OK, he’s a nasty piece of work, but, the Sunday Brunch at Turnberry partially makes-up for his many failings.
Ted
1 month ago
No chance, mate. Biggest clean sweep victory ever. The popular vote, the electoral college, the House, the Senate, majority of Governors, most counties, the Supreme Court. Big swing from all ethnic minorities to Trump. It’s total. Meanwhile back in Scotland, talking of legal cases . . .
Ah yes, the US Supreme Court elections. The most eagerly anticipated election results, watched by billions all over the world, closely following all the action on multiple TV stations and online as the votes from US citizens pile up steadily until winners are declared.
The most comprehensive result in recent memory was surely Reagan over Mondale in 1984. Bear in mind that many of those elected as Democrats in the south acted more like Republicans. That was a period of flux as Reagan’s “Southern Strategy was taking hold.
Trump won with just over 2% more of the total votes cast to him or Harris out of about 144 million. Biggest clean sweep ever – are you sure? One thing is for sure, almost half the electorate didn’t vote for him.
Think that means they can’t send him to jail?
Read the previous article again, Tory Boy.
Last edited 1 month ago by James
Vivian O’Blivion
1 month ago
There was a story doing the rounds a while back originating from a sales rep for fire suppression equipment. He was in Turnberry trying to sell new fire extinguishers and Donald’s minion was insisting that they be supplied with gold coloured units. The exasperated sales rep was trying to explain that by legislation, they only came in red. Donald’s employee was insistent; “Yeh, but WE want gold ones.”.
They come in a variety of colours, depending on the contents.
Athanasius
1 month ago
Maybe it’s past time people took a step back and asked themselves if this perpetual demonisation of Orange Man — crass, vulgar and loud-mouthed as he may be — is really good for their mental health. He’s not actually a monster; he is, at the most, no worse than any other politician, and if you keep swallowing what the MSM have been shovelling for the last eight years, you’re going to be poisoned.
Correct . Neither is he the Hitler , Stalin , Pol Pot , Vlad The Impaler or The Monster From The Black Lagoon of delusional ” Liberal ” imagination . The ( hysterical over ) reaction to Trump’s victory , particularly within millionaire celebrity fantasy land has been absolutely hilarious ; all these ridiculous ego-trippers who imagined the * average person * was so enthralled by the sheer wonderfulness of these people they gave a single fuck about their political opinions , or would be influenced to vote as they were being instructed – lectured – to by them . The majority of US public just gave * Hollywood * a massive ” Fuck You ; we chose the person we think will serve us best ” .
Whether he will or not remains to be seen ; but one thing is absolutely clear – most people in the U.S believe the Democrats were not serving their interests , rather they have been serving the interests of everyone and everything other than themselves , ie the American people .
Not only not serving them , but making things more difficult for them in just about every conceivable way , eg rising crime , unchecked ( illegal ) immigration , job losses ,inflation , * woke * infiltration of schools , health services , universities , police , judiciary , all public institutions – just like here in Scotland .
And the same electoral fate awaits the SNP , and for the same reasons listed above . The only thing that may save them is the utter shiteness of the ( so-called ) ” Opposition ” . But given a choice between 3/4 in essence identikit Parties all pushing the same pish , the Scottish Electorate may decide they’ll give Shite Party B the nod , having become simply bored with Shite Party A and believing it ultimately makes no difference what Party is ” in power ” ; they’re all shite and none of them has the will , strength or imagination to do anything other than repeat the same unproductive garbage as their predecessors . And , as things stand , they’re right
Rather reluctantly I tend to agree. The Democrats and the soft left with their wokish obsessions have been bad for my community and my country …that’s how I feel. The big corporations are behind wokism in order to disrupt and ultimately destroy communities and sma nations like oours. And they are also bankrolling the transcult. Let’s wait and see if he can drain the swamp…cause there is a bog needing unblocked here tae.
And someone who routinely lies, for effect we are told.
There was an old republican on the radio last night defending Trump’s rhetoric. The interviewer was saying but some of what he says is mad, stupid and dangerous, and he did not disagree but said you don’t take that stuff seriously, it’s a ‘joke’ – e.g. when he said he is going to get a journalist’s license revoked because he did not like her piece on him, he didn’t actually mean it, apparently, nor the people he said should be shot, imprisoned, whatever.
But he’s the POTUS the interviewer said, we need to at least have some faith in what he is saying and not have to second guess him all the time, not have to listen to ‘jokes’ about killing his opponents! The response was you are stupid to think like that with Trump, get used to it.
“And someone who routinely lies, for effect we are told.” – by the Lugenpresse.
“nor the people he said should be shot, imprisoned, whatever.” – as opposed to Trump actually being shot and the justice system being politically weaponized against him.
Robert M., in a recent comment, you made reference to George Soros in negative, maybe hostile, terms. Soros is widely understood to be jewish. (I do not know whether he regarded himself as jewish, I would object to being described as christian and his attitude could be analogous to mine).
The term ‘Lugenpresse’ is not so commonly found but is known as a German national socialist term expressing hostility to opposing newspapers.
How do you account for your choice of the term “Lugenpresse” shortly following apparent expression of anti-jewish attitude?
Make no mistake about my views; the IHRA definition of anti-semitism is not acceptable and is used to suppress criticism of the mediterranean coastal state which itself is liable to be found guilty of gen…..0 cide.
I have no time for ‘political correctness’, nor for the German national socialist party nor any religions.
Now I see you refer to SkipNC as gimp, even I noticed him mentioning the cerebral palsy, his mind is first-rate. I often use the word ‘gimp’ but only metaphorically for the mental capacity of politicians. Maybe I should add you to that category, Robert, lets have an answer from you, no ducking and diving, Robert.
Hello S-bystander, the ‘timestamps’ suggest that you would not have seen R Matthews’ additional allusion to Mussolini’s fascism.
The style of communication is obtuse (the polite description). Even the SNP are more straightforward!
Reasonable inference is that ‘he’ is either a fascist or a time-waster or maybe both. That looks like ‘yoon troll’ material. One cannot expect any positive contribution to the cause of Independence from ‘him’.
You can’t be convicted of being a bigot, especially when there’s no evidence of it. It isn’t a crime. Even if it’s true, so what? You don’t get to tell people what to believe. And using a woman who’s accused at least one other man of sexually assaulting her in order to prostitute the legal system to “get” your opponent isn’t a good look. Nor is declaring standard American business practice as fraud for this single instance, before reassuring the rest of the business community that of course this doesn’t apply to THEM, only to Trump. It’s a little too Soviet for my taste, and it seems millions of Americans agree. Referring back to my original post, I ask that you consider what you’re swallowing. Start from the experimental assumption that you might have got this wrong.
That only covers the federal cases for January 6th and the “declassified documents.” There are two state cases still alive. One is in Georgia relating to his attempts to secure Georgia’s electoral votes in 2020. Nineteen people were charged in that case. It is doubtful that the case against Trump will proceed until after January 20th 2029. Whether the others will proceed is a matter for the District Attorney in that county.
The other case is in New York for false accounting, of which he has already been convicted by a jury. We can expect to find out on Tuesday if sentencing will proceed after the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in early July. If it does proceed, sentencing is set for late November. Currently, the prevailing view is that he will get a non-custodial sentence. A fine is the most likely outcome and, for the offences actually charged, I think that would be appropriate. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind seeing him with an ankle bracelet for a wee while, just for a wee bit of humility.
Hang on a minute, Stu’s latest post and this cartoon have been about current goings-on in America, where freedom of speech is guaranteed by Article One of the Bill of Rights (often known as the First Amendment).
Why are you bothered about a largely factual post that also gives a concise summary of the prevailing opinion on those factual matters? Do facts – real ones – scare you for some reason?
I do not know why I would need to wear a mask to advertise my limp. I have the usual cerebral palsy gait. I am not ashamed of that but I don’t feel the need to advertise it. I do note, however that you used a term that is universally held to be offensive. That tells everyone who reads your comment precisely what sort of person you are. So I will take my leave of you with one final thought – and please believe me when I say this is with all the love and affection I can muster and that you deserve – fuck off.
Skip NC. It isworth considering ‘Matthews’ ‘ other recent comments, showing interest in runic lore, the occult, Mussolini’s Fascism, German national socialism, seems to think that George Soros is a global conspirator.
Seems that he might have a disparaging attitude to you.
Almost laughable as stereotypical Troll.
with best regards for you, Skip.
Shug
1 month ago
It is worth taking time to consider how this will play out for the UK and how the scottish cause might benefit.
It would of course have helped if Swinney kept his mouth shut before the election but the SNP is determined to stop independence
“Named after the King of Scotland, Robert the Bruce, the historical warrior who led Scotland to claim its right as an independent country in the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, this world class golf experience will thrill…”:
In order for Trump to deport over 11 million illegal immigrants in the ‘Good Ol’ US of A’ during his presidency he would have to spend a minimum of $1 trillion to deport 7,500 illegals every day for the next 4 years. In contrast illegal immigrant households contribute over $100 billion in taxes, social security and health payments every year. In addition Trump’s proposals for increased trade tariffs will cost each American at least $1000 a year. So in total over the next 4 years the cost to every American for electing Trump is a minimum of $8,000, and that is before Trump has completed his wall. This is going to be fun,
By way of performating trolling I suggest getting hold of one of those “YES SHE CAN” t-shirts and then mooching around in it while wearing a MAGA hat. The meltdowns will be the stuff of legend 🙂
Elon Musk has been calling for 30% reduction in federal, state and local government employees – that is 7 million jobs lost – and the monies saved, over $60 billion a year, should be used to reduce taxes for the richest in the US. The demographic of the poorest and the richest who overwhelmingly voted for Trump are going to have totally different experiences over the next 4 years.
Callum
1 month ago
No point in singularly calling Americans stupid in voting for Trump when the British (i.e. the English) voted for Brexit and BoJo, The Anglo-sphere has gone bananas over the last 10 years.
Callum, there were some who voted to leave the EU with a view to avoiding a long-term relationship analogous to the one between England/Britain and Scotland.
That was a gamble which was lost largely as a consequence of eastern mediterranean special interests, some call it ‘State capture’ (applying in USA, too.) and Johnson (of high ‘entitlement’ and low morals) became PM, his version of ‘Brexit’ was extremely ill-conceived and detrimental.
Breeks
1 month ago
Trump isn’t a monster.
The pressing concern is whether he’s going to be complicit with one.
I have a grave anxiety, given he’s already taken their money.
The only monster I see is the many-headed one seldom off our streets, and the streets of just about every other European town and city.
Like the monster rampaging this week on the streets of Amsterdam.
I’d give our ME ally free reign to purge themselves of the medievalist killers once and for all. Once they’ve done that, we can invite them to help us do the same here.
It’s quite astonishing to me just how complicit and accepting people are prepared to be about our kids getting hacked or blown to pieces on our streets by immigrants.
Sorry for another try, my first attempt was eaten up by moderation.
I am amazed that you are cheering organized thugs (some armed with sticks and knives) beating and kicking people in the streets. Ten brave Arabic-speaking citizens of Amsterdam on one or two football fans of wrong ethnicity, but hey, Mac says they can fight back even if they are thrown to the ground, so it is OK to kick their teeth. There is a word for it, something anti-, anti-se … something like that. It has a long tradition in some quarters.
And do not forget to add U to your list of places where children are blown up every day – you known by whom.
(And you get 12 upvotes for this pish)
Hatey McHateface
1 month ago
Meantime, in Reality Land, polls indicate that support for Trump is higher in Scotland than just about anywhere else outside the USA.
It’s much higher among men than it is in women, but then again, in Scotland, nobody is really sure what that means.
Inevitably though, just like with WM Labour, HR SNP have already publically favoured Harris and the Dems, and so, just like last time, Scotland and Indy will be in a poor place to capitalise on The Donald’s second term as the Most Powerful Man In The World.
Yes , Ian , I think it will be clear when Trump picks his team whether or not he was serious in his pre-Election statements . If he again surrounds himself with the same warmongering ghouls and Permanent State parasites , we’ll know pretty quickly he wasn’t . If , on the other hand , he drives the latter out and makes use of the talents of people like RFKjnr ( too bad about the latter’s support for the monsters in Z…ist Goshen , other than that aberration , he has a pretty sound grasp of the things that are destroying the U.S and the West generally ) then we may able to consider his victory a good thing for the World .
Occam’s Razor suggests that if RFK Jr has a sound grasp of the basics, then his support for our allies in the ME is not an aberration.
So it’s you and your small cohort of anti sem-ites on here that are in the wrong.
Stands to reason really. The Roman histories, the archeological record, the Holy Bible, and heck, even the Declaration Of Arbroath, are all in agreement on who the rightful and indigenous inhabitants of the Holy Land are. Any one of these sources would probably have been sufficient, but all four together? It’s beyond dispute.
It’s a free country and so your right to side with the tunnel-skulking lassie mutilators goes without saying.
But you shouldn’t boast about it on a site where Indy specifically and Scotland more generally will be tainted by that deplorable association.
Why don’t you crawl back under the slimy stone you emerged from , ya fckn creepy , ghoul . No one here gives a fuck about you and yr repellent * worldview * . And you better get as many Zelly-wanks in as possible , as yr wee * hero * is about to lose his main source of income when Trump pulls the plug on the financing of the Proxy War ; oh , on that note , how’s the U * invasion * of R going , have they surrounded the outskirts of Moscow yet ? Na , didn’t think so and as I said at the time – when you were wetting yr knickers with blood-lust over the prospect of more * Orcs * being killed ….it was the last , desperate move of a horrible bastard whose only interest is in preventing his worthless body decorating a lamppost . ” Anti-Semites ” , ya pathetic snivelling apologist for Genocide – yes G.E.N.O.C.I.D.E . Anyone with a grain of common humanity knows what’s happening ” over there ” is an affront to every standard of human ethical decency – except cunts like you , who , from the safety of yr living room , cheer-on every atrocity perpetrated by the horrible cunts you support
Channeling your inner Rooby are you? Only you seem fixated on the ‘C’ word.
Where’s this genocide at then? Surely you can’t be referring to the yellow tunnel dwellers, skulking behind their hostages and their walls of human shields, with their overseas bank accounts to fall back on for later?
They could end it all by this time next week – simply by releasing the hostages. Of course somebody on our side might then devote their efforts to sending their yellow hides to paradise soon after. You’re right, atrocity or not, I’d be cheering that on.
Anyway, keep posting this stuff. Ordinary Scots really do need to know what kind of government and leadership you admire. The Humous boys have brought death and destruction down on the heads of their people and caused their country to be turned into rubble – from the river to the sea.
The likes of you would do the same for Scotland and would virtue signalling just how righteous you are while doing it too.
You need to be quarantined well away from our political life. The oxygen of publicity is what we need to ensure that happens.
Zelly wank eh? You boys just can’t thole a sovereign, independent nation that is prepared to fight for its land, culture, language and history. Far smarter people than me will never be able to fathom just why their bravery and sacrifice annoys you so much.
This is interesting. You condemn (alleged) genocide in ME, but you are totally fine with genocide committed by Orcs in U. Another commenter on this thread was (correctly) horrified by deaths of children in ME but did not seem bothered by scores of children murdered in U by Orcs. Such selective blindness may have a name in psychopathology, if only I could recall how …
Your reference to ” Orcs ” tells me all I need to know , and your bizarre statement that I’m ” totally fine with blah blah ” , No , idiot , I’m not ” fine ” with that , or any other incidence of humans killing other humans . Only a half-wit like you could take anything I’ve written on the subject to mean I derive any satisfaction from the death of others – that’s Main’s thing .
The difference between the horror in ME and the Proxy War in U , should be fckn obvious to anyone not thoroughly or wilfully blind : in the former case – 70+ years of oppression , violent theft of land/property and daily brutality under an apartheid system the likes of which people like you can’t even imagine , let alone could endure for one day , never mind an entire life should ever have the misfortune to live under such a regime .
Contrast with the wholly manipulated/contrived Proxy War ; R had been no threat to U until the latter refused to desist in it’s murderous campaign in the R-speaking areas – and why was it doing that , what possible threat was that area to the rest of U ?
Then came the CIA instigated Maidan Coup ; then Z – once elected – totally reversing what he had campaigned and won his election on , ie ” constructive relations with R ” . Instead , he continued with the lethal attacks in Donbass and neighbouring areas ; then the extreme provocation of demanding N.A.T.O membership – right on R’s border ; I’ve asked people like you before , and never got an answer , so , here we go again ……would the US tolerate a hostile country putting long-range missiles in Canada or Mexico ? You know damn well it wouldn’t , but somehow R is expected to tolerate that on it’s border . Don’t make me laugh . The hypocrisy is off-the-scale
All that and the entire lockstepping West MSM & Political Clown Class have the nerve to insult our intelligence by calling R’s response to all this ” Unprovoked ” . Aye , so it was .
War is Hell ; alas ,,,,War is ( also ) Business .
Big Business .
Why do you think the US M.I.C – in particular -is so fond of it , why so much effort is put into it’s creation/promotion and continuance ; and so little effort – zero , in fact – put into the avoidance/ending and ultimate elimination of the human tragedy & failure that War represents ?
Why does any country need to site long-range missiles just across the border from it’s supposed target – after all, that close to, short-range ones will do.
Asking for my 8 YO grand daughter who already has progressed beyond the rote regurgitation of imaginary justifications for bigoted and entrenched prejudice.
Orcs, wanks, cants, ghouls. You’re looking dreadfully exposed on your pedestal of self-identifying virtue-signalling. Mind a gust of wind doesn’t reveal your Crown Jewels to the incredulous crowd. You can’t afford even more ridicule.
Over in the Holy Land, archaeologists are still digging up irrefutable evidence of who the indigenous owners and inhabitants were and still are. It’s a unique place in that nowhere else in the world is there such strong evidence covering such an extended time scale.
For so-called Scottish Independence supporters to choose such a ludicrously hopeless hill to die on is explicable only if you choose to believe that the movement has a subconscious drive to political suicide.
And U? A sovereign, independent nation, fighting for its culture, language, history and freedom. Millions of them making the kinds of sacrifices in their country’s service that the Wings BTL bleaters like you could never in a million years countenance.
Yet constantly denigrated on here.
Not one of them would see the pretendy patriots you and your like-minded fellow travellers represent in their road.
I can see the validity of some of your comment (and I made some allied points in a long comment above…if it survives ‘moderation’), but your reference to archaeological evidence of “original ownership” leaves some gigantic problems:
one is that millions of europeans have moved into that territorysince the late 19th century when nationalistic ideology was developed for a promised land and neither their culture, language or genetics could be meaningfully linked to archaeological evidence,
another is that large numbers have moved from north america and display violent conduct wild west style,
also, if archaeological evidence is to be used then how many people might need to return to europe or be slaughtered in their homes, and, further, it might be anachronistic to try applying the concept of Ownership.
It must be difficult for you to make a detached assessment of the situation as Mordechai Vanunu must have done.
Robert, sadly your reply is not surprising – you dutifully recite all Uncle Vlad’s talking points. You conveniently forgot to mention that R was stirring up sh*t in U for long years before the current war started, both politically and militarily – remember all those R recruits who suddenly decided to take their holidays fighting together with separatists in Donbas?. Same way Uncle Adolf manufactured conflicts in Sudetenlands before WW2 to create cause for international arbitration, And lots of idiots in the West ate it up (see Munchen diktat). History repeats itself, it seems.
I am puzzled why you think that U efforts to get membership in NATO were “extreme provocation”. R stole Crimea in 2014 (prez P first lied about it, than happily admitted that the little green men were his troops – “eto nashi!”) and since then led “frozen war” in U – pretending there were no R soldiers there. Of course U wanted NATO membership, probably the only thing that could stop R from stealing its territory.
And since you ask, in my youth I lived in a country that was invaded by R army and have a first hand experience with a regime they installed there – no thank you, I would not wish that on anyone. It was not a war, by far not as bad as Gz, but anyway.
I am pleased to hear that you also care about civilians killed by Orcs (I use that nick not to antagonize you, but because unlike others it does not trigger moderation. And if the cap fits …). I was misled by your first post, in which you were incensed by genocide in ME and protested someone’s alleged approval of killing of invading Orcs, but inexplicably failed to mention your disgust at senseless killing of U civilians, which I had naturally expected in that context. My bad, sorry.
Robert, there is a far longer, grim history of european settlement into the territory (east of the Mediterranean) to which you refer and it amplifies/ validates your comments on the middle eastern situation.
By contrast, your comments concerning the largest eastern EUROPEAN country are almost entirely invalid.
There is no doubt that the the natives there have a comparable history of suffering and oppression (for a considerably longer period) when compared to the middle eastern case.
I am not aware of any contradiction to a minimum of 3.5 million killed by Stalin’s policy of starvation in that land, during the 1930’s with the Purges and show trials added.
The Russian Empire and its sucessor (acting in Chechnya for example) has had no record of benevolence to the peoples who fell under its control.
The Bolsheviks defeated a nationalist army around the end of the First World War and the entire area was swallowed into the USSR until Gorbachov’reforms.
The Russ. Fed. spends hundreds of millions of roubles to persuade people to your opinion regarding events of 2014 but the natives do seem remarkably keen to maintain their independence irrespective of whatever CIA activity occurred. There are millions of people there, very like us.
If you are a Scots nationalist, would you forgo Independence on the grounds that some third party provided covert assistance? If you will not allow that another ‘People’, in their own land, should have the same status as you seek then your cause would be worthless. That is the elementary ethic of it, I would pursue the cause as a universal principle.
There are reams of historybooks on the subject and you could soon read more than I have, and you might end up wondering how you ‘got it so wrong’.
The evidence of gen….o-cidal intent in Russ. Fed. is obvious, plainly stated as policy/attitudes; the Special Military Operation is intended to remove a deviant regime from Kyiv and supposedly re-unite part of Russian territory which has been separated from its ‘proper’ owners.
Remember, falsehood will come from USA and Russ. Fed. Sometimes our enemies tell the truth.
Direct reportage from eastern Europe is mostly unavailable to us for reasons of language but there are a few sources and, it seems,not wholly under Kyiv govt control: Kyiv Post, Euromaidan Press, Defence Express (mostly on military hardware), maybe others. Reading what the natives are saying is well worthwhile.
Like you, a) I too have little respect for what is called MSM.
b) I am horrified and disgusted at the activities of the i d f, the settlers and the entire political structure there, an analogue to the Moscow empire.
You may regard it as a proxy war but the natives there will see it from a different perspective.
Compared to you, Znovak is fairly polite in his comment, considering his personal experiences.
I recognise something of the basic elements of your perspective, they have, as you might be aware, been expressed and elaborated by Prof. John Mearsheimer. If you do not know of Mearsheimer then some reading might be worth your while. I cannot pretend to be much of a reader, myself, but do make a bit of an effort.
Based on what I have read it is quite an effort resisting the temptation to unleash invective in response to your ill-mannered message to Znovak.
I have already made a lengthy comment in reply to yours but Stu might exclude it.
I you will allow the possibility that Znovak and I are spending time and brainenergy for sake of your understanding of the appalling circumstances and historical accuracy.
Mearsheimer is what is called an eminent scholar but I think that,because of his own imperialistic psychology (all to common with eminent men), he fails to recognise the intrinsic tendency of political gangsters to pursue imperialist schemes with or without ‘Nato provocation’. Mearsheimer also fails to give real acknowledgement of ‘Agency’ (pointed out by the nation under attack) for the smaller neighbouring nation being battered by imperialists nextdoor.
If you are serious about Independence then you will need to get to grips with this.
Please do not resort to any more ‘halfwit’ or similar expressions. The possibility is that others know more than you do.
Here’s the thing Jay – this is not a polite debating society , I write as I talk ; I’m not under any delusion I’m writing for the TLS or the Pulitzer Prize Committee . So do me a favour – don’t tell me how I should express myself , what language , opinions you consider acceptable : I couldn’t give a fuck what your opinion is – who are you anyway , why have you suddenly decided WOS needs your ever-so-polite , genteel contributions ?
I’m very familiar with John Mearsheimer – as I am with the writings/ broadcasts and thinking of Jeffrey Sachs , Col Doug MacGregor , Chris Hedges , among other superb , vastly experienced commentators on Global Affairs ; it’s the perceptions of such people that inform my own understanding of * events * in E.Europe ; M.E and elsewhere .
I trust these people’s judgement and , as a matter of fact – everything they’ve said and forecast would happen in the two ongoing major conflicts has , indeed come to pass ; and , don’t insult my intelligence ….of course I’m aware for the unfortunates thrown into the ” meat grinder ” of frontline combat there’s nothing ” Proxy ” about this War . That description relates to the background , intention and real instigators of this latest round on US contrived , ulteriorly-motivated horror .
Now away back to your lofty-yet-fluffy armchair of anodyne opinion and patrician dispensing of tut-tutting disapproval of other people’s mode of communication .
If you don’t like what I say/write , it’s very easy to scroll past my name when you see it .
You, evidently, are better educated than I am but that is not difficult. Odd that you did not mention E. Lutwak.
Has it not crossed your mind that Sachs might be a major contributor to the ‘proxy’ war, having been advisor to Gaidar? Col. MacGregor sounds like a lovely man, Scots heritage?
It would be ridiculous for you to be a supporter of Scottish independence, merely a lumpen intellectual high on muscovite propaganda.
Who are you, anyway, a Welshman, sound like a Tory MP or a big fish in a small pond.
No point in you replying because I will not be reading it, at your suggestion.
Given the the implicit contradictions and inconsistencies within what you write, it would be impossible to insult your intelligence and the outlook for Scottish independence is dismal, particularly if you are involved. The best hope for you is to arrange muscovite satellite status, best arrangement for you neo-stickbundlers. Acknowledge the truth, you are pursueing oppression and death, except for your own Type.
Bright man like you should be able to work out that Trump would not pull the plug on the promised land especially if there is a golf course in prospect, near Egypt, but definitely capable of leaving U to be destroyed even further.
“The most comprehensive result in recent memory was surely Reagan over Mondale in 1984” ========• Not by a long way.
Only 1 presidential election before Reagan’s first win in 1980, Richard Nixon utterly destroyed George McGovern by winning 49 states to 1(Massachusetts +District of Columbia) AND 62% of the popular vote.
Not by a long way…if your memory doesn’t stretch to the 1972 election then there’s nothing exceptionable about making that statement. As for the actual facts…
The electoral college result was exactly the same in 1972 and 1984. The vote percentage difference between winner and loser was 23% and 18% respectively. I was too young for ’72 but I remember ’84 very well.
Nixon, Reagan and Trump actually have a fair amount in common, well if you happen to think treason is a bit wrong that is.
robertkknight
1 month ago
As much chance of “justice” happening over there as there is over here
Sod all chance in other words!
Campbell Clansman
1 month ago
The latest poll of Scots (Norstat, Nov. 1st) puts Alba’s support at 1%.
It looks as though what some commenters here call the only “true Indy Party” is going nowhere. They’re still barely outpolling the Monster Raving Loonies.
In an actual by-election 2 days ago, though, they got 9%. That can’t be extrapolated, but does show the potential with good campaigning and local prominence.
Were those the by-elections in Aberdeenshire where the Conservatives won big? A result Aberdeen Live labeled “emphatic.”
Or the Inverclyde result, where the Conservatives outpolled Alba 2-1?
Or the races where Alba couldn’t even find anyone willing to run (Moray-Elgin)?
Not exactly an endorsement of Indy–or Alba.
Breastplate
1 month ago
I really don’t understand the euphoria and/or despondency around who becomes the next American president as if it matters to us.
The trajectory will remain the same as always, make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The idea that we should place our faith in one set of liars over another set is completely bonkers mad, even more so when it’s sets of liars from a completely different country.
This Trump rhetoric was done to death 8 years ago when he was going to blow up the entire world as there was nothing surer.
Ah well, no doubt, he’s going to blow the world up, all over again.
Take some teenage lassie hostages with you for when you get bored.
Pile your family members on top to be first to take any incoming fire.
Stick up red crosses everywhere so it looks like a hospital.
Come out after a year or so and the regulars of Wings BTL will want to crown you as King of Scotland.
Mac
1 month ago
I am glad the democrats like the Sturgeon SNP are completely incapable of learning anything from their defeats.
I don’t want them to improve as they are dangerous IMHO, they are the exact opposite of ‘democrats’.
They also seem to think if they just keep repeating the same tedious lies over and over again that somehow one day people will finally believe them. Years of all that Ru$$ia shite, and it was total and complete pish. The dodgy dossier blah blah blah. It is really boring.
Trump has lot of things you could really criticize him about (bombing Syria after a false flag, supporting a gen0cide and ethnic cleansing and so on) but they consistently ignore those faults and just make up all this nonsense.
And then they are all butthurt and confused when Trump beats them for the umpteenth fucking time in a row. FFS…
It is madness. And long may it continue. The parallels between the Sturgeon SNP and the US democrats are very evident. Both absolutely toxic right now. (This is where the corruption of the SNP has come from I suspect. Same thing has captured both parties.)
The US democrats sold themselves out to the deep state in return for perpetual power. And they nearly got away with it….
You can’t ever forget nor forgive that. In fact you’d be mad to. Because they will try again.
One thing we can say with certainty is that under Trump you can no longer trust America. Absolutely madness for any country to tie themselves to future American foreign policy. There has to be an economic, foreign and military response to Trump by European countries that secures Europe’s safety and trade. As Ukraine has found to its cost buying into American military technology when the White House has a veto over its use does not provide security. Independent deterrence is the order of the day whether it be deterring Russia, Iran, Chine or even the USA.
I propose that people coming to Scotland to live should be taxed. Their English pound is worth more than the Scottish pound, which allows them to outbid others for properties. So therefore should be taxed
Since there is no Scottish Pound, I assume you mean the Pound Sterling, as printed on Scottish bank notes. That’s the same pound as issued by the Bank of England…
wally jumblatt
1 month ago
I am quite heartened when I see the number of up-ticks and non-dismissive posts regarding Prez Trump.
It suggests to me that independent-minded people (I presume most readers of Wings are pro-independence) can be left, centre and right-leaning. Which is the way it should be.
The road to independence should have many mansions.
-and that is the true challenge.
We need 2/3 of the voting public to believe in it, so that means all colours. If we get 2/3rds of all the people, we won’t need the semantics of 400yr old bits of paper, Supreme Courts, European or UN civil rights, or Westminster and Cheltenham’s permission, we’ll just declare it.
“ independent-minded people..” ======
You mean independence-minded. That is something different, as your subsequent qualification does not quite make clear.
The latest poll (Norstat) has SNP 27%, Labour 21%, Conservatives 13%, Reform 13%, LibDems 10%, Greenies 6%, and Alba at 1%. Rest undecided.
As can be seen, 72% of Scots won’t vote for even a nominal Indy party like the SNP. And Alba is, as usual, just a microbe on the body politic.
Not true.
See Q3-1, “Who would you vote for if a UK Parliamentary election were held tomorrow?”
Alba, 1%.
See also Q7b-1 and 7b-2.
I’m not sure how even your claim of 3% makes Alba look like anything other than a pimple on the body politic.
Imagine it as an angry, inflamed pimple, with a suppurating yellow head on it, swollen with evil smelling pus under pressure. You can call it James.
That gets you to 3%. Once it bursts (posts on Wings BTL), it’s 1% again.
I agree with you that Alba, like the SNP, is a waste of time. A new Indy movement is needed, campaigning on a plebiscitary election policy, with new faces and new ideas.
New political personalities and parties are springing up all across the world. Not even our Scottish Exceptionalism can stop it from eventually happening here too.
“Mia,” Alba is just a microbe party.
Nobody cares much about it, let alone is “terrified” of it.
I just don’t like to see moonhowlers lie about how popular they, and Alba, are. Why can’t you just admit the truth–that Salvo and Alba are a tiny band of fanatics?
YOU should try facts.
Reality. Truth. Rather than personal attacks.
And the reality is that nobody is “terrified” of Alba or Salvo–or even care much about them. They are to be laughed at, not terrified of.
The 1% predictably froth at the mouth at anyone who points out that they are–the 1%.
Maybe if you tried these things called facts, and rational arguments, you wouldn’t be stuck at 1%. And maybe you wouldn’t be laughed at.
Oh yes, we’re colonised all right, the events of the past week have made that crystal clear.
Donald of Orange will be in the Oval Office soon.
And so our taxes will rise, and our public spending will fall, to get our defence expenditure up to the European average levels needed to withstand the Orcs and Hermits massing to invade our allies.
And so all the calculations underpinning our recent Budget will likely be shredded if the threatened trade wars come to pass and plunge our economy into deep recession.
The US sneezes, we catch the flu. The US pivots on policy, we spin like we’ve a pole up our arse.
Meantime, the parallel colonisation by third-world medievalists proceeds apace, which is why an evening’s TV watching is such fertile ground for a game of “Spot The Vanishingly Rare Mono-racial Family”.
Colonisation is everywhere. Maybe it’s just karma for all the colonising we Scots did in previous centuries. But to pretend the only colonisation in town is the English colonisation of Scotland is to indulge in the same reality and truth denying you accuse others of.
This from the Muppet who a few threads back claimed that 52% of Scottish born in IndyRef1 voting Yes had been “long since debunked” and then proceeded to provide a link to supported their claim which, as it turns out, DID NO SUCH THING!
Facts you say?
Something else you wouldn’t recognise if it bit you on the arse. You’ll be running out of cheeks at this rate!
I have asked you and your fellow unionists a few times to list some of the benefits of being in this repugnant union with THIEVES yet ALL you ever do is demean and denigrate anything to do with Scotland or Scots , your liking for the engerlish ringpiece is evident in everything you post
IF you truly were Scottish you would be outraged like the rest of us that our countries resources are being utilised for everyone else’s benefit bar Scots
Your evident glee and gloating about Scotland’s woes just marks you as the tractor you are
You are not fooling anyone
<b>Indeed, it needs asked over and over again, just what are the supposed benefits for Scotland from this undemocratic, unwanted, abusive so-called ‘<i>union</i>’ with England?</b>
Hatey McHateface
1 month ago
MSM reporting G@z@‘s most respected Islamic cleric has issued a fatwa condemning the Humous boys for their October 7 attack and subsequent bringing down of Armageddon on their own people.
Qatar is throwing out the Humous boys too. Maybe they will be allowed to keep the dosh they stole from their own people, but Qatar reckons they’re a bunch of grifting time wasters.
Makes you think, eh?
Even the Islamic world has had enough of the yellow, craven, tunnel cowerers, cringing beneath their protective layers of innocent hostages, and the bodies of their own women and kids.
Soon, their only friends left will be the usual regulars on Wings BTL.
I’ve asked before if Lebanon has an army , and if they have why are they not defending their country?
Why are they allowing an enemy force to blooter their capital city and kill their citizens?
They’d defo be stuffed against a real army. I think it’s Geri who loves to point out that western weapons don’t work. 🙂
Haha, I’m not going to trouble my arse to seriously deal with your pathetic post, just like you failed to even reference any of the incontrovertible facts in mine.
You should make the effort to educate yourself about the fatwa. As most of us do know, these Islamic boys take that kind of thing very seriously indeed.
I guess you have confirmed one thing for me though, Zander. The baby stuffed in the oven on October 7 must have been putting up a fair fight. And the daft dancing lassies who got their soft body parts carved off after they’d been raped – that would have been a square go.
We’ve just heard how Maccabi Tel Aviv fans jeered through a minutes silence, chanted “fuck all Arabs” “there are no schools in Gaza because we’ve killed all the kids” and violently rampaged through Amsterdam attacking Dutch citizens.
Western media had already reported this but then completely changed the narrative to the poor Jewish fans being exposed to anti-Semitic behaviour.
This is the MSM peddling known lies.
These become useful tools to people like yourself to bolster their jingoistic and racist world view.
People with a generalised hatred of particular groups expose much more about themselves than they would care to acknowledge.
Racism and lack of intellect are far too often common bedfellows.
Jacqueline
1 month ago
Ignore the cnut. Wasting our time. It must be worried.
Jacqueline
1 month ago
There’s a couple of fannies on this line. Don’t give them a bite. Idiots. We’ve a job to do.
Garavelli Princip
1 month ago
William Barr, Attorney General in the first Trump administration stated that if Trump were re-elected it would spell the end of the United States.
Every cloud…. as they say!
TURABDIN
1 month ago
Michael the Scot, a «pioneer of science» many may never have heard of:
It is certainly worth reminding ourselves of the historic cultural and intellectual riches of Scotland.
Regarding music I would highly recommend the book by D. JAMES ROSS entitled MUSICK FYNE: ROBERT CARTER AND THE ART OF MUSIC IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY SCOTLAND (The Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1993).
Regarding philosophy as such, I recommend:
‘PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND: Neo-Stoicism, Culture and Ideology in an Age of Crisis, 1540-1690’, by DAVID ALLAN (Tuckwell Press, East Linton, Scotland, 2000).
Above all, I recommend any publications by ALEXANDER BROADIE, among which:
A HISTORY OF SCOTTISH PHILOSOPHY, by ALEXANDER BROADIE (Edinburgh University Press, 2009, 2010)
THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: THE HISTORICAL AGE OF THE HISTORICAL NATION, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (Birlinn, 2007, 2012)
AGREEABLE CONNEXIONS: SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT LINKS WITH FRANCE, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (Birlinn, 2012)
THE SHADOW OF SCOTUS: PHILOSOPHY AND FAITH IN PRE-REFORMATION SCOTLAND, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (T&T Clark, Edinburgh,1995).
Professor Broadie convincingly argues that John Duns Scotus was the posthumous influence in the framing of the Declaration of the Clergy 1310 and the Declaration of Arbroath 1320.
Broadie also says:
“HUGH MACDIARMID coined the slogan ‘Back to Dunbar’ as a rallying cry, hoping to persuade us to look back beyond Burns and the Enlightenment to the works of William Dunbar and the other poets of the Pre-Reformation period. In the light of work done recently on John Mair and his circle, and with MacDiarmid’s slogan in mind, GEORGE DAVIE (G. E. Davie, The Crisis of the Democratic Intellect) has coined the slogan ‘Back to John Mair’ as a rallying cry, hoping to persuade us to look back beyond Hume and the Enlightenment to the works of Mair and his colleagues.”
Lots of very interesting info, Fearghas, and well worth following up. I wonder if there are any recordings of Carver’s music (Musick Fyne) – intriguing title… The book itself is on Abe Books site.
Hi SteepBrae. Thanks for subtly correcting my typo in Carver’s name. The fly-leaf of the book has the following info:
“D. James Ross has been active in the field of Scottish Early Music since the early 1980s when, as a Student of Music, German and English at Aberdeen University, he sang in the King’s College Chapel Choir and took an active part in promoting and directing performances of music ancient and modern. He plays a large number of Renaissance and Baroque wind instruments, and since moving to Inverness has directed the Early Music ensembles Coronach and Musick Fyne, who have given over 200 performances and established an annual season of Early Scottish music in the Highlands of Scotland. He has also produced seven commercial recordings of the instrumental and vocal music of Renaissance Scotland with these groups and with the Carver Choir of Aberdeen. He has contributed to a number of scholarly journals including Musical Opinion, Brio and The Consort, and has lectured on the subject of Robert Carver and his music.”
A quick search online gives three YouTubes anyway of Carver’s music. I will try posting one link, but in a separate comment below in case I trigger moderation for this current comment. Regards.
Further quotes from Alexander Broadie, with MICHAEL SCOT getting mention:
« I believe him [JOHN DUNS SCOTUS (c. 1266–1308)] to be Scotland’s greatest philosopher, yet, as I have indicated, there are also other philosophers from Pre-Reformation Scotland, and very few know of their existence. I am speaking here of one of the best-kept secrets of Scottish culture. […] One in particular whose existence we should at least note here is RICHARD SCOT (c. 1123–73), who is usually referred to, with French pronunciation, as Richard de St Victor.
« […] Intermediate in time between Richard Scot and Duns Scotus was their compatriot MICHAEL SCOT (died c. 1236), who was an important link in the chain of transmission of Aristotle’s works from the Muslim world, via Spain, to the Christian West. In addition, with the help of Spanish-Jewish colleagues Michael Scot made translations into Latin of Arabic commentaries, in particular those of Averroes, on Aristotle.
« [.…] One thinker whose work has never received due attention is the twelfth-century abbot of Dryburgh, ADAM SCOT, many of whose writings are extant, even if not available in recent editions.[…] Richard Scot spent his working life in Paris, and Michael Scot spent much of his in Toledo, Bologna, and as astrologer to the court of Frederick II of Sicily. […] JOHN IRELAND (c. 1440–95) (Mirror of Wisdom), was one of a large number of Scots at the University of Paris.
« In the later 1470s that contingent was joined by JAMES LIDDELL (d. prob. after 1519) from Aberdeen. He graduated with a master’s degree in 1483, and in the following year began to teach at Paris. In 1495, the year of the founding of a university in his home town, he became the first-ever Scot to have a book of his printed in his own lifetime. Given my belief that the Scots are a nation of philosophers, I find it peculiarly appropriate that that first-ever book by a Scot printed in his own lifetime was a work on philosophy.
« […] The topic of Liddell’s book was a popular one among Scottish philosophers, several of whom, in the generation after Liddell, wrote substantial treatises. The authors of those treatises were all members of the circle of JOHN MAIR. Born near Haddington c. 1467, Mair was a student at the University of Paris, rising to become Professor of Theology there. He quickly acquired a Europe-wide reputation as a teacher, theologian, philosopher and logician. […] He was a colleague of Erasmus at Paris, and his lectures there were attended not only by Loyola and Vitoria as already mentioned, but also by Buchanan, Rabelais, Calvin and Vives. We are speaking therefore of a thinker pre-eminent in his day.
« All agree that poets made a priceless contribution to our literary canon during the century or so following the founding of Scotland’s first university. The period is the age of the makars, the lowland poets, ROBERT HENRYSON, WILLIAM DUNBAR, GAVIN DOUGLAS, and others. In his ‘Lament for the Makaris’ Dunbar names many poets whose works are now lost. But in any case the extant poetical writings of the period are of sufficient quantity and quality to stamp the age with a distinctive character. Historical judgment on this matter has been very unfair. I do not mean in the least—how could I?—to be stinting about the magnificence, the magisterial presence, of the poetry of that age when I say that the overwhelming emphasis which has been placed on the poetical achievements of the fifteenth—and early-sixteenth—century Scottish literary heritage promotes a distorted image of that heritage. I believe the poetical achievement to have been fully matched by the Scottish philosophers who were contemporaries of the poets, though the writings of the philosophers disappeared into near oblivion and are only now being rescued. »
(Extracts from: THE SHADOW OF SCOTUS: PHILOSOPHY AND FAITH IN PRE-REFORMATION SCOTLAND, by ALEXANDER BROADIE (T&T Clark Ltd, Edinburgh, 1995).
With all due respect to SALVO, I have always been skeptical of constitutional “popular sovereignty” being indigenously rooted in the Highland clan system. Whatever the merits or demerits of the latter (and I myself would be wary of a stultifying tribalism), I think SALVO’s view fails to glimpse, let alone encompass, the sophisticated heritage of European philosophical thought which preceded the marginalization of Irish and Scottish Gaeldom. For instance, the Renaissance of Charlemagne involved a great many speakers of Lingua Scottorum (Common Gaelic). Foremost among the latter was the brilliant (and even yet increasingly influential) Irishman JOHANNES SCOTTUS ERIUGENA (800-877), in whom both Hegel and Heidegger found nourishment. A line of anti-authoritarian thought in Eriugena landed him in serious trouble with the ecclesiastical establishment and seems self-evidently relevant to our focus on constitutional sovereignty. Eriugena writes:
“For authority proceeds from true reason, but reason certainly does not proceed from authority. For every authority which is not upheld by true reason is seen to be weak, whereas true reason is kept firm and immutable by her own powers and does not require to be confirmed by the assent of any authority.” (De Divisione Naturae, Bk. 1, ch. 69)
Another, even more obvious and comprehensively documented taproot thinker was George Buchanan (1506-1582).
Buchanan was a Gaelic-speaker from Killearn on Lochlomondside. His high-class Latin writings on popular sovereignty influenced the American Revolution. But his radical views certainly did not spring fully-formed from the heather. Whether he read the Latin of Eriugena I have no idea, but like Eriugena, he certainly read classical writers deeply. The following are just a few relevant extracts from the book mentioned in a previous comment, ie David Allan’s PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND. Buchanan’s interest in Stoicism features strongly:
« George Buchanan [mentor to Montaigne] brooks large in any survey of neo-Latin literature, in a European as well as merely in a Scottish context. […] But Buchanan’s modern reputation arises chiefly from his Latin prose compositions, intellectual achievements which comfortably make him ‘by far the most radical of the Calvinist revolutionaries’; and these certainly do bear upon the Scottish encounter with neo-Stoicism. For whilst drawing together several older strands of political thought and subsequently giving rise to a deeply troubling libertarian tradition which was to have ramifications far into the modern period, Buchanan’s famous treatises also built prodigiously upon Stoical precedent. In doing so, they revealed just how fruitful could be the impulse within neo-classical authorship to promote a keener interest in certain aspects of Roman philosophical tradition.
« Nowhere was this connection more far-reaching than in the De jure regni apud Scotos dialogus (1579), the notorious tract which on its publication was dedicated by Buchanan, with characteristic lack of tact, to his own long-suffering pupil, the young James VI. The disturbing thrust of this text, essentially that tyrannical kings may legitimately be deposed by ther subjects, possessed an acute local topicality neither unintended by is author nor lost on his perplexed Scottish contemporaries. After all, the king’s mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been removed by her aristocratic enemies in just such circumstances – and Buchanan’s work itself was probably drafted in the later 1560s, in the immediate aftermath of this revolutionary event. Its eventual publication was also no coincidence of timing, for, by the later 1570s, her son too needed to be reminded of his dependence upon the support of his own politically-ambitious Protestant nobility.
« Such was the immediate context in which Buchanan’s explosive De jure regni first burst upon the public scene. Yet underlying its theory of resistance was a notion of popular sovereignty, of an elective Scottish monarchy dependent upon the consent of the political community, which, like the near-simultaneous claims of François Hotman in France (the Francogallia had in fact appeared in 1573), had very specific roots in ancient Roman philosophy. Indeed, in the form that Buchanan himself employed it, this idea was plucked straight from an impeccably learned classical text, Cicero’s De inventione.
« Pasquier, a liberal Catholic and admirer of Montaigne, promulgated a confident revisionism inserting arguments for governmental restraint and accountability culled from his own attentive reading of Cicero and Tacitus. François Hotman, Alciati’s successor at Bourges and a man of stronger Huguenot sympathies, advanced in Francogallia (1573) a theory of popular sovereignty and a right to resist tyranny indebted to his intimate knowledge of the legal and constitutional history of the Roman republic. Nowhere, perhaps, was the Stoical preoccupation with the timeless ethical and legal questions of public life rendered more significant in the second half of the sixteenth century than in furnishing the embattled Calvinists of Northern Europe with reputable arguments for active resistance to their autocratic persecutors.
« Buchanan also saw, secondly, that his didactic purposes required a rather fuller account of constitutional history. Not only would this help reinforce his somewhat questionable claim that Scottish kingship was elective in character. It would also provide the convincing details, which only a sustained analysis of real political action over time could hope to yield, of those particular aspects of monarchy which were to be admired and those which were at all costs to be avoided. These pressing requirements, too, were traceable directly back to the Stoical origins of Buchanan’s political thought. And soon after the publication of the De jure regni they gave rise to a final published work, an almost equally contentious prose tract, the Rerum Scoticarum historia (1582). A tendentious Latin history of the Scottish people and their government down the ages, this has become another key text to students of British and European political thought, further underlining how important was Buchanan’s achievement, most visibly seen in these two majestic late prose works, in introducing certain Roman philosophical ideas into sixteenth-century Scottish literature. (p50)
« Neither Buchanan’s importance in the development of neo-Latin poetic culture nor his specific influence in the expeditious transfer of philosophical Stoicism to his homeland can ever be overstated… Such connections also mark Buchanan out as the single Scottish author situated nearest to the cultural and physical centre of Europe’s gathering Stoic revival. »
~ Extracts from ‘PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND: Neo-Stoicism, Culture and Ideology in an Age of Crisis, 1540-1690’, by DAVID ALLAN (Tuckwell Press, East Linton, Scotland, 2000).
Ruby
1 month ago
Maybe I could post some links. It’s Sunday and there are always some good links on a Sunday.
Trump’s gender ideology pledge could have international effect
What do you think will our politicians wake up and smell the coffee?
Confused
1 month ago
“Isn’t it a great thing that the good guys won every war in history, then wrote up honest accounts of it afterwards?”
– where would we be, otherwise?
we now have more of the anglo state religion, worship of the mythic past, washing yourself clean in the blood of your victims and dupes at the cenotaph; a country that has no future will spend its time living in the past.
I love the framing of these events, men who “gave their lives” (duped, coerced), in “conflicts”; a conflict is like an act of God, a random thing which just happened and we had to deal with it, but when you look at the wars and their causes, it really means : WARS WE STARTED. And it was all for “freedom”, which usually means – PROFIT, greed, LOOTING other peoples wealth.
a more accurate ceremony would go :
LET’S ALL LAUGH AT THE POOR DICKS WHO LOST EVERYTHING, IN WARS WE STARTED, JUST SO WE COULD MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY … ha ha ha … na na na
The anglo is a pirate, a thief and a murderer; the yank his tribute act. Don’t be fooled.
All served up with a sauce of hypocrisy; with the anglo – every accusation is a confession, every utterance a lie – “its alright when we do it” – “we are the good guys, honest”
gore vidal once said of his country, america – “we are always being attacked … then ending up with more territory”
– echoes good old britain, minding its own business, ending up with a quarter of the globe
A ‘different’ way to mark Remembrance Day might be to have our leaders assembled in a cinema where they’re shown All Quiet On The Western Front (the latest version). But the viewers at home don’t see what’s onscreen – instead we get close-ups of our leaders’ faces throughout.
I think Kiplings – A Dead Statesman – captures it simply and best:
I could not dig, I dared not rob,
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue,
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among,
Mine angry and defrauded young?
PPS;
Returning to your suggestion of filming our glorious leaders reaction, I suspect these ideologue self serving parasites reactions would not be what you expect but more akin to Orwell’s 1984 2 minute hate scene..
Get out in the cold rain and tell the poor dupes with the bowed heads what you think of them.
Show them and us the real stuff of your bravery, heroism, patriotism and self-sacrifice.
Right now, all we have to go on are your self-identifying assertions of your own superior wisdom and morality, and I’m afraid that doesn’t quite cut it.
Moan, Confused, dinna be feart to tell them exactly how things stand.
Bad news for ye John BASTARD TAX MOAN, there will be a new round of increased bastard taxes to pay for all the warmongering gifts of munitions to Ukerain and your fellow IDF bedfellows , but take solace that they increases won’t be used for freezing pensioners or starving SCOTS weans
Nae probs for me, I’ve mostly stopped paying taxes – just like many of the immigrants. Actually, I’m betting that with the exception of Professor Baird, none of the regulars on here pay taxes either.
U & Isr are two fronts of the same war. Or have you not noticed that R and Irn are allies, recently joined by NK too. Money spent sending them to wherever Orcs & medievalists go when they are vapourised is money well spent in my opinion. We can fight them there, safely away from here, or we can give up now and fight them here later. A stitch in time …
Maybe you’re supremely relaxed about masked, arabic chanting youths rampaging through our streets, occasionally taking time out to hone their special talent – carving up young lassies with knifes. That’s fine, just don’t expect a great amount of agreement from normal Scots.
Starving Scots weans – you’re having a laugh. Find us one “starving Scots wean”.
Freezing pensioners – maybe – but certainly a raft of comfortably off pensioners are no longer getting their Xmas present slush fund courtesy of the state. And that’s fine with me.
TURABDIN
1 month ago
India and China have approx 1.4 billion people each.
USA has circa 337 million.
Potentially, « the future» is not with Sun King elect Donald, the US or the navel gazing inhabitants of the anglobubble.
Scotland’s future?
nous sommes nos choix.
Jean-Paul Sartre
Mia
1 month ago
According to the National, yet another two SNP politicians, one of them still an active councillor, saw appropriate to use time, while paid by the Scottish taxpayer, to campaign for the Democrats in USA.
And they say it as if it was something to be proud of.
” AT 7am on the day of the US election, ex-SNP MP Anne McLaughlin and SNP councillor Graham Campbell boarded a bus full of Democrats in Washington DC”
Published in “The National”, on Sunday 10 November 2024.
This is starting to look beyond active interference in other country’s democratic process and beyond incestuous (politically speaking), actually.
So we elect in Scotland individuals to represent our interests and work for us and instead, they travel to the USA to campaign for a political party in USA that has absolutely nothing to do with us. Talk about foreign interference.
The immediate question that springs to mind is: have the American democrats done the same by reciprocating and “campaigning” for their pals at election time in Scotland? How many of them have been directly interfering in our democratic processes and since when? Have the USA’s democrats and the USA’s deep state had anything to do with the conspiracy against Mr Salmond?
WTF is this? Is there any political party in Scotland at all that is not so far up the arse of USA’s Democrat party and USA’s deep state that they can still see the light and remember what their actual job is?
I am utterly disgusted by this two sided interference, actually and seriously wonder if it is USA’s deep state who has been governing Scotland since the political fraud took over in November 2014.
Neo-Imperialism vs Nationalism is a global cultural battle.
The SNP (and other western countries Neo-Liberal leaderships) discarded nationalism in favour of neo-imperialism. Which explains why we are now saddled with the voodoo of woke and gender identity ideology instead of being an independent nation, and we remain exploited by external capitalism.
We have known since Roman times, if not before, that nations and hence national cultures, and yes, Nationalism and national identities, are the only ‘bulwark against Imperialism’ (Edward Said).
Nations therefore need to get their acts together to reject Neo-Imperialism. This means to put their own people and their own nation first, and to reject imposed and hence imperialistic cultural ideologies.
I recommend you keep things simple, so two policies only, to start with:
1) Plebiscitary Elections for Independence.
2) Justice for Alex Salmond and justice for every one of the liars and perjurers too.
Get your arse in gear, get organised with 100 similarly thinking Scottish patriots and we will see a political earthquake in Scotland, the likes of which has never been seen before.
Necessary but not sufficient.
The old Left included notions of Internationalism (distinct fro Supra-nationalism) presumably to deal with conflicting Nationalisms which, so far as I heard, have been known to develop into Imperialism.
Do you have anything like a definition for ‘Neo-imperialism’?
It is odd that the obvious link between nationalism and imperialism is routinely ignored by Alf. Most imperialism is actually an extension of forms of nationalism. Neo-imperialism is a usefully vague term if you want to set up a battle between it and nationalism rather than show more concern about the clear causal links between the two.
Tell that to the peoples of India , Africa , Vietnam , and every other country that threw-off the yoke of Colonial Imperialism . The only way these countries were able to achieve their Liberation was by creating a strong , unifying sense of National Identity , and winning the argument that they would be much better off taking back control of their own land and all the riches and resources therein . Q.E.D
Not QED because those imperialists were plainly driven by nationalism too. How one actions the nationalist spirit varies but it can be as a form of aggression or defence against aggression. It cold be seen as a vicious circle. British nationalism (bad, imperialist) is oft cited on here in opposition to the Scottish variety (good and a defence against the Brit invaders). One could make very similar arguments for the history of R****a and several Eastern European countries.
You’re conflating ‘Nationalism’ with Scottish ‘nationalism’ which only entails Scotland being independent and making our own decisions.
We don’t want to bomb anyone. (Well, apart from you know who on here).
They may have been ” plainly driven by nationalism ” – at least they told themselves they were ; in reality they were driven by greed and the will-to-power involved in invading and taking over other countries : unless you’re trying to say , eg the * British * Empire was motivated by purely altruistic impulses , y’know , the myth of bringing * Civilisation * to the poor , benighted primitives
As James says …..Scotland has not the least interest in imposing it’s culture/value systems on anyone else . Scottish Nationalism has one goal and one goal only – the reclaiming of our status as an Independent Nation . Nothing more . Nothing less
’greed and will to power’ must be at the core of it, that brought to mind the alleged Cecil Rhodes quote “…I would annexe the very stars, if I could”. Also think of the Romanov’s successor in muscovy and others.
then I noticed name on comment and thought about the old saying, bury the hatchet! I have no objections to civil debate, there is so much for me to learn.
Not at all too much to ask (I support the cause). If your form of nationalism was just about political autonomy I would agree with the clear distinction. Trouble is, it never is and just reading this site is evidence.
What I do accept is there are very different forms of nationalism (small ‘n’, big, imperialist, defensive, freedom-fighting etc) but therefore I see this apparent fight between Nationalism and ‘Neo-imperialism’ as clear as mud. And the question asked about defining neo-imperialism is a very good one – ‘neo’ is doing a hell of a lot of work there, as it always does.
“Most imperialism is actually an extension of forms of nationalism.”
I think you specifically mean ‘Trans-National Nationalism”.
There are different forms of Nationalism, ye ken, as explained in my textbook ‘Doun-Hauden’, including ‘Self-Determination Nationalism’, which is not Imperialistic:
There is “angelic” nationalism, of the Scottish kind. To be cheered, obvs.
There is “diabolic” nationalism, like the kind attemped in Eastern Europe. To be expunged from the world, obvs.
Then there’s the blood-and-soil nationalism, as evidenced by the Ancient Guff. Scotland has the “angelic” kind – Claim Of Right, Declaration Of Arbroath, etc.
That awkward country in the ME has the “diabolic” kind – Holy Bible, Roman histories, Dead Sea Scrolls – mere shreds of worthless paper to be burned.
You can hardly blame the average punter for getting confused by it all, but I think I’ve made a fair go of summarising it for you.
Dinna forget ‘One-Nation’ British Nationalism and its cultural-political identity forced on the ‘Celtic Periphery’, otherwise known as ‘the UK Internal Colonialism Model’ (Hechter).
Irish liberation showed us aw the road tae freedom.
Gaelic speaking, clan-based north west and Western Isles.
Scots speaking central belt, extending into Grampian.
Norn speaking, Norse influenced Northern Isles.
The entire Borders strip, Tory voting and South facing, maybe because of its history of being in England from time to time.
As I’ve pointed out before, Alf, colonisation is everywhere you look. It’s fatuous to claim Scotland is only colonised by England – end of.
Within Scotland, “one size fits all” oppression of the distinct and different cultural-political entities within the boundaries of Scotland amounts to a form of colonisation too.
Aye, once we are independent and free we will turn our gaze on England? English nationalism as displayed by Reform sees no contradiction in a fully independent England keeping its northern territories. Not a drop of water or blade of grass that is not ours.
Reform are British nationalists. The true English variety fully supports independence for the other countries in the Union. See how easy it is for all this to be manipulated to suit what people’s agenda is?
Nations and hence national cultures are ‘the basis of internationalism’ (Fanon); without which there is only imperialism and with peoples and cultures subject to its colonial procedures.
@ Mia at 13.44: “Anne McLaughlin and Graham Campbell boarded a bus full of Democrats…”
That must have been a nice change for them. The SNP circles the pair move in haven’t seen a democrat since 2014.
And how thrilled the USA Democrats must have been to have Graham Campbell in their midst. If ever there was a determined, capable, hard-working campaigner… er, no, it doesn’t fit, does it?
I have to wonder if that sort of thing is counter-productive. If I were out doing door-to-door campaigning, I could honestly say I live in the USA and am a citizen. Anyone coming from abroad would, rightly, be treated with a wee bit of suspicion – certainly here in North Carolina, even in the majority-Democrat area I live in.
If they weren’t out going door-to-door, what were they doing? If they were there to observe campaigning, you’d think that would be something organized by the party and would be made up more of election agents than elected (or former) politicians. Maybe it was just a cheap holiday.
What a total embarrassment to Scotland. Who authorised this trip? Is it within SNP policy? Scotland can’t afford to fall out with Donald Trump. Anyway the USA election none of their official business.
I heard Anne was there to demonstrate the meaning of democracy through the medium of dance and Graham was there to haud the jaikets, WAF pair o chancers and grifters
O/T Alex Salmond’s memorial service is to be on St Andrew’s Day in St Giles cathedral. I like the sound of that – a suitable place for the first person ever who has obtained a vote on the Union for the whole people of Scotland. No-one has done more or could do better than that.
I wanted to spread this news in the hope that it would give us something to think about that is sincere and respectful. There’s a shortage of such at the moment, I feel.
Given its history these last 300 years or so St Giles might be thought of more as a unionist and hence colonial shibboleth, and by implication wi a complicit ‘establishment’. Dae we really need mair o that for a man that wantit tae brak the mankit ‘union’ hoax?
Surely a better venue might have been found, where loads mair fowk could have participated, an tae hiv a real celebration o Alex’s life, wi musicians, poets, and a full programme. My hope was Tynecastle mebbe wi ticket revenues pit toward fightin an independence plebiscite at the next election.
St Giles is for the establishment, and the new bourgeois who can afford to live in Edinburgh central, it isnae for ordinary fowk nivver mind independence supporters.
I was hoping that it is precisely because St Giles has seen all the establishment rulers, that the family wanted our chief independence fighter, the modern Wallace/Bruce, to be remembered there. And the streets all around crammed with his supporters would be impressive. I expect a sound system will be laid on for those outside, surely.
Maybe they should have both. It would be tremendous to fill Tynecastle – a sea of saltires – and Alex would have deserved no less.
People can also travel to Edinburgh. St Giles is such a beautiful building with its history and grandeur, its acoustics and wonderful music (establishment associations notwithstanding). Is it not where Jenny Geddes in the 17th century threw a stool at the minister in protest?
Reading Sarah’s post made me think of Booth’s famous quote ‘why should the devil have all the best tunes?’ Why should our greatest leader, a statesman but also a true man of the people, not be honoured in the best setting especially on St Andrew’s Day? Nowhere more fitting.
You have got this wrong Alf. St Giles is a most appropriate place for Alex. The place that Nicola Sturgeon read a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth. And does anybody remember the words she said? I do. The brassest neck of all time. Let Alex rest in nobility as he deserved. Some pub venue or fitba venue is not going to do it. I won’t get an invite so will be standing outside St Giles.
It will be the contrast, Alf. A genuine Scot compared with the fake. The truth shouldn’t be ousted from the centre of our own city.
What would be worth showing on screens/buildings, as Led by Donkeys did in London with their political action, is that film of Alex speaking about being damned if he will let the cause of independence shrink due to neglect. It is spine-tingling. If that were shown in the football stadium or anywhere, it would rouse nearly the whole of Scotland. The video is titled “Sovereignty for Scotland” and is on the Alba Party facebook in the video section 49 weeks ago. Please watch – you will be inspired and would be convinced of the cause if you weren’t already by 2 minutes of genuine authoritative passion.
It must be very difficult for the family to know what to do for the best. We really have to leave it to them to decide. I would hope that a lot of people will gather around St Giles.
It seems to be a ready made billet for the politicos regardless of their CVs and history.
The SNP are a Devolutionist disgrace riding roughshod over their voters actual will..
Special place in hell and all that.
Meantime SHE who shall not be named is floating about making engagements for this and next year seemingly without a care in the world.
As SHE is still a person of interest in a quality polis Toshan investigation is that not a piece of misplaced over confidence or is it a case if insider knowledge insight??
Hmmmm..
Regardless, no matter “pals” wi’ Val SHE is now toxic and burnt toast to the independence supporting electorate..
Narcissists are known for their false bravado … until reality hits.
Dan
1 month ago
Over 5 hours of footage from Revive – Land Reform event in Perth.
There is some interesting stuff if you can thole wading through it all.
For me stand outs seemed to be the younger ones.
First session:
Dr Ruth Tingay, Raptor Persecution UK unfortunately highlighting yet more weak policy from Scottish Administration of Devolved Powers in the recently passed Act which looks to have allowed shooting estate legals to find loopholes.
Second session:
Pretty sure it’s Dr Josh Doble, Policy Manager for Community Land Scotland in green top of who seems well informed and good communicator.
Third session:
Copper haired Jenny Barlow, Estate Manager at Tarras Valley Nature Reserve also delivering an excellent segment on Langholm Community buyout.
An enthusiastic Robin McAlpine and Andy Wightman also adding to the mix and worth a view.
Horsebox Mike summing up was just meh whatevs, you’ve had over a decade to do something but achieved next to fuck all, and plenty folk leave and not hanging about to hear what he was saying.
Bottom line is that the past two land reform acts haven’t delivered any meaningful change due to lack of political will.
As far as the land question is concerned, the Scottish “Government” now seems extremely “relaxed” about the landed gentry. Remember the infamous photo of Wishart and Swinney hobnobbing with them in the deli in Dunkeld on the same day as Sturgeon’s infamous hoisting of the independence white flag in January 2020? I would call it the Benny Higgins Effect.
That was the day I finally realised the truth about the SNP.
It’s amazing how so many government acts have these strange loopholes which allow them to be undermined, be they on tax, land ownership or wild life protection.
Sheesh Tinto! Jist one sensible response to a Land Reform post (with multiple potential points to pick up and discuss) on the most read Scottish political site…
I was out living and working on the land this sunny afternoon, looking out across the fields, woods, and hills, when I took a break from the tools whilst reviving an old tractor.
What came to mind as I mulled over the splendid autumn view, is that after getting cleaned up decent and spending over 5 hours getting a numb arse at the Revive event listening to around a dozen or so folk on the stage (many of whom will be getting paid for their jobs) asking the audience to engage with their online consultations so they can be more informed; It struck me that why are the audience the ones that have to make all the running for no remuneration for all the time it takes to submit information.
There were over 400 folk* in the audience, I think it’s safe to say that the accrued knowledge and life experiences of the audience is likely far greater than that of a small panel of folk.
Why are the panel not taking the lead and getting off their arses to come and speak to and learn from the individuals that have lived on and worked the land in ecologically and environmentally sound ways for decades.
Many of the older folk that have the knowledge and skillsets learnt and developed over decades do not have the time and energy, nor slick talk, nor IT skills to convey their highly valuable insights through online portals to those that want to create policies on such subjects.
Do these policymakers think they are some kind of unique trail blazers with this revive stuff? Many folk have actually been quietly getting on with living sustainable existences for decades.
I was asked to go to the event by someone who needed a companion because they’re having a hard time and lack confidence, but they still wanted to attend.
This person has already transformed a baron area of Scottish hillside into a fertile food producing bio-diverse haven.
They have experience and a proven a method that worked decades ago.
I visited the site a month or so back and came home with two of the biggest most tasty and juicy pears I have ever seen or eaten. The tree was absolutely hanging with fruits but I was on my motorbike so could only stick one in each pocket.
Unfortunately the individual after all they have done is currently being evicted from the site because the excessively landed have the power and the poor still have no lawyers…
It surprises me and I think it’s a major failing, that many of these paid policymakers aren’t actively seeking out and asking unique individuals that have already lived the life and walked the walk on this land way more than those that just talk the talk.
I simply don’t have time, energy, or communication skills to submit reams of useful accrued information to numerous groups that will undoubtedly filter it down or manipulate it to suit their own objectives. I don’t have time available because I am too busy dealing with many of the negatives of useless organisations and badly formed and rolled out policies and initiatives.
*It was remarked that the number of people in the hall was approximately the same number as that who own half of Scotland’s land.
“We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible.”
Hands on hearts, how many people know what “indefeasible” means without first having to look it up?
Maybe two polls:
Hands on hearts, how many people believe being in the EU and using the Euro permits “unfettered control of Irish destinies”?
Or any nation’s destiny for that matter?
Man, it’s like the Dublin riots of a year ago over the ordinary people’s lack of control over their destinies have already been airbrushed out of history.
It’s quite dreadful that an innovative and skilful tenant can be evicted so easily but that’s the reality of the land situation in Scotland, I suppose.
Meanwhile, Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen now owns 220,000 acres in Scotland spread over 13 estates. Ironically, in Denmark a foreigner cannot own even one hectare of land, one of about a thousand reasons why independence is essential for Scotland, including the ability to control unbridled immigration.
As for your point about the undoubted practical expertise of local people, I doubt the many middle-class academics on panels and advisory bodies value the rural community much and probably think they have all the theoretical answers, although I can’t include the speakers at the Land Reform event since I wasn’t there.
Does the absence of Graeme McCormick at your event mean his Annual Ground Rent proposals are now dead in the water?
Every radical [in a good way] policy is dead with the current lot in charge of the SNP. Look at their failure to take up the catamaran ferry solution. Stuart Ballantyne did get to speak to Kate Forbes with the expected result given her love of freeports i.e. no progress. I was at a zoom meeting where Graeme spoke to Kate Forbes about the AGR – she didn’t seem open to the idea at all.
Yes, it is a scandal that foreigners can buy land here. It is sheer madness so of course is allowed to continue.
Colonialism ‘is based on psychology’ (Cesaire). So yes, it becomes ‘sheer madness’, on all fronts. With the complicit national party elite ‘condemned by their own hypocrisy’:
Graeme was in the audience! Either by luck or mistake he got his hands on the microphone during one of the questions from the audience times, and let rip that what was being discussed was putting the cart before the horse, and went on to mention land taxation along the lines of his AGR proposal.
Seems to be a lot of faffing about and prevaricating on why things can’t be done because we don’t know who actually owns the land due to the smoke and mirrors methods utilised by landowners, companies, trusts, offshored or whatever.
His proposal blows all that stalling out the water because the land exists, and if we implement a land taxation system then owners will need to come forward and identify what they own or forfeit it.
Yak about property rights and ECHR rules came into play, but it was pointed out that Scottish Parliament have in the past already gone through supposed issues that were contrary to ECHR and won, for things like minimum pricing for alcohol. It’s just that there isn’t the political will with this crop of lame as grifters.
There were 3 MSPs contributing, Rhoda Grant Labour and Mairi Gougeon SNP by vid link, and Ariane Burgess in da house for Scottish Green Party. First 2 were boring uninspiring magnolia waffleyak, Ariane was just painful to listen to or follow what she was even on about with her machine gun wordspattering delivery.
This is all in the 5 hour vid.
Some almost comedy moments, “Off with their heads” was one response uttered from the audience on how to deal with arsey landowners.
Now I love my animals and wildlife, but I almost had a stroke when a pic of a beaver came up on the screen during Kirsty Jenkins’ segment.
She was taking about wild animals needing agency, not just as a collective but as individuals! Getting ahead of ourselves a bit seeing as Scots humans that will deliver this animal agency haven’t had agency ourselves in the form of a democratically elected government we voted for since the middle of last century!
I do get where she was coming from, but how could you ever begin to accurately represent the wonts and needs of beavers or any other wild animals as individuals or as a collective. They don’t even speak or enfranchised to get the vote! I was minded to shout “No representation without taxation!” but didn’t want to get caught on camera getting huckled out the venue.
Of course developing muckle rodent communication methods could be yet another taxpayer funded grift for yet another group to study and suck up more taxpayer funded gravy, but I suspect that may just be a road to far during these times of prolonged austerity.
I’d like to think there might be a smart enlightened beaver somewhere that could rise to a position of power and influence in the Scottish beaver world, and it might then say:
“Hey fellow brothers and sisters, maybe calm the fuck doon a bit on the shagging, procreation, and wanton destruction of quite so many trees and causing all manner of other issues. The humans (and particularly that cunt Dan that is always busy dealing with the endless shit you cause) are going to end up having to cull us unless you all chill the fuck out. Chew some rocks to keep your teeth a reasonable size instead of gnawing and dropping all the planet saving trees the taxpayer paid for.”
Sounds as if you got your moneys worth out of the event, Dan!
I’ve just remembered the last event that Graeme was involved with and I do now wonder how far to follow his ideas. Remember that he stood as Leader of the SNP but withdrew having had a phone call with Swinney. What was that all about?
“It’s just that there isn’t the political will with this crop of lame as grifters.” I don’t doubt that for a second, either through apathy/lack of real interest or undue influence being brought to bear by rich and landed vested interests.
“I almost had a stroke when a pic of a beaver came up on the screen during Kirsty Jenkins’ segment. She was taking about wild animals needing agency, not just as a collective but as individuals!”
Screens, nurse! The screens! Sounds like she’ll soon be dancing the Wokey Cokey if she doesn’t already.
I sense some frustration on your part 🙂 , and nae wunner.
Memmi did find that in colonial societies the colonized native is viewed more or less ‘as an animal’. Demonstrated in this context, perhaps us Scots folk are now valued less than animals?
This ‘cultural recreation’ of our lands by the colonizer has been ongoing since the clearances and will no doubt continue as long as colonialism (i.e. the UK ‘Union’) is permitted to continue.
Well, after this morning’s walk there’s now even more need for an intelligent moderate minded beaver leader to step up. A leader who is capable of comprehending the big picture and negotiating on an inter-species level and one that can kerb the exploits of the thicko ned beavers.
It hasn’t yet been established if the gnawing of another tree last night causing it to fall and destroy the wooden bench the humans sit on was a direct retaliatory action motivated by my post last night.
Jist what’s their game, now it may have been a complete fluke what has occurred, but of all the trees in the wood they drop one on a vector which created maximum damage, and to me it reeks of being a deliberate provocative act with a view to escalating inter-species discord.
Who is going to be held to account and pay for the replacement bench? If Scottish beavers want agency then that also means they can get with the program and start paying taxes and abide by the tenets of Scottish Law.
‘I doubt the many middle-class academics on panels and advisory bodies value the rural community much and probably think they have all the theoretical answers’,
Chas do you get HARD every time you think about Professor Baird , you seem to focus on his every word , Alf you can cite me as a witness if you feel like going to the polis
Does Land Reform mean the working class houses built on toxic cess pits like Linwood Renfrewshire will be rectified and compensated or does it mean
‘ Keep the plebs off the land. Let the dogs loose’ or does it mean nothing costs you a lot.
Hope it happens .
OK, he’s a nasty piece of work, but, the Sunday Brunch at Turnberry partially makes-up for his many failings.
No chance, mate. Biggest clean sweep victory ever. The popular vote, the electoral college, the House, the Senate, majority of Governors, most counties, the Supreme Court. Big swing from all ethnic minorities to Trump. It’s total. Meanwhile back in Scotland, talking of legal cases . . .
Ah yes, the US Supreme Court elections. The most eagerly anticipated election results, watched by billions all over the world, closely following all the action on multiple TV stations and online as the votes from US citizens pile up steadily until winners are declared.
The most comprehensive result in recent memory was surely Reagan over Mondale in 1984. Bear in mind that many of those elected as Democrats in the south acted more like Republicans. That was a period of flux as Reagan’s “Southern Strategy was taking hold.
Trump won with just over 2% more of the total votes cast to him or Harris out of about 144 million. Biggest clean sweep ever – are you sure? One thing is for sure, almost half the electorate didn’t vote for him.
Think that means they can’t send him to jail?
Read the previous article again, Tory Boy.
There was a story doing the rounds a while back originating from a sales rep for fire suppression equipment. He was in Turnberry trying to sell new fire extinguishers and Donald’s minion was insisting that they be supplied with gold coloured units. The exasperated sales rep was trying to explain that by legislation, they only came in red. Donald’s employee was insistent; “Yeh, but WE want gold ones.”.
…or the fire exit signs at Ibrox?
They come in a variety of colours, depending on the contents.
Maybe it’s past time people took a step back and asked themselves if this perpetual demonisation of Orange Man — crass, vulgar and loud-mouthed as he may be — is really good for their mental health. He’s not actually a monster; he is, at the most, no worse than any other politician, and if you keep swallowing what the MSM have been shovelling for the last eight years, you’re going to be poisoned.
Correct . Neither is he the Hitler , Stalin , Pol Pot , Vlad The Impaler or The Monster From The Black Lagoon of delusional ” Liberal ” imagination . The ( hysterical over ) reaction to Trump’s victory , particularly within millionaire celebrity fantasy land has been absolutely hilarious ; all these ridiculous ego-trippers who imagined the * average person * was so enthralled by the sheer wonderfulness of these people they gave a single fuck about their political opinions , or would be influenced to vote as they were being instructed – lectured – to by them . The majority of US public just gave * Hollywood * a massive ” Fuck You ; we chose the person we think will serve us best ” .
Whether he will or not remains to be seen ; but one thing is absolutely clear – most people in the U.S believe the Democrats were not serving their interests , rather they have been serving the interests of everyone and everything other than themselves , ie the American people .
Not only not serving them , but making things more difficult for them in just about every conceivable way , eg rising crime , unchecked ( illegal ) immigration , job losses ,inflation , * woke * infiltration of schools , health services , universities , police , judiciary , all public institutions – just like here in Scotland .
And the same electoral fate awaits the SNP , and for the same reasons listed above . The only thing that may save them is the utter shiteness of the ( so-called ) ” Opposition ” . But given a choice between 3/4 in essence identikit Parties all pushing the same pish , the Scottish Electorate may decide they’ll give Shite Party B the nod , having become simply bored with Shite Party A and believing it ultimately makes no difference what Party is ” in power ” ; they’re all shite and none of them has the will , strength or imagination to do anything other than repeat the same unproductive garbage as their predecessors . And , as things stand , they’re right
Rather reluctantly I tend to agree. The Democrats and the soft left with their wokish obsessions have been bad for my community and my country …that’s how I feel. The big corporations are behind wokism in order to disrupt and ultimately destroy communities and sma nations like oours. And they are also bankrolling the transcult. Let’s wait and see if he can drain the swamp…cause there is a bog needing unblocked here tae.
Yes it is best to gloss over the facts Trump is a convicted felon, rapist and bigot.
And someone who routinely lies, for effect we are told.
There was an old republican on the radio last night defending Trump’s rhetoric. The interviewer was saying but some of what he says is mad, stupid and dangerous, and he did not disagree but said you don’t take that stuff seriously, it’s a ‘joke’ – e.g. when he said he is going to get a journalist’s license revoked because he did not like her piece on him, he didn’t actually mean it, apparently, nor the people he said should be shot, imprisoned, whatever.
But he’s the POTUS the interviewer said, we need to at least have some faith in what he is saying and not have to second guess him all the time, not have to listen to ‘jokes’ about killing his opponents! The response was you are stupid to think like that with Trump, get used to it.
This is why he is not like ‘all the rest’.
“And someone who routinely lies, for effect we are told.” – by the Lugenpresse.
“nor the people he said should be shot, imprisoned, whatever.” – as opposed to Trump actually being shot and the justice system being politically weaponized against him.
?
Robert M., in a recent comment, you made reference to George Soros in negative, maybe hostile, terms. Soros is widely understood to be jewish. (I do not know whether he regarded himself as jewish, I would object to being described as christian and his attitude could be analogous to mine).
The term ‘Lugenpresse’ is not so commonly found but is known as a German national socialist term expressing hostility to opposing newspapers.
How do you account for your choice of the term “Lugenpresse” shortly following apparent expression of anti-jewish attitude?
Make no mistake about my views; the IHRA definition of anti-semitism is not acceptable and is used to suppress criticism of the mediterranean coastal state which itself is liable to be found guilty of gen…..0 cide.
I have no time for ‘political correctness’, nor for the German national socialist party nor any religions.
Now I see you refer to SkipNC as gimp, even I noticed him mentioning the cerebral palsy, his mind is first-rate. I often use the word ‘gimp’ but only metaphorically for the mental capacity of politicians. Maybe I should add you to that category, Robert, lets have an answer from you, no ducking and diving, Robert.
Me ne frego.
Irrelevant to what I was saying. It it cool now to appropriate demonising Nazi language to add a bit of frisson to the whataboutery?
Hello S-bystander, the ‘timestamps’ suggest that you would not have seen R Matthews’ additional allusion to Mussolini’s fascism.
The style of communication is obtuse (the polite description). Even the SNP are more straightforward!
Reasonable inference is that ‘he’ is either a fascist or a time-waster or maybe both. That looks like ‘yoon troll’ material. One cannot expect any positive contribution to the cause of Independence from ‘him’.
Further reply to S bystander, he will probably fit the german national socialist stereotype with some runic lore and a smattering of the occult!
He seems an ideal agent for discrediting the independence movement and ?oS in particular.
???? ???
O con noi, o contro di noi
You can’t be convicted of being a bigot, especially when there’s no evidence of it. It isn’t a crime. Even if it’s true, so what? You don’t get to tell people what to believe. And using a woman who’s accused at least one other man of sexually assaulting her in order to prostitute the legal system to “get” your opponent isn’t a good look. Nor is declaring standard American business practice as fraud for this single instance, before reassuring the rest of the business community that of course this doesn’t apply to THEM, only to Trump. It’s a little too Soviet for my taste, and it seems millions of Americans agree. Referring back to my original post, I ask that you consider what you’re swallowing. Start from the experimental assumption that you might have got this wrong.
He is worse
I thought the Department of Justice had dropped the cases against Trump?
That only covers the federal cases for January 6th and the “declassified documents.” There are two state cases still alive. One is in Georgia relating to his attempts to secure Georgia’s electoral votes in 2020. Nineteen people were charged in that case. It is doubtful that the case against Trump will proceed until after January 20th 2029. Whether the others will proceed is a matter for the District Attorney in that county.
The other case is in New York for false accounting, of which he has already been convicted by a jury. We can expect to find out on Tuesday if sentencing will proceed after the Supreme Court ruling on presidential immunity in early July. If it does proceed, sentencing is set for late November. Currently, the prevailing view is that he will get a non-custodial sentence. A fine is the most likely outcome and, for the offences actually charged, I think that would be appropriate. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind seeing him with an ankle bracelet for a wee while, just for a wee bit of humility.
Put your Gimp mask back on and shut up.
Hang on a minute, Stu’s latest post and this cartoon have been about current goings-on in America, where freedom of speech is guaranteed by Article One of the Bill of Rights (often known as the First Amendment).
Why are you bothered about a largely factual post that also gives a concise summary of the prevailing opinion on those factual matters? Do facts – real ones – scare you for some reason?
I do not know why I would need to wear a mask to advertise my limp. I have the usual cerebral palsy gait. I am not ashamed of that but I don’t feel the need to advertise it. I do note, however that you used a term that is universally held to be offensive. That tells everyone who reads your comment precisely what sort of person you are. So I will take my leave of you with one final thought – and please believe me when I say this is with all the love and affection I can muster and that you deserve – fuck off.
Skip NC. It isworth considering ‘Matthews’ ‘ other recent comments, showing interest in runic lore, the occult, Mussolini’s Fascism, German national socialism, seems to think that George Soros is a global conspirator.
Seems that he might have a disparaging attitude to you.
Almost laughable as stereotypical Troll.
with best regards for you, Skip.
It is worth taking time to consider how this will play out for the UK and how the scottish cause might benefit.
It would of course have helped if Swinney kept his mouth shut before the election but the SNP is determined to stop independence
Trump Turnberry: Play the King Robert the Bruce:
“Named after the King of Scotland, Robert the Bruce, the historical warrior who led Scotland to claim its right as an independent country in the Battle of Bannockburn in June 1314, this world class golf experience will thrill…”:
link to archive.ph
[That shroud read “reclaim” I think].
This reads…
Boom Shaka: It’s Our Game (no need to claim): Party Goes On:
“Tell me I don’t know what to do anymore…
Let me tell you something
I’m on a mission for a little party hunting…
There’s a party going on now
And everybody’s gonna feel good…”:
link to tinyurl.com
In order for Trump to deport over 11 million illegal immigrants in the ‘Good Ol’ US of A’ during his presidency he would have to spend a minimum of $1 trillion to deport 7,500 illegals every day for the next 4 years. In contrast illegal immigrant households contribute over $100 billion in taxes, social security and health payments every year. In addition Trump’s proposals for increased trade tariffs will cost each American at least $1000 a year. So in total over the next 4 years the cost to every American for electing Trump is a minimum of $8,000, and that is before Trump has completed his wall. This is going to be fun,
Damn it, Callum, you’ve just fused my Bullshit Meter.
The cost to me of replacing it will likely go through the roof as the Pound tanks against the USD.
Was it made in China like Trump’s bibles, watches and all the other Trumpian paraphernalia he flogs to his supporters?
Anyone for Woke baiting.
By way of performating trolling I suggest getting hold of one of those “YES SHE CAN” t-shirts and then mooching around in it while wearing a MAGA hat. The meltdowns will be the stuff of legend 🙂
Woke on.
Elon Musk has been calling for 30% reduction in federal, state and local government employees – that is 7 million jobs lost – and the monies saved, over $60 billion a year, should be used to reduce taxes for the richest in the US. The demographic of the poorest and the richest who overwhelmingly voted for Trump are going to have totally different experiences over the next 4 years.
No point in singularly calling Americans stupid in voting for Trump when the British (i.e. the English) voted for Brexit and BoJo, The Anglo-sphere has gone bananas over the last 10 years.
Callum, there were some who voted to leave the EU with a view to avoiding a long-term relationship analogous to the one between England/Britain and Scotland.
That was a gamble which was lost largely as a consequence of eastern mediterranean special interests, some call it ‘State capture’ (applying in USA, too.) and Johnson (of high ‘entitlement’ and low morals) became PM, his version of ‘Brexit’ was extremely ill-conceived and detrimental.
Trump isn’t a monster.
The pressing concern is whether he’s going to be complicit with one.
I have a grave anxiety, given he’s already taken their money.
The only monster I see is the many-headed one seldom off our streets, and the streets of just about every other European town and city.
Like the monster rampaging this week on the streets of Amsterdam.
I’d give our ME ally free reign to purge themselves of the medievalist killers once and for all. Once they’ve done that, we can invite them to help us do the same here.
It’s quite astonishing to me just how complicit and accepting people are prepared to be about our kids getting hacked or blown to pieces on our streets by immigrants.
Wow. Just, wow. What a total c*nt the Site Prick really is.
Good to know you are actually aware of the existence of lady bits!
Watch the Family Guy episode where Stewie finds his first porno mag and report back – be honest now – was it like that for you too?
Mask slipping badly there on Genocidey McGenocideface.
The only place I am seeing kids get blown to bits every single day by immigrants is in Palestine and Lebanon.
As usual every accusation is a confession.
Hurting a bit on here today I see after getting humiliated by the citizens of Amsterdam. Unlike babies they can fight back.
Sorry for another try, my first attempt was eaten up by moderation.
I am amazed that you are cheering organized thugs (some armed with sticks and knives) beating and kicking people in the streets. Ten brave Arabic-speaking citizens of Amsterdam on one or two football fans of wrong ethnicity, but hey, Mac says they can fight back even if they are thrown to the ground, so it is OK to kick their teeth. There is a word for it, something anti-, anti-se … something like that. It has a long tradition in some quarters.
And do not forget to add U to your list of places where children are blown up every day – you known by whom.
(And you get 12 upvotes for this pish)
Meantime, in Reality Land, polls indicate that support for Trump is higher in Scotland than just about anywhere else outside the USA.
It’s much higher among men than it is in women, but then again, in Scotland, nobody is really sure what that means.
Inevitably though, just like with WM Labour, HR SNP have already publically favoured Harris and the Dems, and so, just like last time, Scotland and Indy will be in a poor place to capitalise on The Donald’s second term as the Most Powerful Man In The World.
That’s both sad, and sadly predictable.
You live in an evidence free zone of alternative facts. Does your mother know what you are doing in your bedroom?
Ma’s hoovering my bedroom as I type.
I’m sitting on the bog. Your posts have loosened my bowels amazingly.
It’s going to take several flushes to clear. Thanks for your help.
Ma’s going to be on the warpath about having to mop up the pebbledash when I’m done here, so you take care, because I intend to blame you.
Most of us would’ve given anything to see Alex Salmond have the chance to enact his vision for an independent Scotland. It wasn’t to be.
But this guy does have the chance to make the kind of serious changes that we would applaud from the rooftops if they were coming from Alex.
Yes , Ian , I think it will be clear when Trump picks his team whether or not he was serious in his pre-Election statements . If he again surrounds himself with the same warmongering ghouls and Permanent State parasites , we’ll know pretty quickly he wasn’t . If , on the other hand , he drives the latter out and makes use of the talents of people like RFKjnr ( too bad about the latter’s support for the monsters in Z…ist Goshen , other than that aberration , he has a pretty sound grasp of the things that are destroying the U.S and the West generally ) then we may able to consider his victory a good thing for the World .
Occam’s Razor suggests that if RFK Jr has a sound grasp of the basics, then his support for our allies in the ME is not an aberration.
So it’s you and your small cohort of anti sem-ites on here that are in the wrong.
Stands to reason really. The Roman histories, the archeological record, the Holy Bible, and heck, even the Declaration Of Arbroath, are all in agreement on who the rightful and indigenous inhabitants of the Holy Land are. Any one of these sources would probably have been sufficient, but all four together? It’s beyond dispute.
It’s a free country and so your right to side with the tunnel-skulking lassie mutilators goes without saying.
But you shouldn’t boast about it on a site where Indy specifically and Scotland more generally will be tainted by that deplorable association.
Hilarious take on righteousness of theft, well done!
Why don’t you crawl back under the slimy stone you emerged from , ya fckn creepy , ghoul . No one here gives a fuck about you and yr repellent * worldview * . And you better get as many Zelly-wanks in as possible , as yr wee * hero * is about to lose his main source of income when Trump pulls the plug on the financing of the Proxy War ; oh , on that note , how’s the U * invasion * of R going , have they surrounded the outskirts of Moscow yet ? Na , didn’t think so and as I said at the time – when you were wetting yr knickers with blood-lust over the prospect of more * Orcs * being killed ….it was the last , desperate move of a horrible bastard whose only interest is in preventing his worthless body decorating a lamppost . ” Anti-Semites ” , ya pathetic snivelling apologist for Genocide – yes G.E.N.O.C.I.D.E . Anyone with a grain of common humanity knows what’s happening ” over there ” is an affront to every standard of human ethical decency – except cunts like you , who , from the safety of yr living room , cheer-on every atrocity perpetrated by the horrible cunts you support
You can’t reason with reptiles, Robert.
If it walks like a c*nt and quacks like a c*nt….
“You can’t reason”
There, fixed it for you.
You seem to be favouring cants over pricks today, James.
I hope nobody’s forcing conversion therapy on you – I’m sure that’s illegal in Scotland!
Channeling your inner Rooby are you? Only you seem fixated on the ‘C’ word.
Where’s this genocide at then? Surely you can’t be referring to the yellow tunnel dwellers, skulking behind their hostages and their walls of human shields, with their overseas bank accounts to fall back on for later?
They could end it all by this time next week – simply by releasing the hostages. Of course somebody on our side might then devote their efforts to sending their yellow hides to paradise soon after. You’re right, atrocity or not, I’d be cheering that on.
Anyway, keep posting this stuff. Ordinary Scots really do need to know what kind of government and leadership you admire. The Humous boys have brought death and destruction down on the heads of their people and caused their country to be turned into rubble – from the river to the sea.
The likes of you would do the same for Scotland and would virtue signalling just how righteous you are while doing it too.
You need to be quarantined well away from our political life. The oxygen of publicity is what we need to ensure that happens.
Zelly wank eh? You boys just can’t thole a sovereign, independent nation that is prepared to fight for its land, culture, language and history. Far smarter people than me will never be able to fathom just why their bravery and sacrifice annoys you so much.
This is interesting. You condemn (alleged) genocide in ME, but you are totally fine with genocide committed by Orcs in U. Another commenter on this thread was (correctly) horrified by deaths of children in ME but did not seem bothered by scores of children murdered in U by Orcs. Such selective blindness may have a name in psychopathology, if only I could recall how …
Your reference to ” Orcs ” tells me all I need to know , and your bizarre statement that I’m ” totally fine with blah blah ” , No , idiot , I’m not ” fine ” with that , or any other incidence of humans killing other humans . Only a half-wit like you could take anything I’ve written on the subject to mean I derive any satisfaction from the death of others – that’s Main’s thing .
The difference between the horror in ME and the Proxy War in U , should be fckn obvious to anyone not thoroughly or wilfully blind : in the former case – 70+ years of oppression , violent theft of land/property and daily brutality under an apartheid system the likes of which people like you can’t even imagine , let alone could endure for one day , never mind an entire life should ever have the misfortune to live under such a regime .
Contrast with the wholly manipulated/contrived Proxy War ; R had been no threat to U until the latter refused to desist in it’s murderous campaign in the R-speaking areas – and why was it doing that , what possible threat was that area to the rest of U ?
Then came the CIA instigated Maidan Coup ; then Z – once elected – totally reversing what he had campaigned and won his election on , ie ” constructive relations with R ” . Instead , he continued with the lethal attacks in Donbass and neighbouring areas ; then the extreme provocation of demanding N.A.T.O membership – right on R’s border ; I’ve asked people like you before , and never got an answer , so , here we go again ……would the US tolerate a hostile country putting long-range missiles in Canada or Mexico ? You know damn well it wouldn’t , but somehow R is expected to tolerate that on it’s border . Don’t make me laugh . The hypocrisy is off-the-scale
All that and the entire lockstepping West MSM & Political Clown Class have the nerve to insult our intelligence by calling R’s response to all this ” Unprovoked ” . Aye , so it was .
War is Hell ; alas ,,,,War is ( also ) Business .
Big Business .
Why do you think the US M.I.C – in particular -is so fond of it , why so much effort is put into it’s creation/promotion and continuance ; and so little effort – zero , in fact – put into the avoidance/ending and ultimate elimination of the human tragedy & failure that War represents ?
Why does any country need to site long-range missiles just across the border from it’s supposed target – after all, that close to, short-range ones will do.
Asking for my 8 YO grand daughter who already has progressed beyond the rote regurgitation of imaginary justifications for bigoted and entrenched prejudice.
Orcs, wanks, cants, ghouls. You’re looking dreadfully exposed on your pedestal of self-identifying virtue-signalling. Mind a gust of wind doesn’t reveal your Crown Jewels to the incredulous crowd. You can’t afford even more ridicule.
Over in the Holy Land, archaeologists are still digging up irrefutable evidence of who the indigenous owners and inhabitants were and still are. It’s a unique place in that nowhere else in the world is there such strong evidence covering such an extended time scale.
For so-called Scottish Independence supporters to choose such a ludicrously hopeless hill to die on is explicable only if you choose to believe that the movement has a subconscious drive to political suicide.
And U? A sovereign, independent nation, fighting for its culture, language, history and freedom. Millions of them making the kinds of sacrifices in their country’s service that the Wings BTL bleaters like you could never in a million years countenance.
Yet constantly denigrated on here.
Not one of them would see the pretendy patriots you and your like-minded fellow travellers represent in their road.
I can see the validity of some of your comment (and I made some allied points in a long comment above…if it survives ‘moderation’), but your reference to archaeological evidence of “original ownership” leaves some gigantic problems:
one is that millions of europeans have moved into that territorysince the late 19th century when nationalistic ideology was developed for a promised land and neither their culture, language or genetics could be meaningfully linked to archaeological evidence,
another is that large numbers have moved from north america and display violent conduct wild west style,
also, if archaeological evidence is to be used then how many people might need to return to europe or be slaughtered in their homes, and, further, it might be anachronistic to try applying the concept of Ownership.
It must be difficult for you to make a detached assessment of the situation as Mordechai Vanunu must have done.
Robert, sadly your reply is not surprising – you dutifully recite all Uncle Vlad’s talking points. You conveniently forgot to mention that R was stirring up sh*t in U for long years before the current war started, both politically and militarily – remember all those R recruits who suddenly decided to take their holidays fighting together with separatists in Donbas?. Same way Uncle Adolf manufactured conflicts in Sudetenlands before WW2 to create cause for international arbitration, And lots of idiots in the West ate it up (see Munchen diktat). History repeats itself, it seems.
I am puzzled why you think that U efforts to get membership in NATO were “extreme provocation”. R stole Crimea in 2014 (prez P first lied about it, than happily admitted that the little green men were his troops – “eto nashi!”) and since then led “frozen war” in U – pretending there were no R soldiers there. Of course U wanted NATO membership, probably the only thing that could stop R from stealing its territory.
And since you ask, in my youth I lived in a country that was invaded by R army and have a first hand experience with a regime they installed there – no thank you, I would not wish that on anyone. It was not a war, by far not as bad as Gz, but anyway.
I am pleased to hear that you also care about civilians killed by Orcs (I use that nick not to antagonize you, but because unlike others it does not trigger moderation. And if the cap fits …). I was misled by your first post, in which you were incensed by genocide in ME and protested someone’s alleged approval of killing of invading Orcs, but inexplicably failed to mention your disgust at senseless killing of U civilians, which I had naturally expected in that context. My bad, sorry.
Robert, there is a far longer, grim history of european settlement into the territory (east of the Mediterranean) to which you refer and it amplifies/ validates your comments on the middle eastern situation.
By contrast, your comments concerning the largest eastern EUROPEAN country are almost entirely invalid.
There is no doubt that the the natives there have a comparable history of suffering and oppression (for a considerably longer period) when compared to the middle eastern case.
I am not aware of any contradiction to a minimum of 3.5 million killed by Stalin’s policy of starvation in that land, during the 1930’s with the Purges and show trials added.
The Russian Empire and its sucessor (acting in Chechnya for example) has had no record of benevolence to the peoples who fell under its control.
The Bolsheviks defeated a nationalist army around the end of the First World War and the entire area was swallowed into the USSR until Gorbachov’reforms.
The Russ. Fed. spends hundreds of millions of roubles to persuade people to your opinion regarding events of 2014 but the natives do seem remarkably keen to maintain their independence irrespective of whatever CIA activity occurred. There are millions of people there, very like us.
If you are a Scots nationalist, would you forgo Independence on the grounds that some third party provided covert assistance? If you will not allow that another ‘People’, in their own land, should have the same status as you seek then your cause would be worthless. That is the elementary ethic of it, I would pursue the cause as a universal principle.
There are reams of historybooks on the subject and you could soon read more than I have, and you might end up wondering how you ‘got it so wrong’.
The evidence of gen….o-cidal intent in Russ. Fed. is obvious, plainly stated as policy/attitudes; the Special Military Operation is intended to remove a deviant regime from Kyiv and supposedly re-unite part of Russian territory which has been separated from its ‘proper’ owners.
Remember, falsehood will come from USA and Russ. Fed. Sometimes our enemies tell the truth.
Direct reportage from eastern Europe is mostly unavailable to us for reasons of language but there are a few sources and, it seems,not wholly under Kyiv govt control: Kyiv Post, Euromaidan Press, Defence Express (mostly on military hardware), maybe others. Reading what the natives are saying is well worthwhile.
Like you, a) I too have little respect for what is called MSM.
b) I am horrified and disgusted at the activities of the i d f, the settlers and the entire political structure there, an analogue to the Moscow empire.
You may regard it as a proxy war but the natives there will see it from a different perspective.
Compared to you, Znovak is fairly polite in his comment, considering his personal experiences.
I recognise something of the basic elements of your perspective, they have, as you might be aware, been expressed and elaborated by Prof. John Mearsheimer. If you do not know of Mearsheimer then some reading might be worth your while. I cannot pretend to be much of a reader, myself, but do make a bit of an effort.
Based on what I have read it is quite an effort resisting the temptation to unleash invective in response to your ill-mannered message to Znovak.
I have already made a lengthy comment in reply to yours but Stu might exclude it.
I you will allow the possibility that Znovak and I are spending time and brainenergy for sake of your understanding of the appalling circumstances and historical accuracy.
Mearsheimer is what is called an eminent scholar but I think that,because of his own imperialistic psychology (all to common with eminent men), he fails to recognise the intrinsic tendency of political gangsters to pursue imperialist schemes with or without ‘Nato provocation’. Mearsheimer also fails to give real acknowledgement of ‘Agency’ (pointed out by the nation under attack) for the smaller neighbouring nation being battered by imperialists nextdoor.
If you are serious about Independence then you will need to get to grips with this.
Please do not resort to any more ‘halfwit’ or similar expressions. The possibility is that others know more than you do.
Here’s the thing Jay – this is not a polite debating society , I write as I talk ; I’m not under any delusion I’m writing for the TLS or the Pulitzer Prize Committee . So do me a favour – don’t tell me how I should express myself , what language , opinions you consider acceptable : I couldn’t give a fuck what your opinion is – who are you anyway , why have you suddenly decided WOS needs your ever-so-polite , genteel contributions ?
I’m very familiar with John Mearsheimer – as I am with the writings/ broadcasts and thinking of Jeffrey Sachs , Col Doug MacGregor , Chris Hedges , among other superb , vastly experienced commentators on Global Affairs ; it’s the perceptions of such people that inform my own understanding of * events * in E.Europe ; M.E and elsewhere .
I trust these people’s judgement and , as a matter of fact – everything they’ve said and forecast would happen in the two ongoing major conflicts has , indeed come to pass ; and , don’t insult my intelligence ….of course I’m aware for the unfortunates thrown into the ” meat grinder ” of frontline combat there’s nothing ” Proxy ” about this War . That description relates to the background , intention and real instigators of this latest round on US contrived , ulteriorly-motivated horror .
Now away back to your lofty-yet-fluffy armchair of anodyne opinion and patrician dispensing of tut-tutting disapproval of other people’s mode of communication .
If you don’t like what I say/write , it’s very easy to scroll past my name when you see it .
You, evidently, are better educated than I am but that is not difficult. Odd that you did not mention E. Lutwak.
Has it not crossed your mind that Sachs might be a major contributor to the ‘proxy’ war, having been advisor to Gaidar? Col. MacGregor sounds like a lovely man, Scots heritage?
It would be ridiculous for you to be a supporter of Scottish independence, merely a lumpen intellectual high on muscovite propaganda.
Who are you, anyway, a Welshman, sound like a Tory MP or a big fish in a small pond.
No point in you replying because I will not be reading it, at your suggestion.
Given the the implicit contradictions and inconsistencies within what you write, it would be impossible to insult your intelligence and the outlook for Scottish independence is dismal, particularly if you are involved. The best hope for you is to arrange muscovite satellite status, best arrangement for you neo-stickbundlers. Acknowledge the truth, you are pursueing oppression and death, except for your own Type.
Not much chance of Trump pulling the plug, rumour was that his son-in-law, Jared, is lining up to aquire coastal land near Egypt.
What’s that got to do with pulling the plug on U ? Has Egypt somehow shifted to E.Europe ?
Bright man like you should be able to work out that Trump would not pull the plug on the promised land especially if there is a golf course in prospect, near Egypt, but definitely capable of leaving U to be destroyed even further.
Who’s the bloke?
Was wondering that myself.
“The most comprehensive result in recent memory was surely Reagan over Mondale in 1984”
========•
Not by a long way.
Only 1 presidential election before Reagan’s first win in 1980, Richard Nixon utterly destroyed George McGovern by winning 49 states to 1(Massachusetts +District of Columbia) AND 62% of the popular vote.
“…Richard Nixon utterly destroyed George McGovern ..”
======
In our own parish a few years back, SLABber#1 was mockingly referred to as “Elmer Fudd”
Was the inspiration for this the cartoonish identification of George McGovern as Mr Magoo?
Nixon’s young supporters (who may have included DJ Trump) coined the ditty:
“What do you do if you’re Mr Magoo
When your teeth don’t fit
And your hair starts thinning…
And you have no chance of winning?@
I suppose the term “recent memory,” is relative. In 1972 I had barely discovered the joys of football. By 1984 I was in work.
“Only 1 presidential election before…”
=====
Not quite right. My original wording was: “ The penultimate election before… “ was right!
Not by a long way…if your memory doesn’t stretch to the 1972 election then there’s nothing exceptionable about making that statement. As for the actual facts…
The electoral college result was exactly the same in 1972 and 1984. The vote percentage difference between winner and loser was 23% and 18% respectively. I was too young for ’72 but I remember ’84 very well.
Nixon, Reagan and Trump actually have a fair amount in common, well if you happen to think treason is a bit wrong that is.
As much chance of “justice” happening over there as there is over here
Sod all chance in other words!
The latest poll of Scots (Norstat, Nov. 1st) puts Alba’s support at 1%.
It looks as though what some commenters here call the only “true Indy Party” is going nowhere. They’re still barely outpolling the Monster Raving Loonies.
Gloriana; I think the point is an independence successor party in place and available to vote for once the devolutionist SNP is finally deep sixed.
Try and keep up eh?
1% for Alba is Monster Raving Looney Party territory.
That’s reality.
Try to keep up. Eh?
You wouldn’t know “reality” if it sank it’s pointy sharp teeth into your fat, lazy arse.
Jog on!
LOL
In an actual by-election 2 days ago, though, they got 9%. That can’t be extrapolated, but does show the potential with good campaigning and local prominence.
Were those the by-elections in Aberdeenshire where the Conservatives won big? A result Aberdeen Live labeled “emphatic.”
Or the Inverclyde result, where the Conservatives outpolled Alba 2-1?
Or the races where Alba couldn’t even find anyone willing to run (Moray-Elgin)?
Not exactly an endorsement of Indy–or Alba.
I really don’t understand the euphoria and/or despondency around who becomes the next American president as if it matters to us.
The trajectory will remain the same as always, make the rich richer and the poor poorer.
The idea that we should place our faith in one set of liars over another set is completely bonkers mad, even more so when it’s sets of liars from a completely different country.
This Trump rhetoric was done to death 8 years ago when he was going to blow up the entire world as there was nothing surer.
Ah well, no doubt, he’s going to blow the world up, all over again.
I’m off to dig out a bunker for myself.
Take some teenage lassie hostages with you for when you get bored.
Pile your family members on top to be first to take any incoming fire.
Stick up red crosses everywhere so it looks like a hospital.
Come out after a year or so and the regulars of Wings BTL will want to crown you as King of Scotland.
I am glad the democrats like the Sturgeon SNP are completely incapable of learning anything from their defeats.
I don’t want them to improve as they are dangerous IMHO, they are the exact opposite of ‘democrats’.
They also seem to think if they just keep repeating the same tedious lies over and over again that somehow one day people will finally believe them. Years of all that Ru$$ia shite, and it was total and complete pish. The dodgy dossier blah blah blah. It is really boring.
Trump has lot of things you could really criticize him about (bombing Syria after a false flag, supporting a gen0cide and ethnic cleansing and so on) but they consistently ignore those faults and just make up all this nonsense.
And then they are all butthurt and confused when Trump beats them for the umpteenth fucking time in a row. FFS…
It is madness. And long may it continue. The parallels between the Sturgeon SNP and the US democrats are very evident. Both absolutely toxic right now. (This is where the corruption of the SNP has come from I suspect. Same thing has captured both parties.)
The US democrats sold themselves out to the deep state in return for perpetual power. And they nearly got away with it….
You can’t ever forget nor forgive that. In fact you’d be mad to. Because they will try again.
If the Universities keep churning out the likes of Sturgeon and Useless then it will certainly get worse.
Well said.
One thing we can say with certainty is that under Trump you can no longer trust America. Absolutely madness for any country to tie themselves to future American foreign policy. There has to be an economic, foreign and military response to Trump by European countries that secures Europe’s safety and trade. As Ukraine has found to its cost buying into American military technology when the White House has a veto over its use does not provide security. Independent deterrence is the order of the day whether it be deterring Russia, Iran, Chine or even the USA.
Meanwhile in Scotland…
link to isp.scot
I propose that people coming to Scotland to live should be taxed. Their English pound is worth more than the Scottish pound, which allows them to outbid others for properties. So therefore should be taxed
Since there is no Scottish Pound, I assume you mean the Pound Sterling, as printed on Scottish bank notes. That’s the same pound as issued by the Bank of England…
I am quite heartened when I see the number of up-ticks and non-dismissive posts regarding Prez Trump.
It suggests to me that independent-minded people (I presume most readers of Wings are pro-independence) can be left, centre and right-leaning. Which is the way it should be.
The road to independence should have many mansions.
-and that is the true challenge.
We need 2/3 of the voting public to believe in it, so that means all colours. If we get 2/3rds of all the people, we won’t need the semantics of 400yr old bits of paper, Supreme Courts, European or UN civil rights, or Westminster and Cheltenham’s permission, we’ll just declare it.
“ independent-minded people..”
======
You mean independence-minded. That is something different, as your subsequent qualification does not quite make clear.
Enjoy… link to archive.ph
The latest poll (Norstat) has SNP 27%, Labour 21%, Conservatives 13%, Reform 13%, LibDems 10%, Greenies 6%, and Alba at 1%. Rest undecided.
As can be seen, 72% of Scots won’t vote for even a nominal Indy party like the SNP. And Alba is, as usual, just a microbe on the body politic.
“And Alba is, as usual, just a microbe on the body politic”
If, as you say, “it is just a microbe on the body politic”, why is it that you are this bothered by it?
If 1% of the voters casting a vote for Alba gets you this worried, imagine if it was a 10%. Goodness, you would go into complete melt down.
What is it about Alba that terrifies you this much?
I just looked at the Norstat data for their Nov 1 poll.
Alba are down 2% from 5% to 3%.
Never trust a Campbell.
Not true.
See Q3-1, “Who would you vote for if a UK Parliamentary election were held tomorrow?”
Alba, 1%.
See also Q7b-1 and 7b-2.
I’m not sure how even your claim of 3% makes Alba look like anything other than a pimple on the body politic.
Holyrood next, Tory dumbass.
Fair doos C. I refer to the Holyrood voting intentions.
So 3% now for Alba at the next election in 2026.
But I am sure that you will concur with me when I say that polls over a year away from an election are meaningless.
The Scots word is “plook”.
Imagine it as an angry, inflamed pimple, with a suppurating yellow head on it, swollen with evil smelling pus under pressure. You can call it James.
That gets you to 3%. Once it bursts (posts on Wings BTL), it’s 1% again.
I agree with you that Alba, like the SNP, is a waste of time. A new Indy movement is needed, campaigning on a plebiscitary election policy, with new faces and new ideas.
New political personalities and parties are springing up all across the world. Not even our Scottish Exceptionalism can stop it from eventually happening here too.
“Mia,” Alba is just a microbe party.
Nobody cares much about it, let alone is “terrified” of it.
I just don’t like to see moonhowlers lie about how popular they, and Alba, are. Why can’t you just admit the truth–that Salvo and Alba are a tiny band of fanatics?
I always try to treat posters with respect
You should try it CC.
After all those who fill their brain dead posts with personal abuse have lost the debate.
Now and forever.
Looks like your a loser Campbell, sorry to say.
YOU should try facts.
Reality. Truth. Rather than personal attacks.
And the reality is that nobody is “terrified” of Alba or Salvo–or even care much about them. They are to be laughed at, not terrified of.
What is with your fixation with terror CC?
You seem a tad unhinged CC.
I recommend you seek help for your Mental health issues CC.
I am told that SAMH do excellent work in that field of expertise CC.
Go get some consultations with the experts CC.
You need help CC.
Good luck CC.
The 1% predictably froth at the mouth at anyone who points out that they are–the 1%.
Maybe if you tried these things called facts, and rational arguments, you wouldn’t be stuck at 1%. And maybe you wouldn’t be laughed at.
Facts again, eh?
That noise you hear Campbell, it’s the rest of us laughing at, not laughing with.
I think Blackpool beach must be missing a donkey.
I’ll be sure to let those good Lancashire folk know where they can find it.
Aye Zander, even postcolonial theory tells us that the colonial condition ‘requires difficult and painful treatment’ (Memmi).
Various ‘defence mechanisms’ are used to deny ‘reality and truth’ of colonial oppression, as we see in current conflicts, as well as in Scotland:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Oh yes, we’re colonised all right, the events of the past week have made that crystal clear.
Donald of Orange will be in the Oval Office soon.
And so our taxes will rise, and our public spending will fall, to get our defence expenditure up to the European average levels needed to withstand the Orcs and Hermits massing to invade our allies.
And so all the calculations underpinning our recent Budget will likely be shredded if the threatened trade wars come to pass and plunge our economy into deep recession.
The US sneezes, we catch the flu. The US pivots on policy, we spin like we’ve a pole up our arse.
Meantime, the parallel colonisation by third-world medievalists proceeds apace, which is why an evening’s TV watching is such fertile ground for a game of “Spot The Vanishingly Rare Mono-racial Family”.
Colonisation is everywhere. Maybe it’s just karma for all the colonising we Scots did in previous centuries. But to pretend the only colonisation in town is the English colonisation of Scotland is to indulge in the same reality and truth denying you accuse others of.
“YOU should try facts”
ROFL
This from the Muppet who a few threads back claimed that 52% of Scottish born in IndyRef1 voting Yes had been “long since debunked” and then proceeded to provide a link to supported their claim which, as it turns out, DID NO SUCH THING!
Facts you say?
Something else you wouldn’t recognise if it bit you on the arse. You’ll be running out of cheeks at this rate!
“Nobody cares much about it, let alone is “terrified” of it”
Well, you clearly care a bit about it and appear to be quite concerned by it. Goodness, even a change from 1% to 3% seem to have you all flustered.
And judging by the number of times you repeat it, you appear to be rather concerned by Salvo as well.
Why is that?
Calm down Mamma. Savlon’s going nowhere.
You wish.
Alba might get by on goal difference.
I have asked you and your fellow unionists a few times to list some of the benefits of being in this repugnant union with THIEVES yet ALL you ever do is demean and denigrate anything to do with Scotland or Scots , your liking for the engerlish ringpiece is evident in everything you post
IF you truly were Scottish you would be outraged like the rest of us that our countries resources are being utilised for everyone else’s benefit bar Scots
Your evident glee and gloating about Scotland’s woes just marks you as the tractor you are
You are not fooling anyone
<b>Indeed, it needs asked over and over again, just what are the supposed benefits for Scotland from this undemocratic, unwanted, abusive so-called ‘<i>union</i>’ with England?</b>
MSM reporting G@z@‘s most respected Islamic cleric has issued a fatwa condemning the Humous boys for their October 7 attack and subsequent bringing down of Armageddon on their own people.
Qatar is throwing out the Humous boys too. Maybe they will be allowed to keep the dosh they stole from their own people, but Qatar reckons they’re a bunch of grifting time wasters.
Makes you think, eh?
Even the Islamic world has had enough of the yellow, craven, tunnel cowerers, cringing beneath their protective layers of innocent hostages, and the bodies of their own women and kids.
Soon, their only friends left will be the usual regulars on Wings BTL.
Well well. Cokey McCokeyHeid and IDF Fanboy returns with a resume of everything wonderful in the land of Genocidal Maniacs.
The IDF are excellent at murdering women, children, babies, journalists and aid workers. In fact just about anyone not holding a gun.
How do you think the brave IDF would shape up against a real army? Mmmm?
Like the defence forces of say, Turkey?
You know Cokey, a well trained and well armed defence force.
It’s called a fair fight Cokey.
Stay off the Charlie Cokey. You know it makes sense.
I’ve asked before if Lebanon has an army , and if they have why are they not defending their country?
Why are they allowing an enemy force to blooter their capital city and kill their citizens?
They’d defo be stuffed against a real army. I think it’s Geri who loves to point out that western weapons don’t work. 🙂
Haha, I’m not going to trouble my arse to seriously deal with your pathetic post, just like you failed to even reference any of the incontrovertible facts in mine.
You should make the effort to educate yourself about the fatwa. As most of us do know, these Islamic boys take that kind of thing very seriously indeed.
I guess you have confirmed one thing for me though, Zander. The baby stuffed in the oven on October 7 must have been putting up a fair fight. And the daft dancing lassies who got their soft body parts carved off after they’d been raped – that would have been a square go.
We’ve just heard how Maccabi Tel Aviv fans jeered through a minutes silence, chanted “fuck all Arabs” “there are no schools in Gaza because we’ve killed all the kids” and violently rampaged through Amsterdam attacking Dutch citizens.
Western media had already reported this but then completely changed the narrative to the poor Jewish fans being exposed to anti-Semitic behaviour.
This is the MSM peddling known lies.
These become useful tools to people like yourself to bolster their jingoistic and racist world view.
People with a generalised hatred of particular groups expose much more about themselves than they would care to acknowledge.
Racism and lack of intellect are far too often common bedfellows.
Ignore the cnut. Wasting our time. It must be worried.
There’s a couple of fannies on this line. Don’t give them a bite. Idiots. We’ve a job to do.
William Barr, Attorney General in the first Trump administration stated that if Trump were re-elected it would spell the end of the United States.
Every cloud…. as they say!
Michael the Scot, a «pioneer of science» many may never have heard of:
link to philonotes.com
Priest, hebraist, arabist, mathematician, physicist, alchemist.
michael the wizard was reputedly the model for Prospero in the Tempest
Is alchemy science? How about astrology?
We could certainly get quite a rammie going over these questions!
As a Hebraist writing in the thirteenth century, who did he think the Holy Land belonged to?
Scotland has produced many philosophers and intellectuals who have given us theories and contributions to knowledge:
link to salvo-cor.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com
It is certainly worth reminding ourselves of the historic cultural and intellectual riches of Scotland.
Regarding music I would highly recommend the book by D. JAMES ROSS entitled MUSICK FYNE: ROBERT CARTER AND THE ART OF MUSIC IN SIXTEENTH CENTURY SCOTLAND (The Mercat Press, Edinburgh, 1993).
Regarding philosophy as such, I recommend:
‘PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND: Neo-Stoicism, Culture and Ideology in an Age of Crisis, 1540-1690’, by DAVID ALLAN (Tuckwell Press, East Linton, Scotland, 2000).
Above all, I recommend any publications by ALEXANDER BROADIE, among which:
A HISTORY OF SCOTTISH PHILOSOPHY, by ALEXANDER BROADIE (Edinburgh University Press, 2009, 2010)
THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: THE HISTORICAL AGE OF THE HISTORICAL NATION, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (Birlinn, 2007, 2012)
AGREEABLE CONNEXIONS: SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT LINKS WITH FRANCE, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (Birlinn, 2012)
THE SHADOW OF SCOTUS: PHILOSOPHY AND FAITH IN PRE-REFORMATION SCOTLAND, by ALEXANDER BROADIE, (T&T Clark, Edinburgh,1995).
Professor Broadie convincingly argues that John Duns Scotus was the posthumous influence in the framing of the Declaration of the Clergy 1310 and the Declaration of Arbroath 1320.
Broadie also says:
“HUGH MACDIARMID coined the slogan ‘Back to Dunbar’ as a rallying cry, hoping to persuade us to look back beyond Burns and the Enlightenment to the works of William Dunbar and the other poets of the Pre-Reformation period. In the light of work done recently on John Mair and his circle, and with MacDiarmid’s slogan in mind, GEORGE DAVIE (G. E. Davie, The Crisis of the Democratic Intellect) has coined the slogan ‘Back to John Mair’ as a rallying cry, hoping to persuade us to look back beyond Hume and the Enlightenment to the works of Mair and his colleagues.”
Lots of very interesting info, Fearghas, and well worth following up. I wonder if there are any recordings of Carver’s music (Musick Fyne) – intriguing title… The book itself is on Abe Books site.
Hi SteepBrae. Thanks for subtly correcting my typo in Carver’s name. The fly-leaf of the book has the following info:
“D. James Ross has been active in the field of Scottish Early Music since the early 1980s when, as a Student of Music, German and English at Aberdeen University, he sang in the King’s College Chapel Choir and took an active part in promoting and directing performances of music ancient and modern. He plays a large number of Renaissance and Baroque wind instruments, and since moving to Inverness has directed the Early Music ensembles Coronach and Musick Fyne, who have given over 200 performances and established an annual season of Early Scottish music in the Highlands of Scotland. He has also produced seven commercial recordings of the instrumental and vocal music of Renaissance Scotland with these groups and with the Carver Choir of Aberdeen. He has contributed to a number of scholarly journals including Musical Opinion, Brio and The Consort, and has lectured on the subject of Robert Carver and his music.”
A quick search online gives three YouTubes anyway of Carver’s music. I will try posting one link, but in a separate comment below in case I trigger moderation for this current comment. Regards.
New comment posted with link to “Robert Carver: L’Homme armé” is now “Waiting for approval”…
Further quotes from Alexander Broadie, with MICHAEL SCOT getting mention:
« I believe him [JOHN DUNS SCOTUS (c. 1266–1308)] to be Scotland’s greatest philosopher, yet, as I have indicated, there are also other philosophers from Pre-Reformation Scotland, and very few know of their existence. I am speaking here of one of the best-kept secrets of Scottish culture. […] One in particular whose existence we should at least note here is RICHARD SCOT (c. 1123–73), who is usually referred to, with French pronunciation, as Richard de St Victor.
« […] Intermediate in time between Richard Scot and Duns Scotus was their compatriot MICHAEL SCOT (died c. 1236), who was an important link in the chain of transmission of Aristotle’s works from the Muslim world, via Spain, to the Christian West. In addition, with the help of Spanish-Jewish colleagues Michael Scot made translations into Latin of Arabic commentaries, in particular those of Averroes, on Aristotle.
« [.…] One thinker whose work has never received due attention is the twelfth-century abbot of Dryburgh, ADAM SCOT, many of whose writings are extant, even if not available in recent editions.[…] Richard Scot spent his working life in Paris, and Michael Scot spent much of his in Toledo, Bologna, and as astrologer to the court of Frederick II of Sicily. […] JOHN IRELAND (c. 1440–95) (Mirror of Wisdom), was one of a large number of Scots at the University of Paris.
« In the later 1470s that contingent was joined by JAMES LIDDELL (d. prob. after 1519) from Aberdeen. He graduated with a master’s degree in 1483, and in the following year began to teach at Paris. In 1495, the year of the founding of a university in his home town, he became the first-ever Scot to have a book of his printed in his own lifetime. Given my belief that the Scots are a nation of philosophers, I find it peculiarly appropriate that that first-ever book by a Scot printed in his own lifetime was a work on philosophy.
« […] The topic of Liddell’s book was a popular one among Scottish philosophers, several of whom, in the generation after Liddell, wrote substantial treatises. The authors of those treatises were all members of the circle of JOHN MAIR. Born near Haddington c. 1467, Mair was a student at the University of Paris, rising to become Professor of Theology there. He quickly acquired a Europe-wide reputation as a teacher, theologian, philosopher and logician. […] He was a colleague of Erasmus at Paris, and his lectures there were attended not only by Loyola and Vitoria as already mentioned, but also by Buchanan, Rabelais, Calvin and Vives. We are speaking therefore of a thinker pre-eminent in his day.
« All agree that poets made a priceless contribution to our literary canon during the century or so following the founding of Scotland’s first university. The period is the age of the makars, the lowland poets, ROBERT HENRYSON, WILLIAM DUNBAR, GAVIN DOUGLAS, and others. In his ‘Lament for the Makaris’ Dunbar names many poets whose works are now lost. But in any case the extant poetical writings of the period are of sufficient quantity and quality to stamp the age with a distinctive character. Historical judgment on this matter has been very unfair. I do not mean in the least—how could I?—to be stinting about the magnificence, the magisterial presence, of the poetry of that age when I say that the overwhelming emphasis which has been placed on the poetical achievements of the fifteenth—and early-sixteenth—century Scottish literary heritage promotes a distorted image of that heritage. I believe the poetical achievement to have been fully matched by the Scottish philosophers who were contemporaries of the poets, though the writings of the philosophers disappeared into near oblivion and are only now being rescued. »
(Extracts from: THE SHADOW OF SCOTUS: PHILOSOPHY AND FAITH IN PRE-REFORMATION SCOTLAND, by ALEXANDER BROADIE (T&T Clark Ltd, Edinburgh, 1995).
With all due respect to SALVO, I have always been skeptical of constitutional “popular sovereignty” being indigenously rooted in the Highland clan system. Whatever the merits or demerits of the latter (and I myself would be wary of a stultifying tribalism), I think SALVO’s view fails to glimpse, let alone encompass, the sophisticated heritage of European philosophical thought which preceded the marginalization of Irish and Scottish Gaeldom. For instance, the Renaissance of Charlemagne involved a great many speakers of Lingua Scottorum (Common Gaelic). Foremost among the latter was the brilliant (and even yet increasingly influential) Irishman JOHANNES SCOTTUS ERIUGENA (800-877), in whom both Hegel and Heidegger found nourishment. A line of anti-authoritarian thought in Eriugena landed him in serious trouble with the ecclesiastical establishment and seems self-evidently relevant to our focus on constitutional sovereignty. Eriugena writes:
“For authority proceeds from true reason, but reason certainly does not proceed from authority. For every authority which is not upheld by true reason is seen to be weak, whereas true reason is kept firm and immutable by her own powers and does not require to be confirmed by the assent of any authority.” (De Divisione Naturae, Bk. 1, ch. 69)
Another, even more obvious and comprehensively documented taproot thinker was George Buchanan (1506-1582).
Buchanan was a Gaelic-speaker from Killearn on Lochlomondside. His high-class Latin writings on popular sovereignty influenced the American Revolution. But his radical views certainly did not spring fully-formed from the heather. Whether he read the Latin of Eriugena I have no idea, but like Eriugena, he certainly read classical writers deeply. The following are just a few relevant extracts from the book mentioned in a previous comment, ie David Allan’s PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND. Buchanan’s interest in Stoicism features strongly:
« George Buchanan [mentor to Montaigne] brooks large in any survey of neo-Latin literature, in a European as well as merely in a Scottish context. […] But Buchanan’s modern reputation arises chiefly from his Latin prose compositions, intellectual achievements which comfortably make him ‘by far the most radical of the Calvinist revolutionaries’; and these certainly do bear upon the Scottish encounter with neo-Stoicism. For whilst drawing together several older strands of political thought and subsequently giving rise to a deeply troubling libertarian tradition which was to have ramifications far into the modern period, Buchanan’s famous treatises also built prodigiously upon Stoical precedent. In doing so, they revealed just how fruitful could be the impulse within neo-classical authorship to promote a keener interest in certain aspects of Roman philosophical tradition.
« Nowhere was this connection more far-reaching than in the De jure regni apud Scotos dialogus (1579), the notorious tract which on its publication was dedicated by Buchanan, with characteristic lack of tact, to his own long-suffering pupil, the young James VI. The disturbing thrust of this text, essentially that tyrannical kings may legitimately be deposed by ther subjects, possessed an acute local topicality neither unintended by is author nor lost on his perplexed Scottish contemporaries. After all, the king’s mother, Mary, Queen of Scots, had been removed by her aristocratic enemies in just such circumstances – and Buchanan’s work itself was probably drafted in the later 1560s, in the immediate aftermath of this revolutionary event. Its eventual publication was also no coincidence of timing, for, by the later 1570s, her son too needed to be reminded of his dependence upon the support of his own politically-ambitious Protestant nobility.
« Such was the immediate context in which Buchanan’s explosive De jure regni first burst upon the public scene. Yet underlying its theory of resistance was a notion of popular sovereignty, of an elective Scottish monarchy dependent upon the consent of the political community, which, like the near-simultaneous claims of François Hotman in France (the Francogallia had in fact appeared in 1573), had very specific roots in ancient Roman philosophy. Indeed, in the form that Buchanan himself employed it, this idea was plucked straight from an impeccably learned classical text, Cicero’s De inventione.
« Pasquier, a liberal Catholic and admirer of Montaigne, promulgated a confident revisionism inserting arguments for governmental restraint and accountability culled from his own attentive reading of Cicero and Tacitus. François Hotman, Alciati’s successor at Bourges and a man of stronger Huguenot sympathies, advanced in Francogallia (1573) a theory of popular sovereignty and a right to resist tyranny indebted to his intimate knowledge of the legal and constitutional history of the Roman republic. Nowhere, perhaps, was the Stoical preoccupation with the timeless ethical and legal questions of public life rendered more significant in the second half of the sixteenth century than in furnishing the embattled Calvinists of Northern Europe with reputable arguments for active resistance to their autocratic persecutors.
« Buchanan also saw, secondly, that his didactic purposes required a rather fuller account of constitutional history. Not only would this help reinforce his somewhat questionable claim that Scottish kingship was elective in character. It would also provide the convincing details, which only a sustained analysis of real political action over time could hope to yield, of those particular aspects of monarchy which were to be admired and those which were at all costs to be avoided. These pressing requirements, too, were traceable directly back to the Stoical origins of Buchanan’s political thought. And soon after the publication of the De jure regni they gave rise to a final published work, an almost equally contentious prose tract, the Rerum Scoticarum historia (1582). A tendentious Latin history of the Scottish people and their government down the ages, this has become another key text to students of British and European political thought, further underlining how important was Buchanan’s achievement, most visibly seen in these two majestic late prose works, in introducing certain Roman philosophical ideas into sixteenth-century Scottish literature. (p50)
« Neither Buchanan’s importance in the development of neo-Latin poetic culture nor his specific influence in the expeditious transfer of philosophical Stoicism to his homeland can ever be overstated… Such connections also mark Buchanan out as the single Scottish author situated nearest to the cultural and physical centre of Europe’s gathering Stoic revival. »
~ Extracts from ‘PHILOSOPHY AND POLITICS IN LATER STUART SCOTLAND: Neo-Stoicism, Culture and Ideology in an Age of Crisis, 1540-1690’, by DAVID ALLAN (Tuckwell Press, East Linton, Scotland, 2000).
Maybe I could post some links. It’s Sunday and there are always some good links on a Sunday.
Here’s one
link to archive.ph
Trump’s gender ideology pledge could have international effect
What do you think will our politicians wake up and smell the coffee?
“Isn’t it a great thing that the good guys won every war in history, then wrote up honest accounts of it afterwards?”
– where would we be, otherwise?
we now have more of the anglo state religion, worship of the mythic past, washing yourself clean in the blood of your victims and dupes at the cenotaph; a country that has no future will spend its time living in the past.
I love the framing of these events, men who “gave their lives” (duped, coerced), in “conflicts”; a conflict is like an act of God, a random thing which just happened and we had to deal with it, but when you look at the wars and their causes, it really means : WARS WE STARTED. And it was all for “freedom”, which usually means – PROFIT, greed, LOOTING other peoples wealth.
a more accurate ceremony would go :
LET’S ALL LAUGH AT THE POOR DICKS WHO LOST EVERYTHING, IN WARS WE STARTED, JUST SO WE COULD MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY … ha ha ha … na na na
The anglo is a pirate, a thief and a murderer; the yank his tribute act. Don’t be fooled.
All served up with a sauce of hypocrisy; with the anglo – every accusation is a confession, every utterance a lie – “its alright when we do it” – “we are the good guys, honest”
gore vidal once said of his country, america – “we are always being attacked … then ending up with more territory”
– echoes good old britain, minding its own business, ending up with a quarter of the globe
we make a religion of pissing on the dead
A ‘different’ way to mark Remembrance Day might be to have our leaders assembled in a cinema where they’re shown All Quiet On The Western Front (the latest version). But the viewers at home don’t see what’s onscreen – instead we get close-ups of our leaders’ faces throughout.
I think Kiplings – A Dead Statesman – captures it simply and best:
I could not dig, I dared not rob,
Therefore I lied to please the mob.
Now all my lies are proved untrue,
And I must face the men I slew.
What tale shall serve me here among,
Mine angry and defrauded young?
PS,
An excellent film by the way, 1917 suitably poignant too, both clearly influenced by Kubricks seminal Paths Of Glory.
PPS;
Returning to your suggestion of filming our glorious leaders reaction, I suspect these ideologue self serving parasites reactions would not be what you expect but more akin to Orwell’s 1984 2 minute hate scene..
Aye, or as Alister Jack said of Sturgeon, we might catch them crying out of the one eye.
link to youtube.com
comes to mind
WTF you wasting time on here posting?
Get out in the cold rain and tell the poor dupes with the bowed heads what you think of them.
Show them and us the real stuff of your bravery, heroism, patriotism and self-sacrifice.
Right now, all we have to go on are your self-identifying assertions of your own superior wisdom and morality, and I’m afraid that doesn’t quite cut it.
Moan, Confused, dinna be feart to tell them exactly how things stand.
LOL. The Site Prick’s an Armchair Warrior!
Who knew?
It’s awake, and it’s thinking about pricks.
Conversion Therapy 0 – James 1.
Bad news for ye John BASTARD TAX MOAN, there will be a new round of increased bastard taxes to pay for all the warmongering gifts of munitions to Ukerain and your fellow IDF bedfellows , but take solace that they increases won’t be used for freezing pensioners or starving SCOTS weans
Nae probs for me, I’ve mostly stopped paying taxes – just like many of the immigrants. Actually, I’m betting that with the exception of Professor Baird, none of the regulars on here pay taxes either.
U & Isr are two fronts of the same war. Or have you not noticed that R and Irn are allies, recently joined by NK too. Money spent sending them to wherever Orcs & medievalists go when they are vapourised is money well spent in my opinion. We can fight them there, safely away from here, or we can give up now and fight them here later. A stitch in time …
Maybe you’re supremely relaxed about masked, arabic chanting youths rampaging through our streets, occasionally taking time out to hone their special talent – carving up young lassies with knifes. That’s fine, just don’t expect a great amount of agreement from normal Scots.
Starving Scots weans – you’re having a laugh. Find us one “starving Scots wean”.
Freezing pensioners – maybe – but certainly a raft of comfortably off pensioners are no longer getting their Xmas present slush fund courtesy of the state. And that’s fine with me.
India and China have approx 1.4 billion people each.
USA has circa 337 million.
Potentially, « the future» is not with Sun King elect Donald, the US or the navel gazing inhabitants of the anglobubble.
Scotland’s future?
nous sommes nos choix.
Jean-Paul Sartre
According to the National, yet another two SNP politicians, one of them still an active councillor, saw appropriate to use time, while paid by the Scottish taxpayer, to campaign for the Democrats in USA.
And they say it as if it was something to be proud of.
” AT 7am on the day of the US election, ex-SNP MP Anne McLaughlin and SNP councillor Graham Campbell boarded a bus full of Democrats in Washington DC”
Published in “The National”, on Sunday 10 November 2024.
This is starting to look beyond active interference in other country’s democratic process and beyond incestuous (politically speaking), actually.
So we elect in Scotland individuals to represent our interests and work for us and instead, they travel to the USA to campaign for a political party in USA that has absolutely nothing to do with us. Talk about foreign interference.
The immediate question that springs to mind is: have the American democrats done the same by reciprocating and “campaigning” for their pals at election time in Scotland? How many of them have been directly interfering in our democratic processes and since when? Have the USA’s democrats and the USA’s deep state had anything to do with the conspiracy against Mr Salmond?
WTF is this? Is there any political party in Scotland at all that is not so far up the arse of USA’s Democrat party and USA’s deep state that they can still see the light and remember what their actual job is?
I am utterly disgusted by this two sided interference, actually and seriously wonder if it is USA’s deep state who has been governing Scotland since the political fraud took over in November 2014.
Neo-Imperialism vs Nationalism is a global cultural battle.
The SNP (and other western countries Neo-Liberal leaderships) discarded nationalism in favour of neo-imperialism. Which explains why we are now saddled with the voodoo of woke and gender identity ideology instead of being an independent nation, and we remain exploited by external capitalism.
We have known since Roman times, if not before, that nations and hence national cultures, and yes, Nationalism and national identities, are the only ‘bulwark against Imperialism’ (Edward Said).
Nations therefore need to get their acts together to reject Neo-Imperialism. This means to put their own people and their own nation first, and to reject imposed and hence imperialistic cultural ideologies.
I’ll vote for that, Alf.
So when do you intend to stand for office?
I recommend you keep things simple, so two policies only, to start with:
1) Plebiscitary Elections for Independence.
2) Justice for Alex Salmond and justice for every one of the liars and perjurers too.
Get your arse in gear, get organised with 100 similarly thinking Scottish patriots and we will see a political earthquake in Scotland, the likes of which has never been seen before.
Necessary but not sufficient.
The old Left included notions of Internationalism (distinct fro Supra-nationalism) presumably to deal with conflicting Nationalisms which, so far as I heard, have been known to develop into Imperialism.
Do you have anything like a definition for ‘Neo-imperialism’?
It is odd that the obvious link between nationalism and imperialism is routinely ignored by Alf. Most imperialism is actually an extension of forms of nationalism. Neo-imperialism is a usefully vague term if you want to set up a battle between it and nationalism rather than show more concern about the clear causal links between the two.
Tell that to the peoples of India , Africa , Vietnam , and every other country that threw-off the yoke of Colonial Imperialism . The only way these countries were able to achieve their Liberation was by creating a strong , unifying sense of National Identity , and winning the argument that they would be much better off taking back control of their own land and all the riches and resources therein . Q.E.D
Not QED because those imperialists were plainly driven by nationalism too. How one actions the nationalist spirit varies but it can be as a form of aggression or defence against aggression. It cold be seen as a vicious circle. British nationalism (bad, imperialist) is oft cited on here in opposition to the Scottish variety (good and a defence against the Brit invaders). One could make very similar arguments for the history of R****a and several Eastern European countries.
You’re conflating ‘Nationalism’ with Scottish ‘nationalism’ which only entails Scotland being independent and making our own decisions.
We don’t want to bomb anyone. (Well, apart from you know who on here).
They may have been ” plainly driven by nationalism ” – at least they told themselves they were ; in reality they were driven by greed and the will-to-power involved in invading and taking over other countries : unless you’re trying to say , eg the * British * Empire was motivated by purely altruistic impulses , y’know , the myth of bringing * Civilisation * to the poor , benighted primitives
As James says …..Scotland has not the least interest in imposing it’s culture/value systems on anyone else . Scottish Nationalism has one goal and one goal only – the reclaiming of our status as an Independent Nation . Nothing more . Nothing less
’greed and will to power’ must be at the core of it, that brought to mind the alleged Cecil Rhodes quote “…I would annexe the very stars, if I could”. Also think of the Romanov’s successor in muscovy and others.
then I noticed name on comment and thought about the old saying, bury the hatchet! I have no objections to civil debate, there is so much for me to learn.
You’re missing the point I think.
We only want to run our own affairs, small ‘n’ nationalism, not the Anglo type.
Too much to ask?
Not at all too much to ask (I support the cause). If your form of nationalism was just about political autonomy I would agree with the clear distinction. Trouble is, it never is and just reading this site is evidence.
What I do accept is there are very different forms of nationalism (small ‘n’, big, imperialist, defensive, freedom-fighting etc) but therefore I see this apparent fight between Nationalism and ‘Neo-imperialism’ as clear as mud. And the question asked about defining neo-imperialism is a very good one – ‘neo’ is doing a hell of a lot of work there, as it always does.
“Most imperialism is actually an extension of forms of nationalism.”
I think you specifically mean ‘Trans-National Nationalism”.
There are different forms of Nationalism, ye ken, as explained in my textbook ‘Doun-Hauden’, including ‘Self-Determination Nationalism’, which is not Imperialistic:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
“There are different forms of Nationalism”
Too right Alf.
There is “angelic” nationalism, of the Scottish kind. To be cheered, obvs.
There is “diabolic” nationalism, like the kind attemped in Eastern Europe. To be expunged from the world, obvs.
Then there’s the blood-and-soil nationalism, as evidenced by the Ancient Guff. Scotland has the “angelic” kind – Claim Of Right, Declaration Of Arbroath, etc.
That awkward country in the ME has the “diabolic” kind – Holy Bible, Roman histories, Dead Sea Scrolls – mere shreds of worthless paper to be burned.
You can hardly blame the average punter for getting confused by it all, but I think I’ve made a fair go of summarising it for you.
Dinna forget ‘One-Nation’ British Nationalism and its cultural-political identity forced on the ‘Celtic Periphery’, otherwise known as ‘the UK Internal Colonialism Model’ (Hechter).
Irish liberation showed us aw the road tae freedom.
“cultural-political identity forced on”
Hmmm.
Gaelic speaking, clan-based north west and Western Isles.
Scots speaking central belt, extending into Grampian.
Norn speaking, Norse influenced Northern Isles.
The entire Borders strip, Tory voting and South facing, maybe because of its history of being in England from time to time.
As I’ve pointed out before, Alf, colonisation is everywhere you look. It’s fatuous to claim Scotland is only colonised by England – end of.
Within Scotland, “one size fits all” oppression of the distinct and different cultural-political entities within the boundaries of Scotland amounts to a form of colonisation too.
Aye, once we are independent and free we will turn our gaze on England? English nationalism as displayed by Reform sees no contradiction in a fully independent England keeping its northern territories. Not a drop of water or blade of grass that is not ours.
Reform are British nationalists. The true English variety fully supports independence for the other countries in the Union. See how easy it is for all this to be manipulated to suit what people’s agenda is?
I think the idea was/is that with internationalism there was no nationalism, so no conflicts.
Nations and hence national cultures are ‘the basis of internationalism’ (Fanon); without which there is only imperialism and with peoples and cultures subject to its colonial procedures.
No, that is supranationalism, completely different from internationalsm.
OH…GOOD GRIEF!
link to archive.ph
For the Lego that was offered to the students to play with, doughty volunteers first had to go through it all and remove the orange pieces.
They were paid a hazardous materials handling bonus, and their mental health will be specially monitored for the next year.
Indeed!
FFS nae wonder the world is a shithole
@ Mia at 13.44: “Anne McLaughlin and Graham Campbell boarded a bus full of Democrats…”
That must have been a nice change for them. The SNP circles the pair move in haven’t seen a democrat since 2014.
And how thrilled the USA Democrats must have been to have Graham Campbell in their midst. If ever there was a determined, capable, hard-working campaigner… er, no, it doesn’t fit, does it?
I have to wonder if that sort of thing is counter-productive. If I were out doing door-to-door campaigning, I could honestly say I live in the USA and am a citizen. Anyone coming from abroad would, rightly, be treated with a wee bit of suspicion – certainly here in North Carolina, even in the majority-Democrat area I live in.
If they weren’t out going door-to-door, what were they doing? If they were there to observe campaigning, you’d think that would be something organized by the party and would be made up more of election agents than elected (or former) politicians. Maybe it was just a cheap holiday.
Cheap holiday sounds about right for that pair.
They should not be interfering in another country’s politics.
Wonderful, finely made point.
Cheers!
What a total embarrassment to Scotland. Who authorised this trip? Is it within SNP policy? Scotland can’t afford to fall out with Donald Trump. Anyway the USA election none of their official business.
I heard Anne was there to demonstrate the meaning of democracy through the medium of dance and Graham was there to haud the jaikets, WAF pair o chancers and grifters
Laughed out loud at this!
O/T Alex Salmond’s memorial service is to be on St Andrew’s Day in St Giles cathedral. I like the sound of that – a suitable place for the first person ever who has obtained a vote on the Union for the whole people of Scotland. No-one has done more or could do better than that.
Wonderful, Sarah. Thank-you for posting this.
I wanted to spread this news in the hope that it would give us something to think about that is sincere and respectful. There’s a shortage of such at the moment, I feel.
Given its history these last 300 years or so St Giles might be thought of more as a unionist and hence colonial shibboleth, and by implication wi a complicit ‘establishment’. Dae we really need mair o that for a man that wantit tae brak the mankit ‘union’ hoax?
Surely a better venue might have been found, where loads mair fowk could have participated, an tae hiv a real celebration o Alex’s life, wi musicians, poets, and a full programme. My hope was Tynecastle mebbe wi ticket revenues pit toward fightin an independence plebiscite at the next election.
St Giles is for the establishment, and the new bourgeois who can afford to live in Edinburgh central, it isnae for ordinary fowk nivver mind independence supporters.
I was hoping that it is precisely because St Giles has seen all the establishment rulers, that the family wanted our chief independence fighter, the modern Wallace/Bruce, to be remembered there. And the streets all around crammed with his supporters would be impressive. I expect a sound system will be laid on for those outside, surely.
Maybe they should have both. It would be tremendous to fill Tynecastle – a sea of saltires – and Alex would have deserved no less.
People can also travel to Edinburgh. St Giles is such a beautiful building with its history and grandeur, its acoustics and wonderful music (establishment associations notwithstanding). Is it not where Jenny Geddes in the 17th century threw a stool at the minister in protest?
Reading Sarah’s post made me think of Booth’s famous quote ‘why should the devil have all the best tunes?’ Why should our greatest leader, a statesman but also a true man of the people, not be honoured in the best setting especially on St Andrew’s Day? Nowhere more fitting.
Jenny Geddes! Good point.
Aye, thae primary school history lessons wurnae wasted!
You have got this wrong Alf. St Giles is a most appropriate place for Alex. The place that Nicola Sturgeon read a tribute to the late Queen Elizabeth. And does anybody remember the words she said? I do. The brassest neck of all time. Let Alex rest in nobility as he deserved. Some pub venue or fitba venue is not going to do it. I won’t get an invite so will be standing outside St Giles.
Aye, better the place where, since the ‘union’ hoax, a few queens and kings turned up, were blessed, but nivver quite crouned.
It will be the contrast, Alf. A genuine Scot compared with the fake. The truth shouldn’t be ousted from the centre of our own city.
What would be worth showing on screens/buildings, as Led by Donkeys did in London with their political action, is that film of Alex speaking about being damned if he will let the cause of independence shrink due to neglect. It is spine-tingling. If that were shown in the football stadium or anywhere, it would rouse nearly the whole of Scotland. The video is titled “Sovereignty for Scotland” and is on the Alba Party facebook in the video section 49 weeks ago. Please watch – you will be inspired and would be convinced of the cause if you weren’t already by 2 minutes of genuine authoritative passion.
I mean “Please, everyone, watch…”, not just Alf who no doubt has already seen it!
A “public” memorial service that is invitation only and limited to 400 invitees is not a public memorial.
Disappointed.
It must be very difficult for the family to know what to do for the best. We really have to leave it to them to decide. I would hope that a lot of people will gather around St Giles.
Interesting stuff.
Mark Hirst (@Documark): “The main figure behind the SNP both votes was former Labour official and activist Tony Grahame, sister of Christine (who accepted unregistered cash bungs from @JohnSwinney to keep her on side). Tony was very active at SNP HQ… And he owns his own campervan!! They like campervans at SNP.” | nitter.poast.org
It seems to be a ready made billet for the politicos regardless of their CVs and history.
The SNP are a Devolutionist disgrace riding roughshod over their voters actual will..
Special place in hell and all that.
Meantime SHE who shall not be named is floating about making engagements for this and next year seemingly without a care in the world.
As SHE is still a person of interest in a quality polis Toshan investigation is that not a piece of misplaced over confidence or is it a case if insider knowledge insight??
Hmmmm..
Regardless, no matter “pals” wi’ Val SHE is now toxic and burnt toast to the independence supporting electorate..
Tick tock.
Narcissists are known for their false bravado … until reality hits.
Over 5 hours of footage from Revive – Land Reform event in Perth.
There is some interesting stuff if you can thole wading through it all.
For me stand outs seemed to be the younger ones.
First session:
Dr Ruth Tingay, Raptor Persecution UK unfortunately highlighting yet more weak policy from Scottish Administration of Devolved Powers in the recently passed Act which looks to have allowed shooting estate legals to find loopholes.
Second session:
Pretty sure it’s Dr Josh Doble, Policy Manager for Community Land Scotland in green top of who seems well informed and good communicator.
Third session:
Copper haired Jenny Barlow, Estate Manager at Tarras Valley Nature Reserve also delivering an excellent segment on Langholm Community buyout.
An enthusiastic Robin McAlpine and Andy Wightman also adding to the mix and worth a view.
Horsebox Mike summing up was just meh whatevs, you’ve had over a decade to do something but achieved next to fuck all, and plenty folk leave and not hanging about to hear what he was saying.
Bottom line is that the past two land reform acts haven’t delivered any meaningful change due to lack of political will.
link to youtube.com
If folk don’t have time through vid here is an article with comments on the raptor persecution site.
link to raptorpersecutionuk.org
Thanks for all that, Dan.
As far as the land question is concerned, the Scottish “Government” now seems extremely “relaxed” about the landed gentry. Remember the infamous photo of Wishart and Swinney hobnobbing with them in the deli in Dunkeld on the same day as Sturgeon’s infamous hoisting of the independence white flag in January 2020? I would call it the Benny Higgins Effect.
That was the day I finally realised the truth about the SNP.
It’s amazing how so many government acts have these strange loopholes which allow them to be undermined, be they on tax, land ownership or wild life protection.
You’d almost think it was deliberate 😉 .
Sheesh Tinto! Jist one sensible response to a Land Reform post (with multiple potential points to pick up and discuss) on the most read Scottish political site…
I was out living and working on the land this sunny afternoon, looking out across the fields, woods, and hills, when I took a break from the tools whilst reviving an old tractor.
What came to mind as I mulled over the splendid autumn view, is that after getting cleaned up decent and spending over 5 hours getting a numb arse at the Revive event listening to around a dozen or so folk on the stage (many of whom will be getting paid for their jobs) asking the audience to engage with their online consultations so they can be more informed; It struck me that why are the audience the ones that have to make all the running for no remuneration for all the time it takes to submit information.
There were over 400 folk* in the audience, I think it’s safe to say that the accrued knowledge and life experiences of the audience is likely far greater than that of a small panel of folk.
Why are the panel not taking the lead and getting off their arses to come and speak to and learn from the individuals that have lived on and worked the land in ecologically and environmentally sound ways for decades.
Many of the older folk that have the knowledge and skillsets learnt and developed over decades do not have the time and energy, nor slick talk, nor IT skills to convey their highly valuable insights through online portals to those that want to create policies on such subjects.
Do these policymakers think they are some kind of unique trail blazers with this revive stuff? Many folk have actually been quietly getting on with living sustainable existences for decades.
I was asked to go to the event by someone who needed a companion because they’re having a hard time and lack confidence, but they still wanted to attend.
This person has already transformed a baron area of Scottish hillside into a fertile food producing bio-diverse haven.
They have experience and a proven a method that worked decades ago.
I visited the site a month or so back and came home with two of the biggest most tasty and juicy pears I have ever seen or eaten. The tree was absolutely hanging with fruits but I was on my motorbike so could only stick one in each pocket.
Unfortunately the individual after all they have done is currently being evicted from the site because the excessively landed have the power and the poor still have no lawyers…
It surprises me and I think it’s a major failing, that many of these paid policymakers aren’t actively seeking out and asking unique individuals that have already lived the life and walked the walk on this land way more than those that just talk the talk.
I simply don’t have time, energy, or communication skills to submit reams of useful accrued information to numerous groups that will undoubtedly filter it down or manipulate it to suit their own objectives. I don’t have time available because I am too busy dealing with many of the negatives of useless organisations and badly formed and rolled out policies and initiatives.
*It was remarked that the number of people in the hall was approximately the same number as that who own half of Scotland’s land.
What all colonized peoples need is this:
“We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies, to be sovereign and indefeasible.”
link to cain.ulster.ac.uk
We should have a poll:
Hands on hearts, how many people know what “indefeasible” means without first having to look it up?
Maybe two polls:
Hands on hearts, how many people believe being in the EU and using the Euro permits “unfettered control of Irish destinies”?
Or any nation’s destiny for that matter?
Man, it’s like the Dublin riots of a year ago over the ordinary people’s lack of control over their destinies have already been airbrushed out of history.
It’s quite dreadful that an innovative and skilful tenant can be evicted so easily but that’s the reality of the land situation in Scotland, I suppose.
Meanwhile, Danish billionaire Anders Povlsen now owns 220,000 acres in Scotland spread over 13 estates. Ironically, in Denmark a foreigner cannot own even one hectare of land, one of about a thousand reasons why independence is essential for Scotland, including the ability to control unbridled immigration.
As for your point about the undoubted practical expertise of local people, I doubt the many middle-class academics on panels and advisory bodies value the rural community much and probably think they have all the theoretical answers, although I can’t include the speakers at the Land Reform event since I wasn’t there.
Does the absence of Graeme McCormick at your event mean his Annual Ground Rent proposals are now dead in the water?
Every radical [in a good way] policy is dead with the current lot in charge of the SNP. Look at their failure to take up the catamaran ferry solution. Stuart Ballantyne did get to speak to Kate Forbes with the expected result given her love of freeports i.e. no progress. I was at a zoom meeting where Graeme spoke to Kate Forbes about the AGR – she didn’t seem open to the idea at all.
Yes, it is a scandal that foreigners can buy land here. It is sheer madness so of course is allowed to continue.
Yep, I’m sure the big landowners will be “advising” the SG and the AGR scheme is probably regarded by them as little short of Bolshevism.
The SNP seem to have become a neo-liberal sell-out party.
Yes, and neoliberals are not nationalists.
Colonialism ‘is based on psychology’ (Cesaire). So yes, it becomes ‘sheer madness’, on all fronts. With the complicit national party elite ‘condemned by their own hypocrisy’:
link to yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com
Graeme was in the audience! Either by luck or mistake he got his hands on the microphone during one of the questions from the audience times, and let rip that what was being discussed was putting the cart before the horse, and went on to mention land taxation along the lines of his AGR proposal.
Seems to be a lot of faffing about and prevaricating on why things can’t be done because we don’t know who actually owns the land due to the smoke and mirrors methods utilised by landowners, companies, trusts, offshored or whatever.
His proposal blows all that stalling out the water because the land exists, and if we implement a land taxation system then owners will need to come forward and identify what they own or forfeit it.
Yak about property rights and ECHR rules came into play, but it was pointed out that Scottish Parliament have in the past already gone through supposed issues that were contrary to ECHR and won, for things like minimum pricing for alcohol. It’s just that there isn’t the political will with this crop of lame as grifters.
There were 3 MSPs contributing, Rhoda Grant Labour and Mairi Gougeon SNP by vid link, and Ariane Burgess in da house for Scottish Green Party. First 2 were boring uninspiring magnolia waffleyak, Ariane was just painful to listen to or follow what she was even on about with her machine gun wordspattering delivery.
This is all in the 5 hour vid.
Some almost comedy moments, “Off with their heads” was one response uttered from the audience on how to deal with arsey landowners.
Now I love my animals and wildlife, but I almost had a stroke when a pic of a beaver came up on the screen during Kirsty Jenkins’ segment.
She was taking about wild animals needing agency, not just as a collective but as individuals! Getting ahead of ourselves a bit seeing as Scots humans that will deliver this animal agency haven’t had agency ourselves in the form of a democratically elected government we voted for since the middle of last century!
I do get where she was coming from, but how could you ever begin to accurately represent the wonts and needs of beavers or any other wild animals as individuals or as a collective. They don’t even speak or enfranchised to get the vote! I was minded to shout “No representation without taxation!” but didn’t want to get caught on camera getting huckled out the venue.
Of course developing muckle rodent communication methods could be yet another taxpayer funded grift for yet another group to study and suck up more taxpayer funded gravy, but I suspect that may just be a road to far during these times of prolonged austerity.
I’d like to think there might be a smart enlightened beaver somewhere that could rise to a position of power and influence in the Scottish beaver world, and it might then say:
“Hey fellow brothers and sisters, maybe calm the fuck doon a bit on the shagging, procreation, and wanton destruction of quite so many trees and causing all manner of other issues. The humans (and particularly that cunt Dan that is always busy dealing with the endless shit you cause) are going to end up having to cull us unless you all chill the fuck out. Chew some rocks to keep your teeth a reasonable size instead of gnawing and dropping all the planet saving trees the taxpayer paid for.”
Sounds as if you got your moneys worth out of the event, Dan!
I’ve just remembered the last event that Graeme was involved with and I do now wonder how far to follow his ideas. Remember that he stood as Leader of the SNP but withdrew having had a phone call with Swinney. What was that all about?
“It’s just that there isn’t the political will with this crop of lame as grifters.” I don’t doubt that for a second, either through apathy/lack of real interest or undue influence being brought to bear by rich and landed vested interests.
“I almost had a stroke when a pic of a beaver came up on the screen during Kirsty Jenkins’ segment. She was taking about wild animals needing agency, not just as a collective but as individuals!”
Screens, nurse! The screens! Sounds like she’ll soon be dancing the Wokey Cokey if she doesn’t already.
I sense some frustration on your part 🙂 , and nae wunner.
Memmi did find that in colonial societies the colonized native is viewed more or less ‘as an animal’. Demonstrated in this context, perhaps us Scots folk are now valued less than animals?
This ‘cultural recreation’ of our lands by the colonizer has been ongoing since the clearances and will no doubt continue as long as colonialism (i.e. the UK ‘Union’) is permitted to continue.
Viewed more or less ‘as an animal
Is it not the case that we were replaced by a farm animal. SHEEP.
Well, after this morning’s walk there’s now even more need for an intelligent moderate minded beaver leader to step up. A leader who is capable of comprehending the big picture and negotiating on an inter-species level and one that can kerb the exploits of the thicko ned beavers.
It hasn’t yet been established if the gnawing of another tree last night causing it to fall and destroy the wooden bench the humans sit on was a direct retaliatory action motivated by my post last night.
Jist what’s their game, now it may have been a complete fluke what has occurred, but of all the trees in the wood they drop one on a vector which created maximum damage, and to me it reeks of being a deliberate provocative act with a view to escalating inter-species discord.
Who is going to be held to account and pay for the replacement bench? If Scottish beavers want agency then that also means they can get with the program and start paying taxes and abide by the tenets of Scottish Law.
Dan, a gem of an allegory! Beyond me to apply it correctly, though.
‘I doubt the many middle-class academics on panels and advisory bodies value the rural community much and probably think they have all the theoretical answers’,
I assume that you are referring to Baird?
As usual, you would be wrong.
Aye, ma cultur, langage an backgrund isna mids cless. A widna ken A wis doun-hauden if A wis brocht up mids cless.
Which helps explain why it is mostly working class Scots, wha maistly speak Scots, who vote for independence.
As always more like.
Chas do you get HARD every time you think about Professor Baird , you seem to focus on his every word , Alf you can cite me as a witness if you feel like going to the polis
I suppose it’s harmless enough, if it’s working for you – it is 2024 after all, even in Scotland.
Nothing personal twathater, but I really can’t see it catching on, however much you spread the word 🙂
Does Land Reform mean the working class houses built on toxic cess pits like Linwood Renfrewshire will be rectified and compensated or does it mean
‘ Keep the plebs off the land. Let the dogs loose’ or does it mean nothing costs you a lot.
Trump is more interested in blood money.