I was in Glasgow over this week and am half Scottish myself hence my joining this group. I couldnt help but take an interest in the homecoming Robert Burns festival. This inspired me to read more about him as i was quite ignorant of his influences and was pleasantly surprised to learn he was an early humanist and socialist. How relevant is his work and input to modern scottish socialists?
My fucking teachers never shut up about him, his poems drive me up the wall lol
Robert burns has little if no relevance to people brought up in schemes and housing estates. The only relevance is that he liked a drink.....aside that i think Robert burns has little in common with wider society(particularly in Glasgow). Part of the problem is that Robert Burns is part of the whole biscuit tin nationalism that has very little to do with Glasgow city life. Perhaps if Burns could be removed from that fake image of scottish identity and viewd as the drunk that he was than perhaps more people could relate to him. In my opinon men like James Connoly and John Maclean and Steve Fullarton to name afew have more relvance to the people of scotland.
Oh come one. Burns was heavily influenced by the ideas of the enlightenment and the French Revolution. The same things that inspired Marx. Burns is just as relevant as ever in articulating feelings and struggles. It's his articulation in many of his songs and poems that allow people to feel motivated.
