We’ve observed that over the last few days a number of Unionists, led by tuba-honking dunderhead Blair McDougall (the man who turned a 30-point No lead into a 10-point one, who lost Labour 5000 votes when he stood in East Renfrewshire in 2017 on the basis of being the guy who saved the UK – trailing in an embarrassing 3rd in a seat where Jim Murphy had once won over 50% of the vote – and who is probably more responsible than any other individual for the utter destruction of Scottish Labour as a political force), have revived the ancient “Better Together” scare story about pensions in an independent Scotland.
When the Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts died last month, the first of their songs that popped into my head, for no particular reason, was “Under My Thumb”, a mildly controversial 1966 album track the band never released as a single in the West.
Its most infamous place in history, though, is this.
Until Watts’ death I was only very broadly aware of the events at Altamont Speedway in 1969, a free festival at a racetrack near San Francisco at which four people died in scenes of malevolent chaos and which is widely regarded as the grim headstone of the hippy era.
But on seeing the extraordinary footage above for the first time on the day of Watts’ death – taken from “Gimme Shelter”, notionally the official movie of the show, although the first two-thirds of it are actually a mundane travelogue of the preceding tour dates – I did some proper reading up on it.
And as I did, a horribly familiar feeling started to unfold.
Although we’re retired we already wrote this, so we may as well put it up for the 99.9% of Scots who don’t read the comments on David Leask‘s columns in the Herald.
It’s a claim he’s been banging on about since at least 2014, without ever providing a scrap of evidence to support it (his standard modus operandi), and yesterday was no exception. So let’s show Little Dave how proper big-boy journalists do it.
Our always-alert readers will probably have noticed that Nicola Sturgeon’s constant catchphrase this week has been how Yes supporters still need to “build the case for independence”, rather than actually do anything to achieve it.
But the thing is, she’s the leader of the SNP. Building the case for independence is literally her job, and she’s now been doing it for six and a half years. So how much progress have we made?
Holiday Boy is on holiday. But remember in 2018 when Nicola Sturgeon was going to use next week’s election as a de facto referendum if the UK government hadn’t given her permission for one by now, readers?
It’s almost like you can’t ever believe a word she says.
Mia on The Ace Attorney: ““How does the Union of the Crowns 1603 fit into this?” There never was “a union of crowns”. The two…” May 20, 18:39
Dunx on The Ace Attorney: “The Act Of Union With England was passed in the Scottish Parliament by 110 votes against 67. Thus ratifying the…” May 20, 18:34
Skip_NC on Just a couple more shots: “Twenty-four genders? The very idea is quite absurd. I believe the true figure is about 8 billion. Of course, most…” May 20, 18:27
Mia on The Ace Attorney: ““The treaty was ratified by the Scottish Parliament when it passed The Union With England Act in 1707” That is…” May 20, 18:16
Lorn on Just a couple more shots: “She seems to be incapable of putting 2 and 2 together not make 4. If you allow someone to change…” May 20, 18:09
twathater on Just a couple more shots: “I wouldn’t celebrate too soon, irrespective of what a SPOKESPERSON says the snp deviants and perverts are still there in…” May 20, 18:01
katielass42 on The Ace Attorney: “Didn’t you read Mia’s comments? It doesn’t matter how ANY party concentrates on ANYTHING! It’s NOT ABOUT NUMBERS OR REFS!…” May 20, 17:03
Lorn on Just a couple more shots: “Frank: that was one of its main struts: the destruction of families. Post structuralist, post modern new Marxism. Once you…” May 20, 16:52
Lorn on Just a couple more shots: “100%: it’s not over by a long chalk. If it is not utterly routed, it will follow us into independence.” May 20, 16:43
Aidan on Just a couple more shots: “By “poking the bear” you mean being a successful liberal democracy with a growing economy having transformed itself over the…” May 20, 16:43
Mark Beggan on Just a couple more shots: “They are on their way out granted. The extreme Lefty Gravy train now needs to be dismantled. We know who…” May 20, 16:35
Hatey McHateface on Just a couple more shots: “Mind and tell us about the Gen O’Cide sometime. Rev Stu is against people “wanking on and on” but I…” May 20, 15:47
Kirkgate on The Ace Attorney: “How does the Union of the Crowns 1603 fit into this?” May 20, 15:41
Frank Gillougley on Just a couple more shots: “Nevertheless, one cost of the trans ideological mass indoctrination that to my knowledge has never really been mentioned is the…” May 20, 15:01
Ken on Just a couple more shots: “Right! Now that’s sorted, can we do the census properly next time?” May 20, 14:39
100%Yes on Just a couple more shots: “Stew, I stated that the Tans carry on was dead buried and that would now seem to be the case,…” May 20, 14:17
Captain Caveman on The Ace Attorney: ““I will let you work that out” So basically you have nowt. Imagine my surprise. (It was, of course, a…” May 20, 14:14
Xaracen on The Ace Attorney: “The presumption that England’s size automatically gives it legitimate authority over Scotland on a supposed ‘democratic’ basis is just that;…” May 20, 14:08
duncanio on Just a couple more shots: “The gender ideologues are retreating and will soon be on their way back to Transillyvania.” May 20, 14:08
Stuart MacKay on Just a couple more shots: “Keep an eye on what’s happening in the USA. There’s talk in certain Democratic factions of doubling down on Woke…” May 20, 14:04
Hatey McHateface on The Ace Attorney: “300+ years of subjugation from a treaty that doesn’t exist! Was there ever such a thing, anywhere else, in the…” May 20, 12:50
Hatey McHateface on The Ace Attorney: “I’m guessing the people rattling around in HR could call an election any time they like. That would always stymie…” May 20, 12:45
Hatey McHateface on The Ace Attorney: “@Cynicus Good to hear it. But as we don’t know the identity of that wise, smart and grammatically precise poster,…” May 20, 12:33
Northcode on The Ace Attorney: “James Cheyne Dear Mrs Che, I haven’t been around this place for quite a while (I’ve been exploring our universe…” May 20, 12:28
Hatey McHateface on The Ace Attorney: “@Alf Baird As there’s a whiff of deja vu in the headlines right now, somebody should paint that on the…” May 20, 12:27
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Ace Attorney: “‘DEFENDING DEMOCRACY: DSF REPORT ON THE REFERENDUM POSTAL BALLOT’ (April 2015) Andy Anderson, Democratic Socialist Federation Education Officer, introduces the…” May 20, 12:09
Garavelli Princip on The Ace Attorney: ““The burning question is when are we going to find out about the charges against Peter Murrell?” This trial will…” May 20, 12:07
Cynicus on The Ace Attorney: ““ Wheesht, Peter! The regulars on here love the EU …” ====== All of them? There is at least one…” May 20, 11:55
Garavelli Princip on The Ace Attorney: “Tommy is a foreigner who is quite content with the status quo. A subject, colonised people (of whom Tommy is…” May 20, 11:44
