Full Disclosure: I lived in Edinburgh for around a year when I was 20, so Scotland is close to my heart. However, beyond the “Screw yoo, Ya English Bastards!” nationalism that I imbibed with the beer while I was over there – I’m psyched for this Independence referendum vote on Thursday for more practical reasons.
This “Yes” vote will be a vote for turning away from the corrupt “Bank profits first and foremost” policies that Westminster learned from Bill Clinton. The UK had a proud Northern European social welfare tradition before it was infected by the American economic disease of Shareholder Primacy.
The Scots align politically closer to Iceland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland than they do to the US, and they are voting to return to a socialized national health system that works for everyone because isn’t profit based. Like their Arctic Circle neighbors, the Scots do not believe that insurance company profits should be sacrosanct.
In addition to freedom from modern American capitalism, they are voting for a margin of neutrality in world affairs. If this referendum prevails, the Scots will be separating themselves from a lapdog relationship with the United States in which they are automatically involved in any cockamamie wars that can be dreamed up by the likes of Dick Cheney.
Finally, I’m psyched for this vote for the example of peaceful and rational discourse it represents. There have been no bombings or assassinations to bring this to a vote – and for that Westminster deserves some credit. If Scotland can peacefully chart its own path, according to its own proud liberal national values, so can other countries.
If Scotland can say YES to the question, “Can we live, as we have in the past, without these inhumane inequalities?” Then, can’t we all begin to say yes?