The world's most-read Scottish politics website

Wings Over Scotland


Inability To Learn

Posted on January 12, 2025 by

Y’know, maybe we were a little harsh on the lads at Holyrood Sources yesterday when we implied that a more direct and aggressive interviewing style might have cut through John Swinney and Kate Forbes’ pathetically feeble waffling evasion on the SNP’s lack of an independence strategy in their recent podcast.

But the closest thing (along with Colin Mackay at STV) that the Scottish media has left to a proper Rottweiler interviewer – Peter Adam Smith of ITV – had a shot at that five years ago and didn’t do any better.

Smith noted that even back in 2019 Nicola Sturgeon had been droning on about how Westminster’s refusal to grant a second indy referendum was “unsustainable” for two years already. But no matter how hard he pressed, Sturgeon just kept on glibly and smugly insisting that they’d concede.

“The UK government strategy is to say no. Do you have a way around it?”

“My strategy is to say yes.” [smirks]

Readers might be forgiven for wondering how long it’s going to take the SNP to accept that that “strategy” is a failure, if seven years and three First Ministers isn’t enough for them to have worked it out. But as long as the pathologically gullible keep voting for them anyway, we suppose they have no reason to.

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

16 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Oneliner

Coming soon to a bookshop near you:

NICOLA STURGEON: THE COMPLETE FAECALOGRAPHY

James Gardner

It will be in the charity the week after………

Fiona

That’s IS the sum of it & worse, exactly as it will remain until someone or some group can take them on, head on, and force/shame their members to FACE the hard truth. Alternatively the total destruction of the SNP is all that remains!

Vivian O’Blivion

Many scientists believe Nuclear Cold Fusion is a gigantic fraud. Those scientists pursuing the elusive, Holy Grail secretly know this but as long as the research grants keep coming in, they maintain the illusion and accrue the comfortable lifestyles that the grants support.

Same applies to the SNP. Remove the Westminster, Gravy Train and the cnuts will be motivated to actually deliver change.

duncanio

She was basically telling anybody with ears to listen that there was no strategy. Just like Swinney/Forbes last week.

When people tell you they have nothing to offer folks really should believe them.

Ian

Why keep even mentioning a referendum? It won’t happen again. The UK got a real scare in the run up to the one in 2014. After that, they’d never risk another. The UK knows that and so does the NewSNP.

The key question now, as it has been for years, remains the same – is there an alternative to a UK controlled referendum that the UK can’t block and which would be recognised internationally ? If there is, then maybe it’d be better to focus on that. If there isn’t, then it’s game over.

Andy Ellis

The future isn’t ours to see. A referendum might seem unlikely in the near future, but who knows how things will change? Even if it’s true that the referendum route is effectively stymied either forever or for decades, then the movement needs to examine alternatives and educate those in favour of independence so they will accept a viable alternative route.

So far it seems to most people that the only plausible alternative likely to produce results in any reasonable timescale is to switch to (or at least threaten) to use plebiscitary elections.

A minority are certainly enamoured of novel, extra-parliamentary routes which they insist will work and be internationally recognised, but there’s very little evidence that they are making any headway.

So, if plebiscitary elections, or the threat of them work then surely it’s a plus? Either we get to concentrate on using that route and ensuring it works, is accepted by the majority and all the pro-indy parties are on board, or the British nationalists realise that they can’t veto referendums sine die and compromise on holding #indyref2.

I don’t see unionists playing ball in the foreseeable future, which is why I’m fully on board with pushing for plebiscitary elections. Sadly the current SNP aren’t listening, so they either have to be destroyed or forced to change from within by their members. Good luck with that!

Young Lochinvar

Ian, agree up to the last bit.
If it’s game over (with the HR parish cooncil route) then it’s time for a more direct approach, one that’ll spoil their lordships supper without giving them an excuse to put the army on the streets; civil disobedience..

En masse stop doing what they want us to dutifully do.

Simple.

En masse, meaning the public needs educated, deviant hobby horse policies binned never to reappear, serious answers formed to the same old same old canards trotted out by scaremongering Unionists.
For starters.

As-is just CANT continue like a pool of scum trapped at the edge of a river..

TURABDIN

no apolgies for reposting this link:

link to centreformalepsychology.com

truly, unless the «political class» is measured by significantly higher intellectual criteria, what you see is effectively what you’ll get.

AI, paradoxically, is likely to make things rather worse.

gregor

Learn:

“To make yourself remember a piece of writing by reading it or repeating it many times:

I don’t know how actors manage to learn all those lines.”

“To start to understand that you must change the way you behave:

She’ll have to learn that she can’t have everything she wants.”

“To be told facts or information that you did not know:

We were all shocked to learn of his death.”:

link to dictionary.cambridge.org

#R.I.P.Alex

gregor

Addison: To the Ends of the Earth: Inability to Breathe:

“It doesn’t hurt to open up your eyes
You’re throwing your life away
I can’t stand to see you do this to yourself
You step towards this lie you call living
I can see you breath, but are you really breathing?
Fight deception
You say you’ll find yourself without him
How can you be so blind?
Wish you would see the light and step away from your old life
How long will it take you for you to realise
You’re moving faster and time is running out
Break free, find his outstretched arms
You’re worth more than what you think you are
You won’t let me help no matter how I try
Your choices are running out but I’m on your side
I can see you suffering, cry help me
I can see you suffering
Untie this knot around my neck, transparent identity
What will it take to make you see that His love is true?…”:

link to tinyurl.com

Callum

It really is depressing to repeatedlg hear and see the SNP leadership making an arse of themselves in trying to keep up the pretencr that Westminster will be focd to grant IndyRef2. Do we have to go thru that all again?

Mia

“Readers might be forgiven for wondering how long it’s going to take the SNP to accept that that “strategy” is a failure”

I think the SNP leadership already knows and accepts that “strategy” is a failure. They have probably known this from day one, and I wonder if that has been the reason as to why they have kept peddling it. Once Mr Salmond stepped down, those who took control of the party never intended to hold another referendum, never mind a plebiscite election, that bit stands to the obvious.

On retrospect, it seems obvious that their only intention has been to keep the yes movement on a leash going nowhere,whilst they assisted the british and USA’s states to accelerate the stripping of Scotland from its assets.

It is a bitter pill to swallow, but the reality is that SNP voters have been taken for complete fools for ten years and have been purposely deceived with a flawed “strategy” that has always been specifically designed to fail.

But we do not need a corrupt, unwilling and infiltrated leadership (or MSPs and MPs for that matter) of what is now a completely useless shell of a party to accept anything. Neither we should expect it or pursue it anymore. Their time has passed. Their chances to do so are long gone. Time to move on.

What we do need is for the remaining people who keeps voting for this deceiving shell of a party to stop voting for them already. And on that department your work has been invaluable and outstanding.

Please, keep exposing their bullshit, Rev. The best medicine for corruption is to throw light on to it and show their bullshit for what it is. You have done a sterling job so far. Please, keep it coming.

Last edited 42 minutes ago by Mia
Mark Beggan

The Learning disability is not solely a Scottish problem. The whole Western politik has some form of dysgraphia arrogantitis.

Mark Beggan

I think the Counter Culture is just about to get Countersunk.

dearieme

There is one obvious way to campaign for independence. You say that you are against Starmer’s sneaky attempt to chain us to the economic corpse that the EU is becoming; only independence can keep Scotland out.

You say that you’re against Weird Ed’s pursuit of abolishing the use of oil and gas and that only independence would allow Scotland to exploit the North Sea to the maximum.

And so forth: just stand on your head. It’s what politicians are for. And if people won’t vote for such a re-rationalised SNP then bugger it: stop the game.


  • About

    Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)

    Stats: 6,689 Posts, 1,208,397 Comments

  • Recent Posts

  • Archives

  • Categories

  • Tags

  • Recent Comments

    • dearieme on Inability To Learn: “There is one obvious way to campaign for independence. You say that you are against Starmer’s sneaky attempt to chain…Jan 12, 13:22
    • Mia on In Ruins: ““Never attribute deliberate agency and/or malice when incompetence provides an equally plausible explanation” Incompetence as the reason for the current…Jan 12, 13:17
    • Liz on In Ruins: “I will never get this attraction for Eva Comrie She resigned from Alba when she realised she wasn’t the choice…Jan 12, 13:11
    • Mark Beggan on Inability To Learn: “I think the Counter Culture is just about to get Countersunk.Jan 12, 13:10
    • Liz on In Ruins: “Swinney saying he wants to be FM till 2031 sounds like a threat. All the main parties are useless but…Jan 12, 13:07
    • Robert McAllan on In Ruins: “Forbes ALWAYS was just that Martin and the constituents who put her there are all too aware of that fact.…Jan 12, 13:05
    • Mark Beggan on Inability To Learn: “The Learning disability is not solely a Scottish problem. The whole Western politik has some form of dysgraphia arrogantitis.Jan 12, 13:04
    • James Gardner on Inability To Learn: “It will be in the charity the week after………Jan 12, 12:58
    • Nae need! on In Ruins: “If you have ever been dennis’d you will know that neglect emotionally and inspire hope create a perpetual loop that…Jan 12, 12:56
    • Andy Ellis on In Ruins: “You’re entitled to your own fallacious opinions Mia, but not to your own class of facts. I’ve posted on numerous…Jan 12, 12:52
    • Mia on Inability To Learn: ““Readers might be forgiven for wondering how long it’s going to take the SNP to accept that that “strategy” is…Jan 12, 12:47
    • gregor on Inability To Learn: “Addison: To the Ends of the Earth: Inability to Breathe: “It doesn’t hurt to open up your eyes You’re throwing your…Jan 12, 12:47
    • Young Lochinvar on Inability To Learn: “Ian, agree up to the last bit. If it’s game over (with the HR parish cooncil route) then it’s time…Jan 12, 12:45
    • Mark Beggan on In Ruins: “Maybe Ayes, Maybe Naws.Jan 12, 12:38
    • Andy Ellis on Inability To Learn: “The future isn’t ours to see. A referendum might seem unlikely in the near future, but who knows how things…Jan 12, 12:35
    • Callum on Inability To Learn: “It really is depressing to repeatedlg hear and see the SNP leadership making an arse of themselves in trying to…Jan 12, 12:32
    • gregor on Inability To Learn: “Learn: “To make yourself remember a piece of writing by reading it or repeating it many times: I don’t know…Jan 12, 12:31
    • TURABDIN on Inability To Learn: “no apolgies for reposting this link: https://www.centreformalepsychology.com/male-psychology-magazine-listings/an-epidemic-of-stupidity-and-its-danger-to-society-and-democracy truly, unless the «political class» is measured by significantly higher intellectual criteria, what…Jan 12, 12:30
    • Ian on Inability To Learn: “Why keep even mentioning a referendum? It won’t happen again. The UK got a real scare in the run up…Jan 12, 12:24
    • Mia on In Ruins: ““It’s not extremist to advocate the franchise that virtually every other self determination referendum since WW2” That assertion is incorrect.…Jan 12, 12:21
    • duncanio on Inability To Learn: “She was basically telling anybody with ears to listen that there was no strategy. Just like Swinney/Forbes last week. When…Jan 12, 12:20
    • Vivian O’Blivion on Inability To Learn: “Many scientists believe Nuclear Cold Fusion is a gigantic fraud. Those scientists pursuing the elusive, Holy Grail secretly know this…Jan 12, 12:17
    • Shug on In Ruins: “The beautiful thing about currency policies is that it is the true reflection of the seriousness of their push for…Jan 12, 12:02
    • Fiona on Inability To Learn: “That’s IS the sum of it & worse, exactly as it will remain until someone or some group can take…Jan 12, 12:00
    • Oneliner on Inability To Learn: “Coming soon to a bookshop near you: NICOLA STURGEON: THE COMPLETE FAECALOGRAPHYJan 12, 11:58
    • Andy Ellis on In Ruins: “It’s not extremist to advocate the franchise that virtually every other self determination referendum since WW2 has used Mia, quite…Jan 12, 11:49
    • gregor on Eyes Full Of Beams: “The Jewish Chronicle: Ivor Caplin set to be the new Jewish Labour Movement chair: “Ivor Caplin, a former defence minister in…Jan 12, 11:42
    • Hatey McHateface on In Ruins: “Never attribute deliberate agency and/or malice when incompetence provides an equally plausible explanation. So spake the wise man. The SNP…Jan 12, 11:16
    • Lynn on Safeguarding Is Not Right-Wing: “Reinstatement of safegaurding across public services in Scotland is a must. Many DEI policies have undermined basic safegaurding. A report…Jan 12, 11:07
    • Ali on Eyes Full Of Beams: “I find this to be curious phrasing “I’ve seen the impact not just of what they believe happened to them…Jan 12, 10:58
  • A tall tale



↑ Top
399
0
Would love your thoughts, please comment.x
()
x