the world's largest oil field is in the North Sea.
Scotland could have the opportunity to become an anti-imperialist nation. Again it is more achievable to unite the Scottish working class against Holyrood's imperialism than it would be to unite the British working class against Westminster's imperialism.

The word nation is derived from the old Latin etymological root nasci referring to a group of people with common ancestry. The ancestry of Scottish people can be traced back to Pictish king Cruithneach/Cruithne and the Pharoah's wife Scota who was the mother of Goidelglas. So Tir Ilun/ Caledonia/ Pictavia/ Alba/ Scotland is a nation.

Scotland has been a separate territory since at least 142 AD and it could be easily argued that it has been territorially separate since 122 AD. Archaeological research found that Scotland has had a separate culture from the rest of Britain since the Iron Age.

https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/scotland-and-england-culturally-different-long-before-hadrians-wall-research-finds-3491096

Gaelic and Scots are spoken in Scotland just as Gaelic and Scots are spoken in Ireland. This shows Scotland has a common culture and distinct languages.
The existence of 1,100-year-old Pictish coins is evidence of a historically distinct economy in Pictland. Why else were they using a different currency from the rest of Britain?

On psychological makeup where else, bar Ireland, is the phrase heed th'baw/ head the ball common?

"English people have significantly less Irish ancestry (just 20% of their genetic make-up) on average compared to people living in Scotland (43.84%)"

https://www.ancestry.com/corporate/international/press-releases/DNA-of-the-nation-revealedand-were-not-as-British-as-we-think

"Genetic ‘map’ shows Dark Age Scottish kingdoms live on in today’s Scots

It was a time when the warring kingdoms of Dark Ages Scotland such as Gododdin and Pictland were fighting for supremacy, with battle skills honed fighting Roman invaders."

https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/genetic-map-shows-dark-age-scottish-kingdoms-live-todays-scots-1408678

Id est Scotland is a distinct nation and the Scots are a unique people.

It is true that there have been Scottish imperialists who have harmed others such as the Black and Tans and the Black Watch/Royal Regiment of Scotland however this is no reason to deny the Scottish their independence. Would people deny Uganda independence because General Amin of the Royal African Rifles did terrible things to the Mau Mau for the British Empire?

James Connolly was born in Scotland. He called the Union Flag the Butcher's Apron. He did not call the Saint Andrew's Saltire by such a name. Every nation has the right to self-determination.

Socialism without National Liberation is not Socialism and National Liberation without Socialism is not National Liberation.

Comments