There’s a reason why Nick Griffin used “Identity” as the title of the BNP magazine. The word is a major force in fascism because the notion that a national, regional, cultural or religious identity is under threat from traitors and outsiders is really all they’ve got. Some call it patriotism, some nationalism, but it’s the Road to Hell no matter what it’s called.
My neighbour is a nice guy, but the first question he asked me when we moved into our house was I support Celtic or Rangers. The obvious real matter was whether I’m Catholic or Protestant. In fact I’m neither, and was able to tell him I have no time for either of the Old Firm, but the very fact that this is such an important question for so many people living in Scotland is evidence that there’s no such thing as a Scottish identity. Sure, there are lots of clichés, usually involving whisky, kilts and bagpipes, but there’s no common principle linking all the people together. There’s no reason why anybody should care whether I’m a Billy, a Dan or an auld tin can, but folk certainly do care, and many will put others into either the “friend” or “foe” category as a consequence.
On social media, some claim that Scottish values are different from English ones. I certainly hope that Reform UK don’t do as well in Scotland as they did the other week in the Soothron, but opinion polls tell us that – in terms of voting intentions – they are the third most popular party in Scotland at present behind the SNP and Labour. Since Labour and the Conservatives are vying with Reform to try to attract racist votes, it’s arguable that 50% of voters here are planning to put an X next to the name of a candidate who is relying on racial prejudice – and very probably other prejudices as well – in next year’s Holyrood election.
If we accept – and I for one don’t – that Labour is a left wing Party -Scotland returns more left wingers – or at least fewer right wing extremists – than England, but it’s not because of anything in the water or the blood. England’s population is much more multicultural, which gives rise to more racism among the terminally gullible among the white working class, who are prepared to give credence to the myth that non-white immigrants get preferential treatment with regard to jobs, housing etc.
If Scottish values were really a thing, would they be represented by the Wee Wee Frees? By TERFs? By Wings Over Scotland?
The values that many folk like to claim as Scottish are the ones that see Steven Yaxley-Lennon getting a face full of milk shake, or Trump being called a cunt by Janey Godley, but they are no more representative of Scotland than Orange marches, kids fighting on the beach at Irvine or footballers being hit with flying plastic seats. I’ve seen claims that the organised crime groups currently in the news for burning houses down in Glasgow, East Kilbride and Edinburgh are really English. I know it’s not unknown for England to get the blame – often justifiably – for Scotland’s woes, but we do have to accept that – if there were such a thing as Scottish identity – it wouldn’t necessarily be represented by open-mindedness, kindness, inclusion and all the other values that we love and admire.
In summary, there’s no Scottish identity just as there’s no English, French, Welsh, American or African identity, which means that there’s also no reason to try and defend something that doesn’t actually exist from anybody not trying to threaten or change it. That way fascism, pogroms, ethnic cleansing and genocide lie.
Huifs Ower Scotland 