As we approach Christmas in these increasingly Dickensian times of Austerity, it would be very easy for us to fall into the approach presented by the Westminster Governments Grinch or Scrooge like attitude.
To Hell with Tiny Tims, Let the Poorest starve,Show no compassion for anyone but those who are deemed to be productive for the Free Market economy, To make the 60% of the Country who are now in or at the cusps of being below the poverty line survive as best they can on reduced rations,or simply die.
I do not believe for one moment that the people of Scotland accept such a view normally, never mind at Christmas time. Yet we are all subject to whatever Westminster decrees, and can only do what little we can to help shelter those most struck by this approach,and firmly believe that a Scotland free to choose its own path would not do what is being done, but rather the very opposite.
We will yet be given the chance to shape our own path and our own Social policies with the means to make our own lives, our children’s lives, our communities lives, and our national life much better and fairer, but not this Christmas time..Right now we are stuck roped into what we have,and can do nothing to alter that bleak fact of life, until 2014.
It does not prevent us however, from showing the real gifts that we have for each other this Christmas,and they cannot be taken away from us by measures of austerity, or any other brutally unfair economic and immoral measures. We have these gifts to give and make life a bit more hopeful for those who are struggling the most, and there is nothing to stop us from giving them. Not even the Red,Yellow and Blue Tories of Westminster can stop us, economic leverage or not!
I won’t be having any tree, any decorations, nor sending any cards, or spending any money I do not have on presents for anyone this Christmas. I have already done my Christmas Shopping, and here it is.
This is my Christmas Card and present to All of You, and to All the people of Scotland and the World.
I believe it represent the very Best of what I have to give you, and what I hope that my country Scotland can give to the peoples of the world when we are finally free again as a Nation to do so.
The Gifts of Christmas
The gifts of Christmas,are not wrapped in coloured paper
and they can be given and received at any time
They cost the sum of nothing, only the willingness to give them
and for you to gratefully receive from what is mine
They are not meant for, but a moment,a day, or yet a season
nor disdained because you really wanted more
They are meant to last forever, or as long as you may give them
with no cost to you, but acceptance on that score
You wont find them in some gadget, or an erstwhile great possession
You wont find them by shopping in the stores
These gifts they have no price tag,and you can never buy them
They are more precious than any diamond, Oil or Ore
They belong to no religion, or the world economies of politicians
You wont find them in any market, or merchant bank
You may queue for ever,and still yet,you will find them never
No matter whatever, your Royalty, or Rank
They are free for you to find them, everyone has them inside them
The Gifts of Love, Forgiveness, Peace and Hope
The Gift of Time to spend them, Compassion’s Gift to give them
And wrap them up with your Kindness tinselled rope.
Rod Macfarlane
Auld Acquaintance 
Thank you Rod, I wish you the best, (trite as that may sound, i really do mean it) for the coming year, and also thank you for the time you have given us all via your blogs that I have read and reread many times this past year.
Tony
Thank you Tony.
And may I wish you all the very best too, and thanks for reading my efforts in pushing the debate forwards.
it would be nice, if everyone performed atleast one act of kindness this xmas, not sure what mine will be yet, will have to give it some thought. Hopefully though in doing so it will lead to other good deeds in the coming year and beyond. Things may have been tough this year, but i think worse is coming. Individually i dont think i can make a huge difference but I want to try, and if alot of individuals start helping others, then we may begin to see change. merry christmas =)
Good for you Margaret, and It’s good to see that sort of spirit, in what unfortunately is about to become very bleak times indeed.
I hope you have a wonderful Christmas, and lets all make sure that we change things..If not next year,certainly in 2014.
Hi there,
Received with thanks and returned in equal measure, in a good way.
I sincerely hope you also find more material advantage in the New Year.
Regards,
Thanks Rab…and whilst I certainly am not confident of the state of things in the New Year… We can at least try to keep our spirits up..
One of the articles I have in the pipeline..paints a picture that I don’t think anyone will want to see. I am just researching it at the moment.
Thnak you Rod for TWO presents.
Present number ONE………your excellent site. I hope you continue to produce as excellent articles in the future as you have done so to date. 😀
Present number TWO…….the excellent poem. The whole poem, in my view, just sums up what Christmas has become.
In my view Christmas lost its TRUE meaning a LONG LONG time ago. Christmas is ALL about commercialisation of the holiday and NOT about the TRUE Christian meaning of Christmas. I am not a church going member of any religion but I DO understand the TRUE meaning of Christmas and today’s enviroment actually sickens me. Christmas these days is all about the “I want” society not about the “I would like PLEASE” society. There is far too many people DEMANDING this and that for Christmas and when they don’t get what THEY want all hell breaks lose. This is NOT what Christmas is all about.
We, as a society, need to remember the TRUE meaning of Christmas. We need to return the Christmas holidays BACK to why they are here, to remember the birth of one very special person. I am, as I said, not a member of any church nor am I a “bible thumper”, if I were to be honest I think “bible thumpers” can actually turn people OFF Christianity but that’s another discussion. 😀
I think we need to “kill” the commercialistaion of Chrisatmas. Why have we, as a society, allowed Christmas to get this point of OVER commercialistaion I wonder.
Apologies for my rant.
You are most welcome sir, and your contributions have been very much appreciated.
I am glad you liked the presents 🙂
And yes, I will continue until at least the end of 2014, provided I don’t suffer any terminal mishap along the way.
As for my Christmas poem..You may note that I refer to Christmas not belonging to any religion. The reason I say this…Is that I mean not only the Christian perspective of Christmas applies. The season and festivals of Christmas pre dated Christianity.
And in effect, the purer motives and meanings of Christmas belong to the whole of humanity.
In the Roman festival of Saturnalia(which Christmas replaced) the servants were served by the masters for a day.
I believe that irrespective of Belief or non Belief, the deeper meanings of Social Justice is imprinted in the Scottish psyche.. Although we in Scotland didn’t celebrate Christmas but rather Hogmanay,when in some areas gifts were given and received..It is really only since the commercialism of Christmas, that avarice, greed,gluttony and over excess has beset it.
Unfortunately since the 1970’s and when Thatcherite values took over,both with Tory and Labour British governments, the follies of this commercial Christmas we have, of greed, selfishness, and unrealistic levels of debt which accompanies it, has become reflective of the state of the UK today..
Before Scotland gets entirely sucked up in it, we have to get back to proper perspective, and the sort of society which Scots still aspire to, with Social justice values, aspiration for individual and societal betterment, and opportunities for those who wish to have them,to better their education, take care of our health, and provide security for our elderly, along with hope for our children. Irrespective of accident of birth or accumulated personal wealth.
To continue to allow ourselves to be run by a Nightmare Christmas State, is beyond horror in my opinion.
Thus my use of the combination of this article and this poem Is reflective of not just the season, but also the political reality of where we are, and a reminder of the basic human priorities and values we need to reclaim, for Christmas and for Scottish society.
But over riding all of that…Is my personal good wishes for all of you, and a hope for the very best that you may wish for yourselves, this Christmas.
P.s
As a former Church minister for 13 years, I naturally appreciate that Christians have their own unique perspective of what the season means to them.
I merely extend my wishes to be inclusive of all.
Irrespective of Belief, Colour or nationality. We are all Jock Tamsons Bairns.
This girl did see that you kept Christmas a a-religious.
I do acknolwedge your greater knowledge in this area but I do remember in my dim and distant memory hearing about how some pagan festival (apologies to any pagans reading this I am rather ignorant of all things religious) that had been “hijacked” by Christianity in the very dim and very distant past.
To me Christmas should NOT be about all the GREED and WANTING/DEMANDING that goes on over the “alleged” festive period. I say “alleged” because with all the greed and demands that go on over this period I can not actually accept it as a FESTIVE period. I agree wholeheartedly with your comments about the 1970’s. Thatcher and the rest effectively killed off any idea people had of what Christmas was SUPPOSED to be about and introduced everyone to commercialisation. I hate commercialisation at ANY time of but particularly at Christmas.
I guess I’m just getting old and am hanging on to when I was a kid. Yes folks believe it or not I too was once a wee kid, not so’s you’d know it these days though. 😀
Woops…..I believe I called you Sir!! My profound apologies!
Such are the pitfalls of addressing someone called Arbroath 🙂
No problems I picked Arb 1320 when I first started putting up posts, thought it was a good idea at the time. 😀
I didn’t want anyone getting the idea that I was anyone who thought being better together was a GOOD idea. Unfortunately it can as you say lead to a few “interesting” moments! 😀
Don’t worry I’m getting used to it by now so no harm done. 😀
My thanks for your good wishes and for a most informative blog.
While there is very, very little I can do to help your good self I could afford a small subscription to your site but can’t see any way to do it. Advice please.
To you and yours nothing but good wishes for health and happiness.
Very many thanks Indeed Boorach…How most kind and thoughtful of you.
Even the suggestion of such support is a massive encouragement to me. So thank you!
Fortunately I have no expense outlay in maintaining the site as It is provided free by those kindly people at WordPress, Otherwise I would not be able to write my articles.
Thus there is no subscription or method of voluntary donation required and no payment button.
It is payment enough for me in any case to know that people appreciate my efforts on behalf of an Independent Scotland and gives me huge encouragement for the times when I am feeling low or downhearted to carry on.
A very happy Christmas to you, and a prosperous and fulfilling new year.
Rod, Again I wish to thank you very much for your best wishes. The day I read and replied, I attended an interview, the first in a very long time. I got the job 🙂
I had been unemployed here in Edinburgh, since 2010… So I wanted to thank you very much , because I am sure somehow you helped me. I really hope things start to look up for you as well, and look forward to reading your work for a long time to come yet.
Regards,
Tony
Great News Tony!!! I am so glad to hear it!!
Well done have a Christmas and New Year to really look forward to.