All aboard the freedom train
There’s much merriment in the pro-independence community today at a campaign flyer the No campaign has apparently been handing out at train stations this morning:
We’ve examined whether independence would really be a journey with no return before, and even the head of the Better Together campaign himself can’t seem to get his story straight. But we love that Unionists have so little understanding of their opponents that they imagine we’d be going to all this trouble just to come back. And what we love even more is the reality spelled out at the top centre of the image.
The UK is currently undergoing the greatest process of division in the three centuries of its existence, with the super-wealthy enriching themselves to obscene levels even as the poor are cast aside, demonised and savagely assaulted at every turn by a government of Eton millionaires and an impotent opposition that has conceded all of its traditional values and offers no protection to the vulnerable. An independent Scotland will indeed take ALL adults and ALL children with it, not just the rich, and we don’t think the idea of that being a permanent trip is a frightening one.
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EDIT: It turns out the idea is in fact stolen from a 2007 SNP Youth campaign:
link to farm9.staticflickr.com
It’s a pity it’s a STD ticket though. I might have to sit next to Osbourne.
Dont know who designed this, but not too clever an idea. For a start the unknown is opposite the United Kingdom! Subliminal message?
Yes. Ill buy that!
Just the ticket!
I hear that train a-comin’, it’s rollin’ round the bend …
@Juteman
‘It’s a pity it’s a STD ticket though. I might have to sit next to Osbourne.’
And who knows what kind of STD you’d end up with.
They’re really not the brightest lights on the stage this Better Together lot are they?
You would have thought that, before they released this, they might have asked themselves, is a train ticket, the best medium to communicate this message to passengers and others?
The Tories privatised the railways in 1993. Although the Tories had no mandate from Scottish voters to do this, nevertheless, Scottish rail passengers and taxpayers have had to live with the consequences ever since. Labour, in spite of its pledge before 1997 to re-nationalise the railways, in 13 years in government, did nothing of course, and left them in the private sector.
The rail operators have, ever since ‘privatisation’, received huge annual subsidies from the taxpayer. In the 12 months to 2012 alone, taxpayers provided a £2.7 billion subsidy to rail franchises. These ‘private’ operators have also consistently increased rail fares every year, well above the rate of inflation, safe in the knowledge that they can get away with this because the taxpayer underwrites their revenues.
And shouldn’t this ticket read: ‘From: Fantasy Island UK – To: Anywhere Away From The UK’.
I really think it’s an exciting flyer, showing the unlimited possibilities for a future Scotland. Thanks Better Together!
Can I upgrade to ‘Independent Republic’ please? But will there be sausage rolls available from the buffet as well?
No comments regarding the fat controller yet
When I saw a RT origination from Daniel Douglas’s (*) with the pic my initial reaction was that it was a YES Scotland flyer, and it wasn’t until I looked more closely that I saw it wasn’t.
Still would like one for my YES collection
(*) Sorry, I DO know better
I genuinely want one, and I see lots of independence supporters saying the same. If you’re a Better Together nitwit, you’ve really got to sit back and think “hold on, have we thought this through properly…?”
Some more campaign ideas for Better Together:
“IF YOU VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE YOU’LL NEVER GET TO HAVE A TORY GOVERNMENT EVER AGAIN!!!!”
“IF YOU VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE YOU’LL LOSE TRIDENT!!!”
“IF YOU VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE YOU’LL HAVE TO MAKE YOUR OWN DECISIONS!!!”
“IF YOU VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE ALISTAIR DARLING, GORDON BROWN, JIM MURPHY AND DOUGLAS ALEXANDER WILL ALL MOVE DOWN SOUTH!!!”
A rather bizarre leaflet. The response is “and?”. All people on board – yep. UK to independence – yep. That is the idea, right?
Are Better Together supporting Yes? If it didn’t have Better Together at the bottom, it could well have been made by Yes.
“IF YOU VOTE FOR INDEPENDENCE NOBODY WILL BE SURE WHAT TO CALL A ROLL AND SAUSAGE”.
*glares disapprovingly at Erchie*
First Class all the way.
We’re too poor (and too wee and too stupid) for First Class.
This train is bound for glory, this train.
Oh dear. I hope they didn’t blow the whole £750,000 budget on those…
All aboard The Flying Scotsman. Yeah!
I noticed on the bittertogether website they were planning a “campaign day” at my local station this morning. Happy to engage in polite “discussion with them, I was ready, however the one sole chap was too busy handing out the flyers to the one person who took one to try to convince me that we are “better together”
I have seen where they are having stands tomorrow & will pop along to sayGet tae ” hello”
I think pro-indy folk should collect these and hand them out again next week.
People get ready, there’s a train comin’
You don’t need no baggage, you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’
You don’t need no ticket you just thank the lord
All aboard.
link to amtrak.com
@Stuart
I hear that train a-comin’, it’s rollin’ round the bend …
“I’m stuck in Union prison, and time keeps draggin’ on!”
Why doesn’t Alistair Darling just get up and say “Ooga Booga Booga.”
Passenger train operations in Norway underwent a massive reorganisation during the late 1990s. The state-owned railway operator, NSB, made huge investments in new rolling stock and upgrading the infrastructure, as the country aimed to ensure that rail plays a growing role in meeting national transport needs.
A large country with a number of widely-spread commercial centres, good transport links are vital to the success of Norway, which has one of the world’s strongest economies.
Around a quarter of Norway’s population is in the Oslo area, which also has by far the highest concentration of the country’s rail resources. Oslo S (central station) is the hub of long distance and regional rail services, plus the extensive suburban network. The capital’s public transport operator, Oslo Sporveier, also runs the T-bane (metro) and Trikken (trams), as well as buses and harbour ferries.
(courtesy railway-technology.com)
Doonfooter
I may have posted this before but its one of the coolest bits of music video ever!
Ladeezangennelmen…Mr Al Green!
The proverbial ‘Train Crash for these unionists’ nothing more to say
All aboard, the night train. Best James Brown track ever, just about the only one worth listening to!
Will the tickets for the gravy train expire in Autumn 2014?
>100
What exactly are THEY selling then? Raffle tickets for a an empty Jam jar?
selling “cattle class” as they have been doing for decades. SLAB are the ticketmasters, that’s their forte.
Ha! Looks like they might have bumped the idea: link to bit.ly
So the journey from dependence to independence is “standard”, is it? That’s what I thought already…
And this does point up pretty clearly the main thrust of the Dependence Campaign’s strategy. There will be no positive case. There will be no internationalism. There will be no meaningful reform of devolution. There will be no attempt to configure a new relationship within the union. There will be only cries “oh, we simply don’t know! Best not risk it!”
Which is sad.
I’ve been happy lately, thinking about the good things to come
And I believe it could be something good has begun.
Cat Stevens, Peace Train.
We’re leavin, on that midnight train from Glesga
Apologies to Gladys Knight, but to be fair that’s what the Unionists have been spouting way too long now….
What does their STD stand for, surely not Sexually Transmitted Disease?
SLAB’s vision for the future of their Scottish electorate is the same old depravation, no aspiration, no ambition and most importantly to them ‘No Change’ aka status quo. JL is SLAB’S spokesperson designated to inspire for the people of Scotland’s and their future under their watch….. FFS!
It’s not aimed at us dyed-in-the-wool supporters of a one-way ticket to a future with promise. It’s aimed at the unsure, uncertain switherers who are afraid of change, or are comfortable in their union rut, or who really cannot comprehend the significance of a no vote in 2012.
As for the original? Linking independence to the SNP alone is a problem. Yes, they have got us to this very tantalising position, but we now have to spread the news it isn’t all about them. We have to convince the target of that one-way ticket flyer that the journey is for the future of ALL Scotland’s people, and everything that means.
So absolutely – laugh at their naivety in their inability to understand exactly what WE understand by independence, but let’s not underestimate their ability to spread fear and alarm in less certain folks by the use of these types of propaganda.
While it is very nice of these unionists to offer me the STD rail ticket to Independence I think I’ll wait for the Pro Independence camp’s offer of a FIRST class ticket. I’m quite sure the SNP youth group will already be knocking at the YES campaign H.Q. in HOPE sT to offer their ticket to be used.
sneddon I’m sure we’ll be able to eat all the sausage rolls we want.
What’s more we all be allowed to bring our wee dugs along for the ride as well.
Careful there D.D., if you continue down this road of supplying “helpful” ideas to the Bitter Together crowd you may soon find yourself offered an “honourary membership”.
balgaboy I just hope the train crash involves the train TO prolonged austerity and unionism and NOT the train TO Independence.
Just one final thought. When the train TO Independence leaves the Dependence station can we please have a train following on behind that will rip up the rail lines to ensure there is no way back to dependency please?
I’d hate to think of any of our future generations having to go through this nightmare of constant negativity ever again.
I’ve just had a wee thought.
After all at the launch of the B.T. campaign their “glorious” leader stated that Independence was irrevocable. However, last weekend he was seen and heard to claim something along the lines of an Independent Scotland would eventually return to the union.
So how long before the B.T. return ticket makes an appearance folks?
Stop the train, Scotland wants to get on!
The train now ready to depart platform 2014 is the Independence Special, calling at all stops between Dependency and Independence. Will all passengers please make their way now to platform 2014!
Must disagree, Arb. The train at Platform 2014 will make no stops between Dependency and Independence. The train at Platform 2014 is the Independence Express!
Wow! Just got my ticket from an embarrassed Bitter Together man when I asked him for another one for my friend who also wants to travel on to independence!!
Classic!
O/T Here’s Rab McNeil bringing a wee smile on a Friday afternoon….
link to heraldscotland.com
Muttley – STD is the code that’s on all STandarD train tickets.
But in this situation, it may just mean that the tickets are covered in STDs.
Muttley – Independence is standard around the world, which is first class!
I accept your point Holebender but I was thinking of all those stuck between Dependence and Independence who want to go to Independence. If OUR train doesn’t make any stops in between then how are the likes of the good Rev ever going to get to Independence?
@Arbroath 1320
I’ll happily travel standard for a first class future!
Anyway you can be sure you won’t have to suffer Eton toffs in standard, they are far too busy arguing with the clippie in ‘first’!
I don’t think it is the Eton toffs who argue with the clippies Boorach, they get their flunkies to do all the arguing. It wouldn’t be the done thing for an old Etonian to be seen arguing with any of the plebs of society don’t you know!
O/T but there is a great deal of hand wringing going on over at BBCScotlandshire where SLAB’s 5 point plan required no spoofing whatsoever!!
link to bbc.scotlandshire.co.uk
Panic’s over, they’ve done a cracker on this subject!
We are very pleased that you enjoyed our efforts.
This train carries saints and sinners/This train carries losers and winners/This train carries whores and gamblers/This train carries lost souls and ramblers/This train dreams will not be thwarted/This train faith will be rewarded/This train hear the steel wheels singing/This train bells of freedom ringing…
Bruce Springsteen – “Land of Hope and Dreams.”
Everybody join in –
As expressed above I would want one and think quite a few of us here would like one of those tickets!
The Union Train.
Independence train!