Scotland and the National Question

In present day Scotland, Nationalism has emerged as the dominant force within the political sphere, but also out with it. Nationalism is not an ideology which can be restrained to the four walls of a debating room, or a parliament, but something which has economic, social and political consequences. It is the Scottish National Party who currently reside over the Scottish Parliament, Holyrood, whilst they also hold 57 out of the available 59 Scottish seats present in Westminster. This rise is remarkable, and something I see to analyse briefly, before delivering a critique of the fraudulent Nationalists and their policies.

Capitalism is as Marx said, never far from crisis, and it is in these many crises, which nationalism creeps into the agenda. Take some historical examples, like Nazi Germany. Economic recession allowed for Hitler to fool the German people, whilst the same can be said of America. It was not just economic recession which allowed Scottish Nationalists to grow from a mere name on a ballot, to the dominant Parliamentary Party. The SNP grew out of the weakness of the Labour Party, something we once again see all too frequently when evaluating the rise of nationalism throughout history. Capitalist parties do have an expiry date, before another, of the same model (in the sense they are imperialist and led by the bourgeois) replace them and continue to enslave the proletariat. Capitalism and Nationalism are crucial to one another. There would be no need for nationalism in Socialist societies, because the internationalist unity of proletarian is itself a liberating act, whilst there can be no form of liberation, whether that be gay rights, gender balance and so forth under a Capitalist state. Capitalism can only thrive when there is division. And there can be no greater division than nationalist ideas, designed to crush workers internationally and mask the evils of the capitalist class.

The Scottish National Party are pseudo Socialist, liberals, and diluted conservatives who thrive so greatly, because they have deployed nationalism to fool the working class of Scotland. A Bolshevik slogan upon the outbreak of the imperialistic First World War was, ‘the enemy of every people was its own people’. There are only 2 categories of people, the proletariat, and the bourgeois. Nationalism seeks to create more splinter groups, of Scots, Arabs, Slavs, to weaken the workers movement and to increase the ruling class’ control. The SNP have only enjoyed success because of their endorsement of their alleged nemesis, Margaret Thatcher. They supported her government over a Labour one, and thus Thatcherism was born, and still wreaks havoc today.

An argument often used by the party is that Independence would lead to Socialism, how laughable! The SNP are a capitalist party, and just some of these policies testify that.

1)    The privatisation of transport, particularly in rural Scottish areas.

2)    The oppression of the working class under the Offensive Behaviour & Communications Act

3)    The refusal to raise tax, something which was even advocated by fellow sell out capitalists in the Labour Party

4)    The defence and continued support of Apartheid Israel. Though it does seem many in the SNP are pro Palestine, it has not stopped the Party developing an inner Zionist circle which has oppressed student movements in universities and funded several Israeli initiatives.

5)    Continued trade deals with Saudi Arabia, a country second only to Israel and Western states in those responsible for the irrevocable damage inflicted upon the Middle East

6)    The unwillingness to openly call for a Republic. The policy of absenteeism is a pro Monarch policy in its own right.

7)    The support of xenophobic rebels in the Ukraine and Syrian conflicts.

8)    Their unwavering support of the fascist sympathising, pro-Israeli, pro American, pro Ukrainian and anti-Assad and chief oppressor of the third world European Union was sickening. 

If Scotland chooses to go Independent, she will not be Socialist. Capitalism will reign more than ever; the only difference being power will lie more directly with the Scottish Capitalist class. The enemy of the Scottish proletariat is not our Comrades in council estates in Manchester and Cardiff, but those who pay us the minimum wage, who exploit us, who plunge our children into poverty, who’s only shared feature (if that) with us is the nationalists’ most potent weapon, the mere flag! There are only us, then workers of the world, and our enemies in the Capitalist class. And England has not oppressed Scotland, the bourgeoisie of Scotland and many other nations have. The working class of England, Wales and Scotland need to unite against the only enemy we have, the elitists who have oppressed us for centuries.  What does independence do but create more wealth for more of the capitalist class? It would be an irreversible blow to the working class should Scotland desert our Comrades on these isles. Do not tell me a middle class Glaswegian and a working class Glaswegian share anything in common, the SNP may try to use this in their propaganda, but it is not the case. Class is the only thing which unites us, and unite us it shall!

Comrade Lenin highlighted the errors of Nationalism in The Working Class and Nationalism.

“The capitalists and landowners want, at all costs, to keep the workers of different nations apart while the powers that be live splendidly together as shareholders in profitable concerns involving millions (such as the Lena Gold fields); Orthodox Christians and Jews, Russians and Germans, Poles and Ukrainians, everyone who possesses capital, exploit the workers of all nations in company.”

The SNP claim their battle is on a par with the Irish and Palestinian liberation struggles, which would be comical if the party didn’t oppress both grassroots movements! Scottish land was stolen by the Scottish bourgeois, Scottish children were starved by the Scottish bourgeois, and so forth. Not by an alien occupier like Israel or the British Army.

Rosa Luxembourg agreed with Lenin, adding that

“Under Capitalism, the slogan of national independence has no value”.

There is only one ideology which can liberate the proletariat from the shackles of Capitalism; Marxism Leninism. Nationalism will only liberate corporate elite’s trade deals, and plunge workers further into poverty and destitution.

Though the struggles are not even comparable, James Connolly full understood the need for a Socialist Republic, a united Socialist Republic of Ireland, and that if Capitalism reigned supreme, all his efforts and the efforts of future Socialist martyrs like Patsy O’Hara of INLA, would be in vain. Of course this unfortunately turned out the case.

 “England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs.”

No borders, no nations. One proletariat!