From the archives #10
Posted on
January 03, 2020 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
From less than 10 years ago:
A plebiscitary election? Now there’s an idea you don’t hear much any more.
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Is it only the plebs that can vote in it?
The SNP have a triple mandate
– EUREF
– Holyrood Majority (with Greens)
– Westminster Majority
What we are currently witnessing is a blatant coup on Scottish democracy. Tory votes being used to suppress Scottish democracy.
2010? That would be the election where only 1 Tory MP was returned in Scotland, and the SNP were the second party by votes cast, though FPTP meant only 6 seats to Lib Dems 11. Labour netted 41 seats, their last chance to be the party of Scotland before the scales fell from voters’ eyes.
The news from Bagdad this morning is a game changer for everything. Oil prices have shot up, with the significance that Scotland’s oil will be even more coveted by the Treasury than before. A major war is coming.
If people in Scotland were bursting to be free, would they not be taking this opportunity to vote SNP?
Yes they are Mr McLetchie RIP.
But WM have a team constantly making new goalposts just in case. 🙁
PS:
@MBC
Oil prices up and so is gold. Up by 25pts in the last 2hrs.
MBC
Another situation to use up stockpiled weapons (and start again to make more cash, eg Gun Lobby), another situation to satisfy Trumps nutters, another situation to kill 1000s innocents, another USA fk up (premeditated).
Brits are now in bed with the hamburger eating nutters (and USA banned fkn Haggis because they assessed it as dangerous, and they have fkn bombs shooting all over Iraq, Iran and probably Scotland when the time is fk right),
as a simple immediate example, all us innocents that do not agree are now re-considering holidays with our kids (it may look like a bad example but that is normally where the retaliations from terrorists will affect the innocents) .
The planet is fkd with these middle east ideologists and also the capitalist short sighted con men (and women)
I feel sorry for the decent Americans, I feel sorry for the decent Brits, I feel sorry for the Middle East people that have put up with the USA greed that has screwed their and our economy.
The Yanks preach democracy for these people in the middle east, these people have fk all except mud fkn huts and religion (and Sky dishes).
so what do the need democracy for when the Yanks impose on their country.
Another war, another recession, all past UK wars was to protect the gentry homes in UK (America is well out of it geographically).
I was with my 4 year old Granddaughter in Egypt (Sharm) when that flight was blown out the sky, she played with a young boy about 5 year old who died with his mother.
These problems you see on the TV but the consequences are closer than we all think.
Just the reaction of Westminster to the Scottish people makes me bitter, so there is a bit of sympathy with these poor countries that only have oil.The countries make a fortune in cash but the normal people have virtually fk all to show for it.
Immagine in the USA how working classes must get treated, they must get abused.
Don’t know how to solve it, but lets not get involved and politically distance ourselves from it (what the Americans did).
Watching out for a drone above my roof.
Less than ten years ago the BritNats still believed they lived in a thousand year union.
Now, everyone knows their union is on a shoogly peg.
In reply to MBC
Another situation to use up stockpiled weapons (and start again to make more cash, eg Gun Lobby), another situation to satisfy Trumps nutters, another situation to kill 1000s innocents, another USA fk up (premeditated).
Brits are now in bed with the hamburger eating nutters (and USA banned fkn Haggis because they assessed it as dangerous, and they have fkn bombs shooting all over Iraq, Iran and probably Scotland when the time is fk right),
as a simple immediate example, all us innocents that do not agree are now re-considering holidays with our kids (it may look like a bad example but that is normally where the retaliations from terrorists will affect the innocents) .
The planet is fkd with these middle east ideologists and also the capitalist short sighted con men (and women)
I feel sorry for the decent Americans, I feel sorry for the decent Brits, I feel sorry for the Middle East people that have put up with the USA greed that has screwed their and our economy.
The Yanks preach democracy for these people in the middle east, these people have fk all except mud fkn huts and religion (and Sky dishes).
so what do the need democracy for when the Yanks impose on their country.
Another war, another recession, all past UK wars was to protect the gentry homes in UK (America is well out of it geographically).
I was with my 4 year old Granddaughter in Egypt (Sharm) when that flight was blown out the sky, she played with a young boy about 5 year old who died with his mother.
These problems you see on the TV but the consequences are closer than we all think.
Just the reaction of Westminster to the Scottish people makes me bitter, so there is a bit of sympathy with these poor countries that only have oil.The countries make a fortune in cash but the normal people have virtually fk all to show for it.
Immagine in the USA how working classes must get treated, they must get abused.
Don’t know how to solve it, but lets not get involved and politically distance ourselves from it (what the Americans did).
Watching out for a drone above my roof.
Still can’t get my head around why an election is no longer seen to be a proper and acceptable means to initiate independence negotiations. Afterall it’s worked for many countries in the past, and would certainly be acceptable in international law.
Can we stop boxing ourselves into unnecessary corners and just get the SNP to run a manifesto pledge that if a majority of pro-independence seats are won at the next HR election – then independence is declared. Bloody hell let’s keep it simple we’re going round in circles at the moment.
at least Mr. McLetchie confirmed in his statement we were not free.
link to bbc.co.uk
OT and sorry can’t do archive.
Is it me or is BBC Scotland at it, again? This is a story “Scotland could have saved hundreds from HIV”, which at first glance gives the impression that Scottish authorities were in some way incompetent in dealing with a health emergency.
Read the text and it is about poor and short-sighted decisions made by the ENGLISH health authorities to import contaminated blood products, which went on to cause HIV in haemophiliacs.
The Scottish dimension of the story consists of the information that the SNBTS was actually more efficient and effective in producing safe, non contaminated blood products for haemophiliacs, and Scotland had a much lower rate of infection as a result. The SNBTS had enough surplus capacity to supply the English NHS with safe blood products, but the English NHS never bothered to ask.
[…] Wings Over Scotland From the archives #10 From less than 10 years ago: A plebiscitary election? Now there’s an idea you […]
USA bombing Iraq ..again
Trump says they have killed Iran’s top general to safeguard USA people in Iraq
He says the killing was a “ defensive action “
Iran say the general was in Iraq making arrangements to safeguard Iran’s oil interests in Iraq
Syria have recently complained that USA stole oil from Syria during the war there
USA travel the world causing war and pretend they are peacekeepers
USA warships travel up and down the coast of China in the “ sea of China “ and say they are in international waters so it’s okay but what will happen when China send war ships up and down the Californian coast ?
The longer England mistreats Scotland Wales and NI
The angrier people get
Monica Lennon says Scottish Labour must split from UK party
link to archive.is
It’s a pretty grim start to 2020. Looks like we will be dragged into WW3 if Boris supports Trump’s warmongers as expected. Our oil, Faslane, Prestwick. We are now fighting UK+. What to say?
Christ that is born in virginity
Succour Scotland and remedy
That which is stayed in perplexity.
(Barbour’s Brus)
@Terence Callachan 12.03
If only! Scotland has been mistreated and traduced for centuries. What does it take to fire the engine of rebellion? Do people actually care?
Terence Callachan@12.00
No guesses who is actually behind this, who has the most to gain from invading / going to war with Iran.
Answer= Israel.
Simples.
They have been using the “oh woe is me” against Iran for decades.
If Johnson takes us to another illegal war to suck up to Israel and their USA puppets, the UK deserves to be totally FKD, yes we are innocent in this, but hey there are plenty fuckwits in Scotland who voted for exactly this scenario, ( Scots vote Tory anyone?, No to Indy?)
WW3? maybe its time to press reset, the planets fucked anyway.
Expecting LBC or “Preaching Hate Speech from the Synagogue” as its known in my house to be right behind blaming everyone else for the situation, they’re totally “unbiased of course”!!
The BBC will be the same.
Day 2 of being teetotal, maybe its time to skelp the “doomsday meltdown supply” of Malt.
America claims to be the “Planets police /spokesperson” its about time the rest of the planet got a say in who controls us.
And it wont be America or Israel.
A possible scenario. USA becomes ever more belligerent towards Iran. It escalates to the point of conflict and Trump expects UK support. Westminster is obliged to be compliant for fear of putting trade deal in jeopardy. A UK public that now knows all about the falsehood of the Iraq war is motivated enough to activate. SNP finds enough backbone to call an advisory referendum and using the landslide to de-couple. USA dependancy is the soft underbelly of the UK Union.
Tinfoil hat.
Austerity = high unemployment
High unemployment = ready recruits for the army.
Now where have I heard that before?
1: Democracy is what England says it is and tomorrow they might say it’s something else
Scotland’s democracy is refer to rule one
@ callmedave @ 12.11
Hi CMDave, Would she be wanting that if Labour had won the election down south…No….anyway…why the need…thought they, Labour in Scotland, were autonomous of HQ party….yeh I know…BLol
Layla Moran is maintaining the Me Me Me agenda that we all so clearly identify with the Lib Dems by announcing she is Pansexual…look at me…look at me…is there NOTHING they will not do to try and remain visible and relevant (rhetorical)….most people care not a f**k who you wish to have a relationship with…as long as it is legal…but hey knock yourself out Layla and put a label on your sexuality….there was a time when labeling people was seen as a negative thing to do…now it would seem it is THE thing to do….personally I prefer to judge people based on how kind they are to other people and to animals…sexuality…not so much….so Layla may want us to know she is pansexual but most of us just want to know when oh when…. her , and more specifically, her party will stop being a bunch of hyprocrites and liars…..will Hell freeze over ?
Pansexual….a love of pans ?…she should go on The Great British Bake Off…..and then she can diversify onto Bowls as well…though, luckily for her, sometimes pans are used…she could channel her inner Bowlsexuality….mix it up Layla.
Losing the will here people….who voted for this non entity attention seeking biddy ….everything but everything is so screwed up… soooooo seems an opportune moment to announce a random sexuality one identifies as….cause that is going to make a huge difference to the debate on the current state of play in UKnotOK…..and the world in general…I could scream and never stop …..I really could and I do not think I am alone in this.
Harmonica Lennon there on shortbread with her shiny new idea on an ‘independent’ Scottish Labour Party.
1. Monica vying for bigger things
2. But too skint and too wee.
Dicky Leopard is…. silent… 🙂 No Reply (Beatles)
PS:
Same shortbread tv news plays it straight on the scandal of ‘contaminated blood’. SNHS was not asked for help. 🙁
Hats off to them! … and to Larry ( Del Shannon)
Hi Stuart, I have searched the archives but cannot find a paper you published by an Irish postgraduate student comparing NI and the Republic at the time of the creation of the Republic and now. It showed that, at the outset, on every economic indicator NI was way ahead of the poverty stricken South. However this has been well and truly reversed and on every economic and social measure the Republic is now well ahead of the North. As the paper states the people are all Irish, the only difference is that the South now has economic control while the North has relied on Westminster. Can you direct me to this as I think it is a very powerful tool to have when independence is discussed.
And if Mr Trump were assassinated by a drone attack ‘cos he was plotting violence abroad ….?
The secret to being a pansexual is to remove the hot fat first. Otherwise it’s even more painful.
Christ, I read that as ‘hot fast fist’…thought Craig’s revealing tmi there :-;
Clapper57
Very sensible as ever.
My family only vote for people who are compliant with’ maw,paw and the bairns’ philosophy.
Still think the SNP is far too woke and full of too many LGBT types.
@Clapper57 –
Be assured, you’re not alone.
I’ve been screaming inside my heid since approx 1975.
😉
“Pansexual” keep a lid on it.
Am I the only one who remembers
Carry On Panning
In which Sid James couldn’t decide whether he wanted to go to bed with Barbara Windsor or Bernard Bresslaw
Robert
I would be more concerned about employees and guests at one of Trumps leisure facilities in Scotland being blown to bits or sliced and diced by a Freelance Jehadi responding to this act of State Terrorism/Murder, in the only way that offers them much chance of success.
“Female staff refuse to use cash-strapped MoD’s new £15,000 gender neutral toilets because they are ‘too smelly’ “
I didn’t have the courage to watch the fitness-test video!
link to archive.is
The current security threat level is – SUBSTANTIAL
Which is the mid-point.
I suspect it will soon be revised to – HOLY SHIT !
Gary I agree Israel is behind all the troubles in the Middle East they got The US., and the U.K. To fight their wars for them all be it on lies Blair is now a very rich man because of it and Trump has probably been promised help from them in his impeachment trials we live in a world where honest freedom fighters are branded terrorists and the real terrorists are called patriots ask the red indians about Americas record on human rights or the Aborigines about Britains record on human rights what America did to that Iranian general was MURDER plain and simple America and Iran are not at war but hey who cares not the UN or NATO because it was their muderers it must be great to in the right all the time even when your wrong
Lets vote in Edinburgh parliament for total Independence, it’s our Government.(fk referendums) MO JO proved it
If it goes through fk the Westminsters and the Gentry cling-ons.
Declare independance and fk the world.
If America can do what it fk wants then expect the UK to dig it out without any fkn vote, election or referendum, then a peaceful action on self government within a real democracy is legitimate, regardless of some Mickey Mouse Laws (English) to restrict people power.
Westminster and England are acting the same as the Yanks, I have never been so angry as to getting involved with America in Trade Deals etc. knowing the first time they get a bit miffed about their wee fkn backhanded deals (personal interests) going short, we are going to get fkn Droned.
Keep the Neuc Warheads at Faslane and point them west, it’s only a fkn deterant aye a fkn joke.
These high powered yanks need to take the brunt of their actions not the normal people attending festivals or on a holiday beach, these fkn Yanks have done it again. Aye fkd us all.
Let’s get the Independence done and fk Bo Jo and his cronies who made or are about to make personal wealth from Brexit (£1000000s) while we the PAYE guys pay for it.
Fk the folk who landed us with Brexit, get away from Tory England and let them bare the brunt instead of us subsidising their fk up’s.
Aye, when a nutter Trump can fk anyone he wants, then I realise BO JO and his mates do the same, then time for getting off the fence and have some action.
Just a pity immigration allowed Trumps Maw and Paw into USA, pity.
I wonder if they would gain access legit or try and get into USA via Mexico.
Sorry for the emotional rant, but when are good honest law abiding folk going to take some form of legitimate action against not just BO JO but now Trump, before this escalates to a fkn disaster.
Wings Over Scotland, as for me Drones Over Scotland.
And the goalposts will continue to be moved until Scotland, finally, runs out of democracy…
The secret to being Pansexual is not to allow yourself to get to boiling point and boil over…and as cynical Highlander stated above probably best to…put a lid on it ( Lol)….guess she, Layla, is NOW one of the Pans people….oh ya dancer….yet another reason to dislike the Lib Dems..trying to shamefully hog the limelight by jumping on yet ANOTHER fecken bandwagon…they just keep giving more and more reasons to dislike them…like I needed another excuse to dislike them even more !!!…Lol
Guess she has been simmering with the impulse of sharing this for…well…oh….hmm…well probably since the Lib Dems woeful result at the last GE…and we thought no one could be worse than Jo Swinson….me thinks Layla will get panned for this…then the Lib Dems can practice the art of which they are masters ….grievance mongers….speciality being the Pot ( or Pan) incessantly calling the Kettle black…..
Happy New Year everyone….
Aye Blair,
If the Red Indians had a tighter immigration control it may have turned out different (no fkn Trump).
As for the rest of the British Commonwealth, Royalty, Lords, it’s a total fkn emmbarasment. The British Commonwealth was founded on greed.
IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE
If this was the examples of a Christian society (Rev Stuart) we must hang our heads in shame, our Christian forefathers must be burning in Hell.
If we go for independence and have cling-on HRH Windsors, count me out. Royalty a remnant of thing’s bad in the past.
I got rid of the Christian tag when enlightened, for me it implies a sign of righteousness from some poor opinions.
I am now Secular, but every person to their own.
Drone Over Scotland
Top trolling in Berwick where the Bank of Scotland building is wrapped in Union Jackassery bunting.
How about massive Demos on 2 golf courses in Scotland?
USA mass murder not in my name.
Looks like I’m being impeached.
Now, let me think!
link to twitter.com
Carry on Pete, you’re a credit to something, though I cant think what. Get back in the middle-ages you twat.
“….too many LGBT types”
“middle-age”
??? I must be thinking of myself. 🙁
Medieval-age, though Dickensian would also do. 🙂
@mike cassidy
Well remembered. Good catch. 🙂
George Galloway in RT News.
What a plonker Trying to remove constitutional Scottish powers that have been there for several hundred years and we have a mandate voted for in the Scottish Parliament.
He has lost all credibility.
He gets TV money for being anti-Scotland and for being the Cat in Big Brother House and how about his speech to Sadam Husain him Indefatigable? lol
Give Michael Jackson his Fedora hat back.
The studio lights are very warm you don’t need it in-doors.
Go live off your undeserved Westminster pension and old age pension George!
@clapper57
Didn’t Pans People slip outta the teflon coated frying pan into the fire and become known as Hot Gossip.
The way the world looks to be going, soon the choice of what entities we are attracted to may be restricted to more basic traits, such as actually being alive and not on fire.
@Gary45%
I’ve an RM250 I could lend to Jane Godley and she could practice donuts and graffiti on a certain golf course.
Pansexual, surely a miss-spell?
Pants-sexual I can understand as a thrusting impulse. Would sexually AC/DC a be better definition than pansexual? Or even sexually confused? Anyway, i’m sure babies will continue to be born, thankfully.
And to a much more serious concern, the USA drone strike – post-Brexit the UK (Conservatives) are seeking to align with the USA in trade. Alignment will not stop at trade, the USA will demand loyalty over it’s foreign policies, and they will have the whip hand commercially to ensure obedience.
The SNP must recognise the urgency of responding to the Scots nation’s demands – we stay in the EU. We voted to remain in the EU, a S30 permit from Westminster is an irrelevant piece of nonsense.
The SNP must assert itself, or stand aside.
@ CMD &Clapper57 Harmonica Lennon (loved it ) methinks harmonica is getting panicked , first it was mibees liebour should think about the constitutional question , now it’s liebour in Scotland should think about splitting from brit nat liebour , could this be in response to people saying that ONLY Scottish registered political parties will be eligible to stand for government in Scotland after independence .
Is mibee harmonica and colleagues worried that their place at the trough is under threat post indy , what is next jamsie kelly stuttering that he was always for indy but a big boy widnae let him
callmedave 5.36
Tripped over it
while looking at reminders of Trump saying – in 2011 – President Obama would go to war to boost his poll ratings!
link to archive.is
That full New York Times report from December 1998
link to archive.is
twathater
Former SNP bigwig Robert McIntyre left the Labour Party in the 1930’s when he discovered that the Scottish Branch had no role in the formation of UK Labour Party policy.
The fortunes of that organisation have tumbled somewhat in the intervening 80 or so years … Now what is left of it genuinely is:
#TOO WEE
#TOO POOR
&TOO STUPID
To exist as a self-governing entity.
I can’t wait for Labour in Scotland to declare itself an Independent party from England then to oppose Scotland the country they wish to represent having the same freedom of choice
Talk about not having a leg to stand on, they’ll need life support and a Barra to wheel themselves around in and the supporters they have left won’t vote Tory now
Dan@5.46
Nice One.
Only problem, the minute you mention donuts the plod would be everywhere:))
Turn the Turnberry course into the Iranian Embassy and the Menie course into the Palestinian Embassy.
Imagine 500,000 punters from all over the UK going for a wee stroll in protest against War.
Listening to the wireless the Iranian guy more or less being classed as a murdering war criminal, funny that in the West and certain allies, he would be classed a war hero for the same actions.
Drone strike = spineless chicken-shit warfare.
Who’s next on the fuckwits list? cause if he gets away with this, he and his Israeli masters have control.
War not in my name.
Dr Jim says:
I actually heard one of them on the radio citing the fact that the UK Party was far too relaxed about the prospect of an indyref which could result in Scottish Independence – Was the reason that the Scottish Branch should have more more policy making autonomy.
Gary45%
How about a couple of hundred Drone owners buzzing the morally challenged puppets of Economic Imperialism who frequent these places.
Hi Dan.
You typed on 3 January, 2020 at 5:46 pm,
“Didn’t Pans People slip outta the teflon coated frying pan into the fire and become known as Hot Gossip.””
Nah nah young man. Pan’s People were Top Of The Pops; Hot Gossip evolved from The Kenny Everett Show. The wonderful Corinne Russell was a member of Hot Gossip for a whiley.
Check out the “style” difference…
link to youtube.com
link to youtube.com
Corinne Russell also featured in this AC/DC video…
link to youtube.com
“Mum, I’m pansexual”.
“Well, I’ll no be sending you to fetch a loaf.”
@Gary45% at 6:50 pm
It’d need our finest quality polis to catch a Restless Native on an RM250!
Plus, these days you could simply claim the motorbike Self ID’d as a horse and utilise the outdoor access code to roam!
Reckon the Glasgow march next weekend will have many attending that wholly agree with you re. “War not in my name”.
@BDtt
Ach, I was still shiting nappies in the early 70s so my memory is hazy of yon time. I had to search and it looked like a couple of members of the latter incarnation of Pans People joined Hot Gossip so I claim a marginal bit of continuity.
I do recall Alan Wells winning at the 76 Montreal Olympics for sprinting though, fuck knows how he managed that as Scotland is supposedly full o’ people too shite to dae anything.
Callmedave…1211
Monica Lennon just another britnat twister
Labour in Scotland is already pretending to be separate from Labour UK it’s just that people in Scotland have found them out
There is no denying now
that Labour in Scotland just do what Labour U.K. tells it to do
It’s always beeen that way and always will be
If labour in Scotland and Monica Lenon was serious about a separate Labour Party in Scotland they would just break away and start a new party but they won’t because they want to take the current seat up with them
Once Scotland is independent there will be a new Labour Party it may go by a different name maybe not
But for sure it will not be run by the current cohort of britnats
Blair Patterson…
Israel is behind all the trouble in the Middle East
I agree
But Israel is also behind USA in the fight
Iran would crush Israel
If you have been to Israel in recent years you cannot fail to see that t is populated by Israelis who spend a lot of their time in USA
They get educated there
That’s why they all have American accents
Many of them have homes in both countries
Dan, I think it was Moscow not Montreal – I could be wrong.
Dan
It was 1980 in Moscow that Wells won the 100m … though unless he recants his rampant Unionism the least said about it the better.
David Wilkie was our Olympic hero in Montreal … don’t recall him
weighing in in favour of the Union but I could be wrong.
From the article at top of thread:
February 13, 2010:
“Mr Cameron repeated his promise to govern Scotland with respect,”
The reality:
September 19, 2014:
You’ve had your referendum now GTF back in your box, Jocks, as i introduce EVEL. Then the shitebag does a Lord Lucan.
Yeah! Respect right enough!
BTW, for anyone even remotely interested, that there EVEL move was a majorly significant change in circumstances. Long before Brexit even existed. Still, we’re the only country on earth that lets these toffee-nosed bastards shite all over us.
Best laugh today: Pure arrogantly obnoxious twats at SKYNews and BBCNews finding out the USA didn’t consider No10 important enough to let them in on the Iranian assassination plot. NEWSFLASH to all the obnoxiously arrogant BritNats and their churnalists – Get used to it, yous are as relevant as sunblock to a potholer.
Harmonica Lennon just on shortbread radio news there at 22:00hrs
Stating that ‘Scottish’ Labour must break from UK Labour and that decisions about Scotland’s future including constitutional matters should be made by Scottish people in Holyrood. 🙂
Very gallus!
But Ricky Leopard says we’ll have a chat about that kinda thing. 🙁
PS:
Thomas Tugendhat Conservative Party politician.
who served as chairman of the Foreign Affairs says that
Qasem Soleimani of Iran was a legitimate target. 🙁
For those who Twitter.
Jeezo! British Nationalists in Scotland do not enjoy being referred to as British Nationalists. It’s totally accurate though.
When they are reminded that the Union Jack is their flag and only flag they go completely frothy at the mouth.
Col.Blimp@7.14
Aye that would piss them off do end.
Dan@9.11
Ah! The clown and the wolf man rise again.
Do you believe in ghosts??
From a very uplifted Restless Native.
We the population have to make a stand against Western oppression, we have no right to force our values and beliefs on anyone. The Middle East have their ways of life /culture, the west is the opposite in some circumstances, as said before, one countries villain is another countries hero.
Who is right?
Answer NO ONE.
The world is on fire why not help the countries who are genuinely struggling, rather than going to war over a total load of greed and paranoia.
That’s what the “so called elite” want, division amongst the population, ignore the needy, protect the rich.
I say Enough is Enough.
I am writing a protest song at the moment.
Chorus goes,
Hey Mr President, what have done,
Another year over, a new war just begun,
Who gave you the right to police the planet,
Who gave you the right to control the world.
Sounds to real at the moment.
Col Blimp
meant to say “no” end
Have been thinking about Clapper57’s 1.22 comment all day, trying to find the words to express that feeling of wanting to just fuckin scream at it all…
Not doing very well I’m afraid! Forgive the length of his comment, just thinking aloud and hoping that some will resonate…
This place has been explaining how to ‘read’ the media for the fat end of a decade now, and we’ve all surely become better at it. But it’s always baffled me that so few folk appear to extend the same critical skills to other huge subjects.
And the Catch-22 is that they can’t even be discussed because, for many, they fall under the umbrella term ‘conspiracy theory’. I’m not going to go into the specifics of anything, and that, in itself, almost *proves* the point I want to try and get at because I can’t openly state it…
Let me instead offer a conundrum:
If you were actually ‘insane’, how would you know? Would someone have to tell you? And if they did tell you, would you ask for empirical evidence? And if that evidence was provided, what use would it be if you *were* actually insane? How could you trust your own judgement if there’s no way of ascertaining whether or not your judgement is flawed?
Any educated person over approx 40 years of age has had at least 20-25 years as an adult to think about all the stuff which many dismiss as mere ‘conspiracy’. For my generation it was JFK (I was 5 months old) and for my son it’s 9/11 (he was born in ’99, his wee sister was only two months old when it happened).
I remember my Dad telling me that there were queues snaking all around the block when Smith’s Bookshop in Glasgow got its first delivery of The Warren Commission Report. There was genuine thirst for truth. Much easier to get information now, but where’s the thirst?
When we, as educated, politically aware citizens, see blatant lies about, and stereotypes of, Scots, we get angry. That’s because we’re informed, by places like this. It seems a natural reaction – we hit out against any perceived misrepresentation of us and our families, friends, neighbours because it just ‘isny right!’. That doesn’t require any ‘vote’ – the ‘democratic process’ at work here is almost visceral. And we’ve all seen, in recent months and years, how that can be exploited, perverted to suit particular ends, when the level of political awareness is markedly lower.
Take the behaviour of the USA in the 20thC – it’s proof that democracy can be positively dangerous to human well-being if the electorate in question is badly informed. We’ve seen it demonstrated time and again. And no matter how often we’re warned, and have our stupidity held up to ridicule, we persist in effectively defending the actions of these fucking murdering maniacs by tacitly accepting their version of ‘our’ history.
Have you seen ‘The Irishman’? The latest from Scorsese starring De Niro, Pesci and Pacino?
A pivotal scene is where Pesci’s character says to De Niro’s:
(This isn’t the place to get into all the JFK stuff, but I’m just presenting it as an illustration. How many ‘ordinary’ people actually believe the ‘Wikipedia’ version i.e. that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone? It’s nonsensical. If you want to see something on another level of delusion, read the introduction to the ‘official’ 9/11 Commission Report – it could’ve been penned by Tom Clancy.)
We take offence at how ignorant (some of!) our friends and relatives in rUK are about the political scene here. We can even laugh about it amongst ourselves. But that’s just our wee scene, the thing we know a lot about. How can any of us even begin to pretend to have comprehensive understanding of what’s happening at the global level?
We don’t.
And we do ourselves and our own weans a grave, possibly fatal disservice by tolerating the kind of general ignorance which has allowed characters such as Trump and Johnson to become leaders.
It’s not good enough to say ‘This doesn’t have anything to do with Scottish independence’ – if we end up in WWIII then none of what we’ve been fighting for will be represented by anything more than a wee blackened, lifeless lumpy bit on the Westernmost fringes of a place once inhabited by beings who had overcome centuries of difference to call it ‘Europe’.
They say ‘It’s never too late to learn!’, right?
Well that’s another pile of shite altogether…
Sorry for the rant, but it’s better oot than in, eh?
😉
Said it before….
* Single issue manifesto:
* >50% of Votes Cast plus…
* >50% of Seats at Holyrood
Bingo!
All Scottish MPs recalled. Westminster and Mrs Windsor given notice that a Bill to Repeal the Act of Union with England will be introduced at Holyrood – as per SNP manifesto. All perfectly democratic. What’s not to like?
Ahh, Input/Wells/1980/Moscow/return… Memory Update Complete.
1976 in Montreal was etched in my mind because of the flexible gymnast and my first crush Nadia Comaneci. lol
Scotland could really use some Olympic class political gymnastics to get us out of this shite state of affairs.
Looks like Scots will soon need to be the fittest fuckers going as we’re gonna need to master the hurdles of visa applications before we swim the 21 miles just to get to Europe mainland and escape this madhoose.
“Restless Native” sounds a little tame these days, I’m getting to the point of applying for an upgrade to “Bloody Raging Native”, though tbh if the game is just gonna enter the perpetual can kicking stage, then I’ve no great desire to continue to call myself a native of a land filled with such a meek bunch of halfwits lacking the gumption and motivation to do things better than Clownshow SW1A 0AA.
@Ian Brotherhood: I know what you mean and how you feel. Very frustrating – can’t make a big enough difference, quickly enough.
It is blindingly obvious that Scotland should have the right to govern itself but we are trapped. The liars have all the media and all the political power and all the money and the complete lack of political/moral decency.
If EVEL is in force in Westminster the same should apply there for Scottish matters i.e. only Scottish MPs allowed to deal with them.
But to revert to being On Topic, it has been said here that SNP policy used to be the same as the Rev’s posted article. And Craig Murray has said the same – that regaining independence is normally done by a majority in Parliament, not by referendum. So changing SNP policy should be the line to take. Press our MPs and MSPs and SNP branch meetings on the point.
Thought provoking trying to get my head around the insane conundrum and come to the conclusion that I’ll declare that I’m at a loss.
Col.Blimp IV says:
3 January, 2020 at 6:38 pm
Dr Robert McIntyre.
@ Ian Brotherhood @ 11.09pm
“trying to find the words to express that feeling of wanting to just fuckin scream at it all…”
Breaking point Ian……we have all reached it…or rather….. another one..but this time it feels different…I will NOT expand any further as your comment is too good for me to crash with yet another one of my too long and over explained..breaking point rants….Lol
Excellent comment Ian.
All the best…Have a good day ( tomorrow)…as the night is almost over…unless you’re a night owl…if so then have a good night…
Should we just accept and tolerate the cover-ups by NHSGCC Health Board regarding deaths and infections and reports of dirty tap water in Glasgow’s Queen Betty’s just cos the SNP were the Scot Govt and were supposed to be providing political scrutiny of the Health Boards in Scotland, and the then Health Secretary in 2015 (when the dirty water report was hushed up) was Nicola’s pal Shona Robison?
Not forgetting Nicola Sturgeon is a former Health Secretary herself and she also failed to make Health Boards more open and accountable during her tenure in the position.
Also, the SNP were allowed to sell out Scotland’s Remain vote. Offering to barter it away for a Single Market deal with Theresa May. Then adopting an England’s People Vote #2 when Theresa May laughed at the SNP for hawking Scotland’s sovereign and democratic Remain decision like a “spares or repairs” piece of Ebay garage-find junk.
Now we are being sold Alex’s second-hand, 20 year-old indyref policy: tested once, didn’t work. Unsure it will work if tried again but Scotland’s very existence is being gambled on this failed policy.
All because the SNP dared not risk a single SNP seat by seeking a plebiscite mandate for independence.
typo correction: NHSGGC
@ Ian Brotherhood – Noam Chomsky wrote the book on media propaganda and brainwashing. But he doesn’t despair. He still thinks democracy is capable of deivering the progressive society where all of us can live fulfilling lives. He has good evidence that, when asked, most people want a decent home and neighbourhood to live in, a decent school for their kids and a good hospital nearby.
What we need is a democracy capable of delivering. Like they have in Scandinavian countries. Not ruled by Westminster or Washington.
Can you imagine a letter coming through your door from Boris
Telling you thank you have been conscripted to fight in Iran to help out Trump?
Would Scots flush it down the toilet or play along to get the gun your taxes bought?
Is the US using the same intelligence that confirmed the Iraqi weapons of mass destruction
that never existed?
How about Boris copies Trump and attacks Scotland’s First Minister with a drone?
He can claim Trump intelligence confirmed Nicola had weapons grade Uranium in
Her conservatory.
As ever the Westminster PM will be the President’s humble servant and send our troops anywhere
They like and committ £Billions to Truno Terror.
Never ever in my name?
@ Sarah at 11,30
EVEL applies only to responsibilities that are devolved to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (different range for each of those three). Scottish MPs can’t vote on those areas with respect to Scotland because by definition MSPs deal with them. Where reserved issues affect Scotland, having them voted on only by Scottish MPs would be tantamount to devolving them – which of course would be preferable, and independence would be even more preferable.
EVEL in any case only applies to the early stages of legislation; when the final reading occurs all MPs can vote. The point of it is to stop non-English MPs joining with a minority of English ones to out-vote a majority of English MPs to impose something that could not be imposed on Scotland etc. because it is devolved. Thus the version that is presented to the whole house by definition has majority English support.
The West Lothian Question is a fair enough one to ask; needless to say I think the answer is independence so that the “problem ” never arises, rather than the blunt instrument of EVEL (and especially introducing it the way Cameron did).
Happy New Year everyone and I hope it is but what a start so far.
I want to scream too as the goalposts keep getting moved everytime another target is reached. A majority of Scottish MPs should at least be a starting point for negotiating the next step be it a referendum or other mechanism, but no. we seemingly need a majority of votes cast.
If that is achieved it will be a majority of votes of the possible electorate (or another 40% rule). If that is achieved it will be a 2/3 majority and so on until every sentient being in Scotland is of the same mind and even then it would probably have to be repeated with YES/NO reversed in case we did not know our own minds.
It is hard to keep a hopeful attitude and the consensus is that people here want upbeat posts not fearful negative posts so I’ll give it a go. I do think minds are changing as the sheer unfairness of it all is becoming more apparent. Disparate voices are being given a hearing – looking at you Bendor Grosvenor.
The Anniversary of the Declaration of Arbroath could provide an opportunity for calm and reasoned intellectual discussion of the fundamentals of sovereignty in a way that transcends party politics. BBC Scotland could stop it’s descent into hell with a commission for Allan Little, for example, but really BBC Alba could do it so much better and should do it.
Finally the events of the last day or so should convince every right minded person be they Indy or not that we cannot remain at the mercy of a brain addled US tyrant with a thin skin and a short fuse.
BTW where is Boris Johnston? Has he made any sort of statement yet?
We shall soon see how far the Tory government will capitulate in order to get their Brexit deal.
So I have tried to be positive but I have sons of conscript age and I have to admit I am terrified to the point of being a bit teary. I will find it hard to forgive procrastination if my sons get called up to fight a war for a UK that we want no part of.
Interesting how Unionists complain about marches and demonstrations for Scottish Independence can’t put together the same thing in a passionate defence of their case for remaining in their Union, it’s as if it’s not really the Union they’re passionate about rather it’s more the idea that they’re losing something they couldn’t be bothered about before until somebody else mentioned it
Like the kids toy they never played with and forgot they even had until Mum said she was taking it to the oxfam shop then they decided they desperately wanted to keep that toy in case another kid got it and played with it
I was like that with old clothes my wife was going to bin
“Aw naw ah love that cardigan wae the holes in it”
@ ian B.
I feel yer frustration, we’ll get there mate, I’ll say hello when a see ye on the march.
@ Silver Darling .
Im ex army SD ,my sons and daughter have been told ,under NO conditions are they joining up, I swear blind i’d break their legs first. They know the facts though ,i’ve tried my best through reading this site and reading all of the comments from wonderful BTL commenters such as yous and (Liz G), educated fae the likes of Mr Peffers; and I tell my kids what ive read and tell them too as well.
Still lurkin after all these years but my heart is strong.
Keep on doin yer thing Rev Stu.
Big Phil @ 1.25
Hey Big Phil…. Don’t be such a stranger on here xxxx
Crazy Cat @ 12.16
Yer absolutely correct about the actual terms and conditions for EVEL Crazy Cat. And the Rev will, I expect, be totally on board with your honesty 🙂
Me!!! I didn’t give it that awful sounding name that makes it sound so unfair!
So I never feel obliged to correct any misapprehension about it.
I just leave that bit ….. Shall we say…. Unsaid?
And I don’t mind a bit 🙂
Cause I’m Evil like that… LOL
Will I see ye at the Green ?
Hmm. quite a good idea. Maybe we should revisit it?
Hi Big Phil, say hello more often!
I know a couple of folk like yourself who have seen action in the conflicts of recent years and feel the same.
Anyway, might go on a march soon. I’ve never done it before but it feels like it is getting desperate now.Maybe see some of you there.
Colin Alexander @ 11:56,
Back on your usual Mitigation Moan, Lord Hee Haw, and so early in the new year already. You’re so keen. And there’s always smearing by association when you can’t actually place the blame where you so evidently want it to be…
(…you don’t happen to work for the BBC, by any chance…?)
@crazycat at 12.16. Many thanks for putting me straight on EVEL. So it isn’t quite as bad [evil!] as I thought – just the way they went about it, and the awful Chris Grayling talking it through Parliament.
Alex,it will not be you. Nicola,it will be you,times 3 general elections.