When I was 19, I remember the brief news-cycle of an Australian Republic vote perishing quicker than a forgotten beer on the shelf, till it was less than a blip and the banter of any referendum became relegated to the periphery of non-events. Arguments and debates might've gotten heated over a bbq, mainly to save-face and not much more, because deep-down, even if most Aussies wanted Independence and knew it to be right, we didn't really feel it deep in our bones. We'd have less access to International Cricket games, possibly a tougher time getting a work visa in the commonwealth and of course the obvious affront to centuries of steeped tradition. When it comes to institutions it's that T word that I rarely support, because it's almost always a justification for the most powerfully corrupt and superstitious to corral the herd into violence and oppression of the weakest through fear. This was about mediocrity. We were more bored than fearful, and our tradition was something capable of being casually disposed of. A thriving economy wasn't dependent on unity and our sovereignty is being able to call someone a wanker without them getting offended. In spite of the lack of risk, that 'Yes' or 'No' vote never came to fruition, perhaps because there was no plausible trump-card the media could use to leverage the public into maintaining the status quo.
Scotland seemingly had everything to lose yesterday, but could've gained back the world - or at least their small chunk of it. Retirement funds would no longer be denominated in the mighty pound and transnational corporations were threatening to hightail back to England as the sky's crashed into apocalypse. But where was the optimism - the brains behind the emerging cryptocurrencies and its green energy innovation? Yesterday's prevailing 'No' vote will surely set the tone
for fresh and interesting jobs worldwide though; media consulting, think tanks
and anyone well-versed in proliferating despair to those most vulnerable
to it. Sadder than the Independence vote itself was what it represented, as a coup for disinformation and certifiable proof that those in-charge can have their cake and eat it! At it's heart, this was genuine democracy - something that was killed and died for and smugly rebuffed through centuries before it was peacefully voted on. The conversation was comfortably nestled in the mainstream of news and chit-chat, but it would never part with the tools to help its participants make an informed decision. In a similar vein to Vladimir Putin's 'Nashi's' or the billionaire-funded Tea Party in America, the modern day revolution looks a bit like moshing out to government approved Rock n' Roll. The powerful have figured out the chords and learned to play to the disenfranchised to emulate grass-roots movements, where instead of protesting injustice we turn inward to patriotism and fervently rally against our better interests. Change is the perceived enemy in the crosshairs and the necessary breakdown of the establishments that imperil us and strive for nothing more than their own survival are the better-devils we know. At the least, a precedential message has been set for more governments and dictatorships to follow around the world; give em' a little fear and let them fight freely to defend it.
