Hobson’s Law
While we all wait for the thing we all really want to happen this week, try to pretend that the disastrous and pitiful “indy march and rally” at the weekend never took place, and do our best to ignore the fact that thanks to the weakness of Nicola Sturgeon and Humza Yousaf our country’s government is infested with lunatic extremist child-abuse apologists, let’s see if we can’t take some time out from all the doom and gloom to offer something constructive.
Not you, Patrick. This is for grown-ups, you can sit it out on your wee high chair.
Because the real problem faced by Scotland in the immediate and ongoing future isn’t the staggering, corrupt, witless incompetence of the Scottish Government. Pretty much everyone is united on that, including SNP voters.
The problem is the lack of an alternative. Yousaf might only be three points ahead of Rishi Sunak in Scottish-voter approval ratings (and the figures below are from before the re-arrest and charging of Peter Murrell), but his only credible electoral replacement as First Minister is hardly the public’s blue-eyed boy either. Every single mainstream political leader has a negative approval rating in Scotland.
Anas Sarwar -17
Keir Starmer -26
Humza Yousaf -32
Rishi Sunak -35
Douglas Ross -38
Anas Sarwar is preferred by voters as the next FM (the stat that really tells you who’s going to win elections), but only by a solitary point over the hapless and beleaguered Yousaf – who’s barely enjoyed a single good day in his year-and-a-bit in charge – and both trail behind “Don’t Know” as the public’s favoured choice.
In both Scotland and the UK, voters are cursed by a truly dire selection of democratic options. Labour’s strategy on both sides of the border has simply been to shut up, try not to say anything too stupid or controversial and just wait to be the only viable way for voters to express their contempt for the incumbent administration.
In England, the only real distinguishing line between Labour and the Tories is gender ideology, and even there the gap is shrinking now that Labour have pledged to adopt the recommendations of the Cass Review.
Meanwhile in Scotland the only substantive difference between Labour and the SNP is the constitution, and since the SNP have openly abandoned all meaningful pursuit of independence that distinction is a complete political irrelevance.
(In Wales, of course, there’s no choice at all. Only Labour have the remotest chance of winning there, as they have for pretty much the whole of recorded time. Even in Boris Johnson’s 2019 landslide, which swept away much of the “Red Wall” in northern England, the Tories lost Wales by 22 seats to 14, and on the other side of Labour the Welsh independence movement has never had an Alex Salmond to move the dial and remains a tiny Parliamentary fringe.)
So once again, voters have to pick a lizard. If all the parties are offering them idiots, they can only elect the least useless. And that’s really not good enough. But luckily, Wings has a solution.
It’s simple and it’s ingenious. Under Hobson’s Law, instead of a single vote voters can cast votes for as many candidates as they want. But the trick is, they can also vote AGAINST candidates instead.
So a ballot paper would look something like this:
And the way it would work is that the candidate with the most votes would win the seat, but only if they had a net positive number of votes, ie For minus Against.
The reason for only allowing votes in one column is fairly obvious: if you allowed both, everybody would vote for their candidate in the For column and against everyone else in the Against column, and you’d hardly ever get anyone elected, because not many candidates ever get over 50% of the vote.
But if you can’t abide any of them, your voice isn’t completely lost the way it is at present. You could vote against every candidate and significantly reduce their chances of being elected. If the winner doesn’t get a positive vote, you re-run the election in that seat, and no candidate that got a net negative vote is allowed to stand again. The parties of those candidates have to choose someone else.
(What you DON’T do is just give the seat to the candidate with the most net-positive votes, because then you could end up with some Monster Raving Loony who only got 12 votes but who nobody bothered to vote against. And nobody is allowed to form a government until they’ve got at least – in the case of Westminster – 325 seats, either by themselves or in a coalition. Countries manage fine without governments.)
The plan is at heart a variant of the “None Of The Above” box made famous by the movie Brewster’s Millions, but much more nuanced and less nihilistic.
If there are multiple candidates you don’t mind, you can vote for them all, in a sort of easier-to-explain version of Single Transferable Vote, but for none of the others.
If there’s a candidate you regard grudgingly as least-worst but not to the extent that you actually want to vote FOR them, you can vote against all the others but not them.
And of course if you just want to keep it simple you can still cast a single vote for your favourite candidate exactly the way you do now, and no others, and still be contributing positively towards their chances of winning.
Hobson’s Law gives a voice to the disenfranchised, and should also force parties to put forward better candidates. It greatly increases the ability of the electorate to reject idiots who currently get in behind a certain colour of rosette. It enables sophisticated voting without making it complicated. It encourages turnout at a time in history when tens of millions of voters stay home at elections because they don’t like any of their options and don’t want to encourage the useless.
(We made that graph in 2015 but the number of non-voters has remained pretty constant since then – 14.6 million in 2017 and 15.6 million in 2019 – and always higher than the number of votes cast for the winning party. It’s now 27 years since the winner in a UK general election got more votes than the Couldn’t Be Arsed Party.)
Unlike proportional representation, it also neither favours nor disfavours any particular party or parties, so there’s less reason for them to block it.
It is, frankly, a brilliant plan and we’ll vote for anyone who adopts it.
And the way to vote is with an X, as in FPTP? Or is this a “write in the numbers” thing? I thought the former but then there was a mention of STV…
Brilliant idea. The fairest system by miles. Also an interesting insight into one’s own mind. My initial reaction was “Hooray, I can vote against everybody I despise” but I then realised I’d be OK with going for the positive side. Thank you Stu.
I love it! ????
The sight of the anti-science Harvie being seriously interviewed on his barstool claiming the Cass Report has been criticised for its shortcomings with no pushback from the journalist was nauseating.
We know the people criticising the Cass Report – people like Harvie with no knowledge or interest in either child welfare or science.
This assumes folk know anything about Candidates standing, which I would argue hardly anyone ever does.
I’ll stick to non voting and no complaining about how theyre all a shower of…..
To get this passed you’d need to get rid of all the grifters that infect Westmonster.
Good luck with that.
Life’s full of tough choices.
A sleeve of Kensitas Club and a Btl of Mathew McConaughey (bare bum) Tequila
or
A carton of Embassy Regal and a Btl George Clooney (bow tie) Tequila
this fuck don’t feel right, why are no Easy Choices anymore……
Without a need to change the law, could the same thing be achieved by standing a candidate in every seat who pledged to resign if elected? Thus, anyone wishing to vote in the “Against” column could simply vote for that candidate. Granted, you are automatically voting against ALL the other candidates, not just some. But looking at it realistically, if you don’t wish to vote FOR any of the candidates, you’re most likely to vote AGAINST all of them, not just some.
Hows about a simple:
“If turnout for vote is < (50% + 1) then no-one gets elected and seat\position goes unfilled and marked as "Nobody wanted"
Democracy – a system where everyone loses
Think I’d opt for putting ‘Not My Parliament’ on the ballot paper where I don’t have an Independent for Independence candidate to vote for.
It does what it says on the tin… which is pretty much what all the political parties bend over backwards to ensure they don’t do.
That system gets my vote.
Though another possible idea – parodied in a Terry Pratchett novel from some years ago – is to simply put any politician in jail as soon as they are elected just to save time.
A much more sensible approach, yes, indeed, but firstly, widespread voter-disillusionment with politicians and their look and sound-alike parties will have to be dealt with; something which no party is likely to seriously address. With no politician nor party to vote for, it’ll be a spoiled ballot-paper for me, I’m afraid. #END the UNION. Pardon the sloganeering, but I refuse to participate further in the comfy and lucrative employment of the otherwise unemployable.
We have compulsory voting.
Our country is probably slightly less crap than yours, politically, at the moment – but that’s not the point.
It means you have a sort-of Hobson’s in that elections here are always “unpopularity contests” where the most unpopular contestant loses rather than pretending that the winner is actually popular.
Compulsory voting plus Hobson’s might just be an improvement.
PS: Even with compulsory voting (and fines) 10% not voting is common.
In England, the only real distinguishing line between Labour and the Tories is gender ideology, and even there the gap is shrinking as Labour pledge to adopt the recommendations of the Cass Review.
There’s more differences between those two parties than that but the issue with Labour is how they’re talking ‘tough’ as if that’s going to win the ‘Red Wall’ seats in England back which may work. That sort of triangulation might well work but I fear that’s more because people are done with the Tories and also, Reform won’t win a seat but they’re going to seriously split the Tory vote.
Labour are trying hard to seem ‘sensible’ though I do feel Wes Streeting has been convinced Trans ‘healthcare’ is a nonsense and Gender Ideology is a threat. It’s whether he’s got enough power and support within the party to swing Labour over completely, yet again, I think they’ll triangulate on this subject now it’s clear they’ll win/save more votes than they’ll lose to the Greens or even the Lib Dems.
The problem with PR isn’t the various types of PR by themselves. Other European nations have worked with these systems for generations and although flawed (all electoral systems have a flaw somewhere) they work. Where it fails in Scotland is that the likes of Patrick Harvie can sit in Holyrood thanks to the list vote knowing that even if rejected in a constituiency vote, he’ll be just fine. List MSP’s should be restricted to two terms then that’s it. Part of Holyrood’s problem is the amount of MSP’s there doing little to nothing, or in Harvie’s case, causing incredible amount of damage in a relatively short time because he’s been given power and influence beyond his abilities.
As it stands, Harvie, Greer and all the rest stand a good chance to remain in Holyrood thanks to the list system even though they’ve shown themselves unable to govern, or even do the basics the Greens were set up to do. They’re now solely a Trans activist party that occasionally talks about the environment while enacting policies that damage it, or privatise it.
Sally Hughes
says:
22 April, 2024 at 3:22 pm
“Think I’d opt for putting ‘Not My Parliament’ on the ballot paper where I don’t have an Independent for Independence candidate to vote for.
It does what it says on the tin… which is pretty much what all the political parties bend over backwards to ensure they don’t do.”
What does it say on the tin? Can it not just be interpreted as saying “The Scottish Parliament is my parliament”? But the Scottish Parliament as currently constituted is just another arm of Westminster i.e. its administrative function on Scotland so that might not send the right message.
Where one judges that there are no legitimate/genuine candidates in favour of the restoration of Scotland’s full self government and the return of the country’s independent statehood why not scrawl “#EndTheUnion” across the ballot paper?
That is an explicit instruction and is not open to misinterpretation (deliberate or otherwise).
I’m in! To address the issue of low turnout (even in countries with compulsory voting as noted above) I vote that all those who cast their vote are entered in to a prize draw with 1 from each constituency getting a cash reward.
That ought to fix things!
Or you could just vote for whatever party/candidate is most likely to beat the party/candidate you hate the most…
I’m hearing talk of a summertime General Election.
I might be having a brain fart. But I didn’t know I could vote for more than one candidate at a General Election.
Perhaps It’s because I blindly followed Sturgeon the Judas and voted SNP.
Fortunately I spoiled my ballot at the last election – thanks to the stich up of Alex Salmond – Sturgeon the ("Tractor" - Ed). The Judas was behind it all. I despise her with every fibre of my being.
I am planning to spoil my ballot but might read this article in more detail. In protest against our political vaccume.
The graph above shows no representation for ‘spoiled’ papers. Perhaps their percentage is too small to register.
However as Sally Hughes has mentioned, either ‘Not My Parliament’ (as espoused by Allan Petrie) or ‘#EndTheUnion’ are the suggested repurpose options available to the disenchanted . Each would appear to be gathering momentum.
“It’s simple and it’s ingenious. Under Hobson’s Law, instead of a single vote voters can cast votes for as many candidates as they want. But the trick is, they can also vote AGAINST candidates instead.”
I re-read it.
Great idea, but none of the aforementioned would adopt it. So I remain permanently disenfranchised.
OMG! While i admire your indefatigability Stu, trying to resurrect a shitshow of political ‘choice’, for me, it doesn’t really matter: Shite in, shite out. Plus, me being a simple guy, it was only on my second scan reading did i get that you can only vote in one column! What confusion! Either, or!
I mean i get confused in a building with lifts. If I’m on the 5th floor and want to go to the ground floor, do i press the up button or the down button to call the lift? I am even stressed here, thinking about it!
For me, there are 2 solutions:
1. candidates have to pass an entrance exam to enable them to stand as a candidate. The big wigs can work all that out. Get rid of the shitshow dummies. and secondly
2. my preferred choice. Don’t vote. Stop voting. bring the system down. So that the powers that be stop, sit up and take note that the system is undeniably broken and that they have to replace it with a more workable form of legislature/democratic institutions, because currently it is all corrupt and corruptible.
I am no politician, nor have an education in political systems, but there has to be a better democratic way/method of the governance of a country.
I suspect that most electors will jump at the chance of voting against all the candidates they don’t like, so relatively few positive votes will be cast. The scheme may prevent the election of idiots by preventing the election of anyone.
Sorry to go off topic so quickly, but this is important.
This whole “online harm” thing is getting out of control very fast.
In Australia we now have an e-safety commissioner. Last week a guy stabbed a guy in a church. She has ordered ALL footage of that to be censored on social media (even though it’s already been seen all over the world already).
She decided that “X” hasn’t complied because even though they blocked it for Australian users people all over the world could still see it, and therefore VPN users in Australia could also see it.
Therefore, she can make X block it for the whole world!!!
The Federal Court so far agrees and has issued a two day injunction to allow X to argue against it.
I don’t want some shady unelected control freak from my country deciding what I can see on the internet and hopefully you don’t either.
According to the Silver Fox sources on youtube – Nicola Sturgeon was due to be arrested yesterday. But Dorothy Bain stopped that arrest from happening.
Bain is protecting Sturgeon. Crooked Dorothy Bain of the corrupt Clown office is protecting the charlatan Nicola Sturgeon.
F***ng rot in hell. Horrible cu***!
Bain should be going to jail with them all! Crooked Dorothy Bain. You make me sicck!
“I vote that all those who cast their vote are entered in to a prize draw with 1 from each constituency getting a cash reward.”
How about you do the prize draw, but if the seat doesn’t get won by any of the candidates, the winner of the draw gets the seat? 😀
“According to the Silver Fox sources on youtube – Nicola Sturgeon was due to be arrested yesterday. But Dorothy Bain stopped that arrest from happening.”
I very much doubt that’s true. Who is the Silver Fox?
“However as Sally Hughes has mentioned, either ‘Not My Parliament’ (as espoused by Allan Petrie) or ‘#EndTheUnion’ are the suggested repurpose options available to the disenchanted . Each would appear to be gathering momentum.”
Both those are just spoils. Valid enough as a statement but totally nihilist. Someone still gets the seat.
On the other hand in Wales, we’ve a very active language nationalist movement, which has been very successful in showing Scottish nationalists the way as regards language identity activism. I’m sure Rev, that you’ve delighted in seeing the use of Welsh in law courts, etc.
@Rev Stu 4.50pm
How about you do the prize draw, but if the seat doesn’t get won by any of the candidates, the winner of the draw gets the seat?
Works for me. See…the Wings Over Scotland Party idea still has legs! It worked for the Pirate Party in Iceland: they won 5.1% of the Icelandic vote in 2013 and 3 MP’s in the Althing. They gained 6 seats in 2021.
India Pendence
Hee hee
It doesn’t bear directly on the office-holders of course, but Drakeford until recently leader of the Welsh assembly has a son who is a convicted rapist who has changed his name and was last heard of in North Wales; the husband of Sturgeon of the Scottish assembly is facing serious allegations of embezzlement from the party they jointly lead, and now her successor Yousaf’s brother-in-law faces serious charges which seem in some way related to a case involving DunDeefenestration.
Ill-luck seems to dog their every step, no ?
It’s bad enough having two Stewart McDonalds in Westminster. Can you imagine what it would be like having 650 going by the name Spoilt Papers?
Anyone who wants to be a politician should be automatically disqualified from holding any such position for life.
Instead of voting we could hold a ballot of all those whose names are on the electoral register for each constituency. The name picked out of the gigantic hat has to serve for one fixed parliamentary term – no excuses, no backsies. If the 100 year old picked out at the time of the ballot dies during the parliamentary term then his/her husband, wife, partner, daughter, son, neice, nephew, cat, dug, etc (you get the idea) must serve instead.
Would such a collection do any worse than the hapless, hopeless crew of hypocritical liars and thieves we have now?
How about you do the prize draw, but if the seat doesn’t get won by any of the candidates, the winner of the draw gets the seat? ?
Appointment by lot was used for a period in ancient Athens, I believe. There may well be other examples.
Not the worst system by any means. If nothing else, the odds are far lower that any incumbent would be careerist.
This ballot format will have its first outing in Brechin Tuesday evening when 6 people with differing views will present their ideas of how the UK GE can be used to end the union.
SNP, ALBA, Independents and “none of the above”.
Show starts at 7:00 Caledonian Hotel 43-47 Southesk Street DD9 6DZ
Chaired by Eva Comrie -the guests are
Kenny Braes (SNP) Peter A Bell, Sally Hughes (Ind) Allan Petrie, Leanne Tervit (Ind)
and Neale Hanvey (ALBA)
The event will be live-streamed for those of you who can’t be there in person.
I and my family didn’t vote at the last 2 elections and we will repurpose our vote with #EndTheUnion at any forthcoming one if an I4I independent candidate doesn’t stand, based on your proposal I would have to tick ALL of the Against boxes to reach the same conclusion, that there is NO PARTY or POLITICIAN worth voting for, and the only way they will change the current system is that if the majority of the electorate wake up and spoil their ballot paper with a concerted statement of NONE OF THE ABOVE
NEVER refuse to vote or don’t turn out, at LEAST write a saying or statement showing your disgust at the morons and grifters infesting your parliament
We could make it that whoever wins an election gets to sit in the canoe for an hour.
The only useful thing to come out of the Sturgeon years was the proof that what happens in Westminster and in General Elections doesn’t make one iota of difference as far as Scottish interests are concerned. The 56 seat victory and Brexit proved that.
With that in mind, the only satisfaction any of you are likely to get from a General Election will come from voting to hurt the SNP, and that means voting for whoever is most likely to beat the SNP candidate in your constituency.
That’s all that’s on offer. You might get some tribal warmth in your loins or something by voting Alba, but the truth is Alba is unlikely to make a dent… and, as I understand it, they only intend to stand candidates in 12 seats.
For most of us, the choice is to be either an aimless schmuck or to be a righteous warrior of destiny who, with carmina burana echoing in his ears, takes revenge on those who betrayed our people…
I know what I’d rather be.
We deliberately did not register to vote,
It is not an election for any candidate for a Scottish parliament, it is not my parliament it is the sub-division of the under Scotland Act legislation of the parliament of.England.
It applies a two tier set of laws over all people in Scotland compared to one set of laws for the Country of England,
Just cannot bring ourselves to vote for continued suppression of Scotland,
“The problem is the lack of an alternative.”
The view BTL has been that come independence a new cohort of politicians will emerge from the shadows and take Scotland into a bright new tomorrow. It won’t be the current bunch of losers, oh no. No one is quite sure where these paragons will come from, nor where they are now. I fear it’ll be Geri, Ruby, Alf et al, with a disappointing outcome.
Dear Scotland… The Lord tells me he can get me out of this mess, but he’s pretty sure: you’re fucked! Ah-ha!
Grouser,
Anyone that wants to be a politician should be on the “minimum” wage earnings income,
The politicians should suffer the trials and tribulations along side the people their policies effect.
I would not like to be in Humza’s Chappals now.
James Che at 7:15 pm.
“Anyone that wants to be a politician should be on the “minimum” wage earnings income,
The politicians should suffer the trial.”
So you’re going to elect a combination of shelf-stackers and rich folk. It might just work… I’m kidding. I hope you were.
Dear old John Major – who’d a thought it eh?
I had an idea to vote all the useless salary-thieves out.
1. Create a “forum” per constituency to crowdsource a manifesto.
2. Crowdfund the deposit for the ballot.
3. Anyone who donates to the fund can tick a box to enter them into a candidate raffle.
4. Use a blockchain smart contract to pull some names.
5. Put the randomly picked name on the ballot.
6. If the person gets elected they must vote only as the constituents tell them to in the manifesto/forum or be deselected and replaced by the next random.
Doesn’t require law changes, sidesteps identity politics, defeats “lobbying” and ends career politicians.
If anyone reading wants to take this idea and run with it I’d be grateful. Happy to flesh out the ideas. I’ve even used chatgpt to generate a basic manifesto with policies aimed at doing the greatest good for the most people.
Select politicians on the basis that jury’s are selected, with an opt out.
No old cunts sorry, you’ve had your day and look where we are.
We fucked it in 2014 and there ain’t no way back. Shameful fucking nation.
Rev. Stuart Campbell
22 April, 2024 at 4:51 pm
“According to the Silver Fox sources on youtube – Nicola Sturgeon was due to be arrested yesterday. But Dorothy Bain stopped that arrest from happening.”
“I very much doubt that’s true. Who is the Silver Fox?”
He’s a YouTube political commentators on Scottish politics. The Silver Fox Hot Takes. He says 2 of his sources have confirmed Bain has intervened to stop Sturgeon from being arrested yesterday. And that Sturgeon is going to be unavailable at the Westminster common affairs committee, in Holyrood this week.
A sturgeon spokesperson says she’s going to be unavailable. Will she be helping police with their inquiries?
KT Lorimer
Ignored
says:
22 April, 2024 at 5:52 pm
This ballot format will have its first outing in Brechin Tuesday evening.
I’ll tune in to it.
I think that the thumping the SNP is going to take in the GE will have a two-pronged effect: 1. it will put their gas at a peep even i they end up on the opposition benches (seats/desks/whatever) and still raking it in; 2. it will lead to a surge for independence within a very short period of time. This, basically, is what almost all independence movements go through before they reach their goal. We will have to discard the devolutionists, Queer Theory enthusiasts and brain dead in order to have a clear view of the goal. If we can do so before 2026, or even sooner, that will be a bonus. It is they who are the blockage.
Like it as its probable in my constituency no true independence candidate will stand.
My choice in current system is not to vote as most of candidates will be useless.
Silver Fox sounds about right. If Nicola goes down, then it’s a house of cards. Self preservation for civil servants and the inner circle. Depends how long they can hold back the tide.
Salmond may be the great cleanser!
If someone from the future appeared in 2014 and told you about 2024. You would think it was an Ian Banks surreal acid inspired bad trip.
How the fuck did Scotland end up worse than it was in 1998.
Has anyone been arrested yet.
“What you DON’T do is just give the seat to the candidate with the most net-positive votes, because then you could end up with some Monster Raving Loony who only got 12 votes but who nobody bothered to vote against.”
As if Monster Raving Loony would be a bad choice at this point!
Scotland needs voterless elections as the issues are too complex for them; the “people” also harbour a great many bigoted ideas and prejudices, which can lead to wrong-voting.
Holyrood should also gain a second chamber, to examine legislation, and veto anything which is unacceptable to anyone progressively minded. The appointees should comprise – gender/queer theory academics, trans activists, lived experience victims, and all being members of the green party, stonewall, mermaids, PIE, Spartacus Euroboy Holiday Club, Pattaye Timeshare owners, or other approved group.
Postal voting should be made compulsory, recognising the dangers of local tampering; voters may find out how they voted 5 years after the election by submitting a FOI request.
or
What democracy really needs in this country is a “Holyrood-Stag Fire”, where that modernist monstrosity is burned to the ground; a mental patient, alba membership papers in his pocket and petrol stains on his clothes will be found wandering the holyrood car park immediately after, saying only to the cops “alex made me do it”. The next day a 3000 page emergency powers act will be passed on the nod among the smoking ruins. (Muriel Gray was never seen, and nowhere to be found.)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btgY4n4Uwwg
” NICOLA Sturgeon has pulled out of a Westminster committee appearance after her husband was charged with embezzlement.
The former first minister was due to give evidence at the Scottish Affairs Committee on Monday but has now cancelled.
A spokesperson for Sturgeon said: “Nicola is happy to appear before the committee.” “
One lesson we have learned from this is. Absolute power of any party , in any parliament is bad news. Because they turn the parliament into the party. Simply because they can.
Scotland should have had 10 years max of the independence party, then became independent. Because it didn’t,we ended up with a party running Holyrood, but with no purpose.
Then one leader who is unhinged. Became obsessed with her own legacy and holding onto office. When the original purpose was actually to break free of devolution.
When the yoons take over Holyrood. They will strip it back and yield powers back to London. Expect tuition fees, no free prescriptions, end of council tax freeze, more central funding, more autonomous councils run by unionists.
People have short memories. When McConnel ran Holyrood he asked London for a tissue before he sneezed. This is what’s coming down the line.
But there is no alternative. The SNP are damaged beyond salvage.
Should politicians be tested for drugs. Like every other legitimate organisation.
Anas Sarwar -17
Keir Starmer -26
Humza Yousaf -32
Rishi Sunak -35
Douglas Ross -38
Oh dear, Douglas, imagine coming last in that list of names.
__________
Was watching a documentary a few nights ago, about a Scottish murder case, and the SNP’s Aamer Anwar got a brief appearance. He was commenting on the very poor quality of some photographic evidence of a suspect. And, folks, i shit Yous not when i tell you all what he said.
In a reference to the prosecutions very grainy possible evidence he said, and i quote: “If you can’t tell if someone is male or female you have serious problems.”
Laugh? I nearly died laughing. Anyone else watch it? Sorry, can’t remember what night it was on or what it was called as i only came across it by chance when surfing the channels for something to watch.
If all the Unis ain’t supplying the next generation of career politicians.
Where are the next generation going to come from now that you gotta be clever and all.
I don’t buy the silver fox story involving Bain. It doesn’t make any sense. If Bain was inclined to intervene like that, assuming she even could (which I doubt), she might have done so a lot sooner… why leave it to now?
The key issue here is that our politicians, from all parties, and civil service are of such poor quality, it has made our democracy a joke.
If we are honest, there isn’t any senior member of any party that I would want to take over in Scotland, and even if we did, by some miracle find an effective party leader, they would be hamstrung by the civil service, as their only agenda seems to be to make things better for …. the civil service, and they have the ability to ignore any policy they don’t like.
How does this fix the two main anti-democratic injustices facing Scotland right now namely:
1) The First Minister, and Prime Minister, both did not face an election to be granted their position, due to the fact that parties can switch the leader via an internal vote at any time. A similar issue is MPs/MSPs defecting to other parties mid-term – East Kilbride currently has a tory MP via defection.
2) The Greens are in govt despite being the least popular of all the mainstream parties, because the First Minister is able to form coalitions with anyone he fancies, even if he wasn’t elected to do so, and if his partners in coalition are extremely unpopular.
Additionally, it doesn’t really matter what system of voting you implement people lie, cheat and swindle their way to your positive votes. There’s literally no impetus for an elected politician to follow throw on their manifestos.
Lorna Campbell
Ignored says:
22 April, 2024 at 8:47 pm
I think that the thumping the SNP is going to take in the GE will have a two-pronged effect:..
Yet another milestone missed because we suffer the SNP becomes the “next Election is Plebiscite on Independence” strategy; Scotland United and all that… Another excellent strategy brim full of potential, just like an ALBA List party augmenting an SNP first choice, but squandered by the SNP’s self centred narcissism and fraudulent stance on Independence.
The next Election could have plunged the UK into an immediate Constitutional Crisis from which Scotland would emerge Independent, but no, we have to endure the petulant SNP’s grinding self harm and destruction, seeing enemies everywhere. Jesus H, who the hell is writing this script? Why are we buying it?
Sympathy came there none, because the SNP under Sturgeon and her intellectual delinquents brought it all upon themselves, and sabotaged Scottish Independence when Scotland had it won. Bastards. All of them bastards. The blew it when we’d actually won. Stop giving these losers our lead! Time and time again, they fail us on every level.
The second huge exasperation is the widespread disillusionment that the current system of UK and Scottish democracy is broken and dysfunctional, and yet again leaves Scotland adrift and bewildered by staggeringly bad choices in every direction, yet SALVO, thank god for SALVO, is standing there in the headlights pointing us in the direction of our Scottish Constitution, the Claim of Right our sovereignty facilitates, and the mechanism of a Convention of the Estates which would have the power to transcend and sweep aside anything which Westminster or our Vichy Holyrood has imposed on sovereign Scotland.
The Union is broken. The litany of charges it couldn’t properly survive spans it’s entire history and crooked foundation, but in Scotland’s Brexit subjugation, we have the most potent betrayal of Scotland’s rights married to our anti-democratic subjugation and calamitous vandalism of our economy. Yet year after year, we leave these stepping stones to Independence to gather dust.
We are tainted, and will find our Nation standing in the dock of International Justice because of our supine complicity with the genocide in the Middle East and warmongering NATO alliance, when instead, Scotland could have been the peace broker, and perhaps uniquely able to condemn NATO’s belligerence and force it’s withdrawal from the Clyde, then promote Scotland as a champion of international peace and justice, (justice of it’s own being secured), with Scotland embracing East, West, and indeed all International trade, with our super- container facility at Scapa Flow.
Granted, the Americans and Westminster would seethe with impotent rage, at first, but I believe Europe and the EU would thanks us, Scandinavia would embrace us, BRICS nations would welcome our participation, and I truly believe that Scotland ending the Union would compel our friends, and yes I mean friends, south of the Border, to rid themselves of the same Neoliberal greed and societal destruction which feeds upon their misery. England would be given back to its people, and the grinding misery of Conservative mismanagement would be held as culprit for ending the United Kingdom’s existence.
Revolution in England would follow. Not the blood soaked head-choppy type revolution, but a wholesome sweeping aside of the grasping Elites, and end to the BBC grotesque disinformation, and utterly deluded and dangerous militarism obliged to see itself in the mirror. The English would get their NHS back, and likely, in time, bring back manufacturing and a modern, accommodating and open minded society which finally recognised the self harming delusions of Thatcherism and Tory greed.
Stop listening to the cretins and losers, the dysfunctional few who make it to the top of the broken and rancid system. This is the system, the blight, we need purged from both Scottish and English society, and SALVO has the mechanism understood which can make it happen. Ok, maybe not all the answers, but more than enough to be getting on with.
So which is it folks? We break out the sand-box with our sovereign Constitution? Or we pin our hopes on a new Gauleiter’s regime in our Vichy Holyrood to supersede Humza and Sturgeon’s Allstars? One more hurl on the merry go round eh?
We can change everything. We can close Holyrood, recall a true Scottish Parliament to sit wherever we tell it to sit, and even remove the word Holyrood from the lexicon of Scottish Government. Let the word Holyrood fade into history as a shabby component of the “dark age” when Scotland was so badly ruled by London.
Life is not a rehearsal. We can make it happen.
I stand accused of being a nihilist. So be it.
When state-sponsored evangelism is vacuous, there is nowt left but heresy.
#EndTheUnion
@Breeks says: 23 April, 2024 at 3:17 am
“Scotland could have been the peace broker, and perhaps uniquely able to condemn NATO’s belligerence and force it’s withdrawal from the Clyde, then promote Scotland as a champion of international peace and justice”
I’ll settle for the potholes being filled in, a stable currency, and the ability to get a next day doctor’s appointment.
But as an aside, loving those who seek to tear down the “English exceptionalism” they claim to hate so much, and replace it with a new Scottish exceptionalism.
Once we’re Indy, we can remake the world in our own image from Edinburgh? BRICS to become BRICSS, and the PRC and RF to become beacons of peace and justice with us showing them the true path. SA too? I can hardly eat my breakfast here, have a heart.
It’s still not a genocide either. I guess the key to processing Breeks’ post is to realise that his words can’t be interpreted using their usual meanings.
Sorry, Breeks, but if your vision for iScotland is all that’s on offer, I’ll be buying another ticket for the merrygoround. We’ve already suffered enough under the last 10 years of fantasy rule. We Scots already have all the reputation as international laughing stock we will ever need.
Hatey McHateface
PEACE AND JUSTICE, all a matter of perspective depending on which/whose high horse the great and the good happen to be sitting on that day.
But universal AI will eventually «sort» things, see Tony Blair Institute and the like.
Feeling on the edge? The TBI bot will give you a soothing fix of P&J.
Breeks , a hearty round of applause from me!
James Jones @7:41
In actual fact the right combination of successful people and shelf stackers willing to put in a good shift on minimum wage would certainly have served Scots well – Don’t believe me? Look at the relative wealth of the corporation’s that turned a world of material scarcity into one of great abundance.
To better address your merit related concern though, why not modify the cheeky & most excellent proposal above by giving every true Scot £10,000* of freshly minted credit to either keep for themselves (and not vote), or return to the pot in exchange for the formal registration of their support/ dissatisfaction, and use the resulting pot of new money as an appropriate mix of salary, prize and budget for the winning and positive candidates?
*Admittedly, giving English school kids a penny for their thoughts would also add value to any such system.
🙂
Breeks, and from me!
Good luck explaining all that to your average voter.
The key to reinvigorating democracy is to lessen the influence of the Parties. We need more unaffiliated representatives, whether that be the likes of Martin Bell in Westminster or Margo McDonald in Holyrood.
Participatory democracy is actually under attack from the Parties. Hyperbole? Let’s inquire.
The predominant trend of the last two decades has been the drive from a professional, technocratic, managerial class (we can call this the Permanent State) to micromanage the democratic process. The Permanent State seeks to suffocate mass participation and vibrancy from politics and replace it with a stolid, managerial bureaucracy. We saw this most recently with the triumph of the Blairite, Forward faction over Corbynite, Momentum. The British (and American) Security Services were covertly involved in this.
Control of media and the use of language is intrinsic to this. Once, (certainly the 1920’s) the term “populist” denoted an appeal based on the desires of the masses. The word, Populist has been corrupted in mainstream discourse to imply Demagoguery. This is all very deliberate and clever.
In recent times the “liberal”, “centrist”, Clinton faction in America spat out the term “populism” as a venomous curse. Anyone who wasn’t supportive of offshoring manufacturing (or indeed service) jobs was denounced as belonging to Trump’s “deplorables”.
The high point in true, democratic representation at Holyrood was 2003 with eight MSPs outwith the five establishment parties.
You don’t have to support the political platforms put forward by non-establishment individuals or parties to support the general principle that a multitude of voices enhances debate. By design, we are left with slightly different flavours of our managerial class endorsed, bland menu.
The fall of the Scottish Socialist Party was the result of various factors, but their political posters at election time were a feature of our streets. The ability of the SSP to harness the enthusiasm of their support and promote their message through poster campaigns will have played a significant part in their returning six MSPs in 2003.
By the 2007 election, Margo MacDonald would be the only independent voice at Holyrood. As of the 2016 election, Holyrood was reduced to the five establishment parties.
There was a vibrancy to early Holyrood elections. Our main streets were festooned with a kaleidoscopic display of posters from all parties. This election material didn’t get there on its own, organisation and mass participation was required.
This display of “populism” was intolerable to our managerial class. By the 2016 election, 32 out of 36 Scottish councils has established by-laws prohibiting election posters on council owned street furniture.
The four “hold-out” councils continue to allow election posters on street furniture, proving that any perceived “littering” issue can be managed rather than resorting to prohibition. It’s no coincidence that all four councils are rural and are substantially populated by independent councillors, free from the admonishments of any Party head office.
Is the potential for a wee bit litter too high a price to pay for a vibrant, mass participation democracy? The answer from our permanent managerial class is apparently yes.
There is now an industry in “managing democracy”. The John Smith Centre exists to fill the ranks of elected representatives and support staff with doppelgänger, middle-class politics graduates. Two individuals selected as Parliamentary interns recently, openly referred to “progressing my career” in their introductory comments. Public service and vocation are oh so passé.
The John Smith Centre is itself a sinister entity, refusing to disclose its sources of funding.
Yesterday, the JSC announced that Michael Gove had joined its Board. Gove is often dismissed as an oddball, curious character. This is a clever scheming camouflage. Gove has for decades moved in the covert, Anglo-American circles characterised by blandly titled, Right-wing, Think Tanks. On investigation these are invariably linked to and funded by Foggy Bottom.
Breeks, and from me!
Thanks very much again Vivian O’Blivion @ 9:53. Your contributions are always much appreciated.
Confession. Your Foggy Bottom reference has long been opaque (as it were) to me. I assumed it was an in-joke nickname like Marmalade, and that I must obviously have been off school sick the afternoon that allusion came up in a lesson (like that other day they did inverted commas for direct speech). So I have struggled on in ignorance assuming that eventually someone’s random online remark would enlighten me. Light has there come none of. So after reading your comment today which finishes with the sentence: “On investigation these are invariably linked to and funded by Foggy Bottom”, I was prompted by frustrated mental lostness to do an online search (though without much hope that a Scottish niche nickname would manifest). Imagine my surprise then to discover that Foggy Bottom is actually a place, and indeed a location of some geopolitical import. For example this from one site which came up in my search, ie Washington.org —
« Stretching from the Potomac River to the western edge of Georgetown, Foggy Bottom takes its name from the fog that naturally lingers here. It’s marked by big-name cultural and diplomatic edifices as well as the southern end of Rock Creek Park. It’s bordered by the West End, a hotel- and restaurant-rich zone next to Georgetown.
« The biggest draw for tourists and residents? The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the Potomac River-side performing arts center is a living memorial dedicated to President John F. Kennedy, known for his promotion of culture. World-class music, dance and drama performances take place here nearly every day of the year on nine stages. The Millennium Stage hosts free shows Wednesday through Saturday nights at 6 p.m., too.
« Other landmarks include the U.S. Department of State, where the art- and antique-loaded Diplomatic Reception rooms can be toured by appointment. Look for Chippendale furniture and rare landscape paintings. The IMF and World Bank make their homes here too, and lend an international vibe to the whole zone. The Watergate building, site of the 1972 Democratic National Committee break-in that ignited a scandal, still holds apartments and a luxurious, five-star hotel with an elegant French-inspired restaurant, fab rooftop and intimate whisk(e)y bar.
« Foggy Bottom also holds the southernmost end of Rock Creek Park, DC’s 2,100 acre greenspace. Pick up biking and running trails near the Kennedy Center for riverside views and nature-viewing ops.
« Restaurants and bars thrive here, too, many serving George Washington University, where the urban campus takes up several blocks. Try Tonic at Quigley’s Pharmacy for brews and tater tots with the undergrads or Founding Farmers restaurant for hearty farm-to-plate fare in a mod, buzzy space. In the West End, upmarket restaurants include the Blue Duck Tavern for elegant seasonal American fare like local oysters, wood-fired vegetables and duck. »
I am wiser today…
“Stop listening to the cretins and losers, the dysfunctional few who make it to the top of the broken and rancid system.”
Indeed, Breeks:
I can’t recall who wrote those lines. I might have lifted them from ‘The Art of English Poesy’ by George Puttenham (1529-1590) but I’m not sure.
The party system in Britain was a response to the extension of the franchise and the fear of democracy. It’s one of those well-understood developments in the history books that they discuss carefully in code nowadays.
Quite a lot in the history books is written in code and if you ever want to get ahead in subjects like that (politics, international relations, economic, etc.), you need to learn how read and write in what is essentially newspeak.
The word “democracy” itself is a good example and basically translates to “capitalism” in newspeak. “Defence” is another, which is basically a reference to attacking people, “stability” usually refers to someone disrupting or threatening to disrupt the flow of booty, etc., etc.
Thus, a phrase along the lines of “we need to defend against threats to stability and democracy in [wherever]” basically means someone is trying to move in on the action somewhere and they are probably going to set about him…
Up until circa 1945, words in the history books were used more or less honestly and literally. They were quite comfortable describing Britain, the US, and European countries as capitalist, for example. You would struggle to find a history book written after 1945 that describes any of them as capitalist; it’s almost as if capitalism just ceased to exist.
It’s an interesting subject. It gets really interesting when you are dealing with idiots who think we really are fighting for democracy and stability, completely unaware that the real goal is simply to plunder some poor country’s resources, etc.
Freedom of speech (a system in which business controls all your news channels and newspapers) is a beautiful thing.
If there is no Alba candidate in my new Yoon Gerrymandered constituency then I am spoiling my ballot paper. I would be having mostly negative votes. If there is no Alba Candidate standing then every vote will be negative based on above choices.
@ Hatuey at 1.39 a.m. “I don’t buy Silver Fox’s story..”
The Rev’s twitter 14 hours ago said that he was hearing “Police Scotland and the Crown Office are at war over whether to charge [a person] over a crime. Readers can guess who’s on which side.”
It looks as if there is something very serious going on. I can’t say that I am surprised.
@Vivian O’Blivion –
Just to let you know we’ve used your comment in our post today, in case you want to keep an eye on it for feedback.
Cheers.
😉
https://www.offtopicscotland.com/post/no-one-knows-where-they-came-from-or-what-they-were-doing
When is she due to be arrested now??
I did not realise the polis made an appointment
«Nations, like stars, are entitled to eclipse. All is well, provided the light returns and the eclipse does not become endless night. Dawn and resurrection are synonymous. The reappearance of the light is the same as the survival of the soul»
Victor Hugo
The poor SNP, alas, seems to have sold its soul, Scotland most certainly has not.
“Scotland’s alcohol death rate provides another reason to tackle the root causes of ‘deaths of despair’ – Scotsman comment (6 hours ago).”
This extract from ‘The Scotsman’:
Aye, an thair nae gang tae see ony ’emergency response’ fae thon ‘Scottish’ Government. The Scottish Government is Scotland’s public health emergency.
Deaths of despair. That’s what they’re calling Scotland’s drug and alcohol problem now.
Deaths of despair. Despairin’ o whit a wonder. Could it be related to the actual fact – because it clearly is a fact now, there’s no point in looking elsewhere for the reasons behind Scotland’s sorry state – that the Scots have been colonised by a foreign power intent on their demise?
Deaths of despair. Despair by design, despair built into a system devised to grind a people to dust, devised to clear the way for a superhighway, a conduit to their nation’s wealth of natural resources.
Deaths of despair. The Scotsman comment ends with this:
The fundamental solution, I would suggest, involves the Scots asserting their Claim of Right and just tellin’ England tae bugger aff.
Because, as Alcohol Focus Scotland’s chief executive Alison Douglas tells us, the alternative is the Scots, and with them Scotland, dying of despair.
@ Northcode at 12.52pm: So much for alcohol minimum pricing, eh? Exactly as I predicted when this ridiculous policy was imposed, it has done nothing whatsoever to reduce alcoholism and death resulting from it. It is simply a another tax on the poor and the victims of addiction.
Breeks,
Were thinking along the same lines,
I am presently reading,
The House of Commons Library briefing paper.
Constitutional Conventions and citizens Assemblies: power to the people.
Some good advice and some pitfalls, this depends on whose Constiturion we would be following The Scottish Constitution or the parliament of Englands,
It also depends on what terminology you use fhat could aid or fail you in your heading,
One of the things Scotland is trying to escape from is the tight strangle hold politicians have over the people,
A second dangerous pit fall rabbit hole is the choice between certain words, such as Citizen, or civil Society, constituents or Sovereign people,
I would suggest using the terminology “Sovereign people” after checking up phrases like civil society, That has connotations similar to “Stonewall” Societies, bill gates
It needs careful thought no doubt..
Sarah, I’m aware of the rumours and agree it would be serious. But I can’t explain why the Crown Office would go out on a limb over a politician whose career is basically over and whose reputation in politics is falling like a stone.
And because I can’t explain it, I can’t believe it.
Who’ Crown is the Office under?
Most Countries that are Colonies have Drink and Drug problems have you ever noticed.
@Michael Laing
Any evidence research to support your conclusion?
“The implementation of MUP legislation was associated with significant reductions in deaths, and reductions in hospitalisations, wholly attributable to alcohol consumption. The greatest improvements were in the four most socioeconomically deprived deciles, indicating that the policy is positively tackling deprivation-based inequalities in alcohol-attributable health harm.”
https://www.thelancet.com/action/showPdf?pii=S0140-6736%2823%2900497-X
Rab Clark @ 12:13
The potentially nefarious connections between NuSNP and the US State Department are detailed in Lobster #85.
The article hasn’t perhaps aged well. Publication was immediately overtaken by Sturgeon’s resignation.
An updated edition would include Kate Forbes and the British American Project.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh @ 11:00
Foggy Bottom is semi-poetic code for the US State Department.
The CIA are all too often cited for interference in international affairs. I don’t believe there is a clear line of demarcation. As a general rule best to assume that the CIA handles covert activities in “hostile” countries and the developing world while Foggy Bottom runs “influencing” operations in “friendly”, Western states. There will undoubtedly be grey areas.
I believe this also applies to the British Foreign Office. Odd characters like Rory Stewart and Bob Fairweather (see Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) were either spooks working under Diplomatic cover or were some strange hybrid.
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh nsays:
23 April, 2024 at 11:00 am
“Thanks very much again Vivian O’Blivion @ 9:53…..
Your Foggy Bottom reference has long been opaque (as it were) to me. I assumed it was an in-joke nickname like Marmalade…”
========
Some here allege a close connection between the two.
When a poster here asked the other day if the SNP had a top level infiltrator like Steaknife, codenamed Spurtle, one wag replied, “ only if you like marmalade in your porridge”.
Vivian O’Blivion @ 9.53
Does this Foggy Bottom connection also account for the meteoric rise of Màiri McAllan?I’ve been curious about her rapid promotion. But she seems to fit the recruitment pattern described in Lobster#85, though she’s heterosexual.
sarah says:
23 April, 2024 at 12:12 pm
@ Hatuey at 1.39 a.m. “I don’t buy Silver Fox’s story..”
The Rev’s twitter 14 hours ago said that he was hearing “Police Scotland and the Crown Office are at war over whether to charge [a person] over a crime. Readers can guess who’s on which side.”
========
This marks a departure from his skepticism (which I shared) of Silver Fox yesterday. This despite my being informed by an Edinburgh KC last week: “she’s next.” My source did not say WHEN. Assuredly, my KC is not s Silver Fox source but is a diehard unionist.
BOOKS OPENEDITION.ORG
THE PRESSES UNIVERSITAIRES DE STRASBOURG.
SCOTS AND THE CLAIM OF RIGHT FOR SCOTLAND.
Full text,
There are many other references to Scots and Scotland that you can click on, at the top,
Which are all interesting to read from a alternate perspective.
You will find reference to UK defence in relation to America in one of sections of the post iI made above,
Along with the stone of Destiny,
The de- industraliation and De- populisation of Scots.
The thing we all want to happen this week? Well, a couple of days of sunshine would be most welcome 🙂
Hope you all five my spelling in posts, the old keypad sometimes works and some overworks by doubling up sentences, it does not copy or print to demand either.
So my advice is to read the referred to books for yourselves, rather than my trying any attempt To interfere in the passages.
Each section is Enlightening reading and not so long it will take up large parts of you’re day,
The democracy,
” Scots have shown it more tolerance that it deserves ”
” They must now show enterprise by starting the reform of their own government “
The British democracy,
” Scots have shown it more tolerance than it deserves ”
” They must now show enterprise by starting the reform of their own government “
@ Cynicus at 3.07 “…an Edinburgh KC last week – “she’s next”.
There’s always hope. And if an Edinburgh KC says it then there is reason to be hopeful since they are at the heart of the Establishment.
Meanwhile the Independents for Independence crowdfunders need more attention of the cash kind: Sally Hughes’ is at £1844 of £10000 from 38 other supporters [deadline 12th May].
Eva Comrie’s is at £5110 of £10000 from 114 donors [deadline 3rd May].
James Che
I came across this by chance a wee while ago. Is this the document you refer to?
The extract above is the opening paragraph of the epilogue from the report of the Constitutional Steering Committee.
The report includes this sentence:
Owen Dudley (ed.), A Claim of right for Scotland, Edinburgh: Polygon, 1989, p. 51-53.
Report of the Constitutional Steering Committee
Presented to the Campaign for a Scottish Assembly
Edinburgh July 1988
I was thinking something similar, bit you get a +2 for a candidate and a – 1 to put against the one you can’t abide.
You coild obviously just you either it both.
So then most positive overall shoild win as leaders shouldn’t end up negative and monster raving loonies shouldn’t get a disproportionately large vote.
James Che @ 3:19 pm
“BOOKS OPENEDITION.ORG
THE PRESSES UNIVERSITAIRES DE STRASBOURG.
SCOTS AND THE CLAIM OF RIGHT FOR SCOTLAND.”
A useful link, highlighting core issues central to our rightful cause, not least that:
“‘the Union has always been, and remains, a threat to the survival of a distinctive culture in Scotland’”
And, that:
“Scotland faces a crisis of identity and survival. It is now being governed without consent and subject to the declared intention of having imposed upon it a radical change of outlook and behaviour pattern which it shows no sign of wanting. All questions as to whether consent should be a part of government are brushed aside. The comments of Adam Smith are put to uses which would have astonished him, Scottish history is selectively distorted…..” etc
However, those involved appear to have believed a ‘Scottish Assembly’ might be the solution, when postcolonial theory tells us it is merely a form of ‘indirect rule’ and hence a colonial administration which keeps the imperial racket and colonial hoax going.
Alf, you nicked my comment! Weel maist o it onyway
A wid niver hiv thocht ye capable o sic things. Ah, weel. Thon’s the way o life nae dout. But am sair disappintit so a am.
Most people want independence for reasons unrelated to culture. I’ve actually never in my whole life met anyone in Scotland who has expressed concern about the survival of their culture.
Culture is a distraction from the real argument which rests on economic, political, and social priorities.
I’m sorry if that offends anyone, it is but a simple truth.
@ Sarah at 4.13
Links to the crowd-funders you mentioned:
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/eva-comrie-ge-campaign-fund—alloa-grangemouth
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/ge-campaign-fund-sally-hughes-i4i-perth-kinross
@ Northcode 4.50pm TBH I couldn’t see Alf nicking anyone’s comment, more like a crossover of the delay in WordPress for comments which grinds everyone’s gears
I think the CO are protecting her because of their involvement in everything,if the dwarf is charged with embezzlement who knows what will come out, unless it is dorian presiding then nothing will come out,the RANCID festering stink will be contained for another while
But apparently HONEST policemen and women are engaged in a fight with the CO because they know that THEY are looking like accessories to the crimes and are loosing credibility
Twathater – I was joking.
NC 6.14pm I thought so ,just had to check 🙂
@ crazycat at 5.06: the links for the Sally Hughes and Eva Comrie Independents for Independence fundraisers.
Many thanks! Since you posted the links there has been a donation on each site – causal links no doubt. 🙂 🙂
“. As a general rule best to assume that the CIA handles covert activities in “hostile” countries and the developing world while Foggy Bottom runs “influencing” operations in “friendly”, Western states. There will undoubtedly be grey areas.
I believe this also applies to the British Foreign Office. Odd characters like Rory Stewart.”
The UK is crawling with US military personnel, with around 200 of them spread out across the UK their missions and positions unknown.
As for Rory Stewart, Craig Murray outed him as SIS, Stewart was even the governor general of a region of Iraq, of which he wrote a book about.
https://www.declassifieduk.org/us-air-force-deployment-in-britain-is-third-largest-in-world/
RE my previous comment.
Rory Stewart’s book on his time in Iraq is called The Prince of the Marshes.
Northcode.
Alf Baird.
Yes thats the one, many thanks to both of you,
Its not easy with this old technology doing as it pleases and being dyslexic, it takes many attempts and often makes a confusing posts
Much appreciated to both of you once again.
Hopefully these links are helpful in understanding the issues of Scotland.
Personally myself I am not to sure how a Assembly/convention or the like would fare under a british constitution that falls far from the tree, regards democracy for Scotland, when you see the result.
Somewhere in there I would like to see the words “Sovereign Scots”
The issues I have that the Hoax 1707 treaty of union was supposed to be a joint parliament of Scotland and England,
It is not
Scotland and England were supposed to join Crown to developed as one United kingdom,
It did not do this either,
Great Britain in this Treaty of Union has been the Crown of England sitting in the parliament of England due to those Two specific Acts of the old English parliament still being in force today as a part of the English Westminster – Great Britain name brand.
This is not only a severe breach of the Treaty of union between two Countries,
But the English Crown in Westminster parliament hhas also altered Scots Laws of Scotland which were meant to remain,
Just about every article of that treaty of union has been Colonised by amendments, altererations or made Completely obsolete by the Crown and parliament of England
To add insult to injury over Scotland it now tiers Scotland with double set of laws compared to England.
Scotland would not be amiss under those circumstances in opening a new genuine Scottish Sovereign Scots peoples parliament as England has had English parliament and Crown Sovereignty of England the past 300 years.
I would tend to completely by pass conventions and assemblies begging Englands parliament for
Some sort of recognition after three hundred years,
And that parliament can investigate the Breaches to the treaty of union and why the bank of England remained separate from the supposed union with Scotland, but connect legally and officially to the treasury- exchequer of the English parliament.
Bringing much debate about the Shared National debt for Scotland.
twathater – I understand, I do.
My humour has gotten me into trouble in the past many, many, many times. Many times.
The trouble is that what sounds clever and funny in my head rarely (perhaps never) is in the actual world outside of it.
Some things sound so funny when rattling about my mind that I can’t wait to unleash them; to free them that they might romp in the real world causing no end of joy for others.
Sadly, even after the passing of many years, I have been unable to conquer the urge to display my lack of wit for all to see.
Apologies to to all those, and especially Alf himself, who might have thought I was having a go at him.
However, it is impossible for me to promise that I won’t do it again, because I probably will – I’ll apologise afterwards, of course.
Maybe I should stick to more mainstream humour. Stuff like:
“I bought a dog from a locksmith…when I got him home he immediately made a bolt for the door.”
No?
twathater – I understand, I do.
My humour has gotten me into trouble in the past many, many, many times. Many times.
The trouble is that what sounds clever and funny in my head rarely (perhaps never) is in the actual world outside of it.
Some things sound so funny when rattling about my mind that I can’t wait to unleash them; to free them that they might romp in the real world causing no end of joy for others.
Sadly, even after the passing of many years, I have been unable to conquer the urge to display my lack of wit for all to see.
Apologies to to all those, and especially Alf himself, who might have thought I was having a go at him.
However, it is impossible for me to promise that I won’t do it again, because I probably will – I’ll apologise afterwards, of course.
Maybe I should stick to more mainstream humour. Stuff like:
“I bought a dog from a locksmith…when I got him home he immediately made a bolt for the door.”
No?
Hatuey @ 5:03 pm
“Most people want independence for reasons unrelated to culture.”
In your opinion perhaps. Postcolonial theory tells us differently, and that:
‘independence is a cultural emotion’; ‘independence is a fight for a national culture’, and; ‘national consciousness is the most elaborate form of culture’.
Without a peoples culture there would be no desire for their independence. Culture is therefore a critical factor. Which is also related to the oppressor who depends on cultural assimilation/cultural imperialism – i.e. cultural colonialism!!!
@ Northcode at 7.30: Dog – locksmith – took dog home – made a bolt for the door.
Well it made me laugh, anyway!
Sarah, me too – sadly while imbibing!
Hatuey
Ignored
says:
23 April, 2024 at 5:03 pm
Most people want independence for reasons unrelated to culture.
It is a big thing for me.
sarah
Ignored
says:
23 April, 2024 at 4:13 pm
10G Sarah. It used to be 500quid. That’s a lot of cash they are asking you to stump up now to stand.
Sarah and Dorothy
That’s two more laughs than I usually get so thank-you both.
Sadly, I can’t take credit for for the dog joke as I stole it from the internet . You know? Like Alf Baird did with one of my earlier comments 🙂
I added a smiley this time just to make sure folk know I’m joking.
@ GM at 8.30: “10 grand.. used to be £500….”
Leaflets, hall hire, fuel and travel expenses for candidate and helpers. Independent non-party candidates don’t have party funds and equipment.
James Che
SCOTS AND THE CLAIM OF RIGHT FOR SCOTLAND.
It’s an interesting document, James, and well worth a read. But I have to agree with Alf’s observation and conclusion below:
Which means the approach adopted by the document’s authors would fail to gain Scots their liberation from colonial rule.
If anyone wants to know what’s happening with Operation Branchform look at standard embezzlement cases. 2 to 3 years to the make the case is common. Standard imprisonment up to 5 years. Seldom involves one person. Multiple charges probable. Throw in Public Service Interest i.e. A former FM charged and you get the delay.
My grandmother was given a covid-jab this week. She got a letter in from the local health centre inviting her down for her jag – and she’s been ill for two days!
The SNP are sick. They are a cult. I’ve been watching Dr John Campbell on YouTube – The covid vaccine is not safe – I’ll never touch it again. How dare they do that to my gran. Under what rationale is there to keep giving out this poison dart?
Disgraceful. I despise the SNP Greens. End the bute house agreement. End the flat earth, science denying Green party. Sack patrick harvie. Sack Lorna Slater. Sack every single last arsehole in the civil service that is stealing a living. They are destroying our country.
Warn your grandparents in West Dunbartonshire. Warn them. That letters are being sent out for the poison dart to the vulnerable – the elderly.
Sturgeon and the globalists who hate borders – want to kill off the auld yins.
I hope Sturgeon goes down -42 approval rating- Corporate Homicide. Burner Phones. Secret burner phones to Jean Freeman. Why did she by them? We still don’t know?
A really really dodgy boiler. Sturgeon gave the orders. We know she gave the orders from Gold Command. Send the plague into the homes.
You see people still today – cutting about with face masks – they are the righteous ones. The liberals of the left. These are the people in Government. My pal believes in Green policies.
Alex Salmond said yesterday. That £200 million is being taken from the housing budget – For Patrick Harvie to build Cycle Paths! It’s unbelievable. Have you seen Byres Road recently? They voted Green! It’s been destroyed. Meanwhile just up the hill the Wyndford estate is being illegally destroyed. They’ve taken out the windows. The builders are in every day. Ripping the flats to shreds! It’s absolutely disgraceful. Meanwhile the cars are parked on the new cycle path on Byres Road. Where the liberal elite hang out. It’s a mess!
sarah
Ignored
says:
23 April, 2024 at 9:19 pm
@ GM a
OK Sarah understood.
@Alf Baird says: 23 April, 2024 at 7:58 pm
“Without a peoples culture there would be no desire for their independence”
If that claim is true, Scotland is destined to break apart into four or five pieces.
Even I can see the enormous cultural differences between the Western Isles, the Northern Isles, the Borders, Edinburgh and the rump of what used to be Northumbria, Buchan, and the post-industrial, communist-leaning greater Glasgow conurbation.
I always get the impression, from reading Professor Baird’s posts, that in his vision of post-Indy Scotland, there’s only one of these cultures worth saving, and the rest can go whistle.
I wonder. Anyway, what does it matter? Indy’s not about culture, not when the aspiration of every Scot is Sky, Netflix and the latest Hollywood box set.
As to the claim we are being governed without our consent, I don’t really know where to start with that one. Sure, plenty of the BTL posters on here are peeved, but every election to WM or HR draws millions of Scots to the ballot boxes, so that seems like plenty of consent to me.
As to Independent candidates being unable to put up the money to stand. The solution is simple. Every successful candidate will earn a generous salary and be showered with expenses and perks.
Every Independent candidate could crowd fund her campaign, with an explicit promise of every penny to be refunded from salary and perks when elected.
It’s no more than the party candidates do now, when they channel a chunk of their earnings back to party coffers.
And if there really and truly was a popular groundswell of support for Independent candidates, the funds would roll in, especially when if there really was a popular groundswell of support for Independent candidates, success at the ballot box would be a dead cert, and thus the money loaned would be dead safe.
Hatey. That’s simply not true. You can have many regional cultures making up a collective nation.
Someone from Liverpool , may have a similar social upbringing as a Glaswegian, but different from an Aberdonian. However the Aberdonian and Glaswegion share the Scottish nationality. The Liverpudlian doesn’t.
So the national culture is shared with all the areas within Scotland. Despite being rural, urban, rich , poor etc.
The collective culture is the nation , and that’s why countries even exist. You are not comparing apples with apples I am afraid.
Without a national identity, there would be no desire for independence.
Northcode,
I agree with Alf one hundred % that Scotland is a Colony and will remain a Colony under a Devolved government from another Country,
As I suggested in my post to Breeks some of the way forwards have to be discussed as more in depth topic,
I am not keen on people being Catagorised into departments, of “civil Society” or “Consitutional Societies”, for the sake of governments being able to control people without identities, it looses the people in the system
“A Scottish sovereign peoples parliament” is my own personal preference, (not a demand to have so) but as a reminder and in my belief in the people, the belief that the title alone maintains the peoples Sovereignty above all others wether politicians and monarchs,
That The title also retains the “claim of right” for and to the People,
You told a funny, joke, it got misconstrued, that was not you intention,
I like your humour, in fact Sarahs and Dorothy’s too, it made me smile, not enough of it in Scotland at the moment, keep them coming,
And just the same I hope you do not believe that I ment offense to Alf,
After all it was Alf that helped me on my path of research as to why, the feeling of being Colonised as Country was so pervasive. That everything felt futile.
It was the research links on Colonisation that led to the recognisation That “feeling” had a root foundation,
It is easy to be misconstrued in text, as the voice conitations are lost in the process along with a friendly smile,
As Stu just recently highlighted, just a missing letter or a additional word is enough
More fun and jokes please. They never go amiss.
The cultural difference between parts of Scotland does not mean it has to be cultivated by those from without,
After all the same happens between people from Cornwall in England and the people in London, England,
Just because there isn’t a gun pointing at your head, does not mean we aren’t a colony. This is a colony by stealth, deception and collective brainwashing.
We have been duped into believing we are part of the UK. When in fact we are essentially an English controlled outpost. The UK is England ,and England the UK. You only have to look at the use of the Union flag to understand that.
In Scotland when the Union flag appears. It is always a sinister emblem , a divisive symbol of control and subjugation. England just sees the Union flag as England’s flag. So there is no threat to their identity.
England takes our oil, whisky tax, our land. In return we get nuclear missiles near our largest city and a minority representation in England’s Parliament.
How is this not a colony.
One of the things that puzzles me about those who argue that Scotland is a colony is that they are not following through on it with regards to what we are watching take place right now. It’s almost as if the point they are making stands in isolation of any sort of context and is reduced to some sort of subjective way of looking at an abstract idea.
I have already postulated that the SNP meltdown currently underway is historical and unprecedented, and that nobody has ever seen anything quite like it in this country before. It is.
I agree that Scotland is essentially a colony but not as an abstract idea. I think there’s good evidence to suggest that the SNP at some point under Sturgeon was turned. I have theories about that and am pretty sure I could narrow it down to a reasonable timeframe but let’s leave that and keep going…
If you assume the SNP was turned and was essentially transformed into a colonial administration — which I do — then what we are actually watching right now is much more interesting and significant than anyone seems to grasp.
Joining the dots, what we are watching is the complete collapse of a colonial administration that was rumbled. The people have realised what was going on, that they have been sold down the river, and are in the process of dismissing the colonial government which in essence is a puppet and proxy under British State control.
This, as I see it, is to be celebrated. It’s why I take the view that the SNP must be wiped out before we get anywhere. Without the proxy colonial government in place, the independence movement (which really represents the majority of our people) is standing toe to toe and eye to eye against the British State, and that is a fight that the British State knows it cannot win.
Incidentally, these sort of dirty tactics will be very familiar to anyone who has studied third world politics, where puppet governments of a very similar kind (often pretending to be left leaning) are ubiquitous. It’s a well understood and well tested way of keeping power in the right hands, marginalising popular movements and people, and making sure the resources of a country stay in the hands of the right people (foreign multinationals in most cases).
@Hatuey 5:07
If it’s a “complete collapse” the number of SNP MPs returned to WM this year will be zero.
That’s not what the polls are predicting right now.
More of an “unprecedented decline”.
Regarding your theory of when the SNP was turned. We really need it to be demonstrable and verifiable fact, if only so that we can guard against it happening again. If the British State successfully neutralised Indy, and only a handful of Scots noticed, then they’ll stick with the winning formula.
In politics, the voter’s interest is fickle and memories are short. We all need to know what was done and why it worked, so we’ll notice next time.
According to Hatey MacGenocideface:
A genocide is not a genocide if the birth rate* of a population before the genocide began is greater than the number of people killed so far during a genocide.
Thank you for clearing that up.
*interesting to see what the birth rate is 9 months from now.
I’m not sure about the colonial argument, but what I do see is yet another morally devoid leftist party ensconced too comfortably in power, becoming part of the establishment and like the others – the Tories and Labour – having their prime goal of keeping in power in order to guarantee their survival at our considerable expense (or snouts in the trough). They don’t care about you, your life, independence, freedom or anything else other than for us to keep them in their comfy existence at FollyRude.
Turds don’t get left in the bowl, they stay and ming out the whole house. They get flushed away, and the sooner the better. FollyRude and WasteMonster both are minging to high heaven, well overdue to flush the bog (and disinfect afterwards).
Hatuey
Ignored
says:
24 April, 2024 at 5:07 am
One of the things that puzzles me about those who argue that Scotland is a colony is that they are not following through on it with regards to what we are watching take place right now. It’s almost as if the point they are making stands in isolation of any sort of context and is reduced to some sort of subjective way of looking at an abstract idea.
The importance of whether you are a colony or not, is not merely semantic, but has huge ramifications for how the UN and ICJ can interact with Scotland.
Scotland’s “predicament” is largely unprecedented, the scenario is unlike any other, and thus there is by definition, no precedent to follow. (See Brexit Expulsion).
So in those circumstance, it becomes possible to see Colonisation as a big Venn Diagram, and debate whether being treated like a colony, (as in your sovereign rights being ignored and your resources being plundered by a foreign power), is in fact the same as actually being a colony.
That is why the debate about being a colony is polarised to the extent it us. The enemies of Scotland don’t want the abuse of Scotland’s Constitutional integrity exposed to scrutiny. Those alert to the abuse naturally do, and want the injustice to stop through International Recognition of Scotland’s Constitutional Sovereignty, in other words, recognise Scotland’s Sovereign Independence.
Note too, neither a democratic majority, (nor indeed a Vichy Assembly), is a prerequiste of International Justice in Law. It would assist the cause massively, but have minimal, if any, bearing on the legal technicalities.
Our rights under International Law can be affirmed on merit, the Treaty of Union shredded after all the abuse, and Sovereign Independence be ratified when we elect a sovereign Government.
Spartan 117 @ 8:10 am
“I’m not sure about the colonial argument”
Its not as if there isn’t an abundance of literary evidence, from Kipling’s “The White Man’s Burden” to Gladstone’s ‘civilizing’ British Empire and its ambition to create “so many happy England’s” around the world (whilst exploiting their resources) as a “Commonwealth of Nations”, including its “white dominions, or settlement colonies” (Elkins).
The “UK Internal Colonial Model” subjugating the “Celtic Periphery” (Hechter) forms part of the same “Commonwealth” of subaltern peoples and territories made subject to a ‘superior’ Imperial culture, ideology and values at the core.
Much as we see in the continued economic plunder and political interference amidst the longstanding colonial hoax played out in Scotland; which in turn explains the rise of an independence movement, as well as the impending demise of a complicit national party elite which is “lacking the courage at the decisive moment” (Fanon) to free the people:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/04/18/the-realities-of-an-energy-rich-scotland-plundered-under-colonial-rule/
Johnicide McGenocideface gets very upset every single time you mention the genocide. I think it makes his fangs ache. So could everyone please stop talking about it.
We can all agree we are seeing ethnic cleansing.
We can all agree we are seeing mass murder.
And that mass murder is an ethnic based mass murder.
It is an ethnic cleansing that is being driven by ethnic mass murder.
Leave or die.
Hmmm I am sure there is a word for that…
Just a thought. Maybe, as happens elsewhere, it is only when the statues get toppled, or when the imposters and shysters are truly humbled can people collectively move on. I do pray for the day. Any day now.
John Swinney on radio Scotland yesterday stated unequivocally and with no hesitation that he had not been questioned in connection with operation branchform. Seems odd.
When asked by the media the English PM Rishi Sunak refused to rule out the possibility of a GE in July.
We don’t the exact figures of how many folk have moved to Scotland as the last census in this department is hidden from us, but we do know that thousands of folk have moved to Scotland, and this gives us a wee peak into it.
https://archive.is/e85Gf
Alf Baird @8:50am
Thanks for the link, Alf. I hadn’t read this article of yours:
I’m posting the link to it again below:
THE REALITIES OF AN ENERGY RICH SCOTLAND PLUNDERED UNDER COLONIAL RULE
Breeks, I’m not sure if you only read the part of my comment that you quoted or not, but, had you read the whole thing, you would see that I am actually arguing that “the colony debate” is highly important in terms of understanding what is going on right now with the SNP.
As for your point, that colonial status confers certain benefits vis-a-vis international law and organisations, that in my opinion is somewhat moot since I think it highly unlikely (bordering on not even a possibility) that it will ever happen. I could explain why but to tell the truth I’d rather not…
Anyway, no malice or gamesmanship intended. I broadly agree with your slant on most things. I just think it’s worth following through on “the colony argument” and looking at the SNP meltdown through the prism that it provides (which nobody had done).
Hatey: “If it’s a “complete collapse” the number of SNP MPs returned to WM this year will be zero.”
I think a complete collapse would entail the SNP closing down, ceasing to exist, and that should be considered a possibility. It probably won’t happen before the next GE, but nobody has ever seen a party dragged through mud like this before… and we know there’s more mud to follow, a lot more. This is just the start of the start.
Big Jock,
” This is a Colony by stealth, deception and collective Brain washing,”
I will only add, and by constant propaganda, to maintain the illusion,,
No sooner had the Crown and parliament of England thought capturing Scotland was in the bag,
Within a year They amended the 1707 treaty of union, and changed Scots law on treason to England laws on treason,
This has been happening steadily since 1707.
The law revision ( Scotland) acts.
The interpretation acts,
Reducing our royal burgh’s to voting,
They Changed our courts to being under the Crown courts of the Crown of England
Retaining their english bank and english coinage,
And immediately dissolving the Scottish parliament as early as 1707, the same year as the hoax union,
Scotland has been a Colonised Country long before the Snp existed, or the devolved Governance sent to Scotland from Englands parliament.
1707 was the first year that Scotland became a Colony of Englands parliament and Crown,
And I could not avail myself to disagree with you, you are absolutely right when you say this was done by stealth, deception and collective brain washing of Scottish people.
But the colonisation of Scotland did not come about by the people of England themselves, it began and will end, with the parliament of England and the Crown of England creating the lie,
The ordinary people on both sides believed the union was true simply because in those days ordinary people had no authority or access to records,
After 300 years of brainwashing nobody thought or bothered to look or investigate the big lie back to its roots,
The small band of people that always knew it was a lie, Were the politicians, the elite and legal teams on both sides of the border.
And it remained that way, and will always remain that way until we all wake up and expose the treaty of union lie for what it is,
The next big Hoax that is in the pipeline for Scotland,
The new treaty of union between the parliament of England and its sub- division Colonial devolved parliament of England sent to Scotland.
This could never be a treaty between a English parliament and a Scottish parliament.
It is the parliament of England constructing a treaty of union with a branch of the parliament of England,
“More workers ‘moving to Scotland from UK than leaving’ after SNP tax rises“
news.stv.tv/scotland/more-workers-moving-to-scotland-from-uk-than-leaving-after-snp-tax-rises-hmrc-finds
James Che @12:13am
You and me both, James. You and me both.
To have our complicated colonised psychological condition, and its physical manifestation, brought out into the light and clearly explained in terms layfolk can understand is a monumental contribution towards the people of Scotland’s liberation from colonial rule.
More than that it takes a special kind of courage to stand alone amongst one’s peers and the multitude in the pursuit of truth – few are made of the steel required to withstand the mindless baying of truth’s decriers.
I value intelligence, knowledge and education above all else bar kindness and compassion toward our fellow travellers as we all weave our way through our short lives on this planet.
And Like yourself I also value Alf Baird’s intelligence and knowledge and steadfast perseverance (and if I may say so, your perseverance too, James Che). But I think what I most value is his evident compassion for his fellow Scots and his determination to lift us from our plight.
It can be nothing but abundantly clear to anyone who has read Professor Baird’s papers and book, Doun-Hauden, that he is a learned man of intelligence and intellect and compassion.
Professor Alf Baird deserves all the support we can muster in his defence of Scotland and the Scots; in his defence of us, and in his defence of those future generations of Scots yet to come.
I can think of no better guide to lead the Scots to freedom.
As Hatuey has pointed out, where do we go from here,
Discovering that the English “bill of Rights” and the “Act of Settlement” ( still in Force today) makes the Westminster parliament in England actually the parliament of England under the Crown of England which is directly linked to where Westminster parliament claims it Sovereignty of its parliament from,
Who or what political person or party in Britain is going to step forward,
I doubt any will, due to “their income” being derived from maintaining the union- lie.
And having taken the Oath of a legience to the Crown in England on entering any of the two branches of the same- parliaments.
Scotland has not had or used its own parliament since 1707.
It is “the people of Scotland that are Sovereign” not the politicians or the sub- division parliament or the parliament of England in and over the Country of Scotland,
Do we or can we ignore both of England parliaments ruling over Scotland?
Do we set up a parallel but Sovereign Scottish peoples parliament.
Do we miss out on “Englands Westminster parliaments Act of Treason” if they are English laws by the English parliament and little or is no evidence of a “treaty of parliamentary union” having taken place?
Can Englands parliament even sue Scotland or its long since defunct Scottish parliament of 300 years ago?
With The old parliament of Scotland having been dissolved in England by the parliament of England in 1707 it would not be the same entity parliament as the new Sovereign Scottish peoples parliament?
do Scotland have to share the national Debt with England if it did not share a union of parliaments or the treasury and bank of England?
It was all going so well until you wrote ‘least-worst’. Don’t try to justify it, the meaning can’t be nuanced (the best of several bad options is still the least bad), the hyphen doesn’t add anything, and I don’t care if Shakespeare used the occasional double superlative.
It
is
always
wrong.
(And…breathe.)
Northcode.
Indeed Alf Baird on his posts sown the seeds betwixt the legal records I had been researching, and all the other wings commenters like Robert peffers, Xaracen and many others contributers over the years, very much including STU’s excellent wee blue Book,
It is that sense of feeling that something was not right with the treaty of union but unable to define exactly what it was that has driven myself and a bull dog attitude.
But I will except no personal credit for myself this belongs you all, to everyone else here on wings who educated me along the way over many years and from my extremely humble and totally ignorant beginnings.
I am actually ashamed of how ignorant I was when it came to the true history of Scotland until I received my proper education through Wings over Scotland, Even although I grew up here and was educated here,
My greatest respects and thanks to all those here, willing to correct me when I am wrong, but still there with patience and fortitude to continue my education,
James Che
Yes, James. Alf introduced me to the idea that Scotland was no more than a colony of a foreign power. And he was kind enough to answer many of my questions around that idea through various exchanges btl.
And I, too, have learned much from others on here who have contributed their hard-earned knowledge on the subject.
In the end, Scotland’s liberation will be achieved through the combined efforts of us all.
But Alf will always remain the inspiration behind my ‘awakening’ to the reality of Scotland’s condition and, of course, my own as a product of colonial oppression.
Republicofscotland.
The other side of Camouflaged Colonialism,
In England the establishment MSM news papers have been advertising properties of the other three nations and Countries on Britains Isles for a long time.
It is no accident.
As Boris Johnstone was Quick to Quote,
Scotland is the better for having no Scots surviving in Scotland.
This Colonial attitude of the English elite was applied to Wales and Ireland also.
This takeover of native land and the depopulation of ethnic peoples to be replaced with themselves has followed the same pattern for centuries with other Colonies too,
That picture brings one word.
Glaikit…
James Che
“…and all the other wings commenters like Robert peffers, Xaracen and many others contributers over the years, very much including STU’s excellent wee blue Book.”
Indeed, James. The Reverend Stuart Campbell’s steadfast perseverence in uncovering the true nature of the SNP, and of all the other charalatans poncing about Scotland’s chambers of power, as it has progressively degenerated into what we see now has been invaluable.
As are the contributions of the wingers btl who are willing to share their insights and knowledge, too.
I’m willing to bet that in a liberated and independent Scotland the Reverend’s analytical mind would continue to be invaluable in holding Scotland’s elite to account.
Northcode,
Indeed we have many unsung heroes that have been educating us for years with intelligence wether they hold certificates or not, they have all been great contributors regardless to that newly aquired knowledge,
Even the unionist have helped inadvertently.
Because if they stopped talking shite, we would never have to contest it by researching for the truth ourselves,
James Che
“Even the unionist have helped inadvertently. Because if they stopped talking shite, we would never have to contest it by researching for the truth ourselves,”
I mentioned the nature of logic in a previous comment. And that logic, at its heart, is truth. In other words, if a thing is logical then it is true. The unsurmountable problem Unionists have is that there is no argument that can defeat the truth.
@President Xiden says: 24 April, 2024 at 7:43 am
It’s a serious subject and I’m disappointed to see that your contribution is to revert to primary school playground name calling. I don’t doubt that worked for you when you were 10, but you should have developed more persuasive methods by now.
Words have definitions and “genocide” is no exception. The ICJ attempted to get a ruling of genocide, and failed. You should have learned from that and moved on.
The ongoing tragedy, where a largely innocent population is trapped between two groups who both hate them – their enemies, and their rulers, certainly has a message for us Scots.
We will need to be very careful never to give power over us to any so-called “leadership” group who will be happy to see our corpses piled high, in the tens of thousands of our women and kids, in pursuit of their own personal agenda, the protection of their stolen wealth, and the saving of their own miserable, cowardly skins.
But hey, it’s a free country. You can continue to think they’re just great, if that floats your boat.
You can continue to claim it’s genocide too – there’s a few who will want to cheer you on, for rather obvious reasons. More savvy onlookers will be well aware that the war would be over by this weekend if the hostages were returned.
That’s another reason why it’s not genocide. There’s never been a genocide in history that could be stopped by one side making a few token gestures of appeasement to the other.