The Psyche of the Mob

With his sneering tone and
tactics of grievance and divisiveness
Alex Salmond has played to the mob
without care for the consequences

While from the midst of the crowd
it might seem both passionate and exciting
those forced to face it
see only what is ugly and frightening

The Yes campaign have actively
used the mob and its mentality
on the streets and the internet
and in TV studios and debating halls

Nationalists have always known
the power of the psyche of the mob
to silence and intimidate
and to strike fear into opponents

So it has been in Scotland
over the course of the last year
when to say you favour the Union
has meant being portrayed as defeatist and unpatriotic

For the Nationalists’ cause
they must play as ‘Team Scotland’
and their opponents as the ‘Others’
– to be derided or dismissed

To stand up for ‘No’ you have had to
face a baying mob, or the twisted anger
of an activist shouting in your face
‘explaining’ why you should not speak

The mob has spread fear
amongst those who might speak out
with SNP puppeteers
playing them for fools

Not all Yes voters are part of that mob, nor even nationalists,
yet like it or not, they have aligned with both of these,
depending for success on their noise
as well as their cynical divisiveness.