The older I get the less I want to linger around abstract thought but it is needed to get at the root of our political situation. The centuries old static power relations are still very much at the heart of our western “civilisation”, the rich get richer and the poor get poorer or driven to suicide. The dynamic has a static element  too. There are finite types of agents of change workers, peasants students eg  There are alliances and/or potential alliances. Yet, one of the important aspects of the movement on the ground is that it monitors how bad things are becoming. It is very much an unheard voice that genuine democrats must push  it to the fore. This is the context of all protest.

Here in Scotland the polarisation of classes is expressed as a national question as the Tories move further to the right, the Scottish National party gains ascendancy .  This is the fundamental reason that the Labour party has little future in Scotland as it cannot break this  unionist  tie with the Tories, at least at present. I for one never expected Jeremy Corbyn to rise to ranks of leadership so I am not sure of what twist and turns we can get from the Scottish Labour party.  The run up to a second referendum on Scottish independence will be perhaps their final test as a viable entity in Scottish politics. In  the meantime, the battle for democracy will rage.