It’s pretty interesting that today marks the first really tangible diversification between the Scottish and UK governments with regard to the coronavirus crisis: the Holyrood administration has rejected Westminster’s much-criticised new main slogan and will be sticking with the old “STAY HOME” message.
(Here at Wings we’re mainly upset that the extremely misguided new campaign will undermine our years-old pro-alertness position.)
Because what our latest Panelbase poll showed is that there’s a huge gulf between perception and reality in Scotland when it comes to virus strategy.
Yeah, we know we said we weren’t going to say anything else about the COVID-19 crisis, but sometimes there’s just too much stupid going around to stay silent.
A disturbing number of people appear to have interpreted the undoubted seriousness of the pandemic to mean that nobody is ever allowed to be even slightly happy for the briefest of moments until it’s all over.
As a result, while half the country is full of people just trying to cope as best they can while acting sensibly and responsibly within both the letter and spirit of the emergency restrictions, the other half has elected itself officers of the Lockdown Gestapo, pointing fingers and shrieking at anyone deemed not to be miserable enough.
This article is the only thing Wings is going to say about the COVID-19 crisis, because (a) we’re on holiday, (b) it has very little to do with Scottish politics, and (c) we’re not virologists and have no expertise to offer.
But in so far as we have some sort of reach and to some extent people listen to us, and we don’t want any of you to die, here’s a small plea for all our sakes.
As we write this, in between bouts of weeping with exhausted misery, frustration and rage, Her Majesty’s Opposition’s interminable will-they-won’t-they game of attempting – maybe, one day, perhaps – to bring down the government and force a new election leading to a new EU referendum continues.
And as the SNP in particular devotes huge amounts of energy to trying to stop Brexit, against the wishes of its own voters, we wondered how the public not just in Scotland but in the two constituent nations of the UK that voted Leave felt about that.
Yesterday was quite an eventful day, so it’s moderately possible you may have missed the alarming news that some shady Mafia-backed hedge fund or such has apparently funded these irresponsible and morally-suspect chancers (last seen shilling on air for literally Vladimir Putin and BBC Scotland, in that order) to produce an all-new series of scurrilous and dubious fact-grubbing for some inexplicable reason.
We have alerted the appropriate authorities. For safety, remain in your homes.
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Is that a new boy then (Said)? I don’t recall you mentioning him before. Interesting that the “experience equally agonising”…” Aug 5, 20:30
willie on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Word is that Kate Forbes is standing down because the party ” a nest of vipers ” Although I think…” Aug 5, 20:26
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: ““Is there anything more boring and irrelevant” Sure. Any number of things.” Aug 5, 20:21
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “You need to spend a lot more time in Middle Earth, Confused. It obviously calms you down, even although Da…” Aug 5, 20:17
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Christine, thank you for your comment (5 Aug, 6.37 pm). It brought to mind this powerful extract from an interview…” Aug 5, 20:16
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “That’s the great thing about the internet, YL Sah! War correspondents can do it all from behind the closed curtains…” Aug 5, 20:10
George Ferguson on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “@Christine Yes and the said troika would reinstate the 16th Century fig leaf that so damaged the original work of…” Aug 5, 19:14
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “During the leadership debate it was only Forbes that said something sensible about independence. Something along the lines of -…” Aug 5, 19:13
Alf Baird on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Yes James, if colonialism is allowed to continue the oppressed group culture and nation ‘will ultimately perish’ (Fanon). Ethnic oppression…” Aug 5, 19:06
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: ““When Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) leave office, they are entitled to a leaving payment to help them adjust…” Aug 5, 18:48
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Is there anything more boring and irrelevant than watching interviews with other people’s children getting exam results. “Look at my…” Aug 5, 18:38
christine on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Yes, I’ve heard it all before from this troika of victim feminists. I guess there’s nothing else going on for…” Aug 5, 18:37
Mark Beggan on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “They just can’t help themselves. Media spill on women politicians unable to balance work with motherhood. The dwarf is doing…” Aug 5, 17:57
twathater on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Anyone who thinks Kate Forbes was an asset to Scotland and independence is a Daftie, Forbes was just another trougher…” Aug 5, 17:47
James Cheyne on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “If politicians spend their time trying to intergrat nations an blend Countries, How will they hit their diversity agenda, They…” Aug 5, 17:33
Dan on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Muckle gusts here so I hud tae batten doon the hatches and even tether ma corn on the cob plants…” Aug 5, 17:17
Young Lochinvar on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “In reply to P3nisbreath McP3nisbreathface @ 7.11 Just in from our correspondent with Scottish forces: And he (Douglas) has bunt…” Aug 5, 16:34
Confused on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “The use of mythology to create a shared national identity is not some trivial matter; we have the example of…” Aug 5, 13:28
Confused on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “windy today, maybe windy tomorrow. very interesting https://archive.ph/4pM3p now imagine a community owned company setup to create energy in Lewis?…” Aug 5, 13:25
Marie on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Thanks for info. Very interesting to learn the names of the various Lowland clans involved in the battle. A bit…” Aug 5, 13:14
Hatey McHateface on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Are you sure about Khan Yunis? They might be deep underground in a tunnel, being “entertained” by some teenage lassie.…” Aug 5, 12:38
agent x on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “She’ll also get a substantial payout for leaving office – the first £30,000 is tax free.” Aug 5, 12:05
anniethenoo on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Thanks Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh, will watch. I notice Darren McGarvey is putting his non-invite to Embra Book Fest down to being…” Aug 5, 11:13
James Cheyne on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “As long as we lack understanding of the larger picture and the introduction of deliberate senseless topics into our world…” Aug 5, 11:07
James Cheyne on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “To begin sorting out Scotland politically the requirement would be to have a Scottish government. Not a devolved government that…” Aug 5, 10:54
Achnababan on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “Anyone who thinks Kate Forbes resigned because she was scared of losing her seat is a daftie…she won more votes…” Aug 5, 10:47
James Cheyne on The Deafening Echo Of Nothing: “The pattern is the same world wide, confusion. Add a little gender problems, just stop oil, blm , extra people…” Aug 5, 10:46
