Alex Salmond Dictator-Comparison Bingo!
It won’t have come as any surprise to SNP supporters that the media – the same one that devoted hundreds of column inches to misrepresenting Joan McAlpine’s “anti-Scottish” comments on Twitter – was today absolutely silent on Labour MP Denis McShane’s comparison of Alex Salmond to Serbian war criminal Slobodan Milosevic.
MacShane, who voted in favour of the Iraq War, hasn’t deleted the tweet, despite a storm of protest on Twitter. But he’s only the latest in a long line of Unionist politicians to compare Scotland’s democratically elected First Minister (who as far as we know isn’t implicated in a single death) to murderous genocidal dictators.
Labour in particular are fond of crying about the nasty cybernat “bullies” who occasionally call Labour politicians names online, but those are pseudonymous internet users with not a shred of evidence that any of them are members of – or even vote for – the SNP. We’re not aware of any elected Nat representative or even pro-independence journalist ever having likened Gordon Brown or Tony Blair or Ed Miliband to Hitler, but the brave defenders of the Union have no such scruples. MacShane is merely the latest in a long and ignoble line, so we thought it’d be a good idea to keep track and see if we can get a full house.
1. Slobodan Milosevic? YES. (Denis MacShane, Labour MP)
2. Benito Mussolini? YES. (Lord Foulkes, Labour peer)
3. Adolf Hitler? YES. (Tom Harris, Labour MP)
4. Adolf Hitler (again)? YES. (Ann Moffat, Labour MP)
5. Adolf Hitler (again)? YES. (David Starkey, Conservative historian)
6. Joseph Stalin? YES. (Alan Cochrane, the Telegraph)
7. Robert Mugabe? YES. (Lord Cormack, Conservative peer)
8. Robert Mugabe (again)? YES. (Jeremy Paxman, BBC)
9. Kim Jong-Il? YES. (Lord Forsyth, Conservative peer)
10. Caligula? YES. (John Macleod, the Times)
11. Nicolae Ceausescu? YES. (Neil Collins, the Financial Times)
12. Genghis Khan? YES. (Kevin McKenna, the Observer)
13. Nero? YES. (Annabel Goldie, Conservative MSP)
Not a bad start, but there are a few missing. Can you help us fill in the blanks?
Pol Pot? NO. (So far we’ve only got an unnamed blogger for this one.)
Chairman Mao? NO. (Well, sort of. We do get an oblique comparison from David Thomas in the Daily Mail’s stark-raving-bonkers “Right Minds” ward.)
Ayatollah Khomeini? NO. (But we do get a dig to that effect from Ming Campbell, former Lib Dem leader, albeit grudgingly retracted later in the quote.)
Napoleon? NO. (We’re down to comment-thread loonies now.)
General Franco? NO. (Again, just some demented Rangers nutjob. No apparent reason for the comparison can be seen.)
Idi Amin? NO. (A surprising omission, surely, given Amin’s infamous status as “The Last King Of Scotland”. Give it time.)
Saddam Hussein? NO. (Perhaps too raw a nerve for Labour, this one.)
Darth Vader? NO. (Nothing yet. Someone’s slacking.)
Keep your eyes peeled, readers. All sightings welcomed – we’ll fill that card up yet.
Smear and sneer campaigns from unionists will get worse over time. However these smears make the people doing it look silly. I hope many are able to see through the political posturing. As if Scotland does not vote for independence, westminister will lay waste to Scotland like never before.
I don't want to see this happen. I grew up under Thatcher and what will come toward us will be much worse.
This is an imbalance that can only be allowed to happen thanks to the completely biased media, especially from the BBC who is expected to do better. It cannot be stressed enough to everyone that they are only getting one side of the story from the media, which seems to be all out to poison the independance movement even if they have to stoop to the very depths.
Labour in Scotland seem to be untouchable from any media scrunity thanks to the media protection (again, including the BBC). Things that would lead to the SNP or others being hauled over the coals are quietly ignored or swept under the carpet. Catch the SNP doing this and you can be sure of a week of "SNP accused…" headlines. I doubt even the unionsts could deny that with a straight face.
Similar bias distorting of the true situation and balance of events is going on elsewhere and with other parties too, of course. All heavily in favour of the unionist stable.
Love the bingo idea, BTW. Got a laugh out of me. I'm tempted to go hunting or remember to keep an eye out to complete the set. It's early days yet though. I can see this being updated as we get closer to the day.
@Jen
I agree. My biggest fear is the power and reach of the biased media. Too many people trust what the papers tell them (sometimes harvesting their opinions and simply repeating them as their own and as fact) and especially so with the BBC who have carefully cultivated the air of neutrality and trustworthiness with the public, even when it flies in the face of reality like with this blog update's examples.
Jen, take heart. If it happens like that, it will not last long.
If the vote goes against indepedence, that will be because too many voters will have fallen for Labour's "vote no and we'll give you devo max (or something anyway trust us) afterwards" riff. When that doesn't happen, maybe starting in May 2015 if Cameron wins a second term, there is an answer.
Before the Scottish parliament, the SNP's line was, vote for us for independence. They only introduced the referendum concept for the sake of democracy, and acknowledging that people vote for all sorts of reasons at an election. Even then, you heard Tavish. You don't need a referendum, if you want independence just vote SNP.
The SNP can turn any election it likes into a straight referendum on independence. If we do get royally shafted, would you bet on them losing?
This is hysterical. In both senses of the word.
Cracking stuff, forensic dissection of the Britnats and their increasing hysteria is the best medicine. Great work you're doing, and your blog is a fantastic aid in cutting pop-eyed Unionists down to size.
I spotted Idi digs on the hootsmon "remember what happened to last person who claimed to be the King of Scotland"
But no points cause not a politician (or even sane)
Alex Salmond is like beknighted Fred Goodwin according to Johann Lamont –
<A HREF=http://www.scottishlabour.org.uk/alex-salmond-is-the-fred-goodwin-of-scottish-politics>Alex Salmond is the Fred Goodwin of Scottish Politics</A>
Scottish Labour
02 Jan 2012
Not a bad start, but there are a few missing. Can you help us fill in the blanks?
Fidel Castro – Ex-Communist Dictator who believed that 16 – 17 year olds getting the vote was a good thing.
Kim Jong-Un – North Korean (to be) Demi-god – also believes 16 – 17 year olds having the vote is a good thing.
Hope these help.
Marshall Pétain?
Newspeak version
Infamous LibDem comparison to Salmond as arab dictator after Quatar visit:
link to thecourier.co.uk
Do we have a Thatcher yet?
Margaret Thatcher
sorry I am slow today
I've got South Eastern Europe for my line – got Ceaucescu and Milosovic – just need Tito and then I win!
Fidel Castro – Ex-Communist Dictator who believed that 16 – 17 year olds getting the vote was a good thing.
Kim Jong-Un – North Korean (to be) Demi-god – also believes 16 – 17 year olds having the vote is a good thing.
Nick Clegg- who also supports 16 and 17 years having the vote
Ed Miliband,Margaret Curran,wullie Bain,Jim Murphy,Douglas Alexander,or Anas Sarwar,all who believe that 16 – 17 year olds having the vote is a good thing(when it suits them of course)
No Osama Bin Laden, Guy Fawkes, goebels, Hoxa, Honeker, Pinochet, Evita Peron, Castro . . . ? This game could go on and on.
The Kaiser?
Sometimes I wonder why the English are so upset about a referendum in Scotland. I am Norwegian and we have had quite a lot of referendums. We voted twice to leave unions – first in 1814 to leave a 500 year "marriage" with Denmark and then in 1905 to break up with Sweden. The last one nearly ended with war, but didn't.
Then, of course, we were about to be seduced by the wonders of EU and along came a new offer to join a union again (Do politicians never learn?). But a referendum in 1973 turned down the offer, though it was a close call (51/49). In 1994, after years of negotiations with EU and one of the most generous treaties the world has ever seen, the government tried again.
The Norwegian "unionists" went on in the same way as Westminster is doing to Scotland ,threats, smearing and doomsday scenarios. We were all to live in misery and agony, homeless,unemployed and penningless, at the frozen fringes of Europe.
Norway said no, the unionists suffered in silence and businesses remained in Norway instead of flagging out to Bonga Bonga and elsewhere. Armaggedon did not happen,we got access to the free market, kept full national control over natural resources-fish,oil/gas and renewable enegy – and independence seems to work quite well.
It might work differently for Scotland, but it is hard – at least for a Norwegian- to understand why Scotland should remain in a union that does not work and never has. EU would be most happy to keep independent Scotland as member, while no body would cry to see UK leave the EU and establish a banana republic around City of London.
But the most important benefit with independence- freedom to make your own choices. There is nothing like it- go for it and welcome to the society of free and independent nations.
I guess it was too long
No Furian, it wasn't too long! It was spot on! Unfortunately we have the 'legions of hell' against us. We just hope that continued attacks will cause more people to defect to us
Thanks for that, furian. Great to hear the perspective of others who have went through these things already and are looking in from the outside. We hope to join you in independance soon!
Furian, please send that to every newspaper in Scotland-no make that the UK! Pleaseeeeeeeee !!!!
Furian, I reposted part of it in another forum, with a link, yesterday, and a vacillating unionist replied that Salmond should get you to come here and talk to people! If you say something that speaks for itself and stands on its own, what is there to say except, atta-boy.
Furian, thanks so much for posting. It was a good read
I'd be very surprised if the SNP doesn't have something like that as part of its strategy for the campaign. There's enough money to do a reasonable amount.
The thing is, the SNP has some very bright people whose day job it is to figure out a strategic approach to all this. So far they are doing extraordinarily well, admittedly in part by letting it be understood that certain moves which would benefit the unionists are the SNP's own preference – at which point the unionists denounce these things. These guys' job is to wrap wet towels round their heads and figure it out. We're just dabbling in the shallows. I don't think they're going to miss many tricks.
I also think if they're not reading these blogs and making notes, they should probably be fired.
The other thing is, bear in mind there are two and a half years to go. It's not about who makes the most noise in the spring of 2012. It's about who has made their case by autumn 2014. At the moment I suspect the SNP strategy is to allow the unionists, who are currently doing a creditable impression of beached flounders, to fire all their scare-story ammunition at nothing.
It's all going to look pretty tired and pretty stale in two years time, if it's all they've got against the poritive vision that is being presented by the independence campaign.
A tweet from Torcuil Crichton. Does this count as double points for the Hitler square?
o/t Furian,
was it the 'national ' press spouting the meassages of 'doom' and if so ,how did you combat the media bias ?
Marvellous. Perhaps there is a case for compiling the basket case economies that Unionist crystal ball gazers compare to the prospective independent Scotland to as well.
eg Rifkind -Zimbabwe
Oooh, I can do that! Was it George Robertson who compared Scotland to Albania? And back in 1979 someone used Bangladesh, but I forget who.
Can we have Cochrane added to the Kim Jong-il tally, for his "Dear Leader" remarks?
"Dear Leader" is a label I'm surprised Mr Cochrane gets away with by The Telegraph editorial staff. It should certainly be scored off on the bingo card.
My apologies. Just noticed it is.
Lord David Steel in the Telegraph today, Kin Jong -11.
I think Idi Amin has come up. I am certain I remember Johan Lamont or at least someone in the Labour benches saying to Alex Salmond something along the lines of "And we know what happened to the last person who said he was King of Scotland". I can't find it in the official report which is driving me mad. I know I heard it but sadly can't prove it.
What a load of sycophantic mince.
2 years to gerrymander a referendum Salmond has been planning for 20 years and youi're still going to lose.
Hmm. The First Minister has just been likened to shrek, in the Daily Torygraph. Does that count?
Yes-dont they hate this guy?what exactly is the problem?it may be that,as a very visible exemplar of the power of saying “NO” to the established order,Salmond reminds many of these critics of their own,unrealised,aspirations which have been buried under the weight of ambition.They hate him cause he reminds them if their own compromises?Well,something like that.
Oh, this is one of my favourites!
Actually the first thing that brought me to WoS, following a link from another pro-indy site. 😀
I discovered a site that’s informed but also fun. Hmm. Maybe I’ll donate a bit more, in the name of one of the dictators…
Hi Rev and all. My very first post is going to be o/t. Hope that is not an instant ban! Anyway, just watched itv news and the Westminster march to Aberdeen tomorrow has been called a ‘special away day’.
‘Special Away Day’ = SAD
Unionists calling people names, never!
BTW I see Labour are still on the cadge but why there asking me is a mystery.
Jim Mitchell,
There are few people in Britain more courageous, determined and inspirational than Doreen Lawrence. We are enormously privileged to have her as a Labour peer — and I am more than a little jealous of your chance to join her table at our annual gala dinner.
If you’d like to have dinner with Baroness Doreen Lawrence, all we ask is that you make a £3 donation to help us beat the Tories at the next election, and you’ll automatically be entered to win a pair of gala tickets.
In the spirit of our party, we’re keen to make this opportunity open to all, so we will also arrange travel to London and a night’s accommodation for you and your guest.
I’ll also be at the gala, alongside many of my Shadow Cabinet colleagues, and we hope to see you there on the night. Best of luck!
Gloria
Gloria De Piero
Shadow Minister for Women and Equalities
P.S. You can enter without donating here, but if you want us to beat the Tories at the next election, we’d be grateful if you could donate something alongside your entry.
I have got a couple of empty lemonade bottles, but they would have to come and fetch them!
keep it up stu we need you and your site more than ever now
Please, please get them to stop these silly smears of AS for if they continue my poor sides are bound to split open from laughing so much. Seriously let them continue for they don’t seem to realise that they are helping us more than their own side.
Auld Rock
Is this not the Macshane labour MP that got banged up for expenses fraud thus ending a fine career at the trough? At least prison hasn’t mellowed the old rascal. That’s probably what they prefer to be called, rascals, not war mongering thieves, ex cons, old lags etc.
Twitter doesn’t like Macshane much, click his dot com blog link and
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