In the past several years, I have written nearly 50-articles on the issue of Scotland voting for independence vote, which took place on September 18, 2014. Interestingly, during that timeframe, I wrote about the same number of articles addressing Myanmar/Burma independence movement away from that country's military dictatorship.

The Scottish independence movement lost by 10% of the votes cast to those that wanted to remain a part of the UK. While many Scots who wanted independence are mourning their recent loss, allow me to suggest that the future of a free Scotland is still alive and well. Having done a year of post-graduate work at the University of Edinburgh decades ago and recently returned for a month of research in Scotland prior to the vote, I have several insights that might address positively a yes vote in the near future.

Robert Burns

It was Robert Burns who wrote a famous poem in 1785 entitled, To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough. While most Americans do not know this not so famous title, they all know this famous line.

IZ quotes

Even though I lived in Scotland in the late 60s, I could not translate his words into present-day English. We have even edited the translation to an even more updated version, "The best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry." Nevertheless, Burns was correct and the Scots have had his warning for over 200 years. Therefore, let us look at what we can learn from the less than successful best-laid plans for Scottish independence.

1. The age and affluence of the voter works for the benefit of the next vote...especially the age issue. Those over the age of 55 and affluent were more for remaining within the UK. They and their parents recall in their memory of the glorious days of the British Empire.

The British Empire in 1922

However, times have changed. Scotland will soon change governance and the map. Presently, this is all that remains of the UK: Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England along with a bunch of islands and a part of the Antarctic. If Better Together, which was the Unionist's slogan, why did all the other countries exit the UK? Apparently, it was not better together for them.

What still remains of the British Empire

2. Nothing in life worth changing comes easily. There had been a vote for independence in 1979 that did pass, but the total number of voters was not enough to validate the vote. Change often takes time. America declared independence from England, and it took the American Revolution in 1776 and the War of 1812 finally to end the matter. There is always a next time.
3. This issue regarding the pound sterling was from an outsider's perspective the least best laid plan. The five-pound note is ironically of Bobby Burns and the famous mouse. Interestingly, the Clydesdale Bank issues this note, which has its headquarters in Glasgow, Scotland. Nonetheless, the pound is still behind all the money in the UK including the Scottish Clydesdale Bank. The next time Scotland votes for independence, Scotland will have to deal with dropping the pound.





Burns and the mouse

4. We have a saying in the States, "It is darkest before dawn." Saul Alinsky edited that saying, "We must believe that it is the darkest before the dawn of a beautiful new world. We will see it when we believe it." Scotland needs to believe it also.
5. David Cameron before the recent vote started talking about giving more home rule to Scotland. If I were a Scot, I would wonder it has taken Westminster to give home rule to Scotland. It is like saying, "Please don't go like all the rest of the empire. We will give you something if you stay."
6. Another issue for the Scots is that they need to work for another independence vote. Most of the polls that I have read mention that N. Ireland and Wales were watching what Scotland was doing. While presently, they are not for a complete break with the UK, they do want home rule to replace rule from Westminster. Scotland has had a glorious past as a leader; they have an equally important future as a leader.
7. Many of those leaders left Scotland over the centuries. Those Scots who left Scotland for other parts of the world have helped many other nations of the world. America is a good example of this. The United States has benefitted from many of the Scots who came to America and helped us devolve from England, Westminster, and the royal elitism of the first family.

Francis Hutcheson provided a philosophical basis for resisting English rule. Of the 56-signers of the Declaration of Independence, 19 of them were from Scotland or Ulster. That is a third of the signers. In addition, John Paul Jones was the father of our navy came from Scotland. There were other generals who were Scots: Henry Knox, William Alexander, and Hugh Mercer. Even though Thomas Jefferson and James Madison were not Scottish, their thoughts and ideas were informed by the Scots.

I promised a friend of mine in Glasgow, Doug Norris, that I would return again when Scotland became independent. I assumed that it would have been last month. However, "The best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry." Nonetheless, at 71-years of age, I still plan to return to a free Scotland in my lifetime. I am planning on it.

This video clip is Robert Burns' famous poem, To a Mouse, on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough.

Burmese independence flag

Visit the Burma Independence page to read more about this topic.

Scottish independence flag

Visit the Scottish Independence page to read more about this topic.

Darkest Before Dawn

Visit the Darkest Before Dawn page to read more about this topic.

10/27/14