"Do you remember Clarice? Do you remember the silence?"
Let me begin by saying I lived over 27 years of my life in England. My son and daughter were born in Cornwall, my wife is from Barnsley. We lived in the mainly unsullied County of Dorset in a town which, up until the late 1990's, both Constable and Hardy would have recognised with ease from atop the 12th century church tower. We have good friends, kind friends, helpful friends, compassionate friends who we return to visit and keep in touch with which makes a hollow mockery of the Better Together campaign's idea some how this will all stop instanter, on independence.
I know many Englishmen and women who are just as passionate about 'their England' and preserving their local traditions and ways as any in Scotland but when it comes to Westminster simply dictating to them, telling them how their lives will be lead there appears a void, a silence and, to me, an acceptance of their powerlessness in the face of an out of control Westminster's plutocratic dictatorship - Quhit can ye dae?
Sadly, as seen in any blog following any article to do with the impending Scottish referendum, the only reaction is to blame the Scots for preserving the very services in public control which are being privatised in England. The NHS, Blood Banks, Water, services in support of the sick and disabled and to day, the 19th of July, social services to vulnerable children. The responses in these blogs from the majority of English bloggers seem to me to follow one simple message - It's just not fair! The emphasis appears to be that some how we Scots are cheating. There is little or no perception of what is actually happening in Scotland; we are using our legitimate pocket money to do things differently.
It is a struggle to understand the English mind set of 'Scotland are subsidy junkies', that we Scots are somehow 'stealing from England' and this is the only reason England is spiraling down the rabbit hole to their nightmare version of Alice in Wonderland made flesh. Nu Blu Labour is the epitome of the Red Queen crying 'off with their head' when anyone dares to point out they have lost the plot, demonstrates they have forgotten the 'why' behind their party's reason to exist while they go about, painting the blue Tory roses red in an attempt to justify their existence. In the real world everyone understands these remain Tory roses. All the while the Jabberwocky of Tory Governance reduces the UK to a desert of meanness, self interest and insularity, setting everyone against everyone else.
I have increasing difficulty in understanding the contrast between the English people I know who love England, an England where compassion and fairness is at the core of their parish, village or town; with the government they vote for and inflict on the rest of the UK which is the antithesis of the people I know as the English.
It is almost as if the English are now trapped by the psychopathic political equivalent of Hannibal Lecter, all the while having slices of their brain fried with some liver, fava beans and accompanied by a fine Chianti, while they look on helpless, unable to respond to the murderous intent they know is in action.
Let me begin by saying I lived over 27 years of my life in England. My son and daughter were born in Cornwall, my wife is from Barnsley. We lived in the mainly unsullied County of Dorset in a town which, up until the late 1990's, both Constable and Hardy would have recognised with ease from atop the 12th century church tower. We have good friends, kind friends, helpful friends, compassionate friends who we return to visit and keep in touch with which makes a hollow mockery of the Better Together campaign's idea some how this will all stop instanter, on independence.
I know many Englishmen and women who are just as passionate about 'their England' and preserving their local traditions and ways as any in Scotland but when it comes to Westminster simply dictating to them, telling them how their lives will be lead there appears a void, a silence and, to me, an acceptance of their powerlessness in the face of an out of control Westminster's plutocratic dictatorship - Quhit can ye dae?
Sadly, as seen in any blog following any article to do with the impending Scottish referendum, the only reaction is to blame the Scots for preserving the very services in public control which are being privatised in England. The NHS, Blood Banks, Water, services in support of the sick and disabled and to day, the 19th of July, social services to vulnerable children. The responses in these blogs from the majority of English bloggers seem to me to follow one simple message - It's just not fair! The emphasis appears to be that some how we Scots are cheating. There is little or no perception of what is actually happening in Scotland; we are using our legitimate pocket money to do things differently.
It is a struggle to understand the English mind set of 'Scotland are subsidy junkies', that we Scots are somehow 'stealing from England' and this is the only reason England is spiraling down the rabbit hole to their nightmare version of Alice in Wonderland made flesh. Nu Blu Labour is the epitome of the Red Queen crying 'off with their head' when anyone dares to point out they have lost the plot, demonstrates they have forgotten the 'why' behind their party's reason to exist while they go about, painting the blue Tory roses red in an attempt to justify their existence. In the real world everyone understands these remain Tory roses. All the while the Jabberwocky of Tory Governance reduces the UK to a desert of meanness, self interest and insularity, setting everyone against everyone else.
I have increasing difficulty in understanding the contrast between the English people I know who love England, an England where compassion and fairness is at the core of their parish, village or town; with the government they vote for and inflict on the rest of the UK which is the antithesis of the people I know as the English.
It is almost as if the English are now trapped by the psychopathic political equivalent of Hannibal Lecter, all the while having slices of their brain fried with some liver, fava beans and accompanied by a fine Chianti, while they look on helpless, unable to respond to the murderous intent they know is in action.
Peter, whilst I take your points, I would also ask you to remember that there are many, many English who live in Scotland. Indeed, according to the 2001 census, there are somewhere between 400,000 and 450,000 living (and many of them working in Scotland).
ReplyDeleteWhilst SOME have experienced "Anglophobia", usually from Scots with rather extreme views, there are many who love Scotland to pieces, fully understand the issues between the 2 nations and, although they have relatives "down south", they have every intention of voting Yes in the forthcoming referendum.