A Major Problem
A major problem with the Scottish independence movement is its refusal to positively engage with America.
After an interesting reaction to my using the image of Alex Salmond on X.com. A man who spent his life recruiting Scots to the cause of independence there was a little backlash. It seems I offended a few Scots so I decided to do a little thinking. The image I posted pays homage to a famous US recruitment poster (Which in turn is a homage to the “Lord Kitchener Wants You” poster). This poster recruited American men to fight Germany, then a colonial power during World War One and again against multiple Fascist, colonial regimes during World War Two
Everything in the image that I posted, the colours of blue, white, red and even stars (Google Douglas) are all things that appear throughout Scottish history. Even the original “Uncle Sam” character in the US poster was modelled on a man whose parents hailed from Greenock. Salmond was obviously the most recognisable Scottish component. There is nothing in that image that should have offended anyone but people didn’t like the American connection.
Some estimate 20 to 25 million Americans have Scottish heritage. At least 5 million know it according to various census reports. So why are we not taking the independence message to the biggest Scottish audience outside of Scotland? Now he may be bat shit crazy but President Trump’s mother was Scottish and his campaigning for the Nobel Peace Prize proves that he is looking for a legacy. So why hasn’t anyone suggested that legacy be Scottish independence?
Millions of MAGA supporters, many of them Scottish-American all wound up tightly, ready to be let loose on some mad mission could be cheering for Scotland. On the other side of their political landscape, Democrats again have millions of Scottish-Americans eager for a cause, an issue to get their teeth into and distract the US media from their failing leadership.
The Irish Diaspora worked for them, it got the US to use their influence over the British and Irish to give a negotiated peace that still holds today.
We need to know why isn’t any Scottish politician engaging with sympathetic US politicians or organisations? (BAP doesn’t count)
We must have positive and ongoing engagements with America to create the same kind of pressure from the US that has benefited Ireland and brought it closer to peaceful reunification. We cannot sit back and shake our heads because some think America is imperialistic, gun crazed and currently led by an Oompa Loompa. Scottish independence is the only thing that should matter and we should use every political resource we can to achieve it.