Democracy is our greatest value. That’s what we are constantly told anyway. This value, where the people get a say in how their nation is run, is supposed to be the cornerstone of our culture. We have sent men to die in foreign lands for this value. It’s something we have invaded other nations to enforce upon them. The rule of the people. How noble.
The problem is, it’s nonsense. The people rarely get a real say, not if it might go against the government’s wishes. The government has its priorities, and the will of the people can take a long walk off a short pier for all they care. We never get a say on immigration, LGBT or trans issues. And now, “green” projects also barge through public opinion. I put green in quotes because these projects have no real environmental benefits.
The latest such scam is in Dumfries and Galloway. A 44-turbine wind farm proposal has been put forward, and the local council opposed it. Democracy is the will of the people. They didn’t want this, so the council opposed the plans. Luckily for developers, the SNP doesn’t care about democracy and the project was given the green light anyway. So, a green project where massive steel structures are built, trees are cleared, geotextiles are laid, views are ruined, the countryside is scarred, and habitats are disturbed. This is great for the environment.
The problem in Scotland (one of about 83) is that the SNP are dead set on achieving net zero targets. So, regardless of the environmental damage, they will push ahead with this stuff. And irrespective of public opinion. People don’t want their countryside ravaged like this. They don’t want solar farms and turbines all around them. And in our democratic society, well, that’s just tough.
Another similar issue is coming in the form of the new power lines being put in on the east coast of Scotland. These power lines will follow a similar path to the current lines, but the long-term goal is to “upgrade” these lines from 132kV (132,000 Volts) to 400kV lines. That’s wonderful, but this line is due to pass very near to several towns and even over the top of the small village of Padanaram. The people of Padanaram do not want this in their lives. They already have a set of lines running over their homes, but the government and SSE look set to double the voltage running over these people’s heads. Regardless of the damage, regardless of the EMF levels coming off the lines, regardless of public opinion, this plan is going forward.
This is the state of modern democracy. It’s not about giving people a choice; it’s about giving the illusion of choice. So, what is to be done? Well, people need to get off the internet, stop consuming content, stop expecting someone else to do the hard work and get active in local politics. Be the voice in your local community, champion issues like these, and be a leader for the people around you. Shout your opposition loud and kick up a fuss about this. This will only stop when we all get involved and voice our displeasure. Sitting on Twitter complaining or listening to another stream by some backbone-lacking e celeb will not fix this. Local politics and the numbers game are how we make a difference.
We must show people we are not a democracy and do not get a say. This is not an overnight operation and will not be a quick fix. It’s going to take time and, more importantly, effort. If we wait for someone else to step in and do it for us, if we let fear or laziness keep us quiet, we will have to endure more turbines, more power lines, more concreting of the countryside, more migration, more trans ideology in the schools, etc.
Get off the internet and get involved in your local community or parish councils. Do something and give us a chance. Or do nothing, and we will lose.
