The Scottish disease
We had a wee fond chuckle to ourselves this morning when we woke up at some ridiculously ungodly hour and saw the front page of the Scotsman.
Not, you understand, at the thought of millions of Scottish people getting cancer, and certainly not at the Duke of Edinburgh being admitted to hospital, but rather at the staunchly-Unionist paper inexplicably missing a chance to add the words “after independence” or “under SNP” to the headline, as would be its more common practice.
But then we read the actual article.
“Recent figures for Scotland predicted that the lifetime risk of developing cancer stood at two in five, compared to previous estimates of one in three.
But the charity Macmillan Cancer Support said it now predicted that by 2020, 47 per cent of people in the UK will be diagnosed with the disease at some point in their lives.”
Our emphasis, there. Because the story isn’t in fact about “Scots” at all, but everyone in the United Kingdom. Of course, that (currently) includes Scots, and the Scotsman is a Scottish paper, but it’s still curious to spin the facts in such a misleading way. The word “Brits” would have fitted the space just as well and been a more accurate reflection of the Macmillan findings.
Public health is a major component of the Scottish “cringe”. We beat ourselves up about obesity, diet, alcohol abuse and drug abuse so much that it’s rare to hear an anti-Scottish joke in the English broadsheets (above or below the line) that doesn’t feature the phrase “deep-fried Mars bar” – it’s the go-to term for people looking to sneer at Scotland, perhaps even above kilts, haggis and Braveheart.
Cancer (other than of the lung) is a bit less of a lifestyle issue, but it’s still difficult to see what the paper could be trying to achieve by twisting the story into a peculiarly Scottish one, other than perpetuation of the “too wee, too poor(ly), too stupid” inferiority complex that serves Unionists so well.
Nothing like some fresh steaming F.U.D. to greet you in the morning. Guaranteed to put a twinkle in the eye and a spring in the strep. Not.
And of course it is in fact a good news story. “More Scots will live long enough to develop cancer” the unionist scaresheet could equally well have screamed.
However, if they say UK then clearly we are not “Better” Together. 🙂
Plus 2 in 5 is 40% so if the UK average is 47% then surely the headline should reflect this. (I think we are ahead on the heart disease thing though)
And of course it links in nicely with BBC Scotland & the unionist parties constant attempts to find fault with the Scottish NHS. Cue Eleanor Bradford (about 6:35pm today)
Completely off topic but saw this in The SUN (online of course) today,is it a recent poll ?
But the Social Attitudes Survey by ScotCen Social Research found full independence remains the most popular choice — backed by 35 per cent of Scots.
Meanwhile, 24 per cent want to stick with the current arrangements.
Anyone know anything about this survey ??????? seems about a third want devo max with all powers except foreign affairs and defence.With independence in the lead.
What i want to know is who snipped that poor womans headphone cable!
“Completely off topic but saw this in The SUN (online of course) today,is it a recent poll ?”
Links, people. Links.
I presume the article refers to the ScotCen report published yesterday called “The Option Not On The Table”.
Makes for fascinating reading. The breakdown of the percentages supporting independence, DevoMax etc are on page 3:
http://www.natcen.ac.uk/media/1111766/the%20option%20not%20on%20the%20table%20final.pdf
The real cancers in our society are rags like the Scotsman. Thankfully a lot fewer than half of Scots will ever get it.
Link
http://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/scotsol/homepage/news/4958806/Alex-Salmond-makes-fresh-call-for-independence-debate-with-David-Cameron.html
Independence and devo max taken together have long been by far and away the most popular options, with status quo always languishing around 20-25%.
Which is why it’s interesting that the NO camp are leaping on the fact some in the Yes camp – eg Canavan, the Greens, the Socialists etc – favour “full” independence with a Scottish pound and central bank, republic etc, while the SNP favour keeping the monarchy and pound etc. In their haste to slam Salmond for his “not really independence” option, they appear to miss the fact that devo-max is/was a very popular option.
Seems to me if you wanted devo-max, vote Yes then vote SNP in 2016. If you want more than that, vote Yes then for a more radical party in 2016. If you want the status quo, vote no.
Cath – spot on.
What headline next “In an independent Scotland 100% of all people will die” (eventually)
@ The Man in the Jar
Wiping with Scotsman will make Bum fall off
@ The Man in the Jar
The ever resourceful The Onion have already covered that story:
“GENEVA, SWITZERLAND—World Health Organization officials expressed disappointment Monday at the group’s finding that, despite the enormous efforts of doctors, rescue workers and other medical professionals worldwide, the global death rate remains constant at 100 percent.”
http://www.theonion.com/articles/world-death-rate-holding-steady-at-100-percent,1670/
Maybe this is the thinking of The Scotsman´s article, F.U.D. without the irony?
@The Man in The Jar @Tattie-Bogle
After wiping own bum with Scotsman printed content found to have improved.
That doesn’t sound particularly hygienic. I’d be concerned I’d catch something nasty. Better sticking with the Sun. It’s softer. 🙂
I’m with CameronB. However I am concerned about the sewage system. SEPA would have to be involved.
50% of Scots are below average intelligence whereas 50% of the people in the UK as a whole are above average intelligence. A good argument for the Union.
I did mention somewhere yesterday that everyone who votes Yes in the referendum will die. That is an indisputable fact and as such I find it strange that the Unionists are not making more of it….
Too Wee, Too Poor, Too Stupid and TOO ILL.
OT but did anyone listen to Kall Kay(e) today? I caught it from half way through and was surprised at her more relaxed attitude to callers basically supporting YES. The discussion was about the No Better Together recruitment of family and friends who left Scotland for whatever reason, to “talk with” their people back in Scotland to “persuade” them of the benefits of the Union.
Most callers seemed to say, they can have opinions if they want to, but they LEFT! If it happened to me I would ‘politely’ tell my friend where to get off.
There was one good comment which Kay(e) even agreed with (Shock!) that the fact that people left Scotland for work was a poor record for the management of Scotland in the Union.
(Surely light is not dawning on the BBC in Scotland? Maybe their private polls are giving them cause for reflection!). I will occasionally monitor the situation 😉
50% of Scots are below average intelligence whereas 50% of the people in the UK as a whole are above average intelligence.
50% of people know why that isn’t true.
Tony Little says: 11.21
Aye, Kay(e) will get her opportunity to influence her family & friends in Scotland post September 2014 when based in digs in her beloved London waiting for an interview for a slot on Radio Peckham sponsored by UKUNT
Remember, Cancer & Heart Disease rates are a product of environment, genes don’t exist or operate in a vacuum they are a product of environment .
It is extremely important to know that it is poverty & the behaviour’s associated with poverty that create the environment that causes these genes to behave in this manner and not some predeterministic unchangeable genetic plan that gives half of Scots cancer.
This is as good an argument for Yes as any, if 50% of Scots will have cancer by 2020 it is because of the POVERTY and INEQUALITY of the UK not GENETICS. If we want to cut cancer rates then we need to cut inequality and poverty. If we want to cut inequality and poverty, then we have to vote YES.
MajorBloodnok
The real cancers in our society are rags like the Scotsman. Thankfully a lot fewer than half of Scots will ever get it.
Oh you!
🙂
Also, there are 10 kinds of people in Scotland. Those that know what binary numbers are, and those that don’t.
Guys I have to say (yes I am bracing myself for the torrent of abuse), but I think you are being a touch paranoid. This kind of stuff happens all the time. I often watch a news broadcast of the uk news (for most on this forum read ‘English news’) and then you get the exact same report in the ‘local’ news which basically repeats but swaps UK for Scotland. I have in the past thought this very annoying but assumed it was trying to avoid talking about the UK all the time and giving some local i.e Scottish interest. I am not so naive as to think broadcasters and papers do not have there own spin and agenda, but to take something like this and read it as an anti- Scottish attack is taking things too far!!! You guys seriously need to be less paranoid!
JC
You guys seriously need to be less paranoid!
It`s not paranoia, it`s disbelieve.
Maybe more a case of ‘how stupid do they think we are?’
As “So called Global Warming” takes effect or the fact that people from the UK take more holidays in hot climates, the risks of skin cancer and melanoma increase. That obviously means that statistics will show an increase in cancers. Typical though of the Scotsman in particular and the media in general as there is nothing they like better than a good scare story and if they can spin it into a negative slant for Scotland all the better.
Vote YES gain a country, vote NO and remain a slave to Westminster.
JC says:12.22
Noted my friend. I thought the thread was about one of Scotland’s “claimed” national newspaper which has the ambiguous title of “The Scotsman” This declared unionist rag’s pejorative stories will always be open to criticism regardless of the insinuation of paranoia. We the people of Scotland know the real truth.
Ah, but that’s always the case with the Scotsman and the Herald, for that matter. The headline says one thing but try as you might you can’t find the same thing in the article. There might be something similar as with this one but that’s as close as most articles get.
I was listening to Call Kaye this morning, and pricked up my ears when Tom Greatrex was on talking about Better Together London. She’s never exactly scathing but you could just about hear the cogs going round between her ears preparing ‘do you really think we’re that daft?’ for broadcast. I’m not sure what is going on in the Adams brain, but she’s definitely more conciliatory if not a blatant supporter of Yes. There was also seemed to be a tone which was rather less willing to let blatantly incorrect attacks on the Scottish Government slide past without comment.
Perhaps the constant negative tone has got to her and she’s rebelling against it. We’ll not hold the breath, though. Could be a fluke.
You guys seriously need to be less paranoid!
No, we guys need to pull them up every time they mis-behave until they report the news properly. This kind of thing has an influence on people and an influence on the referendum. If you don’t believe that it has influence and they do it deliberately, what other reason could there be for writing in this manner?
Here’s Eleanor Bradford’s latest article:
“Mummy’s 3,000-year wait for CT scan”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-22785378
In an independent Scotland, all mummies will have to wait millenia for vital medical prodecures.
Plus, they took out her brain through her nose with hooks, put it in a small jar, lost it and then elected her leader of the Scottish Labour Party. No, wait, that can’t be right.
I don’t know what the Duke of Edinburgh’s medical problem is but he doesn’t look himself in that picture.
HRT can do that to a man. His hair’s grown back though, so I might give it a go.
Major et al here – on WoS as elsewhere watering down the yet to be drained of toxin dried-up to re-hydrate in recovery from taking issue with the bi-polar disorder of independence in the extant union conceipt of echoing the trumpeting of Westminster’s
elephantine long term memory of the past imposed over our never in day to day reality of ever being united unless captured to profit from lack of progressive in being blocked to make roofed room above foundation for – your acute sense and expression of the ridiculous in ridicule is a constant joy to share your quick witted pithy put downs to rise above and up from.
I’m on what you’re on, being not bent but plain self-determined to share the plentiful too! (Not forgetting the content’s of the Major’s cellar he still has the keys to.)
Old bear or bull with me in firing up in aiming higher to get all in our land and sea sided borders of impediment to mutually benefit from too – and so fall short of nothing less than joining in re-enlightened way to.
I too am sick to the death of the implanted chipped dour to see the back of it in winged away from not mirroring in all for the best putting feet down accelerated by stamping on ‘them’ in no lack of authority but for the irresponsibilty to speak and act for and about the gain to maintain freedom in full from the overlordship of being subjects subjected to.
We’re alive to live from the enough in being, not to die from lack of either sooner or later not existing in the faux comfort of denial.