Counting our blessings

I have just watched a party political broadcast on behalf of the Scottish Nationalist Party regarding the up coming vote on whether to become independent from the UK. It was an interesting piece claiming various advantages if they freed themselves of Whitehall. The counter claims come from spokes people for the government and the English Establishment who for various reasons wish to keep the United Kingdom, united. The debate is highly civilised and the use of the ballot box and not the gun is without question much more desirable than the rioting on the streets of cities in the Ukraine.
There are numerous struggles going on all over the world, the amateur street video feeds a picture of conflict on all continents, with neighbour violently attacking neighbour and the police seeming ineffectual unless they decide to turn their guns on the crowd. It all seems a world away from the Scottish debate and brings one again to acknowledge that we have many blessings to be thankful for living here on these islands. One often becomes irritated with political decisions, decisions that seem unfair or unjust but we have the ace in our hands, we can reverse the decision at the next election if sufficient people think the same way and, turn out to vote.
People argue that your vote is a useless thing since the political parties proffer a manifesto to get our vote but the manifesto is not binding and, in part is dropped when the reigns of power are handed over.
This is true and I for one would make the manifesto promise binding but what ever happens we don't see the mayhem or the bloodshed that seems to accompany political struggles elsewhere and for that, we count our blessings !!!