Scottish Libertarianism.. my thoughts..
(Ah'll skreeve thys iyn hInglish..)
Hello, I'm Dava, 44yo from Dumbarton,, Dumbarton 'State' Capital of Strathclyde, but I'll come back to that later..I'm Center-Left SNP lifelong voter, I also vote Scottish Greens, but I also have a few center-right Libertarian views I would like to share with yous today, if that's okay..
Firstly, my impression of American Libertarianism is that; it's far too extreme for Scotland. My view of Scotland's right wing history is that we are traditionally more Libertarian than Conservatist Capitalist.. morality is derived for Governments from very few things, lack of corruption, willingness to provide to the weakest and no attempts to steal from other countries (land/resources). Remove any of these and you get Imperialism.. Communism equally as bad but functions differently.. both are watered down fascism.
5 'moral' Styles of Government, each just trying to provide a solution to a problem.. Marxist Socialism, European Socialism, Liberalism, Libertarianism, Conservatist Capitalism.. none are innately 'evil'..
And so long as they provide for the sick, disabled and elderly, can claim this morality for themselves.. and why is such a morality important? .. A party *must* qualify itself in the public's eye as moral to achieve government.. Libertarians in general (but especially American Libertarians) are revulsed by the idea of having some of their income go towards a person who hasn't earned it..but with most if not all systems of improvement.. you gotta pay your dues .. and to become a government the Scottish Libertarians must, I feel, do likewise, those dues being providing for the sick, disabled and elderly. I see the Scottish Libertarians as the de facto replacement for the Scottish Tories in a independent Scotland.. but I will warn this, you will never achieve government if you are perceived to be like them; imperialist and immoral. So then you would need to provide a 'lesser welfare state' for that group of three above.
Not to punish people because they.. can't. But to punish those because they won't.
I think you will agree there is an ocean of difference between can't and won't. Especially when it comes to morality.
Let's switch this up a bit..
Independence for Scotland is the intelligent option.. the passionate option.. but what society would we build?
Land Ownership
I would like to see a day in a independent Scotland where.. you wouldn't need planning permission to build on your own land.. sure sure.. if you are going to SELL or RENT that land you must knock down any structures you made yourself.. so we don't get slumb landlording..but if it is for you and your family.. I don't see why we need all those permits and fees. For house building.. I would like to see.. government pre-approved licencing for pre-fab builders.. much like taxi drivers need a badge, prefab companies would need a licence from the government an inspector from the government comes and checks the work after it is finished and if it is not up to code then the prefab company pays to fix any code problems..
Think about how liberating it would be for the individual! .. no permits. no extra fees/taxes.
Firstly we must claim back the land for the people, especially in light of Scotland's history and the Highland Clearances.. I don't think any party that supports Scottish independence also opposes the land reformation proposals (lead by the SNP).
I feel I have a very Libertarian outlook on land ownership. Our land for our citizens, empowering us to have families .. as many children as we want (as you will know we have a population crisis in Scotland).. we need more children.
Currently we have 230k shoeboxes. shoebox with a light bulb. It's shameful.. that we claim to be a western country, but have such dollhouses for homes. I would like to see a Libertarian government force builders to give value for money.. as currently, its nothing short of a tragic 230k joke. (click link)
War
I agree with 'No intervention, without provocation.' This I feel is very on piste with Libertarian values of war.
I agree with troops having money spent on them.. they shouldn't be hungry or needlessly tired in the field.. but why the flip are they there in the first place??.. lives being risked and all that money is being wasted to profit Westminster's weapon manuf. chums. 120 years of the English (and Americans) going to the Middle East/Iraq and stealing their stuff. killing their children and branding the arabs terrorists.
SNP policies I disagree with..
I see Scottish Libertarians being vocal about the free speech vs hate speech.. I personally, do not agree with the SNP hate speech bill and value free speech to a much higher degree.
Removal of our 'states'.. in 2014 the SNP disbanded our Scottish states .. it was a widely unpopular policy, and even SNP supporters hated it.. But to be fair to the SNP, they had to do it this way because the Tories were strangling the budget due to the ghost story that is 'austerity'..not 100% their fault, but still.. unpopular.
Scottish Green policies I wish were true..
The Scottish Greens are I feel a moral party.. but they bang on about the environment, which is important, without thinking about the average person.
If the Scottish Green were to provide free electricity to all of Scotland's citizens via green means.. then who could care how the electricity is generated? We stop getting a say because we no longer pay for it.. and so then they could generate that electricity via green means and the average citizen wouldn't have to care.
This would be for private citizens only and not businesses.
Libertarianism and Welfare State..
This is a double edged sword.. on one hand.. no one should die because of money.. as money is just an idea and human life must always.. always be valued more than ideas. On the other side.. money is how we reward those in our society for the value of their work.
Any party that comes into government inherits the unemployment of the last government..
I find it totally irresponsible for a party to immaturely just throw up their hands and say to some unemployed person; that's not our problem that's just your problem..
So if there were a Scottish Libertarian Government.. it shouldn't I feel be about punishing those who suddenly just found out they might starve to death under a Libertarian government.. I don't know what that system might be.. but there must be a better option, more suited to Scotland.. perhaps government labouring jobs.. not 'chain gang' prisoner style, but honest pay for honest work. +10% on minimum wage per hour..?
Free dental, medical.. the NHS.. the idea the Scottish Libertarians will dismantle the NHS is a bit like poking a lion with a stick.. it's not wise and the amount of savage backlash from the Scottish electorate on dismantling this treasured institution .. might leave the Scottish Libertarians wishing there was a NHS to mend those wounds..especially after this pandemic and the heroic efforts of said NHS.
Ultimately..
Ultimately..I feel there are many lions in Scotland they shouldn't be poking with sticks.. maybe the idea Nye Bevan had.. fitting Socialism into a Capitalist/Imperialist structure, making it palatable for the electorate.. but in this case.. fitting (a watered down) Libertarianism into a European Socialist structure.. giving Scotland the right wing option of a party that financially, due to the money on war going directly to banking and industry/free market (for personal small loans to start businesses and enabling the free market* more) has a Libertarian outlook.. but won't go around poking lions with sticks.
peace
Dava
