Scotland: Count me out

9 September 2014

Dear editor,

I wish to disassociate myself with the statement on Scotland for the following reasons:

1. The document avoids the issue of Norway in 1906, which is the closest to that of Scotland today. Norway was not particularly oppressed by Sweden, yet it voted to separate. Lenin's position is instructive; he declared that, while the issue itself was not of central importance, the Norwegian Socialists should use it as a springboard from which to make democratic demands for their country. He did not believe it was a case for a no vote.

2. The SSP should have performed such a task in Scotland, but it collapsed, not because of its flirtation with nationalism, or even the proclivities of T.Sheridan, but because of the malaise that has affected the left since the SU imploded.

3. As a result there are two essentially pro-imperialist campaigns

4. The yes campaign seems to be less favoured by the imperialist powers that be

5. The no campaign does not show any sign of encouraging the progressive possibilities envisaged for it by the SD statement. Though not a campaign of an oppressor nation, it is having a good try at being one. Its propaganda is a combination of bullying and bean counting.

6. Against both campaigns we should revive the call for a Scottish Workers' Republic.

Comradely,

D R O’Connor Lysaght

Scotland: What are the left smoking?

11 September 2014

Comrades,

Thanks very much for your statement on Scotland which cleared up a lot of issues.  I have been following the statements of the Left YES campaign and I haven’t been able to make head or tail of it.

In the absence of a rational argument I can only see the endless opportunism of the left, following every liberal cause, not really believing that the workers movement will ever recover, hoping to get rich quick on the latest campaign.

What happens afterwards? Yes would leave the socialists at the mercy of the SNP. Would No mean a campaign to have another referendum? After all if this is really a central need of workers in Scotland there would be no choice.

My take is that the left will immediately forget about the whole issue and move on to the next big thing. 

Solidarity

Red