(en) AFed Scotland: Referendum rant from an immigrant

This is going to be a bit of a rant rather than a carefully crafted piece because I 
desperately need to get it off my chest. I haven?t written anything about the referendum 
yet and I haven?t weighed in much on lots of the discussions that friends and people 
around me are having (although I have been listening), because my frame of reference is 
different since I became an anarchist. I?m also not eligible to vote, because I?m not a UK 
citizen yet and am from the US, which isn?t a Commonwealth or EU country. If I were still 
a progressive Democrat like I was when I grew up, I would be excited about setting up a 
new capitalist representative democracy, which is of course what the actual question of 
the referendum asks if we want to do. It wasn?t until I started reading more and more 
about anarchist communism some years ago now that I decided that I thought they were right 
about representative capitalist democracy ? that we can?t use this system to change this 
system. Growing up and participating in election campaigns was like banging my head 
against a wall ? even if we won, the damn politicians we elected never seemed to be able 
to eliminate poverty or stop environmental exploitation. Now I think that?s because Lucy 
Parsons was right; we should ?never be deceived that the rich will permit you to vote away 
their wealth.? Poverty and white supremacy and patriarchy and environmental exploitation 
are about power. The people who control power are not going to relinquish it because we 
asked them politely. They never have previously and they aren?t suddenly going to start 
tomorrow. If we want change, we have to use methods that aren?t built into the system, 
methods that are directly democratic and collective and that threaten power.

A friend of mine involved in the Radical Independence Campaign last night was giddily 
excited about the referendum today. She talked about how amazing it is that all these 
people in Scotland are engaging in this discussion about what kind of society we want to 
live in, about a more equal society, a different system ? and I didn?t speak, because 
she?s so happy and I feel so frustrated. Because she?s very right about that in a way ? it 
is impressive that so many people in Scotland are having political discussions with their 
friends, are getting to know new people and talking to them about politics. It?s very 
frustrating that very little of that discussion is actually about what kind of society 
people want to live in ? it is mostly about what kind of state people want to live in. To 
me, as an anarchist communist, that?s a pretty big difference, a pretty serious boundary 
to the conversation. The discussion about independence has been about what kind of state 
people want to create. I don?t want to create a state and I?m not sure what to say when 
people ask me what kind of state I want to create. I see the possibilities of 
state-creation as limited, not unlimited. I?m not just anti-capitalist ? I?m also 
anti-representative-democracy and anti-state-socialism. I?m for direct democracy and 
libertarian socialism, and I don?t believe that we?re going to get either of those things 
by setting up capitalist states.

I think it?s pretty cool that 97% of Scotland is now registered to vote and that most 
eligible voters will be voting today. I think it demonstrates that people like to be asked 
questions directly. Lots of people get that representative democracy sucks and that it 
doesn?t make a difference who they vote for in elections, so they don?t vote. But when 
they?re asked directly what they think should happen, they show up. People occasionally 
claim that a more democratic society wouldn?t work because people don?t like constantly 
having to make decisions, but I think that?s rubbish. Decision-making is hard, but not 
having control of your own life is harder. A referendum isn?t direct democracy ? it?s a 
question framed by those in power offering a choice they are willing to give, which of 
course is why it?s a question I don?t even particularly want to answer, because what 
they?re willing to offer is another capitalist state. But I think it illustrates something 
about our potential for political engagement anyway.

What would be even better than 88% voter turnout is if all of the people who vote today 
because they want a better society, all of the people who voted yes for change, all of the 
people who spent hours campaigning for independence, were all out again on Friday, and 
Saturday, and Sunday, and all of the days after that, fighting for change. Because no 
change is actually going to happen unless we fight for it. Imagine if all of the people 
involved in the Yes campaign sat down with their colleagues and workmates and agreed a 
list of demands to present to the boss of things they want changed where they work.  In 
fact, imagine if they confronted all the bosses who are part of the Yes campaign right 
now!  Imagine if all of the people involved in the Yes campaign picketed every business 
and charity in Scotland still using workfare. Imagine if all of the people involved in the 
Yes campaign blockaded the UKBA/Home Office in Glasgow every time they wanted to take 
their van out to arrest and detain an asylum seeker during the next two years in which 
we?ll still be in the UK even if the Yes campaign wins.  Tomorrow I hope everyone who has 
so far been happy to campaign alongside the viciously cissexist Wings over Scotland 
because independence was more important than trans people will publicly demand that WOS 
publicly apologize for its previous cissexist comments.  I hope that all of the people 
with Green Yes in their profile picture on facebook posting about how Scotland can make 
millions of pounds from oil in the North Sea will stop being selfish idiots.  If all of 
those people stepped outside of the system, outside of charity and letters to your MSP and 
being politely consulted and then ignored, not to drop out but to fight, then an 
independent Scottish government would be quaking in its boots. Change happens because we 
make them change, because they?re worried about what will happen if they don?t change. I 
would be happy to see some of the reforms that people are talking about happen in an 
independent Scotland. But I know that they won?t happen unless we make society 
ungovernable without them.

Lots of people voting today in Scotland want a more equal society. How much more equal? 
How much inequality is okay? How many children in poverty is okay? How many adults? How 
many people sleeping rough? How many people on poverty wages? How many people working 
stupid, pointless, soul-crushing jobs, selling disposable crap? How many racist comments? 
How many hotels refusing black people beds for the night? How many catcalls on the street 
are okay? Do we want a society like Sweden or Norway? People are still poor and miserable 
there. Not as many people, maybe. But some people still are. Are we okay with that? Do we 
think that?s as good as it can get? I don?t. And today I won?t be voting for change, but I 
will still be organizing for it. And I hope that tomorrow, everyone who voted will be 
joining me, will be pouring their hopeful words into direct action, because that would be 
something to get excited about.

(and to the woman at the teachers? strike rally I went to a few years ago who asked me 
which politician I would be voting for, and when I said that I wouldn?t be voting, said to 
me that her grandmother had gone to prison for the vote and that she hopes I never teach 
her children ? while we stood together with our placards taking industrial action ? and in 
fact to everyone else who has ever ridden the high horse of a hollow bourgeois vote over 
direct action to try to make people who don?t care what colour tie their boss wears and 
who aren?t even allowed to vote feel guilty ? fuck you thoroughly.)

ps My image editing skills are a bit who-cares this morning but images are good for 
blogposts, so sorry about that.

Re-blogged from Edinburgh Anarchist Federation