Thursday, 11 September 2014

Thoughts on the Referendum


Up until recently I didn't really make my opinions public on the upcoming referendum, but in the past week or so, what with Facebook profile pictures, stati and cover photos it is clear I am fully supporting the Yes campaign. The reason for the increased burst in political outpour is because the more I read, watch and hear about the referendum the more I truly believe we are better off becoming independent on the 18th of September. We are so close, I can't sit quiet now, I can't.

I was originally a no, I didn't see what point there was in breaking up the union, I thought myself that the yes voters were nationalistic and narrow minded, now looking back I see clearly that those thoughts of mine were in fact the narrow minded ones. I wish to never give anyone cause to think that they have no right to a secret ballot. Of course people needn't ever feel they have to say what they are voting for. But for me, I want to say I'm voting yes and I feel for myself it is important to share this as one of the reasons I have been encouraged to the yes vote is through hearing about how others have come to stand on the side of independence.

One of the first steps to yes was when I was talking to my friend Joe, who pointed out we are under a Conservative Prime minster, when, in the last election, only one Conservative seat was voted in in the whole of Scotland. We are not being represented.

Overtime, since that encounter with Joe about a year ago I've been talking to others on and off about the Referendum, but it was in March, when in Amsterdam an English man asked me what I was voting in the upcoming Referendum, and I told him I didn't know what to vote yet, and I asked him what he would vote in my position. He replied:

"Easy, I would vote Yes, because the smaller the government the more power to the individual."

And that's when I made up my mind and never looked back.

Instead I should say I've kept looking forward as the more I've learned the more I've become an increasingly stronger believer in Yes. We need representation, we need to choose ourselves how we look after our own services.

Have a look at this:


Image from http://yesscotland.net/


I could discuss in length reasons for voting Yes, but today I am going to say to all those, who have fears, most likely ingrained through the media, about the uncertainties of voting yes, look at the press, you can not trust them, seriously.

In 2008 there was a huge revolution in Iceland, the people marched on Parliament, the Prime minister and entire Government were forced to step down. Then in 2010 a law is imposed for Iceland to pay back their debt to the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, this sum of 3,500 million euros was going to have to be paid by the people over the following 15 years with 5.5% interest. In 2010 the people of Iceland again protested and demanded a referendum voting for the denial of payment, this came through at 93% and the new Government held an investigation for those responsible for the debt arresting bankers and high level executives rather than imposing the debt on the people.

The Icelandic Revolution shows the power people can and should have over fraudulent governments. However this was kept out of almost all press, why?  Because the people who control the press don't want you to know how much power the individual can have, that the public can have. I first heard about the Icelandic Revolution first hand from my Icelandic friend, I read about it first from private bloggers online who had had their stories shared on social network sites by friends.

The reason I have been writing just there about the Icelandic Revolution is just to make you aware how skewed the news is, they never fully reported the stories, they kept us in the dark about what was happening in a country in our own continent, we were so unaware because they didn't report what was happening, they didn't share important, ground breaking news. Don't let the news skew you now, they have so much influence over us, but major news papers and websites are backed by the millionaires who own them. Those who sit in lofty, comfortable positions, who don't want to lose money or power should Scotland become independent.

And they are just one more reason why I want to become independent.





For more information on who owns the British Press:
http://leftfootforward.org/2013/06/everyone-should-know-who-owns-the-press-for-the-sake-of-our-democracy/

For more information on the Icelandic Revolution:
http://cac.ophony.org/2012/04/16/the-icelandic-revolution-why-didnt-i-hear-about-it/
http://www.utne.com/Media/Blogging-the-Icelandic-Revolution.aspx#axzz3D1gTWFMb

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