The short version
Posted on
October 10, 2012 by
Rev. Stuart Campbell
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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Wings Over Scotland is a (mainly) Scottish political media digest and monitor, which also offers its own commentary. (More)
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A tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
Well, according to the very informed sources on the BBBC Scotland news site who are commenting about the referendum, we are broke, very very stupid, not capable of anything, have not a clue about voting rights, are very biased about english people, are wrong all the time, barely able to communicate, very uncivilised, extremely ungrateful, can’t count ever, should never be believed as we are compulsive lie’ers, not really capable of breathing without instruction, and proberly have’nt washed in generations.
Have I missed anything ??? oh yes, if we vote for independence we are not playing fair.
At least we know what they really think of us.
Vote YES, Vote SCOTLAND.
Alba Gu snooker loopy!
Yes, you missed the one (was it only one?) saying we’re too lazy.
Maybe need to add that to the mantra, except it sort of loses its snappiness.
It’s interesting, because if the above is accurate (no reason to doubt it) it tells me that the unionists think they’ll win.
My opinion is that there will be a yes vote approx 60/40. We appear to be fast approaching the end of the process period. That means the real debate has yet to begin. For us who favour Independence it will mean having to keep cool heads. Make no mistake we are about to witness the full, ugly lying machine of the British establishment.
The truth will prevail. Onwards and upwards.
It would be remiss of the British government if they didn’t try some kind of divide and rule in the next two years. Hopefully there will be a vision of internal devolution offered to the likes of the borders and the islands to counter any whitehall attempts at clinging on to Shetland, Dumfries, etc. More and stronger local government is a principle I want to see anyway in Scotland.
I have to admit that I don’t have a clue what the result will be. There is too many variables and lots of things can and will happen in the next two years. The media is very hostile to independence, however newspaper sales in Scotland seem to be plummeting. The BBC are bad, they ignore good things that happen in Scotland and have been backing up Lamont over universal benefits. On the other hand, I think they have lost some credibility in the last few decades. The unionist politicians, such as Lamont, have been getting personal with the SNP’s leadership recently, but there is only so much of this you can do before people get alientated with your negatively. The Yes campaign need to find a way to turn the more powers voters into definite Yes voters and say what the consequences of a No vote are, e.g a continual cut in the grant block, and no substantial fiscal and welfare powers etc.
I think the no campaign jumped the shark with Davidsons late entry. I always thought it odd, that as they do down Scotland – do they ever consider what it is they are actually saying? If any of the comments about Scotland being too poor etc etc – were even true for a second – who in Scotland would ever vote for Indy? No one would – by that yardstick – who in England would vote for Union? If it’s true what do the long suffering English get out of it. To listen to some comments, it’s certainly not a warm fuzzy glow by helping out an unfortunate neighbour. What does it say about this 306 year old Union that implies that Scotland has not advanced within the Union but acutally regressed?
In the end I reckon the no camp is simply about fear of change, fear of no longer being relevant, no longer having influence or power. Fear of it to the point that they can’t see the irony in their position and arguments.
I like to think of it now as Old Union Blues: People who are so obsessed with the past that they can’t see the present, much less the future, for what it is. They stare into the what-was as the reality of the what-is continues on around them. Tempted by their past, confused by the present and terrified of the future.
They started their arguments early not appreciating that this was the phony war. They have declared war on the status quo they had sought to protect and proceed to hackdown every pillar that supported the Union in the first place.
Their Union is dead – they just don’t know it yet.
Had a look at some of the comments on the BBC website. They’re disgusting all right, but I think they will do more to turn people off the unionist cause than persuade people to join them. You have to wonder what sort of a person would feel comfortable in the same camp as them.
“You have to wonder what sort of a person would feel comfortable in the same camp as them”.
Scottish Unionists
Unionists have managed to convince themselves that Scotland cannot be a state. This ideology has, and been allowed to, develop over centuries and in essence that is its strength. I think we are seeing a realisation of this from them at present and they are struggling very badly to find coherent, rational arguments why Scotland should not be a fully self-governing country. I reckon the bitterness the unionists are displaying is part of this. Also, it is only really from the activity of SNP over the last 50 years or so, since the 1960s, that the unionists have had to face a challenge. At present, with the independence referendum looming, it is no longer a challenge but a threat. They have never had to deal with this threat before and are worried and are consequently lashing out at very good journalists and their opponents. Essentially they don’t know how to deal with it.
I wonder if the unionists will stop going on about these things now that they’re settled. For some (mysterious and yes, possibly mystical) reason, I can still imagine politician and tweeter alike continuing to complain about not getting their way. Their way which they’re not getting partly because the Scottish Government can dance around the unionists, but mostly because Scotland did not elect the unionists.
I’m just saying, some still think Rangers FC exists…
Partition of Scotland? Did those fools learn nothing from cutting the north of Ireland from the rest of the island of Ireland? Or indeed what it costs the world to keep the Korea’s apart; Cyprus? How many lives and livelyhoods lost there? and I’m sure if I really gave this some thought I could come up with some more.
Someone said something about only a fool doesn’t learn from history….
Jennifer – you’re right, only a fool doesn’t learn from history.
Which doesn’t say much about the people who voted for the Tory party, despite all warnings from the rest of us that they hadn’t changed. It’s particularly important that people who are not sure about independence but do want increased powers learn from that particular Tory government, when we hear cries of “vote NO and we’ll give you more devolution” from the unionists.
Alec Douglas-Home was lying then, and David Cameron is lying now. Let’s show the rest of the UK why Scotland was the only nation on this island not to be stupid enough to go back to the Tories after what they did the last time…
I just don’t understand why people in Scotland clearly recognise how awful the Tories are and therefore wouldn’t dream of giving the Tories power over them at Holyrood, but at the same time accept being governed by them from Westminster. Do they think the Tories are different down there or something?
@Jeannie
It could be that they feel our distinct Scottish institutions (parliament and NHS and stuff) are a significant enough shield, though that sure does not seem like a long-term counter-measure to me. Weathering the storm until Labour are back in government is not exactly…in any sense different at all, now if it ever was. Especially if powers end up being snatched back from Holyrood.
To paraphrase Burns,
Awa’ Tories, awa’! Ye”ll do nae gude at a’.
Jennifer & Doug
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”
Too many people in Scotland (and UK) with short memories keep voting Labour.
[…] “You’ll have had your devolution?” so to speak. Why do I say this? Well, look at what each side has gotten out of the negotiations. The SNP wanted votes for 16 year olds, they wanted control of the question, they wanted it held on […]
Thank you Ritchie. That’s the quote I was looking for. The sad thing is these lunatics in London know the past and still want to repeat it. A quote from The West Wing I liked is “the first sign of madness is repeating the same action and expecting a different outcome.
“Insanity is doing the same thing, over and over again, but expecting different results.” Albert Einstein
Clearly he had met a Unionist…
Rev
It’s actually 4-0 to the SNP given that the Unionists dinnae really want ANY question.
With the No campaign being led by Lamont and Davidson and some other chap, Rennie I think his name is. And all three of them becoming increasingly desperate just to think of something to say (mostly the wrong thing) I think Eck’s tactic of playing the elderly boxer who takes all the punishment from his opponent for 11 rounds and then comes out in the 12th (2014) to deliver the knockout punch are working beautifully.