30th anniversary of the miners strike, the most sustained attack on the working class in the 21st century. Hundreds of thousands of families had their livelihoods destroyed; thousands of communities decimated and one of the biggest shifts of wealth since the Second World War. It was the start of the dismantling of heavy industry in Britain, the only obstacle to free market capitalism and a service economy. It was a necessary change for the better they said. For who exactly? People transfixed by greed and self interest? The legacy of this necessary change? 220000 children, thats one in five, living in poverty in Scotland alone; 2.32 million people unemployed; the banking crisis and ensuing austerity cuts; 100 times more people using food banks than in 2005... The list goes on and on, and on. Even though Thatcher is six feet under, Thatcherism still plagues the UK. Young people being forced to work for their dole money and ATOS delivering letters to the disabled and terminally ill, telling them they are fit to work. While the wealth gap keeps getting bigger, with 60% of austerity cuts still to come, we have got to ask ourselves is this really the best we can ask for? That is the exact question Scotland should be asking itself on the 18th of September. The miners knew what they were fighting for in 1984. They werent just fighting for their own jobs or their own livelihood, they were fighting for the jobs and livelihoods of the next generation(s). This is exactly how our vote on independence should be viewed. It isnt just about you and whether you can afford the luxuries in life, it is about giving your children and grandchildren the best possible chance to succeed.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 08:50:24 +0000
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