Fear debunked while you wait 71
Posted on
July 30, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The big decision 77
Posted on
July 30, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
You’ve bravely waded through a 3500-word book review already this morning, so let’s give you something a little more bite-sized to digest.
This one could be a game-changer, folks. Brace yourselves.
Another country 137
Posted on
July 30, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Wings Over Scotland went to London last weekend, for no particular reason other than a change of scenery. After a trip to the faux-bohemian Camden Market – in which about six different stalls are now repeated over and over in a sad, gentrified mockery of its previous more anarchic life, yet while still maintaining much of the vibrant feel – we set off in no particular direction and found ourselves in Trafalgar Square.
Despite having been to the capital dozens of times, I’d never visited the home of Nelson’s Column, which is far bigger in real life than it looks in pictures, managing to dominate what is a very large plaza with no shortage of other imposing monuments and decorations. (Including the vast National Gallery and, at the moment, an incongruous enormous bright blue cockerel.)
Suitably inspired, we elected to take a stroll to the Embankment, past the London Eye, and from there on a walking tour of the heart of the British establishment. Searching for exploitable weaknesses, obviously.
Songs For Johann 170
Posted on
July 29, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
For those of you with Spotify, click the image to open.
(Full 30-track playlist here. It’s an open collaborative one so feel free to add your own suggestions, or to make a YouTube version for those without the app.)
Getting closer 76
Posted on
July 29, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The sting’s the thing 63
Posted on
July 29, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
We talk often of the “swarm of wasps” approach to debate that’s the main strategy of the No campaign. The guiding principle of it is to throw out so many dubious assertions, straw men and red herrings, all at once, that it’s all but impossible for your opponent to effectively counter all the different thrusts of the attack, like trying to swat wasps with a broken tennis racquet.
To see how it works, let’s take a look at the Herald’s front page splash today.
Unfortunate juxtaposition 72
Posted on
July 29, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
From a heavily-spun Huffington Post piece on Scotland’s relationship with the monarchy, in which Dennis Canavan expressing a personal opinion when asked a question becomes an “outburst”. You know the sort of thing. (The story was also reported in the Telegraph as “Yes camp in disarray”, before a hasty rewrite.)
It’s an interesting definition of “overwhelming majority”, we’ll grant you. But it might explain why the No campaign apparently thinks it has the referendum won already.
One down 80
Posted on
July 28, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Everybody’s talking 122
Posted on
July 28, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Since this’ll be the hot subject of the day, you might as well see it for yourself.
Another thing we don’t understand 73
Posted on
July 27, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
Our old pal Tom Harris fits awfully comfortably into the pages of the Daily Telegraph for a Labour MP representing a poverty-blighted Glasgow seat. But there’s something a bit odd about the ugly little piece on immigration he penned for the paper this week.
See if you can spot it.
Empty chairs 68
Posted on
July 27, 2013 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
As yet we’ve had no replies from anyone to our invitation to the Yes and No camps to conduct a public head-to-head independence debate. Dennis Canavan is on holiday at the moment, but none of Blair McDougall, Alistair Darling, Blair Jenkins or the official Yes and No campaigns have bothered to respond at all, despite both regularly proclaiming that they want to get the public more involved in the discussion.
It’s a dismally poor show from both sides. We’ll keep you posted.
