For a while, I have decided not to mention the Scottish Independence Referendum, from here on referred to in this blog post as the "indyref", much even though I normally like to rant and rave about politics. Now, before I go any further, I will admit I am not the best person to talk about this. I didn't formally study politics at any point in my life. And I don't claim to be an expert either. What I am about to say here is my opinion and mine only. If you don't like to read my misinformed, cynical and possibly angry rantings, I suggest you stop here and find something else to read. Or do what I do to clam myself down and watch videos of cats on the world wide web. Or just sell your computer and smartphones and never use the internet again, ever, because the internet is full of misinformed, cynical and possibly angry rantings that are much more offensive than what I say. Mostly... :-P
With that out of the way, are you sitting comfortably? Then we shall begin...
I will start off by saying that I will not say what my intentions to vote on the 18th of September, 2014 are at the time of writing this blog entry. I might change my mind. I might decide to spoil my paper in protest instead. I was toying with the idea of writing a long rambling diatribe about the fallacy of politics from both indyref campaigns. Oops. I think I revealed what I was going to say too soon. Never mind. :-P
This is where the problem lies for me. I am very cynical when it comes to politics. Too many times I put my faith behind a certain party or cause, only to find it falls short of my idealism. I vote for a particular party during a General/Scottish Parliamentary/European Parliamentary/Local Council election. And they repay this gesture of kindness and show of support by immediately reneging on any promises they made. And figuratively grinding my face into the ground as they do so. Wonderful.
I admit it is probably my fault for thinking somehow a politician, someone who earns more in a year than any one earns in an average lifetime, will even bother caring about us. Why should they? They are in power now and they don't have to give a single hoot about the ordinary electorate now. And if there is a threat to their cosy position, they just need to roll out some dirt on the opposition and then all is OK again as we stupidly obey the whistle of broken promises because heaven forbid if the candidate from the opposing party gets in and does an even worse job.
And I can't help but laugh when people say the campaign for the indyref has been very civil. Only to an extent. The problem is that although no one has been killed or shot (yet) their has been some abuse and other unpleasant exchanges on the internet between CyberNats and CyberUnionists. If you dare admit to voting "Yes", "No" trolls go after you and vice versa. My circle of friends seem to be split 50/50 and it makes it hard for me to reveal what my opinion is for fear of alienating one set of my friends or the other. And woe betide anyone who tries to argue their case to supporters of the opposing camp. I do not need this grief. I have enough problems to deal with
in life. So I have decided to forever hold my peace and my final
decision will remain a secret, with only the ballot box knowing my true
intentions in the indyref.
Related to this, there is a vandalism of campaign signs and posters from both sides. And the heckling and jeering and accusations of bias of the media from both sides. Let us get one thing clear. The media is not on either the Yes or No camps side but it's on it's side. Like some real life Elliot Carver from the Jame Bond film "Tomorrow Never Dies", the media only cares about money. Politics only means something to them if it impacts their profits. So the papers, radio stations and television news channels pump out whatever gets enough people angry enough to keep reading, listening and watching. Their will always be a level of bias in the media. All media outlets are biased. And they don't care if it is inaccurate. The important thing is you are snared into giving them publicity and money. There is a reason why in the United States there is the joke about CNN and Fox News. There is not such thing as true objectivity in the media. And the crazy extremists will always blame the media for being biased if it says anything against their chosen side in the indyref debate.
Now call me a coward all you want. What I will not accept is being accused of supporting either side. I have nothing but contempt for both "Yes Scotland" and "Better Together" basically due to what I have detailed above. Both sides are still politicians and full of people who will, by hook or crook, get you to agree with them in every way possible without actually admitting any wrong even when they are. When I criticise both sides, this is not me implying support for any camp. This is me calling out politicians for what they are. The Yes campaign keeps harping on about Independence like it is some sort of miracle cure for the entirety of Scotland's problems, short of curing cancer and making the blind see again. And maybe make gold magically appear in the streets of Scotland. While the No camp is obsessed with scaremongering, warning that every single terrorist, illegal immigrant and extraterrestrial alien will invade Scotland the moment it leaves the UK, then resorting to begging with unproven promises of extra devolved powers when MPs down south voiced displeasure at not being consulted. Politicians. And we all know by know that politicians are only interested in lining their own pockets and keeping their jobs and will happily change beliefs where it suits them. Conviction politics is a myth from a bygone era. Remember that next time you are at the ballot box.
But let us not be totally negative about this as it would be unfair. Let me in a way undermine my own ranting by saying that I hope that whatever happens, whatever the rest of my fellow countrymen decide tomorrow, they do one thing. Just one thing. Vote. Vote with conviction. The conviction I complained was missing from all politicians on all sides. Vote, not because some campaigners screamed in your face to chose what they said. Vote, not because Alex Salmond or David Cameron said so in some choreographed speech on the telly. Vote, not because the poster in the street scared you into making a choice.
Vote because you believe in your choice!
I will leave you with one quote from a video game, "Metal Gear Solid 2", that seems pertinent to the indyref. Think about it as you go to the polling station.
"We can tell other people about having faith. What we had faith in.
What we found important enough to fight for. It's not whether you were
right or wrong, but how much faith you were willing to have, that
decides the future." -Solid Snake, Metal Gear Solid 2
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