Monday 22 September 2014

They are the 44.7

I was a little baffled by the #weare45 hashtag that has lately been popular. I gradually realised that it was something to do with Scottish independence.

I was mildly in favour of Scottish independence - being a strong supporter of independence for Mid Anglia myself - a nation that, like the Hwicce, was cruelly colonised by the Mercians in the Dark Ages. But I didn't twig that the hashtag was to do with this, as after all the "Yes" vote was 44.7%. I guess it's been rounded up to save characters, and also because decimal points don't work in hashtags.

But, as I say, I didn't make that connection for a while. When I realised that it was to do with Scotland, I naturally thought it was an allusion to the '45 rebellion of Charles Stuart.

A popular movement that celebrated its successes too early, over-reached itself and ending up in failure. The leader of the movement, of course, gave up after the defeat and never took an active part in the life of Scotland again.

I'm not sure that's a good image to conjure, that's all.

2 comments :

  1. Actually, it should be 4 not 45, as only 4% of the UK voted for secession.

    I interpreted "We are 45" as a movement for people with a mid-life crisis, a sort of reaction against the culture of yoof.

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  2. Spot on, except that this leader is still being rather busy...

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