Scottish Independence: The Glorious Failure and the Glorious Revolution

It hasn't been easy being a YES supporter in the 48 hours since Scotland's latest glorious failure.

First there was the pain of defeat. 

Then a mob of unionist bigots descended upon them in Glasgow's George Square where they had been peacefully camping out for days...



Tossing flares, singing Rule Britannia, chanting the Orange Lodge slogan "No Surrender," or racist stuff like "Asians out."

Giving the Nazi salute...



Assaulting them, stealing their flags.

Or just acting like only some of the Protestant supremacist thugs in that city can act...

The Scottish Referendum and the Fatal Lesson of Quebec

Well it was a long night and a disappointing one. The YES side in the Scottish referendum didn't do as well as I had hoped it might.

Scotland will have to wait a little longer to become independent. And fear conquered hope.

Scotland voters have opted to continue as part of the United Kingdom after 307 years in an historic referendum vote, although most observers believe there will be a change in the relationship in the coming months. With just one centre of 32 remaining to report, 55.4 per cent of voters had voted No to independence, with 44.6 in the Yes camp.

But while that poor guy in the picture might not realize it for a while, there is still a lot to celebrate.

The Scottish Independence Campaign and the Velvet Revolution

And so it ended, with wild rallies all over the country. After two long years of preparations and months of feverish debate, Scotland's amazing referendum campaign is finally over.

And as I write these lines, Scots are heading to the polls to decide whether Scotland should become an independent country.

The campaign ended with a final message from the YES side urging them to take their own future in their hands, and choose hope over fear. 

Our nation is alive with energy and excitement about the future. And the collective democratic awakening in Scotland goes further and deeper than the independence movement alone. For all of this, Scotland is richer. It is this popular energy which gives confidence for Scotland’s future. Together, we can harness the passion, drive and vision that abounds in Scotland today and use it to build a better society.

It ended with a final message from the NO side warning of doom and disaster. 

The Scottish Referendum and the Attack of the NO Side Bullies

There couldn't have been an uglier sight. Thousands of members of the anti-Catholic Orange Lodge marching through Edinburgh to show their support for the NO side.

Or one more representative of the NO side's attempt to bully the YES side into submission.



For by now the combined forces of Big Business, the corporate media, and the Westminster political establishment have tried everything to crush this peaceful people's revolt.

The crudest threats, the most absurd predictions of doom like this latest one...



All designed to scare people into voting NO.

And the good news is that at this point at least it isn't working. 

The Scottish Referendum and the Patronizing NO Lady

With just three weeks to go before the independence referendum things are definitely heating up in Scotland.

Especially since the leader of the YES side was declared the winner of last Monday's TV debate.

And polls suggest the gap between the two sides is narrowing as the momentous decision approaches. 

Robbie Burns and the Progressive Beacon

Well today was Robbie Burns Day, the most sacred day of the Old Scottish calendar. But I wasn't planning to write anything about it, until I saw this.

And then I felt I had no choice eh?

So I'll just repeat what I've said before.

I'm not one for the horrible haggis.

The offal in question is what was bobbing in the cauldron. It's organ meat – lamb kidneys, liver, hearts and lungs. Once they were darkly red, glistening specimens of varying texture: firm hearts; resilient, elastic kidneys; puffy, yielding lungs; glutinous liver. Soon, they would be simmered down and ground up.

Or the awful offal.