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Embarrassing the jerseys

Posted on March 10, 2019 by

Sundays have been the low point of Scottish political journalism for a while now. Traditionally a day when newspapers are heavy on comment and light on news (because politics tends to happen on weekdays), they unleash all the weary old dinosaurs who’ve been driving away readers for the last 30 years.

So you really have to stand out to be noticed for especially appalling hackery on a Sunday, which is probably why nobody from Scotland On Sunday wanted to have their name on this toe-curling piece of second-hand, lifted-from-another-paper garbage.

Professor Ronald MacDonald, you say? That name seems to ring a bell.

Oh yeah. This guy.

Perhaps sensing that readers would immediately roll their eyes and stop reading the moment they realised the uber-Unionist academic was revealed as the source of this idiot-bait, the unnamed scribe doesn’t even bother with the formality of getting a token Scottish Government response in for a cursory last-paragraph quote, contenting him or herself with seeking the opinion of Murdo Fraser before slinking off to hug their paycheque quietly in a corner and reassure themselves with the comforting line that it’s okay because everyone’s got to feed their family somehow.

We suppose we should at least be grateful that it’s one of Prof. MacDonald’s less hysterical scare stories, compared to this £300bn peach from last year:

Another revealing thing about the pitiful state of the recently-bankrupt Scotsman’s website is that it’s now too ashamed to have a Search function by which people could easily discover the drivel it’s posted in the past. But anyone capable of operating the internet can easily enough rig one together, by which they can alight on the good Professor’s previous, rather different, view on an independent Scottish currency:

Of course, that 2013 opinion was penned at a time when the Scottish Government was proposing to keep the UK pound, which meant that that must be the wrong option. As soon as they suggested doing the thing he demanded six years ago, Prof MacDonald’s professional analysis magically reversed and an independent currency became an impossible and reckless fantasy.

It’s unseemly enough that the SoS (sales: a humiliating 10,000 copies a week and falling) has the sheer chutzpah to present such an incredibly partisan character as an impartial expert after all this time and expect nobody to remember who he is.

But to run articles with such crassly transparent U-turns and not even a pretence of balance is symptomatic of the utter contempt in which they hold their few remaining readers. It’s no wonder the feeling is increasingly mutual.

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161 to “Embarrassing the jerseys”

  1. Meg merrilees
    Ignored
    says:

    What would we do without you Rev – you can spot a false story from a mile off.

    Well dissected.

  2. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    So much material this weekend – that next “stroke of genius” pamphlet is almost going to write itself. Better get fundraising.

  3. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Your statues on Princes St and George Square just got two feet bigger.

  4. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    His time’s coming like the rest of them

    *You need a currency union but you can’t have one* *You can’t have your own currency you need our currency union now*

    It’s time for our own hostile environment for these people

  5. Muscleguy
    Ignored
    says:

    I happen to know another ‘leading economist’ and he and his academic colleagues at the start of the last IndyRef put their heads, knowledge and understanding together an asked the question ‘is Scotland a going concern as an independent country?’. Their conclusion was that it was. This was purely for their own interest and was not published for obvious reasons and it didn’t make them Yes supporters. But contrast that of an entire university economic dept putting their heads together with one academic on the make prepared to sell his soul to the highest bidder.

  6. Confused
    Ignored
    says:

    – welcome to clown world

    supersize me, dickhead!

    Ronald McDonald is a clown character used as the primary mascot of the McDonald’s fast-food restaurant chain. In television commercials, the clown inhabited a fantasy world called McDonaldland to which he had adventures with his friends Mayor McCheese, the Hamburglar, Grimace, Birdie the Early Bird and The Fry Kids

  7. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Aw. Him again.

    Aul’ Ronnie McDonnie again.

    At least we know more people will read the WoS destruction of the ‘Scotsman’s’ pish than will read the original published Scotsman’s pish.

    Nice of the britnat propaganda sheet to play cannon fodder.

  8. tartanfever
    Ignored
    says:

    What, the Scotsman now care about Pensioners ?

    Just a few months ago they just shafted hundreds of their own pensioners with an extremely dodgy sevco style company sell off and not one of their journalists raised a concern about it.

  9. Derek Cameron
    Ignored
    says:

    Worth my monthly sub on its own. Ripping SOS a new one and exposing the rotten heart of
    state cheerleader print journalism in Scotland at the same time.

  10. Mochachoca
    Ignored
    says:

    Aye, so Scotland will take it’s full share of the debt but not a share of the ‘reserves’ that the BoE currently relies on to prop up GBP? Sounds fair?

    Also notice he says “anything denominated in the new Scots pound, say, would be worth less in value than before and quite possibly a lot less”.

    So even if the value of a pension were to fall by 30%, wherever we spend it on would be 30% cheaper.

  11. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    Professors are 10 a penny these days. A bit like researchers and lawyers they will side on who pays the best!!

    Still many Universities follow the Unionist line in Scotland. Many self appointees and well connected.

  12. Alexandra-M-
    Ignored
    says:

    I’d be embarrassed to put my name to that pish, too.

  13. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah! BigMac, the Gammon McDouble of expert opinion.

  14. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    The James Kelly double act for ignoramuses.

  15. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Hamish100 says:
    10 March, 2019 at 7:53 pm
    Professors are 10 a penny these days

    Very true.

    I was at a 60th birthday party last night with about 30 guests and there happened to be 2 professors present.

    Either I mix in very exulted company or they must give professorships away in corn flake packets.

  16. Luigi
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah, the British “experts” kick off continue their anti-Scottish campaign as Brexit panic hits level red. As usual, the BT puddens over-egg the pudden and go far too early. 30% sounds a bit desperate – it would have been more believable if he had said 10% but I guess that’s not sensational enough.

    Rev Campbell is doing a great job with the near real-time rebuttals. However, I would like to see the SNP/SG go on the offensive when the campaign proper begins. No more nicey nicey happy clappy. Positivity is important, but we have to spell out to people just how dire life would be in a dependent Scotland post Brexit. We will be accused of scare-mongering, but that’s not important. What is crucial is that people are informed just how bad it will be.

    Carrot and stick approach. Come on SG – stop reacting all the time. Get ahead of the game. Grab the initiative and set the agenda for a change. 🙂

  17. ScottieDog
    Ignored
    says:

    “Also notice he says “anything denominated in the new Scots pound, say, would be worth less in value than before and quite possibly a lot less”.

    Because of course professor happy meal has lots of experience setting up a new currency.

    It’s funny, there would be very little of the currency in circulation on day 1. people would require it to pay taxes and so would use £ to buy it. It would only be issued as it was purchased and The amount of purchases if anything would strengthen the new currency.

    As a stronger exporter than England we would likely have a stronger currency over time anyway.

  18. Tam Fae Somewhere
    Ignored
    says:

    Full Mental Jacket of unionist nonsense this weekend in the papers.

    Must be something about to happen.

    Wonder if it will be this week?

  19. findlay farquaharson
    Ignored
    says:

    just brilliant

  20. TheItalianJob
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh my God.

    How did this numpty get a professorship at such a prestigious University as Glasgow.

    Wait the University is full of them including Murdo Fraser.

    All Unionists to the core.

    They don’t care about Scotland or its people in the least.

  21. affa nae weel
    Ignored
    says:

    I’ll not comment on the ‘bought, and paid for’ hamburger expert. However, the SNP should think about campaigning for a LIVING PENSION. £8476 is not enough to live on, maybe they should try it for a year or so. It may encourage those pensioners who do not yet support Indy.

  22. Iain
    Ignored
    says:

    MacDonald is now a Highland councillor in Skye.
    Of course, anyone can think of circumstances in which almost any country could be in economic difficulty. And also of circumstances in which almost any would be prosperous.
    But MacDonald starts out from a personal political position of opposition to independence, and prostitutes his academic standing in selecting particular theoretical scenarios to justify it.

  23. gerry parker
    Ignored
    says:

    Ronald Mc Donald: (with apolls to Kenneth Williams) ” Infamy Infamy, they’ve all got it in fa me” ?

  24. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    Clown shoes indeed. I hope he hasn’t any role in determining the future of undergraduate students. What institutional reputation is he jeopardizing?

  25. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Do you want sauce with that? A pinch of salt? Do you want it to go? Please? You’ll need to pay for the bag. WHAT? No, it’s not £500 billion, it’s just 5p.

  26. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @Mochachoca says: 10 March, 2019 at 7:50 pm:

    ” Aye, so Scotland will take it’s full share of the debt but not a share of the ‘reserves’ that the BoE currently relies on to prop up GBP? Sounds fair?”

    As I’ve posted so many times before the Pound Sterling does not belong to England. It was the agreed currency of both kingdoms that signed the Treaty of Union that formed the United Kingdom.

    Upon the United Kingdom, (a bipartite union), ending there is no remaining United Kingdom there are then only the same two kingdoms that signed the treaty in 1707. That is the Kingdom of Scotland and the Kingdom of England.

    Both Kingdoms must then share out the moveable assets and the movable debits – except as Westminster has illegally taken it upon itself to become the de facto parliament of the country of England treating their only kingdom partner as if they were an English dominion then that will need to be reflected in the settlement of both assets and debits.

    S0, in regards to pensions – every Scot has paid into the United Kingdom’s pension scheme and pensions are an agreement between the pensioner and the pension scheme runner. Scotland got none of the pension contributions so Scotland does not own the pensioners in the state pension scheme – Westminster, the de facto parliament of England does.

    Not only that but the much claimed Bank of England does not, and never has, belonged to England. it was an independent corporation until 1946 when it was nationalised, not by England but by the United Kingdom – it is partly Scottish.

    Get the real picture now, Mochachoca?

    They are telling porkies – as usual and the SMSM and broadcasters have been spreading their lies for them.

    Where else did you think such terms as , “The rUnited Kingdom”, came from?

  27. Hamish100
    Ignored
    says:

    If Glasgow University and others claim they have no money can we examine how many of their Professors are possible political appointees?

    Aberdeen- Prof Pennington pro bug and tv critic!!unionisthttps://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/696230/Not-right-Scotland-BBC-advisor-Scottish-Six-news- ,
    Glasgow– a certain MSP,
    Strathclyde – someone very pally with the BBC and plays about wi’ numbers.

  28. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    An graduate of the Hamburger University in Chicago by any chance?

  29. defo
    Ignored
    says:

    Scary clowns are So passé.

    That coupon has ‘high court appearance’ written all over it.
    Trust me, i’m a keen amateur phrenologist
    😉

  30. Simon Curran
    Ignored
    says:

    I’m no economics expert but how has every other country on earth managed to cope after independence with whatever currency they use? What exact precise defect does Scotland have that means she among all the nation’s on earth couldn’t cope?

  31. Ken Clark
    Ignored
    says:

    You’re on fire today, Stu.

    Pity we don’t have a match ball to present you with.

  32. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ ”tartanfever says at at 7:48 pm …. ”What, the Scotsman now care about Pensioners? Just a few months ago they just shafted hundreds of their own pensioners with an extremely dodgy sevco style company sell off and not one of their journalists raised a concern about it.”

    Good one tartanfever. That should be spread far and wide. Play them at their own game. Would also be interesting to know if the Scotsman was in discussion with Ronald MacDonald about their plans for pensions at that time. Meanwhile the Scotsman should be reported to IPSO for using unsubstantiated information to scaremonger in Scotland. I mean to say, how many of our grannies nearly had a heart attack when they read that?

  33. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder if this dickhead is aware that neo-liberalism is a form of fascism. It’s cunning though, as it is directed at transforming society in a manner which disables society’s ability to protect itself from illiberal transformation.

    Governmentality, subjectivity, and the neoliberal form of life

    Abstract

    In this paper, I argue that the appropriate answer to the question of the form contemporary neoliberalism gives our lives rests on Michel Foucault’s definition of neoliberalism as a particular art of governing human beings.

    I claim that Foucault’s definition consists in three components: neoliberalism as a set of technologies structuring the ‘milieu’ of individuals in order to obtain specific effects from their behavior; neoliberalism as a governmental rationality transforming individual freedom into the very instrument through which individuals are directed; and neoliberalism as a set of political strategies that constitute a specific, and eminently governable, form of subjectivity.

    I conclude by emphasising the importance that Foucault’s work on neoliberalism as well as the ancient ‘ethics of the care of the self’ still holds for us today.

    Keywords: Critique, Foucault, governmentality, neoliberalism, subjectivity

    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14797585.2018.1461357

  34. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Ah right, wondered where that came from in another thread.

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/17490195.snp-to-push-for-power-to-hold-second-independence-referendum/

    The next step. Not far to the top of the stairs now – and out of the bargain basement!

    Ronald MacDonald appears to think, by the way, he’s an expert on currency. But even most of the unionists ignore him. They tend to compare with Denmark and £55 billion, which, since it very closely maintains its peg against the euro, far more than it actually needs to under ERM2, means they keep having to buy euros to keep the Krone down, It actually became a nuisance for them.

  35. McDuff
    Ignored
    says:

    Great stuff again rev.
    If only we could get a newspaper to print this.

  36. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    defo
    Sames. I do most of my secondary research at spud-u-like. 🙂

  37. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @ScottieDog
    It’s worth digging out the S&P and Moody’s reports around 2013-2014 can’t remember exactly. They put Scotland maybe 1 grade below the UK at the time, but also without oil. They or one did reckoned there was no difference between a “nominal default” therefore having no share of the UK debt at all, or taking a “fair” share. Currency options were quite similar too.

    But here’s a thing, their client is the UK Gov, and they got their figures from the UK Gov and using GERS as a starter – as they stated in their disclaimer. Also that to make a true assessment they’d have to do it properly, with figures from the ScotGov.

    I suspect it would present an altogether more favourable picture for iScotland.

    While I’m on a run, I think the SGC report was essential for this type of purpose, and the likes of lenders and interest rates, and that the SNP should probably (provisionally) adopt it this conference. But what they put in their 2021 iScotland manifesto remains to be seen 🙂

  38. Another Union Dividend
    Ignored
    says:

    Common Space also debunked Ronald MacDonald last year on his latest Project Fear scare story.

    https://www.commonspace.scot/articles/12806/scare-story-experts-slam-300bn-figure-independent-scottish-currency-s-foreign

  39. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    In this article:

    https://www.centreonconstitutionalchange.ac.uk/blog/economics-scotlands-currency-choices

    which appeared on 20.Feb.2014, the distinguished (OBE) professor then wrote:

    This then leaves a separate currency as the only viable economic option for an independent Scotland.

    The mention of Hong Kong there is only in the context of a tied currency, not an independent one, so that article from a year ago with byline Chris McColl is bending the facts. Whether willfully or out of plumb ignorance.

    (Not that BritNats particularly care, just so long as they get their familiar old scare. Even if they have to invert their story now to get it.)

    The only danger of continuing to use the UK pound for a transition period before switching to a free-floating currency of our own is that the former will likely go south fairly fast once the economic realities strike home across the world post indy.

    Putting the Big Scare on pensioners again, how tawdry and pathetically predictable.

    We just need to do the same as CNN does with Trump, play the opposite stories back-to-back and shame the tellers with their own words.

  40. cynicalHighlander
    Ignored
    says:

    The prof epitomises the true defenition of an expert.

    A drip from a tap under pressure.

  41. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Now you know they’re all going to be wheeled out in the next few weeks to tell us we’re all stupid we can’t count, we’re not allowed, there’s no oil, the wind’s running out, the sea’s drying up, all the fish are moving to India, the EU doesn’t want Scotland, you’ll be forced to join the Euro, what’ll Scotland do in the event of a plague, no broad shoulders, nuclear attack, Martians, largest trading partner

    Don’t worry about us in Scotland as long as you pay us around 40 Billion a year we’ll let you fish, let you travel freely without the need for vizas, let you fly planes in our airspace, supply electricity, fresh water, look after your nuclear Trident till you remove it in five years, yeah pretty much as good a deal as England would get from the EU

    Of course if England isn’t happy with all that there is the hostile environment attitude Scotland could adopt

    Come at us Westminster, see what happens

  42. jfngw
    Ignored
    says:

    I think I get the gist of these ‘experts’, the only currency that could work for Scotland is one run by another country, but only if the other country tells us how we should run things in Scotland and controls the majority of our income and resources.

    Basically their pitch is Scots are actually too thick to run their own country, it needs the vast intelligence of the Westminster elite. It’s about time they were called out for what they are.

  43. sassenach
    Ignored
    says:

    A quiet Sunday and now I can’t even keep up with the Rev’s blogs!!

    It’s all too much – but it’s lifted much of my earlier depression about things Indy. I feel the tide is turning, and maybe the coming week may hold some surprises for us all (hopefully good ones!!).

    Sterling stuff, Mr Campbell, you are certainly taking no prisoners this weekend.

  44. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @Rev
    That comment you replied to got deleted 🙂

    In about the last half-hour or less.

  45. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Oh good grief!

    I’m guessing they believe that people have memory issues? Setting aside the usual rinse and repeat stories of unspecified woo.

    How’s that whole better together, broad shouldered, pooling and sharing, bestest partnership of devo to the max coming along for people?

    I mean, old folks pensions were supposed to be super safe only if people voted no. Scotland’s population were assured their membership of the EU could only be guaranteed by voting no. As for assurances about economic management, job security and leave us no forget the devo maxiest constitutional settlement ever (Sewell convention (pfft!), permanence of Scotland’s parliament, unspecified zooper dooper powers given over to yada, yada, yada). Well? We’re almost four and a half years on and near as I can see, precisely the exact opposite of those pledges and assurances is where Scotland’s population finds itself.

    That was the bill of goods, yes?

    Simple and unavoidable fact for mainstream hacks and assorted better together ‘experts’, is that around four and a half years ago they persuaded people to vote for continued political union. They won that argument, (sarky *yay*).

    Seems to me that the societal, economic and political shit show everyone is currently enjoying, upto and including the current constitutional crisis, is on them and on their watch.

    Worth a thought.

  46. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    WGD:- ‘Except for viewers in Scotland.’

    ….”But we’ll leave the last word in British exceptionalist hypocrisy to Theresa May herself. The Prime Minister told the House of Commons in December 2018, “Ultimately any union that involves the pooling of sovereignty can only be sustained with the consent of the people.” Except for viewers in Scotland.”

    https://weegingerdug.wordpress.com/2019/03/10/except-for-viewers-in-scotland-2/

  47. Cubby
    Ignored
    says:

    Another Professor bringing his University and academia into disrepute.

    Britnats are everywhere in Scottish society and a good chunk of them will lie their faces off to save their precious Union.

    You just can’t believe much in the MSM these days – perhaps the sports results. Did Wales really win yesterday? Just checking it’s not part of their campaign that Scotland is rubbish.

  48. skydiver
    Ignored
    says:

    We seem to be going round and round in circles here.

    Project Fear has been at work since 2011.

    Same old, same old.

    We’ve heard them all before, and no doubt we will hear them all again in the coming weeks.

    How any Scot would rather stay attached to Brexit England is beyond me.

  49. Polscot
    Ignored
    says:

    I was intrigued earlier today when I read Stu’s tweets about Ronald McDonald’s comments regarding a Scottish currency and his (Maccy D’s) warnings that are similar to the views of Lord Darling, proving that any Scottish currency would be a disaster.

    As Lord Darling is an expert in overseeing economic disasters, perhaps Ronald could “go large” and explain what scenarios there are for an independent Scotland to have it’s own currency that ensures economic success and will not be subsceptible to Lord Darlings recipes for disaster? If Ronald can predict the future so accurately based on Lord Darling’s economic expertise, surely he can, as an expert, define a solution that means an independent Scotland’s new currency would be successfull? Can he? Is it possible? Or is Ronald lacking in the real world knowledge and expertise needed to define a solution to his own perceived problem? Which economies has Ronald actually improved with his insights? Did any of these no doubt flourishing economies use a currency that was not the Pound Sterling? How did they come to be successful?

    If Ronald is really an economics expert, lets see him define the solution for an independent Scotland, or is this task way beyond his pay grade?

  50. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    Macart @ 21:46,

    They’ve got “previous”. Just play them back-to-back. Easy-peasy.

    This is going to be such fun.

  51. AndyMcKangry
    Ignored
    says:

    Glasgow University need to carefully think about their international reputation.
    There seems to be an awful lot of “Experts” with the title of professor, linked to their prestigious establishment that the ordinary self taught punter on the street would characterise as one of the following;
    1) Fuckwit
    2) Belter
    3) “No very bright”
    4) A sandwich short of a picnic
    5) Thick as pig shit
    6) And on and on and on!!!

    Seriously Glasgow Uni, get a grip!!
    You should seriously consider the harm these people are doing to reputation as a world renowned seat of learning!!!

  52. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @RJS

    Heh! 🙂

    They don’t get to slide on their pledges or their rehashed guff. The buck stops with their political class, their ‘experts’ and their meeja.

  53. Capella
    Ignored
    says:

    Well at least he’s consistent. Whatever the SNP propose, he’s against it. In 2014 using the pound is forbidden, now it’s compulsory.

    He probably couldn’t stand Alex Salmond in 2014, and can’t stand Nicola Sturgeon now.

    But he fits the Scotsman profile perfectly.

  54. skydiver
    Ignored
    says:

    Looking more likely your EU Passport will become a useless document by the end of this month.

    No Deal Brexit is an almost certainty now.

    All good for Scottish IndyRef2.

    Bring it on.

  55. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Doesn’t look good for the MoD when they’re seen to be discriminating against Independence supporters. Next up Theresa May.

    ‘MoD fail to overturn ruling that protects pro-independence views from discrimination.’

    ”The Ministry of Defence (MoD) have lost an appeal to have a landmark decision on discrimination against independence supporters overturned.

    SNP councillor Chris McEleny successfully won the right to take the MoD to a full employment tribunal in 2018 over his claim that belief in Scottish independence should be protected against discrimination.

    The MoD sought for a second time to overturn the ruling, however Judge Frances Eccles rejected the bid, writing that it would not be “in the interests of justice” to reconsider her previous judgment. She also pointed out that the MoD had not provided any new evidence since their first attempt to appeal the decision.

    The fight began in 2016 following McEleny’s announcement that he would run for the position of depute leader within the SNP. The Inverclyde councillor was working as an electrician at the MoD plant in Beith at the time, however was quickly suspended and had his security clearances revoked. He claims he was targeted for his beliefs.

    In July of 2018 Judge Eccles agreed that his support for independence should have been protected from discrimination. The judgement said that McEleny held “a fundamental belief in the right of Scotland to national sovereignty” which would be protected under equalities legislation as a stance that amounted to a philosophical belief.

    In her decision Judge Eccles stated that “Mr McEleny has believed in the right of the Scottish people to self-determination since childhood”….and that she was satisfied that “self-determination, as a general principle, was an integral part of Mr McEleny’s belief in Scottish independence being concerned with how people living in Scotland are governed, where sovereignty lies and whether decisions taken about the future of Scotland are to be taken in Scotland or elsewhere.”

    Speaking following the outcome of the decision, McEleny said: “ I very much welcome the decision and thank everyone for the support shown to date. Naturally, as I am sure people will understand, I will refrain from further comment until after the full conclusion of proceedings.”

    The case will now progress to a full hearing later in the year.

    http://www.thenational.scot/news/17490301.mod-fail-to-overturn-ruling-that-protects-pro-independence-views-from-discrimination/

  56. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    What will be the tagline for NO this time? There is no illusion of a status quo of stability and familiarity to hang on to. There is no future plan agreed on to go forward with. They cannot use their predictive powers to tell us all the ills that will befall us, because they have already happened because of the NO vote.

    Maybe ‘misery together’ or ‘you reap what you sow’?

    The vision of the future we could have, not what we are leaving behind, must be more convincing for YES this time.

  57. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Professor Ronald MacDonald? Looks as though he’s pretty prestigious. What we really need is a ”Joseph Stiglitz” type to disagree with him.

    ..”MacDonald has consistently been ranked amongst the top 2% of economists in the world by the IDEAS/RePEc ranking, and amongst the top 1% of all research in international finance and open economy macroeconomics. He ranks amongst the top 6% of SSRN Top Economics authors. With a wide range of interests focused around exchange rates through to macroeconomics and international finance, he has published over 130 articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored or edited over 15 books.”..

    …”MacDonald’s research on exchange rate modelling has been highly influential with many implications for policy-markers. The Behavioural Equilibrium Exchange Rate (BEER), developed jointly with Peter Clark at the International Monetary Fund, has been widely applied by central banks and financial researchers to assess the extent of mis-alignment between major world currencies. In terms of policy-based research, he has proposed phasing out the Barnett Formula in favour of fiscal autonomy in the Scottish Parliament.”….

    ”As a prominent figure in economic academia, MacDonald has held posts as Consultant Researcher and Visiting Scholar at the International Monetary Fund on fourteen separate occasions, and has presented five-day courses on the ‘Economics of Exchange Rates’ at the International Monetary Fund Institute. He has furthermore acted as consultant to a wide range of Central Banks, International Banks, and other financial institutions and private sector industry, including European Commission and the European Central Bank.”..

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_MacDonald_(economist)

  58. Wullie B
    Ignored
    says:

    Prof Ronald The Clown MacDonald, independent councillor for Skye North, and the guy is an erse, how the feck my fellow voters from North Skye chose him over others I don’t know, probably because of his one trick pony show of saving Portree Hospital

  59. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Then again it looks as though he’s inclined to disagree with himself.

    ”I hear that Professor Ronald MacDonald is attacking the idea of a new Scottish currency post-independence. Interesting, because he had this to say in 2014…”

    https://twitter.com/MammothWhale/status/1104853302670434305?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

    ……………………………………

  60. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra

    MacDonald is very much an economist of his time and in tune with the economic theories and ideologies favoured by UK banking and successive UK governments. He very much says what they want to hear.

    Stiglitz has been on the Council of Economic Advisers for the Scottish Government since 2012. I’m not sure he has been that much help to us since he has also endorsed Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership.

    We perhaps just need Economists from a range of views to rationally debate possibilities – that would be much more persuasive hopefully. Heavyweights slugging it out is only going to polarize arguments.

  61. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    Petra @ 22:54,

    One of the saddest aspects about this whole indy business is that some otherwise intelligent “prestigious” individuals are evidently willing to sell their soul to the devil over it rather than be straightforwardly honest with the public.

    I wouldn’t mind so much if someone had a professional view that had some bearing on the issue, and they stuck to it out of principle and their own informed opinion.

    These people though who do 180-degree turns on a dime – just because – are contemptible sell-outs, and a thorough discredit to their profession. That revelation is one unexpectedly beneficial side-effect of the proposed change of SNP policy on currency.

    If these “experts” weren’t lying before, they sure as hell are now.

  62. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Mmm, time for this again:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiMXuEmqAHA

  63. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @chicmac
    Looks the same to me.

  64. Bill Hume
    Ignored
    says:

    As a Scot, I tend to view this episode in history rather as I view the big car crash scene in The Blues Brothers. Great fun to watch in the full knowledge that I’m really not involved, as Scotland will be shortly saying %£*& off UK.

  65. Robert Louis
    Ignored
    says:

    The italian job at 823pm,

    Quote “How did this numpty get a professorship at such a prestigious University as Glasgow.”

    A very good question. I think we all know why.

    Good to see REV STU at his best the last few days, literally skewering the assorted british nationalist clowns (‘journalists’) who write for the pretendy Scottish media.

    Clearly project fear has been re-kindled. Champagne ‘scoalist’ Lord Darling, worrying over the loss of his privileges, money and title, if Scotland becomes independent, and then we have this anti-Scotland hogwash from Professor Better Together.

    Poor wee Scotland, cannot survive in a currency union, but cannot survive with its own country. Honestly, its just the same freaking better together chumps, with the same nonsense as in 2014.

    Fodder for Rev Stuart Campbell.

  66. Fireproofjim
    Ignored
    says:

    Is this MacDonald fellow saying that ONLY Scotland out of the 160 countries which have become independent since 1945 is incapable of having its own currency?
    All these countries saw the currency issue as a mere detail compared with the benefits of independence.
    Mind you, not many of these countries had to put up with a cowardly, cringing Media, and a similar parliamentary opposition who believe another country is better equipped to run their nation.

  67. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    SilverDarling”11:11pm
    Zactly. The correct identification of what an economic system is, is fundamental to understanding how to manage economic systems. As you need to be able to deal with the complexity inherant to “open systems”, the understanding of economic systems is best not attempted by the conservative mind, IMHO, which tends not to have the appropriate neural architecture for dealing with either complexity or change.

    CRITICAL REALISM IN ECONOMICS AND OPEN-SYSTEMS
    ONTOLOGY: A CRITIQUE

    Abstract: This paper examines the treatment of ontology offered by Critical Realism. Three main criticisms are made of the Critical Realist treatment of open systems. It is argued that Critical Realism, particularly in the project in economics emanating from Cambridge, UK, tends to define systems in terms of events. This is shown to be problematic.

    The exemplar of a closed system provided by Critical Realism of the solar system is shown to be flawed in that it is not closed according to the closure conditions identified by Critical Realism.

    Second, the negativity of the definitions adopted is problematic for heterodox traditions attempting to build positive programs. The dualism of the definitions is also inconsistent with Dow’s approach. This has ramifications for the coherence of Post Keynesianism.

    Third, the definitions tend to polarize open and closed systems and ignore the degrees of openness evident in reality. This polarization of systems leads to polarized methodology and unsustainable arguments to reject so-called closed-systems methods.

    Key words:
    open systems, closed systems, Critical Realism, Post-Keynesianism, dualism

    www2.uwe.ac.uk/faculties/BBS/BUS/Research/economics%202004/0401%20Critical%20Realism%20in%20Economics%20and%20Open-Systems%20Ontology%20A%20Critique.pdf

    Realism in Economics : Critical or Complex ?
    http://www.mcxapc.org/fileadmin/docs/ateliers/delorm2.pdf

    Complex realist economics: toward an ontology for an interested pluralism
    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00346764.2018.1480796

  68. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    @yesindyref2 11.18pm

    Takes me back. I remember feeling a bit low at that time because of all the lying shit being thrown at the Yes campaign from everywhere. Nothing will ever sum up Labour in Scotland more than that video.

    It’s starting to feel a lot like…

    Indyref2 has started for real.

  69. Sarah
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra 10.54: that source is Wikipedia. Remember what Craig Murray tells us about Wikipedia entries being amended by some dubious types. Also self-amended!

  70. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    chicmac says:
    10 March, 2019 at 11:23 pm
    Are you sure that photo is correct Stuart? I did a Google image

    You are correct and yesindyref2 is wrong.

    The britnat professor of fun is more Charlie Cairoli than his namesake burger legend.

    Google it and see if I’m not right.

  71. Terry
    Ignored
    says:

    Remember NONE of the unionist parties have set out how they’d run an independent Scotland. In the next referendum they couldn’t avoid this as they are starting from a position that it’s a distinct possibility. The Snp do both – govern for a devolved Scotland and have a vision for an Indy Scotland. In the next campaign once the unionist parties have to map out how they’d govern Scotland if they were elected then that would be a game changer.

  72. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    @Cameron B Brodie

    Cool. I need to read more about economics for the IndyRef2 campaign. It seems the most politically malleable ‘science’ out there. A lot of chicken and egg stuff. Also inhabited by some of the most monstrous egos!

  73. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Stu has risen from his stupour and us with him.

    Let us go forth and liberate Scotland from british imperialism.

  74. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    @dakk
    Shucks, you’re right, sorry about that!

    @SilverDarling
    Me too, watched it a few times when in need of a cheery. 2/3 guys routed 100 MPs from London. Sounds about the right odds to me, proportionately there’s twice as many SNP MPs as that, should be a dawdle.

    Anyways, might be just a few days rather than weeks so it’s time to clear the workload to be ready. Mmm, starting tomorrow. Whoops, later today!

  75. Robert J. Sutherland
    Ignored
    says:

    chicmac @ 23:23,
    dakk @ 23:56,

    Well, if you both are right, Glasgow Uni has been employing a fake:

    https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/business/staff/ronaldmacdonald/#/biography,teaching

    Duh.

  76. HandandShrimp
    Ignored
    says:

    If it is Scotland then it must be bad whatever it is and regardless of how well it works elsewhere.

    It is the Unionist red, white and blue comfort blanket (with a very well rubbed corner)

  77. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Now let the Lord raise Cactus from his Stupour.

  78. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    Of course the state of Scotland’s economy post Independence no matter what they say is none of Englands business, that’s the business of Scotland’s people to decide

  79. Confused
    Ignored
    says:

    the jungian collective unconscious strikes again via weird synchronicity – listening to old placebo album, the lyric

    makes no sense at all
    things arent what they seem

    hes a BURGER QUEEN

    its one of the classic fallacies – the argument from authority
    – this guy has got all the right credentials – but hes still a fucking clown
    old jokes
    – put 6 economists in a room get – 7 opinions
    – “THE only function of economic forecasting is to make astrology look respectable,” John Kenneth Galbraith

    now check out this link – he predicts the 2016 referendum using BIG DATA !!!

    https://policyscotland.gla.ac.uk/forecasting-2016-eu-referendum-big-data-remain-win-spite-cameron/

    – well done mate, you had a 50:50 chance of being right with a coin toss, you threw the kitchen sink at it, and still got it wrong
    – from his own report

    Finally, we use our statistical model to calculate the predicted outcomes for the referendum, reported in Table 3, and they show that remain will have a clear win in the referendum with a mean poll of 48% against Leave’s 44%. Allowing for our calculated swing ratios, noted in the second row of the Table, confirms that even taking account of undecided voters Leave cannot win the referendum as shown in the Final Rate Range and Mean rate rows.

    sometimes these idiots go to the city – where they lose their lunch to aggressive barrow boys who know NOTHING about economics

  80. defo
    Ignored
    says:

    Cameron
    There’s certainly a semblance of Mr Potato head about the yoon go to guy for all things monetary.

    Comfort yourself, in the knowledge that one day, long, long ago, a stuck up, emotionally and sexually repressed young man first came upon the name of McD’s sinister clown mascot.

    There. That’s better,isn’t it!
    😉

  81. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    Joking apart, MacDonald has genuine credentials which makes it all the more surprising he’d put his own name to his own tosh. £300 billion would give Scotland the same reserves as India, South Korea or indeed, Hong Kong! All of which are greatly different economies to Scotland’s. The UK as a whole only has £133 billion – up a bit since I last looked when it was £120 billion (must be preparing for Brexit). Our share? A cool £11 billion at least. I’m presuming he’s looking at the what used to be 1250% of GDP financial institution burden, which I think is daft, frankly.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_foreign-exchange_reserves

    and a gold mine of info if it still works with its links from wayback – click 21 Sep (from 2014):

    https://web.archive.org/web/20141001000000*/www.wealthynation.org

    Zzzzs for me, over to Cactus.

  82. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    defo
    The evolutionary science of potato-head phrenology, just for you. 😉

    Why isn’t everyone an evolutionary psychologist?

    Abstract

    Despite a widespread acceptance that the brain that underpins human psychology is the result of biological evolution, very few psychologists in any way incorporate an evolutionary perspective in their research or practice. There have been many attempts to convince mainstream psychology of the importance of such a perspective, mostly from those who identify with “Evolutionary Psychology,” and there has certainly been progress in that direction, but the core of psychology remains essentially unevolutionary.

    Here I explore a number of potential reasons for mainstream psychology continuing to ignore or resist an evolutionary approach, and suggest some ways in which those of us interested in seeing an increase in the proportion of psychologists adopting an evolutionary perspective might need to modify our tactics to increase our chances of success.

    Keywords: evolutionary psychology, evolutionary biology, comparative cognition, behavioral ecology, psychology education

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4145278/

    Evolutionary Psychology of Facial Attractiveness
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/1467-8721.00190

    The Many Faces of Leadership: An Evolutionary-Psychology Approach
    http://www.professormarkvanvugt.com/images/CDPS601971_Van_Vugt_REV.pdf

    I might be approaching “full flow”. 🙂

  83. dakk
    Ignored
    says:

    Charlie Cairoli to the left of us, Listair Darling to the right and Scotland’ s stuck in the middle.

    Here we are.

  84. yesindyref2
    Ignored
    says:

    There’s also this by the way

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_for_International_Settlements

    from which I see the UK had around 2016, £72 billion Banknotes and coin in circulation (basically a couple of the M numbers). Scotland’s equivalent would be £6 billion. It’s not really a valid comparison, but that £72 billion of the UK compared to £133 billion of foreign reserves equates to £11 billion. Which is a sort of comparison considering the UK also has financial instituion exposure (I forget the percentage). It’s not as simple as the of course.

    But £11 billion is a good starting point for considering our need for reserves. I’d like to see R MacD tell us exactly why not – and relate it to a range of acceptable fiscal policies.

  85. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    Just more lies. If Scotland could stop paying for Westminster failings, mismanagement, corruption and incompetence, illegal wars financial fraud,tax evasion, HS2, Hinkley Point, Trident. The list is endless. Costing Scotland £Billions that could be better spent. Pensions/benefits/welfare could be increased. Wages would be higher. Any increase in mortgage payments etc would be more than covered by higher wages.

    Scotland would have more to spend on essentials to aid the Scottish economy. Instead of the £Billions wasted on Westminster total mismanagement. Brexit is an example. The EU costs Scotland nothing but brings in jobs, investment and trade. The nearest bigger markets.

    Now Westminster is trying to stop Scotland’s EU membership. This will lose Scotland £Billions of revenues. The monies that Westminster unionists are borrowing and spending in the rest of the UK. Scotland has to pay off the debt. These funds (debt repayments) could be invested in Scotland. Not on loan payment on monies not borrowed or spent in Scotland.

    Westminster takes £Billions from Scotland in (Scottish) revenues and wastes it on monstrosities no value with absolutely no business case. They mismanaged the Oil & Gas sector losing £Billions, lost thousands of jobs and cost lives.

    People have died because of Westminster mismanagement. Helicopters disasters and other disasters which could have been prevented. UK Health & Safety Laws have not been enforced. The BP environmental Gulf of Mexico disaster was caused by cutting corners and neglect. There have been other disasters caused by UK Gov neglect and lack of diligence. UK Laws not enforced.

    They have mismanaged the fishing industry. Allowing dead fish to be thrown back for years. Discards depleting stocks. Instead of using better methods and bigger nets. Losing £Billions.

    Westminster has mismanaged the farming industry. Taking CAP payments intended for poorer Scottish farmers (hill/sheep) and given it to wealthier farmers in the South. Despite pleas to have it over. The Tory minister actually said, ‘ Better together’ as he was doing it. He ignored the request to hand it over. Embezzled it. It was on the BBC Parliamentary Channel. The meetings recorded as it happened and televised. His words broadcast in TV. Mad cow came from Alabama. Infected cattle exported to the UK. It cost £Billions of taxpayers money and bankrupted farmers.

    Scotland pays it’s own (UK) pensions and benefits from Scottish tax revenues raised. The unionists just tell a pack of lies about the Scottish economy. Scotland would be much better off Independent. Managing it’s own affairs and growing the economy.

    No taxation without representation and democracy. In short supply in Scotland due to Westminster total mismanagement and corruption. Keeping their graft and corruption hidden under the Official Secrets Act. Iraq war, Lockerbie and Dunblane kept secret for 100 years. The Westminster unionists illegally hid the McCrone Report and took the Oil Revenues Then every manufacturing facility was shut down in Scotland by Thatcher’s UK Gov.

    The Scottish Office colluded. Forsyth and Laing were Thatcher’s men in Scotland. They held Office they were not suitable or fit for the posts. Lang introduced the Barnett Formula designed to take the Oil Revenues from Scotland. Offshored it and secretly and illegally used it to fund London S/E leaving Scotland impoverished. Thatcher swore them to secrecy. These facts was written by her on Official documents. Released a few years ago after thirty years. Forsyth and Lang got knighthoods as a reward?

    They have just released more documents from Thatcher’s archive. Lawson/Howard’s disagreements over the EU policy again. It led to Thatcher’s demise. They got knighthoods. Still troughing in the House of Lords, Thatcher died alone. She stayed at the Ritz courtesy of the proprietor. A tax evader. A Tory donor and supporter.

  86. chicmac
    Ignored
    says:

    @FireproofJim

    “Is this MacDonald fellow saying that ONLY Scotland out of the 160 countries which have become independent since 1945 is incapable of having its own currency?”

    What I think he is saying is that an indy Scotland would need a Big Mac burger with bacon to differentiate itself but if they go for it, it wouldn’t be genuine a Big Mac.

    ‘S true, I’ve seen it on the telly.

  87. Az
    Ignored
    says:

    Superb rebuttal by Stuart!

    While it’s kind of obvious that a new currency may fluctuate in value for a time, it does seem as if this man is deliberately ignoring what gives a currency its value. That, primarily, is the judgement by the market of the country’s economy. Scotland has massive oil reserves and a massive energy surplus.

    So that’s that. Just as Gavin McCrone said all those years ago, probably second to the Norwegian Krone in Europe – or thereabouts.

    Is there no mechanism whereby a qualification can be retrospectively removed, if someone turns out to be simply a zoomer who’ll say anything for cash?

    O/T – I’m almost scared to say out loud/type online, what I think one of the SNPP’s plans are the one I feel that we are inevitably headed towards. Not through the choices of the SNP, ut through the choices of the British state, which seems to be (perhaps expectedly) closing every door to civilised and agreed upon official referendum. Plus we’re running out of time to avoid extreme pain.

    Long/short I do not necessarily expect to vote in a referendum to secure Scotland’s independence; perhaps a confirmatory vote of some kind, delightfully placing the boot on the other foot for the Brits, now having to justify their union. If this is so, I wonder how many they will get on their public shows of support like rallies or marches, and how — ahem – “family friendly” such events might be.

  88. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The EU central banks funded countries self determination and gave loans. That were paid back really quickly, The ECB funded German unification. It got sorted out. They funded many countries in the EU. Or Scotland could borrow on the open market. Sell bonds that is how countries raise revenues. If they are a good bet they get cheaper interest rates and honour it.

    There is something going on with the BoE and the ECB just now. There was an official announcement. It looked like the ECB would support the £ on Brexiting. To uphold the currency and not bring the € down. Safety in numbers.

    The ECB must have more in reserves because of the larger numbers (pro rata) in the Eurozone depositing in the ECB, (Collectively). Germany and the successful, smaller countries, France, Italy etc. They are not allowed to carry too much deficit, debt or borrowing in order keep the currency (euro) stable. An agreed limit and ratio. The UK has one of the biggest debt deficit and debt in the world. So does the US.

    The Chinese currency Yuan has now be accepted as a world trading currency. Takihg over from the $ or rivalling it. Not many other countries use it yet. The US is still the biggest official world trading currency but it could be in demise. Especially if Chinese currency takes over (1.3-Billion pop). The US currencies is first for use in the world. 60%. Followed by the Euro. 25% The £ -6% ? Japan 4%l China at present 5%. Approx.

    The Eurozone keeps interest rates down. Germany (&Japan) were not allowed to keep an army or military after 11WW. It saved them money and aided their economy. Investing £Billions in new factories, road and rail links etc. Built up their economies.

    Members of the EU do not have to spend so much on the Military because of shared Defence Agreement. They cooperate . The UK were borrowing French aircraft carriers because the UK were short of them. Excess redundant military weaponry can end up in the wrong hands. Sold on.

  89. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    Az
    I’m pretty sure you’d be able to find legitimacy in the professor’s interpretation but only if your analysis remains within the confines of neo-classical economic theory, which would be poor professional practice.

    Pluralism and Economic Education: a Learning Theory Approach

    Abstract

    Preparing students to participate in social and economic life after graduation is a widely held goal of economics instructors. How that goal is achieved and interpretations of what is a relevant skill, however, are a source of debate, covering both content coverage and pedagogical practices.

    This paper argues that a more pluralistic approach to both course content and pedagogy is fundamental for better preparing economics students for the world,and that learning theory is an integral component of understanding how to design practices to achieve desired outcomes.

    https://www.economicsnetwork.ac.uk/iree/v8n2/peterson.pdf

    Does Pluralism in Economics Education Make Better Educated, Happier Students? A Qualitative Analysis
    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1477388015300293

    Pluralism, Academic Freedom, and Heterodox Economics
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0486613411402647

  90. Az
    Ignored
    says:

    Ken500 @ 1:46am

    I mostly agree with you, but wish to point out that Japan has absolutely massive debt (twice its annual income), and is running a deficit of 4.5%. That is bigger than the UK, yet we do not see financial boffins telling us Japan must implement austerity etc…. WHY?

    Because we are told terrible lies, and Japan exposes them to some extent. Japan can service its debt, and it can run a deficit almost indefinitely because, at the end of the day, it can literally print its way out of desperate trouble, as the good Richard Murphy has explained. Just as any other producer of a trusted sovereign currency can do – like the USA or the UK or Sweden or whoever.

    The simple truth is, that a budget deficit, or a debt in trillions, is nowhere near the problem certain media outlets pretend it is, especially those who lie by pretending that a country’s budget is just like that of a household.

    A budget deficit actually means more money in the private sector. To demonstrate this in a simple example: the government requires something done like building a bridge, and pays $100 to the private sector. It then recoups $90 in taxes. The government is running a budget deficit now, of $10, having received back less than it spent, but there is now $10 in the private sector that was not there before.

    Theoretically, government spend is almost unrestricted, but few people will tell you that. Certainly, it wouldn’t want to run an insanely high deficit, but borrowing, as you say the issuing of bonds, accurately described as issuing debt – is almost limitless. Certainly not what any newspaper will tell you.

    I saw some Gold-enthusiast zoomer claiming that fiat currencies are only expected to last 25 years. Yet today’s major fiat currencies are all way older than that. The UK came off the gold standard in the 1930s fgs. Don’t let your opinion on finance and currency be coloured by those who cannot leave behind notions based on a gold standard currency.

    As long as your economy is ticking along nicely – which should always be the key aim – then debt and deficit are of secondary concern.

  91. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    There have been plenty of academic economists and others supposed to be well qualified (firms). They get it wrong every time. They even guarantee accounts and do not edit them right. They have been caught colluding with firms for money. To give them a clean bill (accounts) when they were in trouble and not balancing in debt. An offence under business law. The stock exchange. They can get put in jail for that, falsifying, but they never do.

    Many academic economists (right wing) were bigging up Japan in the 1980′. An economic miracle. The Japanese Way was the way to run a successful economy. It turned out there was complete corrupt bank frauds and the big companies were in on it. They were all up to their eyes in debt. Lots of large Japanese firms and corporates have been fiddling the books for years. Nissan boss is facing charges. Out on bail.There was a big scandal at Toyota. The President had to resign. Phone companies have been in trouble.

    The economists were badly wrong. One Harvard? Professor wrote a favourable report on the Iceland banks. It was totally wrong. The banks (two) were near collapse. The Report was changed illegally for positive to negative. A con.

    The US mathematical academic geniuses? who took down the US banks trading shares on the stock exchange. A pyramid Ponzi scheme. They made money but took down the banks. Lots of economists and academics can be wrong, The pollster experts always get it wrong. Their computer staging model is wrong, They feed in the wrong information.

    At one time, until recently there were no Laws for financial fraud. Wrong doers could not be charged. They had to pass Laws but the criminals still evade protected by Westminster Gov. Thatcher established tax havens. Sir Keith Joseph advised Thatcher. ‘Thatcherism’. Unelected Lord Rothschild advised Thatcher. He thought up the Poll tax.

    Thatcher was advised not to bring in the Poll tax. The majority of people faced large increases. She lost power because of it and EU matters. Lawson wanted to join the ERM or float the £? immediately. Thatcher refused to commit to a date, He was Chancellor and not happy. He said that, Thatcher’s staff were involved in leaked briefings to the Press. He threatened to resign and did. She did not expect it and was not happy. It led to her having to resign. She left Downing greeting. Major became leader. The Papers were released days ago. Documenting the proceeding. She wrote in notes. To remind her when she later wrote a book.

    Lord Lawson is the Brexiteer who lives in France and now has joint citizenship. Multimillionaire tax evader. It will not affect him. Nigella’s father. They had a family fortune in Lipton tea shops. It was sold or taken over. She was married to Saatchi. He was beating her up and abusing her. She was addicted to cocaine but gave it up, to,resurrect her career. She is a multimillionaire selling books.

    Cocaine is widespread. A black economy. On all bank notes and surfsces. The bankers were on it. Drink and prostitution. ‘Loads of money bankers’ Thatcher’s regime. While people were starving. 18%+ unemployment, except in London. The only place with under 10%

  92. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The (right wing) academic economist were bigging up Japan. Calling it an economic miracle.etc. It was a great example. The company men. Corporate employees got big favours and income. There was great completion for these limited laces. Those on the periphery struggled. They had poorly paid work and unskilled jobs with no guarantees,,

    The corporates were double dealing accounts. It turned out, The economists in Unis were wrong. Some were lecturing students with the wrong information. They did not know what was really going on.

  93. CameronB Brodie
    Ignored
    says:

    What happens if you don’t take care of economic pluralism? Well, the ‘left’ might start believing the right-wing, populist, Euroskeptic, mantra that has become a pseudo-faith in England.

    There is no left-wing case for Brexit: 21st century socialism requires transnational organization

    The contribution of traditional social democracy to the consolidation of neoliberalism in Europe illustrates the difficulties of developing a nationalist left alternative in the contemporary capitalist state, argues Lea Ypi. Contemporary socialism requires new ways of organising and must be transnational. Using the British case, she explains why neither Remain nor Leave fully capture the demands of the left.

    ….The opposite of civic republicanism is ethnic nationalism. We are all familiar with it: it is the nationalism of Viktor Orban and of Nigel Farage, of Marine Le Pen and Donald Trump. Ethnic nationalism has always done the dirty work of capitalism. Denying vulnerable minorities political representation while continuing to exploit them in the labour market is one well-known source of increasing profit. But socialism and civic republicanism have traditionally been considered not only compatible but mutually complementary. Can civic republicanism still fuel progressive politics? Is there a left-wing case for Brexit?

    https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/brexit/2018/12/21/there-is-no-left-wing-case-for-brexit-21st-century-socialism-requires-transnational-organization/

  94. Another Union Dividend
    Ignored
    says:

    BBC Scotland GMS reports much more oil in UK waters and playing down the many new finds. No mention of how much of this is in Scottish waters.

  95. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Even top Tories say a section 30 order cannot be denied to the Scots.
    Ruth Davidson and David Davis apparently support Nicola Sturgeon’s request for the section 30.
    Tory brexiters claim they would not allow May to stay as PM after June.
    EU says UK can leave the NI backstop but NI must stay in, after a no deal.
    Polls say most voters back a no deal if Mays deal fails this week’s vote.
    https://www.facebook.com/indycargordonross/videos/409669262911585/

    https://thoughtcontrolscotland.com/2019/03/10/scotlands-workers-in-greater-demand-and-demanding-more-than-those-in-ruk/

    The Scottish Pound – How a Scottish currency can and will work – Common_Weal
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z94uEHQebaw&feature=youtu.be

    A new low from the bbc
    https://twitter.com/KirstySNP/status/1104652906060541952

  96. admiral
    Ignored
    says:

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-47516655

    Oh, dear! More bad news for Scotland – forecast for oil production up to 2050 (yes, folks, more than 30 years away!) upped by an additional 3.9 billion barrels.

    I’m so glad we have the broad shoulders of Westminster to help us carry this burden.

  97. Muiris
    Ignored
    says:

    He should stick to the day job ( He is the mascot for Big Macs, isn’t he?)

  98. Donald anderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Izzat the guy that McDonalds made a clown out of?

  99. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Today in Westminster
    In this rescheduled session, the Committee will hear from the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, Stephen Barclay.
    https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/exiting-the-european-union-committee/news-parliament-2017/rescheduled-barclay-evidence-17-19/

    GPs have now received 3 warning letters from the Govt about the Serious Shortage Protocol for medicines. Not one person voted for this, Esther.Soundbites such as ‘Project Fear’ & ‘Scaremongering’ will no longer wash.
    https://twitter.com/outwinw/status/1104698529723895808

    UK firms are being warned EU companies plan to make them foot the bill if Brexit results in delayed orders.
    http://archive.is/P9qwg

    We all know there’s uncertainty over how MPs will vote on #Brexit this week. Thought it might be handy just to flag why there’s also uncertainty over exactly what & when they’re voting on (nerdy procedure thread….) 1/
    https://twitter.com/Brigid_Fowler/status/1105007594396094464

  100. Maurice Taylor
    Ignored
    says:

    During the independence debate of 2014, the DWP assured everyone that UK state pensions would be unaffected by an independent Scotland and would continue to be paid as normal. Appalling lack of knowledge and research by the Scotsman……..again.

  101. Dorothy Devine
    Ignored
    says:

    Morning Nana ,I woke this morning with good intentions . I was going to get a washing on , the ironing done and general clearing of the midden – happily you have ruined those good intentions and with coffee and toast at the ready I will plough through every link.

    Thank you!

  102. Robert Peffers
    Ignored
    says:

    @yesindyref2 says:11 March, 2019 at 1:00 am:

    ” … There’s also this by the way
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bank_for_International_Settlements
    from which I see the UK had around 2016, £72 billion Banknotes and coin in circulation (basically a couple of the M numbers). Scotland’s equivalent would be £6 billion.”

    Isn’t there a wee flaw in these estimations? Will not every figure quoted for the UK contain a part that is Scotland’s figures? Whether these figures are assets or debits doesn’t matter. They are looking at the problem as if it were The kingdom of England vs the kingdom of Scotland but the figures are actually The United Kingdom vs the Kingdom of Scotland and Scotland is part of the United Kingdom.

    You simply cannot quote UK figures against Scottish figures as Scotland is part of the UK. The obvious problem is that there are no figures for England as England is funded as the United Kingdom but UK figures also contain the figures for Scotland, Wales and N.I.

  103. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Morning Dorothy, me too!
    These are the last for today, promise 🙂

    Round and round and round we go
    https://twitter.com/SamCoatesTimes/status/1105000115285229568

    Aw that’s nice! Eddie receives yet another useless title from his mammy
    http://archive.is/wrzDC

    The first Earl was a rogue
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archibald_Douglas,_1st_Earl_of_Forfar

  104. Clootie
    Ignored
    says:

    We have an anti Independence media who select “experts” that are die hard unionists. We have “think tanks” stuffed with either Tory or Labour unionists as an alternative source of further “expert” opinion.
    No matter how many seats the SNP win at Westminster they will always be outvoted by 10:1.
    Holyrood was set up to make a Independence supporting majority impossible ( do no underestimate how fragile this situation is).

    Given all of that the support for Independence has remained solid since 2014 – amazing.

    We just need to keep nudging it forward. They have the power, the money and the media but we have one important advantage – We are doing it for the generations to come.

  105. skydiver
    Ignored
    says:

    The curse of having the largest oil fields in the EU.

    It’s a wonder the Scotsman is not comparing Scotland to Venezuela, who are also cursed with having huge oil and gas reserves.

  106. Ghillie
    Ignored
    says:

    Clootie, well said !

    They set up the odds to be set against us.

    But it is just not working 🙂

    We are doing it for the generations to come =)

    And guess what, for this generation, now !!

  107. orri
    Ignored
    says:

    Think they may have finally twigged what refusing a currency union entails.

    As co-owners of the Bank of England Scotland will need to either be represented on the board and retain/gain some control creating a de-facto CU or will have to be bought out.

    Naming a price for the bank issuing your currency isn’t something any state would want to take lightly.

  108. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    In a shock reversal of position this morning the BBC in Scotland told the truth about a massive increase in oil contained within Scottish waters

    No alarms went off and no people were injured in a report from Douglas Fraser normally the BBCs doomsayer in these matters as he happily reported that Scotland’s economic position as an Independent country in terms of oil production was positively rosy

    Douglas Fraser even went so far as to inform Scotland that extraction of this increased lovely oil is now even cheaper to process leading to huge increases in revenue for whichever country possesses this black gold Texas tea bonanza and there was not a Sir Ian Wood in sight or earshot to inform us differently or advise great caution in Scotland’s inability or incompetence to capitalise on the predictions

    At this moment we’re unsure as to whether this monumental news has filtered through to *Better together Central* in order for them to hurriedly fashion or put together a rebuttal for these revelations but we are sure when they do fashion an objection it will be down to Better together’s usual poor standard likely featuring their resident economist and dog food expert Kelvin Hogue who at this moment will be frantically designing a graph to show us why Scottish people are less capable than English people in the management of their own recources and country

  109. Famous15
    Ignored
    says:

    So gaslighting means telling big whopping lies knowing that the Unionist media will repeat these lies endlessly without a blush.

    No wonder the newspapers are piling up unread at supermarkets.

    The sooner Scotland is independent the sooner sanity returns to everyday life.Enough is enough of Westminster stupidity.

  110. Abulhaq
    Ignored
    says:

    Ronald MacDonald makes me immediately think ‘burgers’ not macro-e and int.fin.
    Does he have an op. on Scotland staying in the EU and adopting the Euro?

  111. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    Mornin’ Nana

    That was a long weekend.

    Anyroads. Good catches on the Jeremy Hunt piece and the oil and gas article.

    Definitely two cups worth. 🙂

  112. Alex Beveridge
    Ignored
    says:

    Albeit with a rapidly shirking reader base, the damage has already been done with the headline. Some people, too many for my liking, still believe the lies promoted by the M.S.M on a daily basis.
    But this is only the phony war. I believe the S.N.P are poised to announce an application to Westminster for a Section 30 Order to hold IndyRef 2. That phrase itself sticks in my gullet. Having to ask another country for permission.
    When that happens just watch as the Establishment propaganda machine go into overdrive. You ain’t seen nothing yet folks. Be prepared.

  113. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Morning Macart

    it’s been more like the lost weekend Macart 🙂

    I see the blame game has begun in earnest

    “wasnae me guv, twas those EU high heid yins wot done it”

    and brexiters are calling Blair all sorts of names (mind you so do I) saying he’s been working for Macron when all along he’s been advising May.

    and Ester McVey is still the lying two faced ………….

  114. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Nana says:
    11 March, 2019 at 7:46 am

    https://www.thecanary.co/trending/2019/03/08/listen-to-noam-chomsky-dismantle-the-unimaginable-western-propaganda-on-venezuela/

    Noam Chomsky describes Western Journalists in Venezuela as “Journalists for the Opposition”.

    Still one up on Scotland then… their Journalists for the Opposition aren’t home grown.

  115. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Still two up on Scotland perhaps… Does Venezuela have its own Venezuelan media to redress the imbalance of propaganda domestically?

  116. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:

    Make it three up on Scotland. How many decades of monopolised indoctrination have Venezuelans been subjected to?

  117. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    Morning Breeks

    Here’s the Wiki page on Venezuela’s media

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_of_Venezuela

  118. Davo
    Ignored
    says:

    OT
    I see the UK Oil and Gas Authority have revised Alastair Darling’s estimate of 2 billion barrels of oil remaining to 11.9 billion barrels. That’s a 595% increase.

  119. Nana
    Ignored
    says:

    oh dear

    I’m told Geoffrey Cox’s appearance in Brussels was ‘the last straw.’

    ‘We couldn’t believe this buffoon out of Gilbert and Sullivan, even more comic,’ says a senior commission official
    https://twitter.com/Andrew_Adonis/status/1104711484779704322

    https://www.thenational.scot/news/17490652.judge-upholds-mceleny-tribunal-ruling-on-independence-beliefs/

    https://dailybusinessbreak.wordpress.com/2019/03/07/scottish-stock-exchange-close-to-accepting-first-firms/

    that really is all for today 🙂

  120. Macart
    Ignored
    says:

    @Nana

    Yes. Yes they both are. 🙂

    Problem being, there’s no repercussions for fibbery Nana. Folk like that feel completely untouchable. They simply move on to the next big lie with a shrug and a throwaway quip (see under Carmichael). Politics has always been an appalling and dirty game, but unnecessarily so. Today hypocrisy and fibbery, (always present), has ceased to be selective instruments in a politician’s tool kit. They’ve become the ‘go to’ tools for the talentless, the inept and pure twisted.

    Yet people vote for this abuse knowing full well the kind of creatures they’re putting into positions of responsibility. Go figure.

  121. stu mac
    Ignored
    says:

    @Petra says:
    10 March, 2019 at 10:54 pm
    Professor Ronald MacDonald? Looks as though he’s pretty prestigious.

    IQ and learning do not exclude a person from having prejudices. And being blind to their own prejudices and therefore not able to overcome them (how do you fight what you can’t see?). Thus a top class academic may have a blind spot which causes them to be bale to argue honestly/logically on a particular topic.

    BTW needless to say an academic of all people ought to be aware of the need to try to see their own blind spots but unfortunately that’s often not the case. This is why of course that one of the first “bad arguments” is Appeal to authority.

  122. stu mac
    Ignored
    says:

    “bale”?? unable

  123. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    INDYREF2.SCOT

    It used to be the case that rigging an election could only be done by the Labour or Tory Party. Nowadays, anybody with the money and the know-how can slip secretly into a political campaign using social media with deadly effect while operating outside the Law.

    Using the Internet and social media, and financed by seemingly unlimited dark money, including from overseas parties whose attitude towards the UK is anything but benign, the ability to decisively influence or interfere with any public ballot in the UK is undeniable even as it is being ignored by the politicians.

    This is equally true for Scotland and the Independence Movement, which is regarded with open and desperate hostility by the English Establishment and Government, as well as by the British Nationalist contingent here in Scotland.

    It is almost as if our politicians are terrified of admitting that our election campaign security systems are no longer effective, and that anyone, anywhere can completely undermine or compromise democracy in the UK & Scotland through secret & unlawful activity during the campaign stage.

    Or, to put it simply, I’d be more confident of a safe result, if I released my pet rabbit into the Serengeti game reserve than of a safe result in a second independence Referendum.

    And so the Scottish government/Independence Movement turns slowly towards the Courts for a legal remedy.
    After Indy2014 and EURef16 you’d be mad not to.

    Now what happened to that rabbit. I do hope it’ll be alright with all those lions, cheetahs, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs, coyotes and crocodiles out there. What snakes? I forgot about them, slithering, hidden, in the grass.
    Will my rabbit be OK, do you think?

  124. Cubby
    Ignored
    says:

    UK oil and gas production forecast raised.

    Good news for Scotland – nae chance. The headline is correct it all goes to the UK.

    Good news for an independent Scotland – yes.

    Remember the Britnats used to say the oil would run out in the mid eighties. Fields discovered in the 70’s are still pumping out oil and forecast to continue for another 20 years. New fields are being discovered/ operated – Clair Ridge is forecast to be the largest ever field. Oil will be flowing for at least another 50 years. That means oil will have been extracted for 100 years. Remember the Britnats and their lying experts said it would only last for about nearly fifteen years.

    We are swimming in oil, and other energy resources but the benefits are all going south and staying there. I just got a letter saying my gas/ electricity was increasing by 10% even though it was supposed to be protected by the UK gov price cap. A cap that is not a cap – sums up the UK – fraudulent liars.

    There are people walking the streets of Scotland who believe there is no oil left. Not the Walking Dead but the Walking Misinformed.

  125. SilverDarling
    Ignored
    says:

    Ronald MacDonald and most of the BT experts were or are recognized experts in their chosen field.

    I am reluctant to denigrate people with real qualifications and years of experience but as Stu Mac says they are not without prejudice and that is our biggest hurdle. The media does not look beyond their qualifications or honours and it is a never-ending circle-jerk.

    Of course, now we have the polar opposite with Brexit and it is a lesson on how experts we may have an affinity with are treated by a press and public who don’t like what they say.

    One thing I have always admired about Rev Stu is that he does not claim to be more of an expert than the ‘experts’ – he just shows – with references – how their arguments fall down on a given topic. That is how we have to tackle it.

    I have never felt particularly inclined to believe people who shout ‘Don’t you know who I am’ as a means of bolstering their arguments.

  126. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    Nana I’m just plodding my way through the (great) links in between trying to get some housework done and a coffee or two, lol.

    Anyway I’ve just come across this link! How bad is that for T May and why is this not being reported by the BBC / STV? We know why of course, but whatever the case the general public should be made privy to this. Let’s hope that one of the SNP politicians finds a way to “publicise” it. Joanna Cherry, maybe?

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/520164458118370?view=permalink&id=1482074835260656

    Meanwhile we see (what we were aware of already), that these despicable Westminster politicians were being protected by the Met, MI6 and so on. Protected because many of them were paedophiles themselves. Hellish to think of what these kids must have suffered.

    And I see that the first Earl of Forfar sold out the Scots in 1707 for £100. Pathetic. The title has now been given to Eddie Windsor. I can’t wait for Scotland to give that lot short shrift and strip them of their titles. It just enrages me that some wee ordinary, skin and bone, wummin is getting away with this. Another one that’s been selling out the Scots, IMO.

  127. Dan
    Ignored
    says:

    I wonder what the ratio of Ronald’s newspaper articles is between critiquing the UK, and hypothesising in various negative ways about how an Indy Scotland might be run.

    Hope he’s prioritising proffering his wisdom and opinions in a helpful manner to improve the current negative societal cross-state effects we’re enduring because of the way the UK is currently being run.

  128. galamcennalath
    Ignored
    says:

    @Macart
    @Nana

    Politicians will ‘try it on’, it’s in their nature.

    The balance should be a free media which calls out blatant lies. Ok they will still be partisan, but at any one point some outlets should be calling out fibbers.

    And that IMO is where it’s all gone wrong. Liars are being backed up and their fakery promoted right across most of the media. Fewer available journalists and plagiarism, yes. However there are also wider agendas being played out and it is destroying democracy.

  129. Ken500
    Ignored
    says:

    The Scotsman JP cheats its own pensioners fund and cuts the pensioners remuneration,

    The Scotsman management based in Yorkshire (Labour supporting – to try and get more readers – fail). Sort out an economist who they knew had (unreasonable unionist view) and paid them to give an unbalanced biased opinion.

    The Scotsman management is so badly run by JP carrying massive debts. £200million They needed to be reconstructed in 2019. The management has destroyed the paper by poor, bad management and lying reports. That they know to be lies. The lies will not sell the paper because they give untrue account no one will believe them.

    The Scotsman is just an embassassment. Information freely available on the internet proves they lie daily. The nonsense they publish is just a waste of paper. They are Westminster unionist controlled just like all the MSM.

    The only paper in the UK with any freedom of editorial is the Guardian. Westminster Press Office controls the media on a daily basis and threatens the Editors with jail or other threats in order to try and get their way. All the Press in Scotland are unionist controlled. Except the National. Doing a really, really good job. Clegg and Cameron put the Police in to the Guardian to destroy information and evidence and threatened the Editor with jail. ‘Snowden revelations’. To destroy tapes of accusations and evidence against the Western Gov of Law breaking. Especially the US but collusion with others. True allegations that have been collaborated,

    Snowden was a patriot who became concerned about the major US Gov Law breaking, CIA/FBI. He worked for them as an agent thinking he was doing his duty. Then he discovered the illegal actions and Law breaking, He decided to make it public, Assange should be allowed to leave the Embassy. The UK Gov are threatening him illegally. Judgement has gone agaibst their illegal actions repeatedly but the UK Gov dishonestly refused to honour International Law. Gov corruption. There are not charges against him but they are trying to shut down Wikileaks. Wikikeaks was doing the world a favour. Exposing illegal Gov activity and fraud on a massive, industrial scale. Total corruption and just plain wrong.

    The UK has been selling arms to Saudia Arabia (second biggest sales in the world pro rata). The British Arms companies have been bribing Saudi princes to get the contracts. Totally illegally since the 1960’s. Harold Wilson’s. Gov. It is illegally under all Laws. International Laws, it has continued till today. They have been keeping it secret under the Official Secrets Act.

    Then ‘save the world’ Charlie, hypocrite, goes dancing in the desert and gets a cut off. A rake off of jewels presents snd donations.Funding the Monarchy, So does May and her husband, They get contracts brcause the Westminster Gov illegally bribing people. That is why they join political parties for what they can get. They are ruining and destroying the world economy with constant conflicts,

    Wings and other sites etc campaigners fight against the propaganda with shared information and data. Even go to the Courts for protection. Rev Stu and Wings is doing such a great job, with information and sharing data. The unionists would love to shut it down every minute of every day. They can’t because there would be such an outcry. An outrage. It would show how undemocratic Scotland is in the UK. Union, in any case. The lack of Democracy in Scotland in the unfair Union is appreciated all over the world by influential friends, the EU and other governments.

    The unionists even changed the electoral system without a mandate to give them unfair advantage, (Unelected Leslie Evans). To a PR system that descriminates against Independence support and Devolution. There are now unionists candidates being elected to Holyrood who want to shut it down. Illegally. The Police should be brought in to investigate under the Representation of the People’s Act, These people are taking false Oath and making false declaration. To upheld the Institution theybwant to close down. That is illegal.

    Carlaw was joking when he said ‘Ruth Davidson would be FM’. They were all laughing. Even he thinks it is a joke. He tries to be a comedian, A joker. May will stay there as long as possible filling her and her associates boots before she has to go and gets her marching orders. Order, order. Then another corrupt regime will have to restore order. Just as bad. Scotland needs away from it for better Governance.

    Devolution has transformed Scotland (Good SNP governance). Scotland’s population has only increased since 2000 – Devolution. It stagnated since the 1900’s. Decreased before since 1707. People had to emigrate because of Westminster illegal behaviour under International Law.

    Westminster policies depopulated Scotland. The monies being taken illegally and secretly and hidden benefitted London S/E and not Scotland. It devastated the Scottish economy. Westminster appalling uncivil actions and brutality. Imposing and taking high taxes from Scotland. Against the people’s wishes, for Westminster bad policies and mismanagement.

    People had to flee Scotland and emigrate or starve, Repeat behaviour throughout history, Edward I. The Treaty of Union. Evel Vow, Westminster policies of deception. The Terms broken illegally as soon as a agreement was made and signed, Making people in Scotland pay higher taxes to fund Westminster illegal wars. Time and time again. Against ‘so called enemies’ who posed no threat to Scotland. Scotland even had the Auld Alliance to try to oritect from English invasion and devastation. The affect on Scottish society and communities.

    The miners strike, Thatcher devastation. The Poll tax. Riots, uprising and violence. May continues telling lies about Scotland at Westminster. Every other day. Until she goes, just like Thatcher. A habitual liar,

    Independence will be even better. No taxation without representation. Proper representation of all powers, Not as a satellite to benefit London S/E. Historically. London S/E totally congested. Damaging the economy. Scotland half empty damaging the economy, because of Westminster economic policies, England the 2nd most density populated countries in Europe. The North/South divide. Brexit damaging the economy. 50,000 people coming in to work a year. The ebb and flow of workers needed. They are now coming from outside the EU. More are coming from Asia, increased trading.

    After taking out the foreign students coming to study fully funded. Bringing funds into the countries. Positive not negative. The protected status. (18,000) Including 8,000 asylum seekers. There were only 1000 people from Libya. There would be less people coming, Negative numbers if the UK has not bombed the Middle East to bits. They have responsibility to displaced people, Their illegal actions displaced them and ruined their lives. Migration levels will fall when these conflict stop. It will become negative. There is no cause for Brexit, The EU is not causing the problems, The UK Gov policies are causing the problems worldwide. Especially the Tories.

    Thatcher sold out the British Press to the right wing by giving Murdoch too much control. She did it because she knew Murdoch would support her views. It was illegal and she denied meeting etc. Westminster is supposed to guarantee a free and fair Press. It does not, It is part of the ministerial code broken all the time using the Official Secrets Act. ‘D’ notices. Murdoch should never been given or allowed ownership of the papers. It should have been sold to a left wing proprietor/company. Murdoch is a crook and should have been put in jail. He was breaking International Law by bribing public officials A crime world wide. He is a US citizen. In the US people have to be US citizens or subsidies to do business in the States. Need to be a US citizen to get a Green card to work.

    Murdoch sold up for £30Billion recently. To another US collaborate. A vast corporation. Disney was bidding but lost out, Murdoch editorials has been responsible for so many people’s deaths and destruction in the world. Inequality. To gain £Bilions of a personal fortune. He can’t spend it all. He can’t take it with him when he keels over. He is supposed to be religious. Presbyterian. He breaks every Commandment. His first three kids are half Scottish of Scottish descent. His first wife was Ann from Glasgow. She has emigrated to Australia. It is possible his kids could have joint Brutish citizenship or be eligible to apply.

    Murdoch married a Chinese women (wanted to get into the Chinese media market (for sakes ) but the Chinese prevented him creating subsidues with a Chinese partner, Necessary to trade in China. They did not want Murdoch’s influence and did not trust him. China is protectionist like most countries. Favour their own business and trade, The US and India. It keeps up world prices without fair completion. There are International Laws and agreements to protect free trade as well.

    Murdoch is now married to Jerry Hall. A US citizen. A convenient partner arrangement, Mick Jagger another tax evader, There are reports he used to hide behind settee when he was not supposed to be in Britain. Only allowed in for 90 days. Three months a year (tax evader). He has homes and travels all over the world, A nomad. A migrant.

    Murdoch is a migrant. A migrant family. Attacking other migrants. A total hypocrite supporting mass murder and blowing the world to bits. He claims to be a Christian.He does not practice it. Wealthy men and the eye of the needle. The parables, The Good Samaritan. Feeding of the fishes, He does not seen to consult his bible. Or be of faith, No charity but contempt for others. Especially migrants like himself. Total lack of self awareness. Ruining the world. A reptile of dishonourable, dishonesty. He will probably ask for forgiveness before he dies, People often do. He can rot in hell. If there was any justice. So can May and her cronies for the world damage they have done,

    It will not be long before the Scotsman collapses because of lack of readers. No one buys or reads the drivel. The website is appalling. Non balanced by moderation. No doubt the taxpayers will have to bail out the Scotsman JP pension fund. That is why they will not want Scotland to be independent. So Scottish taxpayers monies can be used to bail out their oensiin fund in the South. Of the pensioners they have cheated. Total hypocrites,

    Thank goodness for the SNP Gov standing up for Scotland,

  130. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Scotland has no broadcast media to call its own.

    All Scotland’s TV, Radio & 99% of the Press is Unionist owned.

    By what definition is Scotland a Democracy.

  131. Dr Jim
    Ignored
    says:

    The BBC would say they see their job as reporting on what’s said and done rather than be the arbiter of truth, the only problem with that position is the BBC chooses what to report and what to omit and that in itself is arbitration

    I believe the technical term for that is called covering your Arse

    Sky news nightly programme *Press preview* reports the contents of newspapers *opinions* as does the BBC making it clearly NOT the news, then compounding the absurdity by employing *journalists* to offer their *opinions* on the *opinions* of the newspapers they work for

    Simple folk in their homes around the UK believe they’re watching *The News*

    SKY ITV STV ITN and many others are commercial businesses selling content for profit like say for example a chip shop

  132. Republicofscotland
    Ignored
    says:

    Sounds to me like the Yoons are running scared of a Scottish currency, and so they should be.

  133. skydiver
    Ignored
    says:

    For stats buffs:

    Since 1950 to present the UK population has grown from 50 million to 66 million.

    So that’s 16 million that have arrived in UK since 1950. The Scottish population has hardly changed in all that time, meaning that it has been England and the English economy that has grown over that period.

    Scotland’s population needs to increase dramatically to help rebuild our infrastructure and grow our economy.

    Only independence can deliver that.

    http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/uk-population/

  134. mr thms
    Ignored
    says:

    The UK Oil and Gas Authority in a report today says there has been an increase in oil production in 2018. Taken in conjunction with a decrease in gas production the UK is now producing 1.7 million boepd. It goes on to say that almost 4 billion barrels of oil and gas will have been produced by 2050!

    Compare that projection with this claim, made on an item about how to reduce the UK’s CO2 emissions on this morning’s Victoria Derbyshire, which amongst other claims, included a caption that claimed the UK’s oil and gas would run out in 2027!

  135. skydiver
    Ignored
    says:

    There are 195 “nations” in the world.

    We are told we are the fifth richest economy in the world.

    I would hate to see the nick of the 190 nations below us if we are meant to be the fifth richest.

    Because we are pink lint.(skint).

  136. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Petra says:
    11 March, 2019 at 9:58 am

    https://m.facebook.com/groups/520164458118370?view=permalink&id=1482074835260656

    This isn’t new Petra. I’ve referred folks repeatedly to Wull’s excellent post last year describing where Theresa May is adopting the Scottish doctrine of popular sovereignty of the people over Brexit, whereas the Scottish Government is adopting the English doctrine of Parliamentary Sovereignty to overrule the Scottish people who rejected Brexit.

    May is being taken to Court to test whether her actions in making an advisory referendum mandatory are formally and literally unconstitutional. The English doctrine is quite explicit that Westminster is sovereign above the people.

    I’ll leave you to work out the reciprocal implications for Holyrood, because Mr Peffers gets so upset when they’re spelled out.

    Thankfully, the unconstitutional Soft Brexit agenda has been dropped, (I think), and Ian Blackford is finally beginning articulate the doctrine of Scotland’s popular sovereignty. Hurrah! But with merely 18 days left to make it count, a degree of frustration and exasperation can surely be forgiven. We might easily have reached this juncture on 24th June 2016, with a Scottish Constitutional Backstop shadowing Brexit negotiations, and two and half years of ebullient defence of Scotland’s Sovereignty of which Mary Lou MacDonald would approve.

    It is not too late. Scotland can still prevent itself being Brexited, but not by any referendum. It is too late for that, and it is illogical madness to use the act of Brexit as the trigger for our defence against Brexit. Sovereignty is an absolute condition as potent today as it was in 2016, but Scotland’s democratic and sovereign choice to remain in the EU is time sensitive and if it remains unrecognised in law, it becomes academic after March 29th, and we Scots will have squandered a god given opportunity to break the back of the Union, secure Sovereign control of our Country, and cite the perfidy of Westminster for making it all inevitable.

  137. geeo
    Ignored
    says:

    Woke up in great mood, then read about the disasterous oil news, cant believe they have found more of the useless stuff !!

    Totally voting No now !! :-/

  138. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    Cole Hamilton got a slot on radio jock land today
    Has to be worth tuning in

  139. manandboy
    Ignored
    says:

    Starting on Tuesday, the House of Commons is the place to be this week. By Saturday we should be in an extended Brexit. But with Tory led Westminster politics long since having taken leave of its senses, anything is possible.

    As everyone knows, at least, outside the effortlessly superior British Establishment, human nature is a mystery, in that humans are flawed, leaving every person, among other things, eminently capable of making errors of every kind, both great and small. One of the principal effects of this ‘flaw’ is referred to as ‘darkness of the understanding’.

    If there is anyone out there who can explain the illogical contradiction we call Brexit, please share it with the rest of us who are still in the dark about it.

    By Saturday, there should be at least a little more light on the future of the UK. But then again, I wouldn’t bet the rabbit on it.

  140. mr thms
    Ignored
    says:

    Article 50 was originally written in 2003/2004 for inclusion in the defunct Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe by the Labour Peer, Lord Kerr.

    Is he the new Nostradamus?

    Part 3

    “The Treaties shall cease to apply to the State in question from the date of entry into force of the withdrawal agreement or, failing that, two years after the notification referred to in paragraph 2, unless the European Council, in agreement with the Member State concerned, unanimously decides to extend this period.”

    An extension would see the UK’s participation in elections for the parliament of the European Union.

    Can’t wait for Part 5 to be invoked by an independent Scotland.

  141. Legerwood
    Ignored
    says:

    stu mac @ 9.33 am

    A recent edition of the New Scientist covered this very issue – intelligent people doing stupid things, intelligent people liable to bias and prejudice etc.

    This is a link to the introductory part of the article but most of it is behind a paywall.

    https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24132180-100-how-to-upgrade-your-thinking-and-avoid-traps-that-make-you-look-stupid/

    Nana,

    Great links. Glad I washed down my kitchen cupboards yesterday because there wont be much done today until I have worked my way through the links.

  142. ALAN GERRISH
    Ignored
    says:

    stu mac says:
    11 March, 2019 at 9:33 am

    IQ and learning do not exclude a person from having prejudices

    Absolutely, stu mac. And I would add another problem,and one which is often evident in people who seem to get off on proving, because they are “so clever”, that black is white while all the evidence points the other way. This problem is of course a lack of honest objectivity, as well as practical experience of the issue, instead of academic gymnastics which are destined to crash when exposed to scrutiny.

    How can anyone who is honest, objective, and looks at outcomes in differing scenarios without a personal agenda, fail to realise that a Scotland with such enormous human and natural resources,a positive balance of payments, and the best performing public services in the UK, could only be better off than the Kingdom of England? Trying to prove the opposite by assertions and bluff will, sooner or later, end in tears; I think it’s going to be very soon!

  143. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Breeks at 10:51am …. “This isn’t new Petra.”….

    I thought that it was “new” Breeks. It states in that article that the complaint was lodged on the 9th of this month. I also read Wull’s comments when he posted them at the time. If there’s an extension to A50, as I’m sure there will be, and it could be up to 21 months, we will have time to hold a referendum. If not Nicola Sturgeon (et al), who’s much smarter than you or I, will get our Independence via another route. You should try to have more faith in Nicola Sturgeon / the SNP, cheer up in fact, as we will get our Independence in the very near future Breeks.

  144. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Stu mac (and others)…….. “Ronald MacDonald.”

    Just to say that I posted the data on Ronald MacDonald to point out, only, that he would be considered to be a “prestigious” economist in his field and that going forward we would need equally prestigious economists to counter his arguments, that is if the Media decided not to suppress their views.

    It’s clear however that economists have differing views and can be prone to bias based on their political leanings. We witnessed this especially in the lead up to Indyref1 when newspapers such as the Labour supporting Daily Record published the views of 13 members of a right-wing think tank covering everything from mortgages, shopping to pensions. Joseph Stiglitz on the other hand (with more standing than them all put together), who disagreed with them, was afforded a single paragraph in the same newspaper. Just one example of many.

    https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/economists-arent-as-nonpartisan-as-we-think/

  145. Breeks
    Ignored
    says:


    Petra says:
    11 March, 2019 at 11:49 am
    @ Breeks at 10:51am …. “This isn’t new Petra.”….

    I thought that it was “new” Breeks….

    Nana had a link to a blog saying this was being planned… short of time to hunt it down for you, but I’ll try later. I want to say it was weeks ago, but not sure when it broke… The Article reckoned the case against May was a Brexit Buster that was so far slipping under the radar…

  146. Petra
    Ignored
    says:

    @ Breeks says at 1:47 pm …. ”Nana had a link to a blog saying this was being planned… short of time to hunt it down for you, but I’ll try later. I want to say it was weeks ago, but not sure when it broke… The Article reckoned the case against May was a Brexit Buster that was so far slipping under the radar…”

    I usually check out every last one of Nana’s links (no matter how long it takes) and noticed some other cases being taken out re. Brexit (Johnston etc) but must have missed that one! Anyway it doesn’t matter Breeks. Don’t spend your time chasing it down. With all that’s gone on the EURef should have been made null and void as should Indyref1, imo. No mention of the case in the Establishment news. No doubt hoping that they, May, will win the case and we’ll never hear another word about it.

  147. Gary
    Ignored
    says:

    Was he one of the ‘academics’ behind the ‘Academics Say…’ headlines of the Indyref?

    These were put out on our TV news ad nauseaum with BT getting to say how they were ‘right all along’ and this proved it and YES were given a second or two to fight the combined forces of ‘Academics’ and BT.

    However, as it turned out, these handy wee news bits were being churned out by ‘Academics Together’ which was NEVER made clear to the public. BT got to agree with their own headline before trying to put YES on the back foot.

    I complained about this when I discovered it, took me 15 minutes on the internet (so why did no journalist EVER check this?) I got no response whatever but miraculously the ‘Academics Say…’ headlines were never again to appear on TV news.

    Here is the print version.

    Just HOW MUCH of our news on TV and in print is simply a hand out from some PR in a political party??

    Lazy journalism equals propaganda…

  148. Ian Sanderson
    Ignored
    says:

    Well filleted..

    Thank you Good Sir..

  149. Shug
    Ignored
    says:

    This Mcdonald chap must be a real dafty contradicting his own work thinking no body would find out
    If my child was on his course i wouldbe asking for my fees back
    The crass stupidity is astonishing

  150. FIONA TOMANY
    Ignored
    says:

    i only read the Scotsmen now for entertainment and the trolls because i know its rubbish sadly there will be folk who can;t see beyond it.



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