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Title: Is Another Scotland Possible? Author: Dundee Anarchists Date: November 26, 2012 Language: en Topics: Scotland, self-determination Source: Retrieved on 3rd June 2021 from https://network23.org/dundeeanarchists/2012/11/26/is-another-scotland-possible/
Over 800 people attending the RIC in Glasgow last Saturday certainly
thought so. The feelgood factor amongst delegates was palpable as the
vast majority left the conference with a rekindled belief in the
progressive possibilities of independence and a growing belief that a
Yes vote in 2014 was within our grasp.
I have to admit that even aging cynics such as myself were somewhat
swept away by the youthful enthusiasm and international solidarity so
openly displayed, from platform speakers to those participants who had
to stand around the fringes of the overflowing main conference suite.
After years, or is it decades, of fighting rearguard actions against the
relentless assaults on democracy, workers rights and all the social
advances of the twentieth century by the neo-liberal New World Order, we
began to hear messages of hope and an expectation of a new dawn for the
Scottish and international left. As much of Europe descends into acute
economic collapse, social breadown and the immenence of fascism,
Scotland has an almost unique opportunity to break free of the confines
of the British State and the City of London and develop a radical
alternative to austerity and capitalism. This emerging narrative of hope
is a welcome antidote to the other much circulated story of defeat and
pessimism.
One of the most important political factors to emerge was the placing of
the independence debate within the context of the post-Seattle
anti-globalisation and anti-capitalist movement. As Pat Kane has already
expressed
there was a sense of a generational handover to this younger generation
of activists for whom personal empowerment and anti-hierarchical
processes are inherent in their makeup. For me, this was probably the
most significant single outcome of the conference.
It was apparent though, at least in the workshops I was able to attend,
that the top-table speakers, mainly drawn from the ‘official’ left were
significantly out of touch with their audience and the most telling and
incisive contributions came from the body of the hall.
In the Scottish Republic -A Modern Democracy workshop, four speakers
were each given 15 minutes to say pretty much the same things whilst the
grassroots sat on their hands. Some of their critiques of monarchy and
Crown Powers were quite interesting but significantly none had anything
to say about how a modern democracy could actually function. It was left
to the contributers from the floor to raise the issues of community-led
decision-making and participatory democracy, and, tellingly, to
overwhlmingly reject an elected head of state as in any way a
progressive or radical idea for a 21^(st) century democracy.
The afternoon workshop session on Education and the Future of Work,
despite having a six member platform, managed to allow more time for
contributions from the floor which probably could have led to a real
discussion but for a shortage of time as the day came to an end. Here
too, ideas of direct participation in decision-making were expressed
from the floor for both the workplace and the school. The need for
education in making consensual decision making to allow the breaking
down of hierarchies was also a general theme.
Clearly the grassroots are more politically advanced than their would-be
leaders and have somehow imbibed an anarchistic analysis of political
and economic structures. This undercurrent of thought should encourage
us as anarchists to take an active role in the development of policies
for radical independence and participate in local round table forums to
develop the political ideas which will engage and enthuse all those
currently dis-satisfied with politics and politicians of all sorts.