Better late than never. But there’s still something not quite right in the image above, and you’ll have to be one of our extra-specially alert readers to spot it.
Readers will know that as a rule we don’t just pinch bits of other peoples’ work wholesale, but in this particular case, given that the entire UK media’s been going on about it misleadingly for a solid week and still shows no sign of stopping, it seemed only fair that everyone should be up to speed on the source.
It’s a Bank Holiday and frankly there’s absolutely bugger-all of any interest in the news today, so I hope you’ll forgive me a personal indulgence, readers. I’ve only used the personal pronoun for a couple of Wings articles out of over 2,300 in the site’s two and a half years of existence, because the independence debate isn’t about me. But a curious piece in today’s Herald by David Torrance merits such a response.
If you don’t see what it’s got to do with that video*, bear with me.
To cheer you up a bit, we thought you might like to see a couple of rather curious pieces from this weekend’s right-wing press. 300 years of the Union have infamously left Scotland with the lowest life expectancies in the UK, as illustrated in particularly stark fashion by some maps published a couple of years ago in the Guardian:
Respectable author Allan Massie (father of Spectator columnist Alex) rather shames himself in today’s Scottish Mail On Sunday, with a particularly grim piece of what we assume is supposed to be comical crystal ball-gazing, painting a melodramatic picture of an apocalyptic post-independence Scotland as seen by Project Fear.
Over 2500 words long, it ticks all the boxes – no currency union, a mass exodus of business, Spain vetoing Scotland’s EU membership, economic Armageddon forcing the return of tuition fees and prescription charges, Trident staying on the Clyde permanently, Orkney and Shetland voting to stay with the UK and somehow taking the oil with them in direct contravention of all international law, and so on.
Which would all be a super piece of knockabout fun, were it not for the fact that we’ve already almost lost count of the number of times the right-wing English media, and in particular the Mail itself, has already trotted out this same dystopian drivel.
Despite the strikingly unequivocal nature of David Trimble’s clarification yesterday of his comments about the independence referendum’s potential impact on Northern Irish politics, remarkably the media are today still trying to spin them into a dire warning about a Yes vote causing renewed violence in the province.
The picture below is a page from this morning’s Sunday Times.
It doesn’t seem to have had a great deal of coverage, perhaps because most of the answers were in the “bleeding obvious” category – business frets about change, and the more change there might be the less they like it.
We’ve quite frequently highlighted the ugly, irresponsible tone of the No campaign’s – and especially Labour’s – comments about “foreigners”in the independence debate. And the reason we do is because that sort of language feeds attitudes like these.
Whoops, eh? Oddly, while the original story is still on the BBC NI website, we can’t seem to find one reporting the correction anywhere, even though Lord Trimble spoke to GMS more than eight hours ago. We’re sure it’ll be along any minute now.
A reader this morning pointed us to an article by the arch-Unionist blogger and pundit Professor Adam Tomkins, who we must once again emphasise in the interests of clarity is almost definitely NOT the gentleman in this picture:
It was a piece from a few weeks ago about the currency debate, which the reader felt made a reasonable and “quite convincing” case, so we went and had a look.
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: ““I’d add extreme ideology, thought police, group think/hive mentality to accept without question the State amending laws for said ideology.”…” May 21, 12:39
Captain Caveman on The Queer Parliament: “I pretty much agree with all of that. I’m used to Reform being denigrated as “far right” (especially by “ultra…” May 21, 12:35
Geri on The Land Of No Laws: “Southerbystander We know that isn’t the reason for illegally attacking a Sovereign Nation. These clowns would have us believe they’re…” May 21, 12:25
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: “” I do love the smell of burning Northcode in the morning.” Man, I really got into your head, didn’t…” May 21, 12:23
Captain Caveman on The Land Of No Laws: “Agreed, Southernbystander. As would any decent, sane, rational person with an IQ>80. 🙂 The facts speak for themselves.” May 21, 12:20
Lorncal on The Queer Parliament: “HMcH/CC: Ia absolutely agree that something drastic needs to be done now, but I am not sure the far right…” May 21, 12:16
Fearghas MacFhionnlaigh on The Queer Parliament: “EX-BBC DIRECTOR: ‘PRO-TRANS BIAS PERVADED CORPORATION’ A former BBC Director of News and Current Affairs has revealed how the trans…” May 21, 12:12
Geri on The Land Of No Laws: “Yer flying today, Northy..haha! Trust the dour, humourless, clypey eejits not to see any humour in anything. Also, absolutely spot…” May 21, 12:11
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: “I never found any of the shite you pissed aboot this place amusing… or interesting. “boring the life out of…” May 21, 12:06
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: “Look, Geri… atween the twa o us we really pissed off those thick Inglis colonialists. Mission accomplished, eh? I don’t…” May 21, 12:05
Southernbystander on The Land Of No Laws: “Isn’t this all dancing on the head of a pin? ‘Persia’ is a murderous and very oppressive regime, that has…” May 21, 12:00
Captain Caveman on The Land Of No Laws: ““You colonialists are far too thick too engage in genuine argument, that was always a given sae why wid a…” May 21, 11:57
Geri on The Land Of No Laws: “Well explained, Northcode.. I’d add extreme ideology, thought police, group think/hive mentality to accept without question the State amending laws…” May 21, 11:56
robertkknight on The Queer Parliament: “Don’t hold your breath… The British State tends to take care of its own.” May 21, 11:53
diabloandco on The Queer Parliament: “Sam , ‘scroll on , piss off’ has a nice ring to it!Unfortunately the invitation will not be taken!” May 21, 11:47
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: ““your “erse” being well and truly handed to you …” In yer dreams, Inglis… you mistake my fucking with you…” May 21, 11:45
Aidan on The Land Of No Laws: “Presented with “hard fact” Geri. I hope you aren’t using the term to describe any of your opinion-based diatribes. I…” May 21, 11:41
Bilbo on The Queer Parliament: “Eligible students can vote in the Holyrood election even if they weren’t born in Scotland and/or don’t intend to stay…” May 21, 11:38
Captain Caveman on The Land Of No Laws: “Awww. “Geri”. Your indignant, salty tears really are quite a tonic! Looking forward to the impending lovely weather – Pimms…” May 21, 11:36
Aidan on The Land Of No Laws: “No, just a troll. I used to find the trolling quite amusing but it’s now descended into absurd monologues and…” May 21, 11:26
Geri on The Land Of No Laws: “Nope! I don’t remember that! I think yer a narcissist. You appear to have all the traits – especially the…” May 21, 11:23
Captain Caveman on The Land Of No Laws: “Well, I don’t think anyone here is appealing to have you removed? I know I’m most assuredly not; you amuse…” May 21, 11:23
Geri on The Land Of No Laws: “Aye, Northcode.. They’re just big girls blouses. It’s pathetic to witness supposed adults running off to teacher. It’s the colonial…” May 21, 11:17
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: ““The UK is becoming Totalitarian on two fronts & they’re both connected…” There are certainly signs of totalitarian forces at…” May 21, 11:15
sam on The Queer Parliament: “Murrell’s trial date 25th May. Karma 1 Day.” May 21, 11:13
Captain Caveman on The Land Of No Laws: ““I should have remembered that:” I bet you will remember your “erse” being well and truly handed to you on…” May 21, 11:01
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: “Christ Almighty, yer an eediot, Cavecreature… an faur tae arrogant fir yer waefu scant intellect. “Dictionaries are useful for correct…” May 21, 10:58
agentx on The Queer Parliament: ““John Swinney has only been First Minister for a day and he has ordered his secretive SNP administration to launch…” May 21, 10:48
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: “I forgot my own warning and recklessly engaged with a colonialist. I should have remembered that: Ther scarce be a…” May 21, 10:36
Northcode on The Land Of No Laws: ““Northcode is simply a troll…” More of a Scottish liberation supporter and educator , I’d say. But if I had…” May 21, 10:30
