Demography, democracy, and destiny

[wemyss]

[Why the Scottish Enlightenment failed in Scotland.]
I am writing this twelve hours prior to the expected declaration of the results of the Scottish Referendum. I have imposed political purdah on myself for this time, even to the extent of replying to comments on posts which were put up prior to polling day. What I am meditating here is principle: general considerations not specific to this vote.

I

Comments

[steepholm]

the social and demographic state of Scotland which has rendered it, for all its population, unpopulous, bereft of any middling shock-absorber between the urban proletariat, the payroll vote, and the scattered crofters and farmers and fishers: a land in which, owing to the settlement pattern which has emerged through a succession of accidents and misfortunes, cities and merkat burghs do not perform their functions of abrading tribalism, integrating groups, civilising manners, and broadening horizons, and in which at the same time there is not sufficient of a small-‘c’ conservative countryside interest to act as a brake upon the political irruptions of imperfectly socialised and bitterly impoverished urban tribalists.

As you know, our political views are very much opposed (except when they're not), but thank you for this penetrating essay, of which I found the passage above the most illuminating.

It's very kind of you to say so.

[wemyss]

I am as aye greatly obliged.

[17catherines]

Commenting solely to say how interesting I find this analysis - my knowledge of Scottish history stops just after the Jacobite Rebellions, and this sort of social history (if that is the right word) is totally unknown to me.