I guess I have to accept now that I am an old lady. No problem with that really. Still have all my marbles and feeling pretty fit so hope to carry on as normal ... ranting and getting stuck into whatever takes my fancy. At the mo, of course, I can't ignore the Scottish referendum so I was really pleased to read an article in yesterday's Guardian by Fintan O'Toole which I reckon hit the nail squarely on the head...
We all need to recognise that if we want real democracy we don't do it by becoming an independent nation state, we do it by wresting power from where it truly lies with 'global corporations, media monopolies, unaccountable oligarchies and mighty financial industries'. (My bit now!) These massive power groups will have just as much say over a government in Edinburgh as in London, so to think that by moving the 'nominal' seat of power from government in England to government in Scotland misses the point! The fact that power no longer lies in government or in the many institutions like the trade unions and churches - which used to make up our 'pluralist' society - but with non-democratically elected power blocks has led to massive apathy among the electorate who believe (rightly) that their vote counts for nothing. Fintan O'Toole sees a 'No' vote as meaning the Scots will return to a state of frustrated impotence but if the result is 'Yes' then he hopes that the feeling of democratic power which the referendum has unleased in Scotland could be the start of something new leading to international democracy. I do love the Guardian!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Good to have your feedback. Thanks for commenting.