Virtual Reality
Posted on
May 25, 2024 by
Chris Cairns
The world's most-read Scottish politics website
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Wings Over ScotlandA tall tale
Wee Books
Video
Probably a robbery
Transphobia
The comedy duo from Hell.
Which one’s the ‘straight man’?
Bang on again Chris!
Even got McDermid looking like the spouse outside the polling booth a few years back. Priceless.
Ay lassie, stronger fir Scotland….in the couthie Youkie.
(The usual broun paper parcel ablow the seat cushion)
Tell us about yir sassunach grannie hen…
Hah, brilliant ?
And the thing is she probably thinks exactly that!
So this guy Colin MaAllister was Sturgeon’s chief of staff who then became Yousless’ chief of staff before stabbing him in the back the second he started speaking to ALBA and it is the same floating turd who was responsible for installing the unelected disaster that is John Swinney.
I think it is fair to say that Sturgeon is still in control via her proxies, Colin McAllister being clearly one of them.
What Colin does not realize is that Sturgeon naturally surrounded herself with inept, incompetent, arselickers (i.e. the people she felt intellectually comfortable being around) and he is very much one of them. Talk about giving shit advice… wow.
I am not complaining but why on earth did wee Rishi fudchops call this election. Another genius move…
Saw this article:
https://archive.is/QSqEQ
Apart from the assertion that Sturgeon may be suffering from Capgras Syndrome, what caught my eye is this:
It’s an interesting insight into the affluent middle-class mindset which has enough dough to be able to hear what they want to hear.
Just brilliant Chris.
Captured Val Murrells glassy eyes and thems opened mouth !
The last vestiges of the chronically deluded: in search of D-list celebrity status.
How’s that United Nations job application going then? Thought so.
Wonderful, Chris.
Wings post of yesterday:
The Literature Alliance for Scotland is a great menace, dead worrying. But there’s hope – its constitution says that any member of the public can see a copy of any minutes. This would answer a raft of questions:
– who are the members?
– are they as influential as Magi Gibson says? – do they hold public office?
– did they take GRA decisions that were not only not approved, but not even minuted?
Worth chasing up if we want to nail the buggers. Rev, please note.
Another example of VIRTUAL REALITY.
that much vaunted international community…and its repertoire of virtuous signals.
https://thecritic.co.uk/remember-the-armenians/
Who remembers the Armenians?, Hitler is alleged to have said re Nazi extermination policy.
Who remembers the Scots…..a nation by stealth being erased from the global picture, with all credit in that matter to those who ought to be its defenders.
God bless Armenia….God help Scotland.
That Kathleen Stock article from pacman on the delusional world of Nicola Sturgeon and her acolytes really could be describing spending any amount of time on the weegingerdug website.
They live in a fantasy land, nothing is ever their fault, inconvenient facts are just ignored, and they stand there, eyes shut, with their hands over their ears shouting ‘lah!lah!lah!lah!’ in an endless loop. Just to prevent any conflicting reality from entering and recking their delusions.
They don’t even need a VR set. They are generating their own virtual reality using their own bottomless well of stupidity and intellectual mediocrity. “I know, I’ll just munch down on this rancid shit sandwich and call it a caviar wrap”.
Sturgeonites… thick as pig shit.
There can be no excuse for not sacking mathieson.
When the snp goes extinct Swinney is as responsible as Sturgeon.
He could gave saved the party but he did as he was told.
@pacman
EVERYBODY CLICK ON PACMAN’S LINK
Article is BRILLIANT
The rev could have written it
Shug
Ignored
says:
25 May, 2024 at 9:36 am
… Swinney is as responsible as Sturgeon.
He could gave saved the party but he did as he was told.
Swinney was already a gutless apologist for the corrupt Establishment 20-25 years ago.
Confromted with verifiable proof of corruption, his response was to “not” verify any such thing, ignore the question, “candidly” answer a question that had never been asked, then declare he’s nothing to add to the response that had been given.
He’s a prime time, rotten-to-the-core, second rate wanker, and always has been.
Blame Sminney? Save your ire. It’s water off a greaseball’s back.
Personally, I blame the people who didn’t listen 25 years ago, but sadly I seem to suffer a Cassandra style affliction. I warned y’all Sturgeon was a dud and a louse, way back when it wasn’t popular to do so. We’d have been an Independent Nation by now if I’d been heard.
Don’t believe me? Watch that Cassandra affliction in action… We must impeach Holyrood!….
…. Tumbleweed rolls past.
Brilliant ‘toon as ever Mr Cairns. You should consider doing this for a living. 😉
Brilliant.
Dear Val McDermid. I hope Raith Rovers get pumped!
David Goodwillie was innocent.
Just to add to Ms Stock’s excellent insights to Sturgeon and her audience linked by Pacman, here is part of a tribunal decision put up on the Tribunal Tweets substack account.
Tribunal Tweets is collecting open letters to archive. The Tribunal finding in favour of Jo Phoenix made this comment about her 368 colleagues.
“617. We conclude that everyone who signed the Open Letter with the exception of Professor Domingue & Mr Daly was signing the Open Letter to put pressure on the OU to impede the Claimant carrying out research from a gender critical perspective. They did not want the OU to support a network with members who had gender critical beliefs including the Claimant. Additionally all were signing to add weight to the numbers against the GCRN. That is the point of a petition and all the academics and staff who signed the Open Letter knew it. We conclude that the signing of the Open Letter was unwanted conduct related to the Claimant’s gender critical beliefs. The purpose of signing the Open Letter was to create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the Claimant.Notwithstanding, we do consider that the effect of the signing of the Open Letter was to create an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the Claimant. The Claimant said that finding out the Open Letter was signed by her colleagues was devastating. The Claimant was humiliated both professionally and personally by the publication and signing of the letter. We conclude that having 368 of your colleagues sign a public letter saying that you are part of a group that is fundamentally transphobic, is stigmatising and damaging and objectively was conduct that had the effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the Claimant.
Ms Phoenix settled her case after the Tribunal found in her favour against the OU – having spent £230k in making her claim.
I see Oor Nikla now has a regular gig doing book-reviews for the New Statesman. This week it’s of Colm Toibin’s sequel to Brooklyn, “Long Island”.
Needless to say it is a load a shite that could easily find it’s way to Private Eye’s ‘Pseud’s Corner’.
But Kerching! Kerching! who cares!
PacMan @ 8:40 am
https://archive.is/QSqEQ
“It’s an interesting insight into the affluent middle-class mindset which has enough dough to be able to hear what they want to hear.”
And on that mindset, postcolonial theory holds a particular dislike for the often arrogant and complicit native bourgeoisie in a colonial society:
“who has read everything, devoured everything. Only, his brain functions after the fashion of certain elementary types of digestive systems. It filters. And the filter lets through only what can nourish the thick skin of the bourgeois’s clear conscience” (Cesaire).
We can see this bourgeois ‘brain filter’ in evidence in the trans debate, in the SNP’s alliance with colonialism, in what passes for a ‘justice’ system, in Matheson and Murrel etc, in aw the radge policies, and in literally everything else that goes on in a colonial society/racket.
If that’s not Paul McCartney on the right then who is it supposed to be..?
As for the lump of s**e with the VR… 🙁
Over in Yours for Scotland Alf Baird has done an absolutely superb analysis of where Scotland is at the moment.
His article should be reading for all.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/the-three-phases-of-decolonization-lessons-for-scotland/
THREE PHASES OF DECOLONISATION – lessons for Scotland – Alf Baird
I have therefore taken the liberty of copying his article and attach it underneath. This is the message we need to get out to the masses. So herewith –
Self-determination is the process by which colonized and hence oppressed peoples become independent. In this regard we have a great deal to learn from postcolonial theory which explains this process in some detail, and from which much of the UN approach to self-determination and decolonization is based.
Postcolonial theory is drawn from the common experiences of many peoples and nations that have become independent from imperial rule, mostly since the end of WWII and the founding of the United Nations. It is therefore very much an applied body of literature. In this it is important for an oppressed people to understand the different ‘phases of decolonization’ which colonized peoples’ have to go through in order to secure independence and liberation from oppression, which is never an easy or straightforward process.
PHASE 1: THE RISE OF THE DOMINANT NATIONAL PARTY
Within the first phase of decolonization, the naivety and inexperience of the newly elected national party is exploited to the full by the colonial power. New to assuming any kind of power, the national party elite ‘attach a fundamental importance to the fetish of organisation’, which takes precedence over any reasoned study of colonialism.
Because the national party elite has never undertaken a detailed analysis of colonial society, the leaders do not yet understand what independence really means (i.e. decolonization) or why it is necessary. This also leaves the understanding of the mass of the people at a rudimentary level as they likewise also remain ignorant of what independence means.
The colonial power plays on the relative inexperience of the national party elite using its long experience of imperial administration and the very solid government and justice system it has created. The colonial power also uses traditional means such as divide and rule of the oppressed, manipulation, and the deployment of confidential agents pensioned off at ransom prices.
It soon becomes clear to the people that, inside the nationalist parties, the will to break colonialism is linked with another quite different will: that of coming to a friendly agreement with it. At the decisive moment, such as the election of a majority of nationalist members of parliament, the party elite lacks the courage to declare independence.
Instead, the national party chooses ‘neutrality’, it depends on slogans and for the most part leaves the question of independence to future events. It therefore takes the movement up a blind alley, delaying independence. The dominant national party elite then becomes part of the colonial racket, it behaves like a gang, feathers its nest and builds up its pensions. Colonialism, which is always a co-operative venture with native elites, effectively draws the national party leaders under its wing.
PHASE II: THE RUPTURE IN THE MOVEMENT
As time goes by, the people begin to realise that all is not well with the dominant national party in whom the movement has placed its trust. The dominant national party opted for neutrality instead of liberating the people, which is the clearest sign that its intentions are no longer aligned with the masses. The party elite then suffers from a kind of petrifaction, it becomes calcified and immobile. Unable to serve two masters, that is both the colonized and the colonizer, the party elite chooses to protect the interest of the latter and hence sacrifices the former, that is the people.
The colonised people discover they cannot gain their liberty from oppression by following the imposed laws and justice courts of their colonizers, i.e. what is known as the Section 30 Scotland Act approach. In an attempt to make party officials looks busy, the administration passes laws with mystify and further oppress the people. The inevitable split in the party results in conflict between ‘legal and illegal’tendencies.
The dominant national party refuses to promote any innovation or make progress on the most urgent cause of liberating the people. It attacks the so-called ‘radicals’ and ‘undesirables’ in the national independence movement, joining with colonial forces(such as state police and prosecutors) to persecute key leaders. Such developments and lack of progress on independence sicken the movement and leads to its rupture.
New national parties are then rapidly created, albeit they unfortunately also have a tendency to model themselves on political parties in the mother country. However, even the more assimilated native who automatically favours the status quo starts to become disturbed by events. The native starts to remember what he is and, no matter whether he thought of himself as British of French, he realises that this was a manufactured being, and little more than a cultural illusion.
The people start to “spew ourselves up; but already underneath laughter can be heard” as they finally begin to realise the colonial hoax that has been played out at their expense and thus to understand their wretched (colonial) condition. And so,they begin to better understand that this colonial condition is at root racist, itsubordinates them as ‘a people’ and a culture, which enables the economic plunder of their lands, which in turn widens inequalities and results in under-development of the people and nation.
PHASE III: THE PEOPLE START TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE PATH TO LIBERATION
Here the people begin to understand that they must take a different approach if they are to become liberated, free to go their own way, and that their political leaders and political solutions have proven to be inadequate. The third and final phase must see the people finally awaken and shake themselves from their lethargy in the face of the forces of colonial occupation, economic exploitation, and political and cultural domination.
It is in this final phase that the people must become liberated from their oppressive reality. The people have to realise that they cannot live with colonialism and neither can they compromise with it through such mechanisms as limiting forms of‘devolution’. The complicit national party that has now become the main obstacle to liberation must be cast aside and a new liberation vehicle brought into play which is wholly focused on securing the freedom of the people.
The colonial relationship and chains must be broken, oppression must be ended. If the colonial relationship is allowed to continue, the people, their culture and nation will eventually perish. The people need to understand that true independence meansthe concrete situation which begets oppression must be transformed. This requires a two-stage process, as follows:
1) the oppressed group and their leaders unveil the world of oppression (i.e. colonialism is revealed to them) and commit to its transformation, and:
2) the culture of domination is confronted, its myths expelled, and its presence removed.
Liberation is thus like a childbirth, and a painful one. The correct method of liberation requires dialogue with the people, and political action must be undertaken together with the oppressed group. This is achieved through a liberation movement in which revolutionary leadership establishes a permanent relationship of dialogue with the oppressed people.
The liberation group cannot exist without the people, and the leadership group grows out of communion and dialogue with the people. The leaders must dedicate themselves toward an untiring effort for unity among the oppressed people in order to achieve liberation, which is the opposite of domination. Such organization is a highly educational process in which leaders and people together experience true authority and freedom, which they then seek to establish in society by transforming the reality which mediates them, including necessarily self-recovery of culture.
References
And McDermid says Aye that right when can a lick yet fanny.
“…his brain functions after the fashion of certain elementary types of digestive systems. It filters. And the filter lets through only what can nourish the thick skin of the bourgeois’s clear conscience” (Cesaire).”
I’ve said it before, Alf. But those lines from Cesaire perfectly capture the attitude of the bourgeoisie and are always worth repeating.
Ruby Saturday: you’re another permanent dweller here who just opens her mouth and lets her belly rumble all the time. You admit you know nothing about the Scottish arts sector, yet still go on to give us your utterly uninformed 19th century view of demure, passive women making the tea and pouring wine at arts events! What utter pish! The literary arts in this country are diametrically opposed to your utterly uninformed view of them.
I have been around them, seen the grants games (ostensibly for the fucking ‘under-represented’, a laughable concept in grants-guzzling context), I actually KNOW what I am talking about! Now shut up with your ‘poor oppressed women’ bitter Victorian drivel and GO AWAY.
What’s does Sturgeon & Pal Val have in common. What do they both specialise in?
7 letters
– – – T – – –
What’s does Sturgeon & ‘Pal Val’ have in common. What do they both specialise in?
7 letters
– – – T – – –
That’s too easy the prize will only be one of these mini ice-lollies. It’ll be very small but if will be delicious, chocolate & creamy not one of these sorbet type ice lollies.
These sorbet lollies are only good if you haven’t got any peas in the freezer to put on your sprain.
Alf Baird
Extract from Alf’s article on the Yours for Scotland website:
“The colonised people discover they cannot gain their liberty from oppression by following the imposed laws and justice courts of their colonizers”
@Willie has kindly posted Alf’s complete article up above and it is essential reading for all Scots.
Excellent article, Alf. Just excellent:
“Liberation is thus like a childbirth, and a painful one.”
For a people as a whole, and at an individual level, too, I would add.
But the rewards gained in recovering one’s cultural identity and freeing one’s mind from the tricks and traps of the coloniser are incalculable.
BTW, another great toon, Chris. Thank you! 🙂
FFS ‘Narroweyed Observer’ is as angry as ‘Franchise Fanny’!
Should be fun winding him up!
NB You are on the wrong thread pal and way off topic!
Personal abuse can get you banned.
And, in tune with “Virtual Reality” world as presented in Chris’ excellent cartooon, I learn that Patrick Brady, MP, has presented a “Dissolve the Union” Bill to Parliament on its last day.
If anyone truly doubted the contempt in which these troughers hold Scotland and the voters who put them there this act of contempt should surely enlighten them.
Chris,
I love this cartoon of yours in particular, because it makes the obvious statement virtual that reality of British politics and politicians across the board both sides of the boarder.
We all know the politicians perception of virtual reality is as far away in the opposite direction of ours, three quarters of the rest of population of Britain,
There is nothing wrong with the parliament buildings, it is the small totally inadequate capitalisation of politics bubble of trouble that we wrongly call politicians that need to be ousted from those very building. To be replaced with real people.in the real world,
You said and explained it so well with excellent strokes of the pen,
What a brilliant cover for any book or media to explain todays politics in a nutshell.
North Cod,
Westminster parliament has Colonised the actual treaty of union itself,
Thinking that London and England are the only Country in the treaty of union,
North Code.
Westminster parliament has Colonised the actual treaty of union itself,
Thinking that London and England are the only Country in the treaty of union,
I’m not seeing Paul McCarney Graf. I think SteepBrae got it right.
https://tinyurl.com/49k2xeaf
Pal Val replaces Peter.
Peter goes to jail and Pal Val & Mrs Murrel live happily ever after.
@Northcode 12.06pm
“The colonised people discover they cannot gain their liberty from oppression by following the imposed laws and justice courts of their colonizers”
What sort of colonising power negotiates something like the Edinburgh Agreement though? Unless you don’t believe the yoons would have accepted a Yes result in 2014, which seems a stretch unless you’re a fully paid up member of the Bacofoil hat wearing club, all the Scottish people have to do is muster a majority of votes in a referendum or plebiscitary elections.
You can’t seriously claim to be colonised or subject to colonial oppression if the most you have to do to end colonial rule is put an X on a piece of paper.
None of this is rocket science of course, but the usual suspects like to use the “Scotland as colony” schtick as fig leaf to hide to hide the nakedness of intellectual and political ideology, which is about as developed as the manhood of a TRA after an extensive course of hormones.
We don’t a’ huv tae tak aun the Scots leid tae hink yer patter’s bowfin.
Ruby Saturday
says:
25 May, 2024 at 12:03 pm
What’s does Sturgeon & ‘Pal Val’ have in common. What do they both specialise in?
That’s easy Ruby.
They are both cunning linguists!
Maybe Val could nominate Sturgeon for the silver dagger award after she killed off the SNP.
Scotland exhibits too many of the signs of colonialism, both of the external variety and the psychologically conditioned internal type, for that state to be dismissed as «partisan» hyperbole.
Iwait for a Scot with the «smeddom», a punchy Scots word, to state something to the effect that independence WILL be achieved, the prostrate proponents of the superannuated British state serving as the broad highway. Something gutsy and old school, highly suggestive of determination to get a job done, regardless.
The Brit establishment, which has divided and confused, for the moment, the independence movement ought not to be given long to gloat over its old colonialist subversion.
The GE discourse has already marginalized Scotland, a once prodigal returning to the Londoncentric fold and consequently about as «relevant» as the recent goings on at Charleston farmhouse.
Nemo me impune lacessit
Right enough Garavelli 🙂 but there are too many letters in
cunning linguists!
Sorry no lolly for you!
A THOUGHT…
Re those Treaties of Union, were the English and Scottish texts identical?
In Algeria a treaty was signed in 1834 in which the French and Arabic versions differed, the French text implying greater French military authority over the country.
Imperialist states often used such linguistic tricks.
Even speakers of the same language may misconstrue meaning.
Video on WhatsApp of hundreds of Rangers Fans dressed in the same T Shirts, some with masks marching through the centre of Glasgow with threatening gestures blocking traffic.
The police are three of course. Not appearing to do anything but watching.
To quote the famous band- I predict a riot.
repurposeyourvote or spoil your ballot, technically the same thing. Merely semantics. Any mark on the ballot other than the allowed mark is classed as spoiling the ballot. With repurposeyourvote we all get to focus on the one strong message.
I fully support this move and would encourage everyone, regardless who stands for Westminster, to click on the link below, read what it’s all about, then post the link to as many folk in Scotland as you can between now and the Westminster general election.
If we fail to send a very strong message to all the self-servers we have absolutely no right to be crying and whinging about how bad things are. Scotland has no power at Westminster, that much has been proven. We need to focus on votes for Holyrood only while making a mockery of London’s idea of “democracy”. #repurposeingyourvote is as good a start as any.
https://repurposeyourvote.scot/
“What sort of colonising power negotiates something like the Edinburgh Agreement though?”
The sort that think they are going to cantor to a win without even trying and can thus look good, ie democratic, without risk. The sort that lose their shit when a week or two out polling shows Yes in the lead and the sort that breaks purdah to announce new powers if you vote no. Then when you vote no, deliver control over road signs or the equivalent ie no real power only responsibilities.
“Unless you don’t believe the yoons would have accepted a Yes result in 2014”
We believe they didn’t think there was a hope in hell of a Yes vote so it was a risk free gamble. Funny how now it’s roughly 50:50 or so (yes ranges from 45% to 53% over time depending on pollster), they say there’s NO CHANCE of another vote. Too much chance of the vote going the wrong way now!!!
On a previous thread I asserted that it’s a pointless waste of time to engage in argument where there’s no evidence of a mind to engage with.
I’m extending that assertion to include hauf-witit anti-Scots racist eejits.
A micht hiv postit theis afore in thon inglis oan anither threid – ay but hits wirth sain agin wi the Scots leid.
Tae murgeon leids sae tae mockit anither fowk is ane feegur o racism.
sum wha attendit an priggit thon unyoune fer thrawed banes hiv sum muckle racist mooths oan thaim. Tho nae mutch wyt or nous.
A’m haena thocht ther aw Englis, or if nae thae crave tae bi onyway.
Brilliant article by Alf Baird.
The SNP must be removed from power, for the indy cause to advance, vote Alba or ISP, not BLIS or the Tory or Lib/Dem branch offices of London’s in Scotland, nor the Greens who use the cover of promoting Green activities to push their gender policies.
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/the-three-phases-of-decolonization-lessons-for-scotland/
Well politics often comes full circle. In a historical context,
The Colonisation of the 1707 treaty of union by Westminster parliament began before the ink was dry,
The old parliament of England was retained and the members of the upper House, “the House of Lords” simple transferred without elections into the new Westminster parliament, same parliament ,same building, same members, just a additional brand name of Great then a hyphon before the word Britain,
England had often used the word Britain prior to the treaty of union.
However with the Scottish parliament immediately coming under dissolution in 1707 deleting any possibility of non- legal members of the Scottish parliament entering the Westminster parliament or no possibility of any of those particular ex Scottish parliament members being able to represent their constituents in Scotland whilst under dissolution,
it becomes obvious that the Scots that entered Westminster parliament did so as new members of a parliament of England, with the new extended brand name.
A parliament under Dissolution has no parliament members, and has no legal autonomy to represent its Constituents,
Constitutionally under British Law.
Rangers fans are getting ever more paramilitary looking!!
Police Scotland don’t seem to mind escorting them around the town while they create carnage and shoppers flee.
In whose interest would it be to have a unionist paramilitary force ready?????
Let me think.
There us no real need right enough with Swinney sinking his own campaign in day 2
“You can’t seriously claim to be colonised or subject to colonial oppression if the most you have to do to end colonial rule is put an X on a piece of paper.”
Andy Ellis.
You know fine well that we need to ask Westminster for permission for an S30 to do the above, and Scotland own House Jock government has no intentions of pursuing an alternative route.
Our own House Jock government and our House Jock LA made sure of this in their treacherous appearance in England’s Supreme Court.
In a way with the English government blocking our democratic right to hold a referendum on leaving this union, it could be seen as similar as the French changing the voting system in New Caledonia to marginalise the indigenous Kanak people.
Like Scotland with the English in mind, the French have flooded New Caledonia to such a point that the indigenous Kanak people’s position has been undermined.
Scotland is quite there yet, but we’re getting there, English folk are flooding across the border looking for among other things cheaper houses to purchase better public services such as doctors appointments, schooling, free prescriptions and quicker hospital appointments all of which puts tremendous pressure on our public services and it pushes our indigenous folks ability to access these services further back.
Already so many English folk have come across the border that with the indigenous Scots who want to remain in the union indy Scots are now outnumbered, and still the English keep coming, and Scots have no way of stopping them as the foreign country of England controls this department.
Panda Paws 3:13pm
Well said.
Ellis
“Unless you don’t believe the yoons would have accepted a Yes result in 2014, which seems a stretch unless you’re a fully paid up member of the Bacofoil hat wearing club, all the Scottish people have to do is muster a majority of votes in a referendum or plebiscitary elections.”
No bacofoil needed. The Edinburgh Agreement said it would recognise the result. NOT that they’d implement it. A fact that the slippery feckers brought up in Parliament when they were discussing Brexshit being “only advisory, just like Scottish indy ref was”
So if there had been a YES vote they’d have weaseled out of it because there was nothing in writing to say they’d actually implement it.
We’re also forbidden to have another one. Yer x is a waste of time but knock yerself out believing a Plebiscite will make them suddenly watch their cash cow & international status walk out the door with a hearty cheerio..
It’s you that needs the bacofoil.
Graf MidgeHunter 11:11 am
“If that’s not Paul McCartney on the right then who is it supposed to be..?”
LOL I see it too. It’s the mouth & glaikit stare of surprise. Uncanny.
Starmer seeks to exclude the only Scottish party, however inadequate, from GE debates.
The gentleman, when visiting the «region», should be given a rousing welcome for his stunning efforts in the cause of smug anglocentrism.
Maybe he should visit in an armoured car?
The UK is a one party state.
They don’t even try to hide it anymore. It’s the same shit regardless of who wins.
Another GREAT political message wrapped up as a cartoon to engage thought Chris
I very seldom agree with Peter A Bell but on this occasion his #EndTheUnion proposal is right on the mark for any independence supporter
Unfortunately as normal, Scots cannot agree on the best way forward, we have had for a little while a man from Dundee promoting his saying “notmyparliament”to write on your voting slip which Roddy and others on Prism have shown support for, we are famous for fighting within ourselves FFS can we not even get a slogan right
The object of the idea to “Repurpose your vote” was to COLLECTIVELY, that means the MAJORITY, to deliberately send a message to ALL supposed independence parties to get their fingers out and FIGHT for independence #EndTheUnion or they WILL NOT get our vote
Everyone no doubt can think of something to write on their ballot slip, BUT that is meaningless and WILL be ignored,BUT if everyone wrote the same thing #EndTheUnion that would have impact and maybe even reach the media, illustrating to WM that INDEPENDENCE is very much alive and kicking and we intend to #EndTheUnion , and also sending a message to indy parties to get on with independence or they are history
So I appeal to the “not my parliament”supporters, please get on board with the #EndTheUnion message proposal and make it more prominent
@RoS 4.07 pm
We only “need” agreement for a S30 approved referendum, not for plebiscitary elections. The requirement for an agreement – as done for the 2014 referendum – is part of the current devolutionary settlement. If we’re playing that game, then we have to abide by the rules agreed by both sides. If the majority of the Scottish people no longer accept that it is tolerable for us to need to ask permission to even hold a referendum, then it is incumbent on them to do one of two things:
either 1) stick 2 fingers up to Westminster and go ahead with an “un-agreed” referendum anyway, and if necessary go down the path of UDI if no agreement can be reached; or
2) change the devolutionary settlement to repatriate more (or all) powers such that Holyrood really is the most powerful devolved assembly in the world, with an absolute right to hold self determination votes, or decide on all policy areas (presumably not including foreign policy and defence) which are not still reserved for the Westminster parliament.
I can’t ever see British nationalists agreeing to option 2, and in terms of option 1, all they have to do is continue with their current stone-walling, and say: “We’re not saying never you uppity jocks, just that it takes 2 to tango, and you’ve already had your once in a generation indyref: get back to us in 2039, OK?”.
Unless and until the Scottish electorate grow a pair and are prepared to take, not ask for permission, the referendum rout is thus a dead end.
That leaves plebiscitary elections: The yoons can’t stop them, so it’s entirely in our hands to make every general election plebiscitary. As many of us have realised, that entails the destruction of the current SNP. Hopefully that will gain speed after their imminent gubbing on 4th July, but we can’t expect the party to disappear overnight, or for things to collapse overnight, however hard we wish for it.
Scotland =/= New Caledonia. It’s a risible comparison not even worth engaging with.
I do believe that my TV has spontaneously changed to virtual reality.
Why otherwise would it just have shown me an advert for E45 cream recommending its’ properties for “transitioning skin”. And suggesting I go online to the E45 site dedicated to its support for those embarking on this “journey”.
Back to Classic FM or Radio 3 for a touch of sanity I feel.
#AskAndy
As matters pertaining to the constitutional makeup of the UK are reserved to Westminster. Can you explain how a plebiscitary election would be held in a Scottish Parliamentary election getting round the issue of unionist controlled councils potentially blocking the running of said proposed plebiscitary election on the grounds that the devolved Scottish Parliament has no control of power relating to the constitution make up of the UK.
@Geri 4.21 pm
Implementing the deal, and the terms of the deal post independence, are a matter for both sides to negotiate. If we have crap negotiators and get a bad deal, then the only people to blame are ourselves.
Given the state of our recent governments in Holyrood, the leadership of the SNP and Greens, and the inability of the movement as a whole to make much political impact, it doesn’t exactly fill me with hope that the “A Team” will be running rings around the mandarins of the British nationalist establishment.
That being said, it is at least arguable that the Irish had a pretty shit hand in 1918-21 and just had to make the best of the cards they had. In the circumstances (of being threatened with imminent invasion, and the partition of the island of Ireland) I suppose we can cut them some slack.
Anyone paying attention (difficult for someone with the attention span and insight of a goldfish like yourself, but bear with me…) will know that the yoons have been quite clever in saying they’re not saying we can NEVER have another referendum, just that we can’t impose terms. There have to be two sides agreeing for it to happen.
The alternative is an “un-agreed” referendum which we already know some states like Spain won’t recognise because they’ve explicitly said so and a much harder struggle to obtain independence after UDI. That’s no easy task: ask the Kossovans.
In the end, it depends if you think the Scottish people – or at least the future majority we hope are going to lead us to independence – have the balls not to take “No” for an answer if they feel that response is unjust, illegal or infringes their absolute right under international law to self determination.
Absent an actual armed uprising and killing of officers of the state à la Ireland in the early 20th century, if we’re faced with an intransigent British nationalist state that is denying us our right to exercise our self determination, we have to be prepared to take matters in to our own hands, whether that’s via civil disobedience, not recognising the organs of the British nationalist state, ostracising those who do, forming and using our own alternative “nationalist” institutions as Sinn Féinn did in the early 1900’s.
If you think all of that is at all likely, or is somehow preferable to just winning plebiscitary elections, then go ahead: make it so. It’s about as likely to happen as any of the “cunning plans for indy” that cranks and snake oil salesman in here seem obsessed with.
@Dan 5.59 pm
Either we’re nationalists, or we aren’t. Given that it appears British nationalists have reneged on the 2014 precedent for holding an “agreed” referendum which it had been assumed meant they would not refuse a referendum which enjoyed majority support and the sanction of the devolved Holyrood parliament (i.e. had a democratic mandate) then the only plausible alternative is plebiscitary elections.
If the independence movement mobilises and co-operates, all that is required is for all pro-indy parties (whatever other policy differences they may have and however much we detest their politics and recent actions) to state publicly that ALL votes for them are considered votes in favour of independence.
That means that immediately the number of votes cast for all those parties reaches 50% + 1, it’s game over. We declare that de-facto Scotland is an independent state and begin negotiations for the details of the divorce à la Czechia and Slovakia.
The Britnats aren’t going to cancel General Elections, either for Westminster or Holyrood. Sadly, we can write the upcoming GE off: it’s too soon and the SNP are too stupid to accept the principle of plebiscitary elections and a “Scotland United” platform. That leaves Holyrood 2026 elections as the test.
It isn’t up to Westminster to tell us that Holyrood is or isn’t competent. The Scottish people have a jus cogens right under international law to self determination. It is neither contingent on Westminster approval nor subject to prohibition on the grounds of spurious appeals to constitutional bans (à la Spain versus Catalonia), territorial integrity or historic precedent.
In the end, the $64,000 question is whether enough Scots people finally grow a pair to ensure that in that situation we step up or back down. I know which group I’m in: I’m not so sure about the rest of the toom tabards.
Screeds of text but he didn’t answer the question…
#BrokenAskAndy 🙁
What BS from Forbes the SNP are in a terrible state, and will take a right pasting in the coming GE, and she knows it, of course Forbes worked hand-in-glove with Tory Michael Gove to force Green Ports on Scots.
As for Matheson (lying iPad man) you’d have thought that Swinney would’ve kept his mouth shut after his pathetic attempt to defend the liar Matheson, but no Swinney is in the press today blaming everyone else for Matheson’s suspension, on the up side Swinney’s intransigence makes it that little easier to NOT give the SNP your vote.
Just get the SNP out there a roadblock to ending this shithole of a union.
“Kate Forbes has insisted the general election has come at a “very good moment” for the SNP despite the party facing a growing row over Michael Matheson.”
@Dan 6.44pm
It’s a stupid question, redolent of the kind of yoon Project Fear talking points. Why would yoon councils be refusing to hold general elections, whether Westminster or Holyrood?
You *might* have some point WRT to referendums, but not general elections. Try harder ya unreasoning dullard.
Over the past few years, the emphasis in politics has shifted to international affairs and issues that are above the scope of national politics and parliaments. I could list about 12 subjects that I would guess most people regard as more important than the sort of issues that will dominate the forthcoming election, for example, and all of them would be internationalist in scope.
Proof of general interest in these big subjects is easy to find on YouTube, etc. Videos about the plight of Palestinians, the war in the east, excess deaths, etc., get hundreds of thousands or even millions of of views, whereas videos about even the most attention-grabbing aspects of Scottish politics typically get no more than a few hundred or thousand.
Even here on Wings there’s a reluctance to go near the sort of subjects I am talking about. You might argue that they have nothing to do with Scottish politics, but I would have thought that Scotland potentially getting nuked or dragged into WWIII would break through the self-imposed threshold of relevance.
As I have said more than once, Alba has also taken a back seat on these subjects. I don’t understand it. Once of the big reasons I want independence is so that we can interface with the world differently, and it feels like we aren’t even allowed or willing to talk about what that means.
Also, am I the only person in Scotland who thinks the distinction between the national and the international is a completely false distinction today? I don’t even understand the idea that the two can be separated in a world that is clearly so integrated. If Covid taught us anything it’s that what goes on in the wider world matters a lot. But I think a lot of stuff matters out there and for some odd reason nobody in Scottish politics wants to go near it or take a position.
Who is it we are concerned about upsetting?
. . . you starveling, you elf-skin, you dried neat’s tongue, you bull’s pizzle, you stock-fish! O for breath to utter what is like thee! You tailor’s-yard, you sheath, you bowcase; you vile standing-tuck . .
That’s the correct way to call someone a dickhead – well, if you’re Falstaff insulting a prince it is; according to Shakespeare anyway.
Harry had a go at Falstaff first so Falstaff’s retort seems only fair after being the target of this princely insult:
“Thou art violently carried away from grace. There is a devil that haunts thee in the likeness of an old fat man; a tun of a man in thy companion. Why dost thou converse with that trunk of humours, that bolting-hutch of beastliness, that swollen parcel of dropsies, that huge bombard of sack, that stuffed cloak-bag of guts, that roasted Manningtree ox with the pudding in his belly, that reverend Vice, that grey Iniquity, that father Ruffian, that Vanity in Years?
If Falstaff’s and Prince Harry’s lists of names were not insults they’d be called Congeries, but they weren’t – they were lists of insults, and that being so are called Bdelygmia. Bdelygmia derives from a Greek word meaning ‘nasty’ or something like that.
No-one knows how to pronounce Bdelygmia properly as none of the letters are silent and the ancients never told us. And it’s actually against a minor British bye-law to attempt to say it out loud in a public place.
Congeries is Latin for a pile of stuff, and in rhetoric it applies to any heaping of adjectives or nouns in a list. So when St. Paul said:
“Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like…But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance…”
He was making a Congeries. If he’d made a list of insults it would have been a Bdelygmia.
Here’s a Congeries, sorry, I mean a Bdelygmia approved in 1953 by the East German government for describing the British:
Paralytic sycophants, effete betrayers of humanity, carrion-eating servile imitators, arch-cowards and collaborators, gang of woman-murderers, degenerate rabble, parasitic traditionalists, playboy soldiers, conceited dandies.
Those East Germans really didn’t think much of the British, did they? Although I got on very well with German folk when I spent some time in Bavaria – after I told them I was a Scot.
That be Congeries…or Bdelygmia if yer list is fou o nasty insults.
Now you know the rhetorical name for the next list of insults you call someone.
And who knows? It might even be someone on here who gets your Bdelygmia in their face – that sounds ruder than I intended, but I’m leaving it anyway.
You were in a seriously narked mood when you drew this one, Chris, and you are spot on. What a deceitful fraud she is.
@ Andy Ellis
Give it a fucking rest ya relentlessly antagonistic prick.
I specifically asked about potential issue of using a Scottish Parliament election as a plebiscite election on UK constitutional matters.
I made no mention of using a Westminster election. (Which in my view would be a more straightforward and legitimate way to proceed as a plebiscite election on Scotland returning to self governance for various reasons.)
It was a legitimate question asking for some clarification.
If you try to turn an election for the Scottish Administration of Devolved Powers Parliament (which has no remit over UK constitution which is reserved to Westminster) into a plebiscitary election on constitutional matters, then why would unionist run councils treat that incursion into reserved matters any different from a wildcat or de facto referendum.
I ask because I recall Stu has previously mentioned the issue of trying to bypass unionist-controlled councils.
“We know that she’ll never hold a “wildcat” referendum (partly because she’d never try and partly because it’d fail if she did, since there’s no way to bypass Unionist-controlled councils).”
https://wingsoverscotland.com/a-plague-of-fools/
Hatuey
Cause Stu doesn’t want it on the site. *Shrugs*
I think it should be especially with an election coming up so Tories know EXACTLY who these bastards are. Bojos latest act of celebrating with Nazis in Westminster & telling them to kick off inside you know where should be published everywhere. This fecker, along with Cameron, are grade A weapons. BoJo needs to get tae feck with his Churchill complex. What a fud.
Kate Forbes is just as delusional as the rest of them. She needs her job and salary, so won’t rock the boat.
The GE election couldn’t have come at a worse time for the SNP. Their poll ratings are at a record low. People see what Swinney is already. A person who will protect lying MSPs. The whole party is rotten.
Independence will not come via a referendum. The franchise is fucked anyway.
It will come when we elect a government willing to act on the sovereignty granted to them by the people. This will never happen with the SNP.
Celtic is family. Forever in my heart. We’ve beaten the orange bastards once again! Hahahaha! It never gets old. God bless the Pope’s 11! ahahaha! They’re they’re and they’re always there. And god bless them. God bless Glasgow Celtic Football Club!
lol @ David Hannah
I watched the football… Celtic didn’t even play that well and still won.
That’s gotta hurt.
Was a terrible performance, but so glad the Brits got beaten yet again. Rangers just parked the bus and Cantwell is their comedy villain. Brendan has never lost to Sevco. Quite an achievement.
I watched the rugby. Great performance from Kinghorn – all the better because he’s managed to escape the stultifying, overtly political SRU.
Football – nah. There are machines in pubs that do the same and you get control over the dummies.
Ooh, controversial – you might want to slip into your asbestos onesie to protect yourself from any incoming flames 🙂
P.S. Can anyone explain something to me? Namely, what’s with all of that spitting on the pitch? Anybody?
Conscription for a year for all eighteen year olds starting in 2025 Rishi Sunak says they say if the Tories are returned to power.
What can one say folks, what can one say.
The Flying Iron of Doom @ 05.57.
The Celtic Players spit on the grass to nourish it and keep it green.
The Rangers Players spit on the grass to demonstrate their contempt for their opponents Team colours.
Well, either that or they all share a dirty habit.
Great cartoon, the virtual reality of delusional Sturgeon, saviour of the oppressed and downtrodden – unless they are actual biological women.
Talking of delusional parallel universes.
Yesterday, the Scottish cup final. Two of Scotland’s best football teams. On one side of the stadium, Celtic fans, the other side ranger fans. On one side Irish flags, and on the other, Colonial English butcher’s aprons. WTF?
You know, in Scotland at important matches like that, it could be fun to put an image on the internet, and challenge folk, like in ‘where’s wally’ to find the Scotland flag. I just wonder, if aside from any on the stadium itself, there was one.
‘scottishy’ football and its fans, playing right into the hands of the well-worn ‘divide and conquer’ tactics of our English colonial oppressors. You want to know why sectarianism still exists in Scotland? Because it suits England. That’s why, you mugs. It goes like this, ‘get them to fight between themselves about King Billy or some other sh*t, then those uppity jocks will never attack their colonial overlords in England.
@Dan 9.52 pm
Awa’ and work ya roaster. You’re STILL deflecting, because as you yourself note Stu was referring to the potential danger of local councils refusing to co-operate with a wildcat REFERENDUM not GENERAL ELECTION. If it helps I can write it in big colourful letters with Chubby Chump crayons and send you a picture?
It may be true that Westminster elections are an easier sell, but there’s no real argument that a Holyrood General election held on a specifically plebiscitary election is less of a mandate than a Westminster election. The independence movement’s line can and must be that following the britnats refusal to honour the 2014 precedent, every singly General election is plebiscitary by default.
Your point about Westminster asserting its constitutional supremacy is a red herring: the whole point of a plebiscitary election is that the movement is calling for a majority of the Scottish people to express their inalienable right to self determination.
Local councils in Scotland aren’t going to try and not hold or disrupt a General Election in either Westminster or Holyrood because the independence movement declares the result plebiscitary.
If they WERE to do so, it’s simply another nail in the coffin of Scottish unionism and the British nationalist estate, because by closing pff every available route for the Scottish people to exercise their self determination by the available and usual “conventional” routes, it would make UDI inevitable.
It would also make it much more likely that at least some of the international community would recognise such a declaration due to the bad faith exhibited by Westminster and unionists generally.
Northcode , thanks for that , I do enjoy grammatical education!
Robert Louis, I honestly had never thought of the flags but then I have no interest in football – excellent point.
Gentlemen, where are the Saltires? Do you only come together when it’s an international stage ? Perhaps you should attempt a little camaraderie at other times too as it is ONLY a game.
I don’t find the tricolour offensive. I would rather it was green saltire mind you. Some Celtic fans do have green saltire. They can’t waive blue ones as that would confuse them with Rangers colours. Aberdeen etc all waive their club colour saltire.
As for Rangers. They are just an offensive anti Scottish club. Who actually hate our national team, the SFA and every other Scottish club. Their fans are rotten and their bigotry is at the heart of unionism in Scotland.
Willie 7:19 am
“Conscription for a year for all eighteen year olds starting in 2025 Rishi Sunak says they say if the Tories are returned to power.”
What can they learn in a year? Oh, they’ll not be expecting them to come back. Silly me.
Jeez, this elections theme song Stealers Wheel..
‘Purple haired TRA clowns to left of me, blue rinse OAP jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you’ ..lol
Dorothy
“Only a game” That’s fighting talk.. the Scottish cup is about the only thing Scotland has to look forward to..well that & a bit of sun which usually shines on cup day.
It’s a shite state of affairs..
Well done the Celtic x
I really loved Sunderland, Val….sob, sob…
There is no getting over that first love, Niccy….boo, hoo….it’s all in the literature.
twathater says on 25 May 2024 at 4:55 pm:
“..we are famous for fighting within ourselves FFS can we not even get a slogan right. The object of the idea to “Repurpose your vote” was to COLLECTIVELY, that means the MAJORITY, to deliberately send a message to ALL supposed independence parties to get their fingers out and FIGHT for independence..”
It’s the age old Scottish problem, a blend of the following: Too many Chiefs and not enough Indians, petty dislikes and arrogance. I’ll give you the perfect example, and it involves the person you refer to.
Some time ago, can’t remember if it was on here or social media, but suggested dates for a referendum were being floated about and i said St.Andrews day, just to add it to the mix. Bell went off on one about it. Long & short of it is, who the f@ck is he to decide what’s right and what’s not? Never mind the tone he used.
Many folk would take offence at that level of tone and arrogance, and rightly so. Others would consider it too petty to bother. But i think the majority would take offence to it and hold it against him. It’s the Celtic (pronounced Keltic) fighting spirit in us, LOL! We’re not happy unless we’re fighting with someone.
Just for the record, although his arrogance seriously pissed me off, if he came up with something worth supporting i’m not stupid enough, or childish, to let it prevent me from supporting it.
There’s also another factor possibly at play in a situation such as this – can we be sure that all those behind the slogans are true indy supporters? Or is their contributions designed to divide us? Hard to tell, isn’t it?
Big Jock @ 10:27 pm
“Kate Forbes is just as delusional as the rest of them.”
Aye, a Meenister (an a budget) for Gaelic, an nae Meenister an nae budget an nae policy for Scots langage, i.e. maist Scots mither tung.
Keeping the people divided – the colonizers main tool.
It’s never just a game when the ‘Rangers’ are playing. It’s a political war. They represent the old bigoted establishment Scotland.
Hence the Union flags, England strips, Ulster flags, GSTK, Rule Britannia, Up to their knees. They are the enemy of modern progressive Scotland. They walk among us like zombies from the past.
Everybody and their apolitical dog has known since January there was a WM GE this year, and that the route to Indy was to turn it into a plebiscitary one.
But instead, everybody sat on their hands, did SFA, and now are bleating about not having been given enough time to prepare.
What the professional politicos are really greetin about is that their plans for a carefree month abroad over July and August have been scuppered.
Not sure just what the rank and file are greetin about. Says a lot though, that when the chance to produce a seismic result is presented on a silver plate, nobody can capitalise on it.
Keith Brown did well today until the Mathieson questions
I don’t think we would win a defacto plebiscite referendum right now. Due to the anti SNP vote. I can’t vote SNP right now , or probably ever. I wouldn’t trust them with another mandate either.
Aye.
WM is the only result with any weight to it.
Everybody & their dug knows that’s where the power sits & the conditions of the treaty.
Any indy supporter sending a Yoon there is cutting their nose off to spite their face. They’d simply vote through a lock in while yoons cheered “It’s the will of the Scots! The Scottish ppl have spoken”
Be under no illusion this is exactly what will happen.
Alf Baird
If it’s “maist Scots mither tung” as you insist on forever claiming, how about some evidence?
How about some of the regulars using their “mither tung” to put their points over?
I’m thinking there’s little evidence of any ability to speak or write Scots on here. There’s little evidence that Scots who do employ Scots as their mither tung are interested in wasting their time on here.
I’m thinking too that history is hoaching with examples of intellectuals who believe that the proletariat just needs some guidance and leadership and that they are the perfect fit for that role.
It seldom ends well for them!
This is the road to independence as described by Prof McCorquodale and endorsed by Alba.
It does not mention a franchise. It mentions civic Scotland, a convention elected and sufficiently broad and diverse to represent a majority of the people.
Such a body is likely to be ignored by Unionists.
“Make a unilateral declaration of independence. This requires a clear majority of people representing Scotland to indicate their approval but it should not be done by the Scottish Parliament, as the latter is within UK domestic law. This could be done, for example, through a convention of elected and diverse representatives from across Scotland with a clear majority in favour. This approach relies for its effectiveness on the recognition by States of the Statehood of Scotland (Paragraph 135 b).”
Hmm, considering Andy’s input over the past few weeks me thinks he is simply running distraction interference by trying to push towards going with the more complex, contentious, compromised, and therefore difficult method of using the Scottish Parliament elections as a plebiscite election, rather than Westminster.
Supporting reasons:
1: Clear potential conflict issues arising from using an election for the Scottish Parliament which has control over devolved powers, but no remit over UK constitutional matters.
2: Compromised proportional voting system and franchise producing results that obscure genuine intent of what voters actually voted for. As Parties & Candidates would have to declare their intentions in dual manifestos prior to the vote, not knowing which one they would run with once vote results were in and if thresholds to enact either manifesto were met.
3: Limited time, the way things are playing out 2 years is too short a time to develop, organise, and roll out a nationwide strategy that the less politically aware electorate would understand. FFS, Yes “Leaders” can’t even reach agreement on a strategy to spoil a ballot paper… lolz
Unfortunately it’s water under the bridge now but in my view this year’s Westminster GE was a missed opportunity because the supposed “Indy movement” has been so fucked up with headless chicken “leaders” distracting and dividing the unity of the cause because they have been far too focused on pushing all their own wee ideas which so far have generally come to nothing. Which is pretty unproductive use of time and energy when they could have been working together and with the wider movement to develop and run with a simple and coherent Plan B strategy since it became obvious about 5 years ago that most of the current crop of supposedly nationalist politicians and Parties could not be relied upon to develop and deliver a Plan A.
Massive respect to the few independent Indy candidates who recognise what was going on and have the heart to stand in this year’s GE though. It’s just a pity time is so short, and all oor supposed brightest and best Indy leaders, strategists, and commenters didn’t have what it takes to see where things were going 5 years ago and get with the program and behind the idea of running a cross country range of local independent Indy candidates in their respective constituencies, focused on one sole objective and free from all the baggage, stench and smear that goes with being associated with the skipfire that all political Parties have become.
The polychrome mastodon in the Scottish nationalist room has a «how far do you intend to push the envelope» flashing neon sign on it.
I get the impression that most in that Nat room are either visually challenged or just not prepared to gaze on the obvious.
If so, what are they doing there?
So the English PM’s compulsory military service plan is in tatters after the Tories backed out of arresting anyone who failed to comply with military service.
My advice to Scots would to never fight for a foreign lands (England) military ever again let the English government of the day compel their ain folk to fight for their hegemony around the globe.
End the Union Now.
Back to the naughty step?
Ach never mind!
Dorothy Devine
Aye, Dorothy. Glad you enjoyed my wee excursion into the wonders of rhetoric.
Grammar and rhetoric can be a bit of a hoot. Those ancients just loved giving any combination of words they could find a name tho, didn’t they?
Dan; “…considering Andy’s input over the past few weeks me thinks he is simply running distraction interference…”
Course he/she/it is. Here to divert and divide, that’s his remit.
Always was. Always will be.
@sam 10.24am
The problem with that concept is the presumption that there will be a “clear majority of people representing Scotland indicating their approval”. How is that clear majority demonstrated if not at elections?
A Convention elected which is “sufficiently broad and diverse” all sounds like a very motherhood and apple pie statement that no reasonable person could disagree with….but who is included in these civic bodies? Who appoints them or elects them?
Given our recent experiences with GRA and women’s rights in particular do you REALLY trust some of the roasters representing civic Scotland across a whole range of policy areas? I know I sure as hell don’t!
Non-parliamentary routes to indy and all the “cunning plans” are inherently prone to boycott by aggrieved unionists. That won’t matter if there is a convincing and clearly demonstrable majority in favour of such plans….but at present there just isn’t.
Recognition of a declaration of independence by the international community following UDI is difficult: not impossible as Kosovo demonstrates, but difficult nonetheless. That’s why I’ve always cautioned against such plans: they only have utility in extremis after the independence movement has clearly demonstrated that it has exhausted the alternative routes the international community expects us to try.
In some ways the British nationalists and their Scottish unionist accomplices are playing in to our hands by acting in bad faith to refuse a referendum on the same terms as 2014.
That doesn’t automatically mean however the international community, international organisations and particularly the UN and ICJ will gladly accept that Scots chan just move straight to UDI without any intervening steps. A declaration at that stage simply won’t gain traction.
The plausible intervening step is for the movement to unite around the principle of making every future General Election, whether for Westminster or Holyrood plebiscitary. The fact that Holyrood is a devolutionary creation doesn’t matter. Prof McCorquodale’s opinion that it’s better for it to be in a Westminster elections isn’t universally shared or definitive, it’s just his take.
In the end it’s quite difficult to make an argument that a clear majority won by parties standing on an explicitly plebiscitary platform in Westminster elections is an acceptable basis for declaring independence, but the same is not true for a majority in a Holyrood election because the latter is within UK domestic law.
If the Scots are too “frit” to take rather than ask after gaining such a majority, then independence is a chimera and their lack of political balls would signify they don’t deserve it in any case.
Starmer is absolutely silent on the plan to conscript all eighteen year olds into the military.
Without doubt he is at one with the Tories on this.
I wish them well with this policy. In Ukraine they are denying healthcare, freezing bank accounts, cancelling passports, cancelling driving licences and deploying snatch squads.
Without doubt they will have to do that here too. Scots, especially independence supporting ones who are already classed as terrorists, will will resist this. It will be a clarion call.
And across the water in that bit of Great Britain called Northern Ireland one can only imagine the response that forced enlistment will occasion.
@Sam 10:24
There’s an election in about 6 weeks.
Please don’t say your “cunning plan” is to wait another 2 years!
When they play the “Things can only get better” song, they’re not talking about the climate for Scottish Indy.
@Dan 10.31 am
I’m simply stating the obvious. The referendum route is a dead duck. The britnats aren’t going to honour the Edinburgh Agreement precedent, and even in the unlikely event they agreed to #indyref2 would probably try to move the goalposts to queer the pitch. Given recent history and event in the independence movement I’m also by no means convinced that an effective non-party umbrella campaign could be launched and successfully fought.
As to you points:
1. Why? It’s just your assertion. A plebiscitary election simply means that prior to the vote all pro-independence parties agree that a vote for them will be regarded as a vote for immediate independence. No ifs, no buts. The fact Holyrood has no power over reserved matters is irrelevant: every election becomes a referendum on the survival of the British nationalist state. I’m not sure why any Scottish nationalist worth their salt would have an issue with the concept.
2. The proportional system used in Holyrood could be argued to complicate matters in comparison with the FPTP system for Westminster elections, but that doesn’t mean it’s beyond the ken of man to organise. The end result of a Holyrood election is supposed to be more representative than that of a Westminster election. If all the pro-independence parties prioe to the 2026 Holyrood election announce that they are standing on a specifically plebiscitary platform, and will take a pro-independence majority at Holyrood as a de-facto declaration of independence, then people know what they are voting for.
3. You may be right. 2026 may be too soon. Who knows? Things come at you fast in politics. Many of us are pretty convinced nothing much will be achieved until the SNP is either effectively destroyed as an electoral force, or is somehow converted from within after it’s imminent gubbing on 4th July at the Westminster elections.
The failure of the proposed “Scotland United” approach is as depressing as it was predictable. I understand why Alex Salmond and Alba offered to do it, in much the same way I understood why they tried to offer the SNP co-operation before the last disastrous Holyrood election. Nobody can say they didn’t try, but the SNP are just too far gone.
It’s depressing to think 2026 might be too soon, but if that’s the reality then we concentrate on the next Westminster election.
Of course if the “cunning plans for indy” mb can really come up with a coherent plan, and demonstrate a clear majority supporting it, and show us how their route gets us to the destination faster than plebiscitary elections, I’m all for it. I won’t be holding my breath.
That doesn’t mean I’m running “distraction interference” (whatever that means) or that I’m a closet unionist or an MI5 plant or whatever the usual tin foil hatters want to call it. If you and others can’t convince pro-independence folk like me of the validity of your case, the prospect of you convincing “soft” No voters to switch are remote.
It’s not plebiscitary elections that are the problem, it’s incoherent half-baked extra parliamentary alternatives that are the issue. They’re more likely to delay the attainment of independence than hasten it.
@RepublicOfScotland 10:41
Once again, your are so, so right 🙂
My first thought, on hearing the news, is that conscription will be for the immigrants.
They’ll be taught how to organise themselves, accept discipline, and how to handle weapons and themselves. Maybe they will put their capabilities under the control of the WM elite, maybe they’ll ultimately act in their own interests (history massively suggests the latter course).
Best if us Scots keyboard warriors stay out of it. We won’t last 5 minutes.
Maybe one day the new force in the land will gift Scotland our Indy. We’ll just have to keep pounding away at our keyboards and hope they take pity on us 🙂
@Hatey 11.31pm
What’s the realistic alternative? Even assuming the SNP has some existential crisis after getting gubbed on 4th July the bitter einders in the party will soldier on. Whether they accept the “Scotland United” concept then or not, it’s likely a significant section of their current vote will be up for grabs.
Whether other pro-indy parties stand to hoover them up, or enough of them just give up and gravitate back to “Scottish” Labour remains to be seen. The polls have been showing for a while that support for independence has remained more or less constant, even as support for the SNP has declined.
If “the movement” is serious about making the 2026 election plebiscitary, 2 years is still a reasonable amount of time to try and get their duck in a row.
Anyone who thinks a new Starmer led Labour government is going to make a ha’porth of difference for unionism must have a good dealer.
Going back to the issue of all of us, or at least a majority, repurposing our votes with our message of choice. On further reflection i don’t think it will create any harm if the majority end up spreading their votes over 2 or 3 choices.
Anyone failing to see the combined total majority, or at the very least a combined significant number, really isn’t worth our support and probably had no intention of fighting for us anyway.
If there’s 3 choices then let’s all promote the 3 of them as much as we can if nobody is prepared to pull their suggestion. The one thing we really need to do though is *not* fight over it and give folk the choice rather than any form of dictating. To try and keep the whole thing positive.
One good suggestion would be ideal but knowing us Scots maybe that was just a bit too simple and straightforward? LOL!
“Angus MacNeil has written to the Crown Office to ask them not to make any further announcements until after the result of the General Election on July 4…”
(From the Daily Record)
There’s a whole bunch of people Angus should write to if he wants to help save the skin of SNP troughers, which he professes is his goal.
I guess Angus is playing to the crowd up there and anybody that knows the crowd up there knows they are quite an odd bunch.
In terms they will understand, I’m definitely not on the same page as Angus, but neither are the Unmerciful Servants who hijacked the SNP. As John put it;
“Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.”
@Andy Ellis
Since Prof McCorquodale says nothing about Westminster’s role in this I don’t see why you mention it.
The non-Holyrood civic part of Scotland that I can think of includes local government, trade unions, the churches and other public bodies.
Of course elections play a part in this, including Holyrood. It is the people of Scotland that are the most important and it is their expression of the will through those elected public bodies that would count.
@Andy Ellis 11:44
If “the movement” had shown any interest or enthusiasm for the plebiscitary election plan everything would have been already under way for 4 July.
It’s over a year since Regan based her FM bid on the plebiscitary election route – every election – WM and HR.
I’m afraid all I see by postponing things for another 2 years is paralysis and defeatism. “The movement” needs to get going with the idea, and plan for and accept that it will take time and probably a number of elections to get the idea accepted as mainstream by the voters.
It can’t be an idea that is just tried once, then abandoned if it doesn’t break through on the first attempt.
Nor can it be an idea that shouldn’t be tried unless it’s guaranteed to work.
That guarantee will be a long time waited for.
#ScrollPastAndy
Qualifications needed to be recognised as a Colonial Control government,
1:
Take up the position that the foundations of 1707 treaty of union is owned by one Country, not two.
2:
immediately Delete the other parties parliament under Dissolution.
3:
Refuse and remove the other contributing Countries right to self determination.
4:
Lie to the other contributing Country that their laws will remain intact after said treaty,
5:
Ensure that the other Contributing Country to the said treaty never discovers that the Colonisers parliament never closed.
6:
Inform Scotlands unionists to say that they witnessed the Monarch taking the Scottish Oath in England,
7:
Make haste to out-number the other countries votes if need be,
8:
Install a unfair voting system in the other contributing country to the treaty :
9:
Lie to the other Country that their will only be ever be one parliament in Great Britain.
10:
Ignore the other contributing Country’s “Right to self determination” “Sovereignty” and “claim of right”
11 :
make sure that the other contributing Country ( Scotland) to the treaty, is imprisoned and has to beg for a section 30 order, (unlike England) , from the parliament of England
12:
Ensure that Scotland has two sets of Colonial administration laws and restrictions imposed on its Country and people compared to the Country of England,
13:
Lie to the other contributing country( Scotland) in the treaty.
14:
Finally, Never let a Scotsman know that (we) England asked their Scottish parliament to join us in a corrupt parliamentary union,
But after much discussion “Decided not” to ask the Scottish nation of people to join in the union because we recognised they would in all honesty probably “Vote No ” so we avoided asking them to join us at all,
@sam 12.09 pm
I mentioned Westminster because the logical concomitant to saying that a plebiscitary vote in Holyrood is somehow not sufficient is to posit that such a vote in Westminster would be sufficient.
The involvement and support of “civic Scotland” both elected and unelected is of course welcome, but in the end the appetite for independence has to be demonstrated by either a majority in an election (and OK, there’s a debate about which elections would be better…) or via an already in place Scottish government which clearly has majority support asserting its own pre-eminence over Westminster or forming a Constituent Assembly.
The issue with “civic Scotland” being accepted as representing a majority is demonstrating its legitimacy and that it clearly represented a majority. That wouldn’t be an issue if it was a case of an overwhelming pro independence majority that was somehow being frustrated by bad faith actions from Westminster, or by threats of or actual legal repression or violence, but that’s not where we’re at.
A slim majority gained in a contested process is less likely to be accepted internationally than a slim majority gained in an accepted referendum or vote in plebiscitary general election.
@James
It’s not a sin to be ignorant, it is a sin to be as proud of it as you appear to be.
You never know you might learn something.
@Hatey 12.13pm
The problem we have at present is that “the movement” has let the SNP dominate it for so long, that little is likely to change until the SNP is either destroyed as an electoral force, or has been changed from within to accept that it must co-operate with other pro-independence parties as a result of it losing the support of so many pro independence Scots.
Plebiscitary elections aren’t an idea that will only be tried once. Every subsequent election must be plebiscitary. We only have to win once, unionists have to win every single one.
As for whether we’ll have to wait a long time for the guarantee….time will tell.
LOLZ
It’s windy up around my area and the local windfarms.
Yet…
https://extranet.nationalgrid.com/RealTime
Take a swatch at the leccy imports from mainland Europe supplying 25% of current GB grid power demand. (scroll to right of page to view interconnect gauges from mainland Europe)
https://www.gridwatch.templar.co.uk/
Fucking mugs paying large curtailment payments to big foreign owned corporations not to produce power here, whilst the same corporations can then sell us leccy from elsewhere… Kerching!
Suck it up Scottish plebs and praise be to Westminster for implementing such a disastrous UK energy policy.
And also do not forget that the Scottish Administration of Devolved Powers with supposedly leading Indy leaders, Swinney (likely high on xylene fumes from excessive marker pen usage), and Freeport Forbes, with the limited fiscal controls we have in Scotland presumably both played their parts in the ScotWind “auction” giveaway.
In the eyes of God to sin is to ‘miss the mark’, either through ignorance or through error.
I see no evidence of James Che missing the mark or being prideful when listing those characteristics peculiar to the colonisation of Scotland – contrary to the tedious display of ignorance and error shown in the comments of unionists.
Just been thinking about how Sunak o Sir Keir Starmer who has been conspicuously silent on the proposal.
It’s certainly going to a laugh and joke and then some in that corner of Great Britain they call Northern Ireland.
Mind you it’ll be a laugh and a joke here in Scotland too.
Me I’m well past eighteen, and unlikely to get conscripted. But as a Scots terrorist, as Sunak thinks of me, and more than half of other Scots, I use the immortal words of fuck the Westminster government.
And I will not be alone in that sentiment. No siree in that department. Not my parliament.
Andy ellis,
You would know I suppose better than anyone,
Live the experience,
I always like to remind those like the sinfully ignorant unionists that the UK parliament site 2024 states that the politicians decided not to ask the Scottish people to join the treaty of union,
Hence they considered the people of Scotland Sovereign from the 1707;Scottish parliament,
This was never a consideration to be asked for the people in England due to the Parliament of England passing the “Bill of Rights” that transferred the people of Englands Sovereignty over to the parliament of England.
Willie
Your adamantine refusal to be taught how to fight does you great credit.
I fully expect the thinkers in the UK establishment will be in complete agreement that the last thing they need is separatists who can handle themselves.
I am a little surprised though, that the separatists should also think that way!
A few years down the line from now, when the only people who know how to fight are the Yoons, I wonder if you will be posting on here about the moment when you finally twigged?
The last ditch before the quagmire. SNP plan Munich beer hall putsch.
@James Che 2:00
We’re about 6 weeks away from a golden opportunity for the Sovereign Scots of Scotland to sunder the Union, simply by returning a majority of Scottish MPs pledged to immediately commence the process of declaring Scotland Independent..
A plebiscitary election, in other words.
300+ years can be unwound overnight.
I appreciate you like to over-complicate things, but it really is no more complex than that.
Your time and efforts on here over the next 6 weeks can be put to much better use if you start posting about that.
Reich Marshall Robertson will be in Munich for the photo shoot.
Willie,
Did that response to your comment sound like a veiled or unveiled threat of how people wanting to leave the union might be treated?
Wether Scotland, Ireland or Wales,
Better together, you will like us, we will force you to love us Colonial mantra,
Hatey Mchateface,
Did you miss the reference to the UK parliament Site 2024 that states the Scots have not been asked to join the Treaty of union.
Politicians are like beavers, they get into the mainstream and begin building dams.
Anything refreshing and worthwhile generally comes from fast flowing peripheral channels.
Had to laugh at suggestion 18 year olds that refuse conscription and learning how to invade and kill foreigners in their own country will not be imprisoned.
Of course they won’t as if they need a medical to provide medical exemption they won’t be able to get a Doctors appointment.
If they try to take them to court to convict them the backlog will
Mean they are likely to be bread winners before they got them there.
If they were convicted the prisons are already full beyond capacity.
If they bring a barge for those convicted- stop
There, the people on the boats they can’t stop are on the barges already.
Scotland would miss out on all
These riveting ideas if we were not their colony.
Conscription did not apply to Northern Ireland even during WW2.
It has never existed in the Republic of Ireland.
No more foreign wars for Scotland.
James Che: I always like to remind those like the sinfully ignorant unionists that the UK parliament site 2024 states that the politicians decided not to ask the Scottish people to join the treaty of union
I always like to remind James Che that what he cites is NOT anything said by parliament. The site records various opinions given to commissions, and one nutcase made this claim. A claim that was, BTW, roundly rejected.
Does the case for independence get helped by illiterate commenters deliberately misleading people?
No golf today therefore thought I would log on to Wings to see what was an offer. As usual, Stu has his fingers on the pulse. I wish I could say the same about the ‘comments’ but sadly no. The same shite from the same posters. It never ends.
I count myself as one of the supposed 50% of Scots who want Independence. Would I vote for it tomorrow?-not a chance. I know I am not alone. Until I see some sign of competence from our Politicians of whatever hue, it will remain a pipe dream.
For those suggesting that ballot papers are simply ‘spoilt’ at the forthcoming GE. Do they really think that the successful MP’s will reflect on why, or will they be too busy getting their snouts in the trough?
It is sad to see the effort put in by Stu, in writing his articles, wasted on ‘the regulars’ who pollute his site. I am reminded of the saying ’empty vessels make the most noise’. Baird, RoS, Geri, Northcode and a few others please take note.
I’m sorry to break the news that RoS and Hatey have missed the point about the conscription of immigrants (illegal or legal). Yes, they will be the first in line, and maybe we can avoid the conscription but that is the plan. When they (who are nearly all males of fighting age) have been fully trained and equipped they will not take our side but will be turned on us. Our own military would be reluctant to turn on their own people, so the immigrants have been allowed in to do the job. It is the same in Europe, and the USA. Modern warfare is governments against the people.
@Chas 4.15pm
Ach Chas….gowf is a good walk spoiled anyway!
I suspect many pro independence folk share your view and who can blame them with the example of the current shower? I can only hold on to the hope that the post independence Scottish political environment is likely to look very different and that SNP will suffer the fate it so richly deserves.
There is little to be done in the short term. The upcoming Westminster election is a waste of time: it matters little whether we spoil our ballots, don’t vote at all, or just vote for the candidate we think is best placed to beat a unionist.
The usual suspects will do as they always do: “It is a tale
told by an idiot, full of sound and fury signifying nothing.”
Who is Kevin Pringle’s replacement ?
@James Che 2:26
You’re right! I threatened Willie with reality.
I always knew it’s beyond the ability of some to handle. Mea culpa.
Grace Green at 4:45 is doing it too. Hopefully she’ll realise her mistake and apologise.
As for Effijy, I guess he believes WM and/or BoJo is still calling the shots in Brussels. And why not? Bet he’s being blackmailed by the same Zonalists that got Sturgeon, Yousaf and Swinney (BoJo, not Effijy).
I’m just loving any thread where posters claim an iScotland would be rich from supplying England with the energy it needs and iScotland would be exempt from all wars England gets involved in.
Here’s me thinking the former makes us Target #1 in the event of the latter, but no doubt somebody will pop up to explain how our super-cuddly exceptionalism will grant us special treatment. Maybe unilaterally disarming has always been the key to national security and I’m the only one who never got the memo.
@ Stoker I agree with what you say about PAB I have had many disagreements with him,especially over his continued support of sturgeon and his refusal to accept the Scum Nonce Party was INFESTED with FAKE indy promoters and deviants , unfortunately he was not the only one, there are still so many, even on WOS that CANNOT or REFUSE to believe that the snp cannot be saved, and all it would take is for one of the good ones??????? WTAF would that be to step forward
I have always believed that PAB was a true indy supporter but I also felt he believed he was always right and would brook no alternative views (much like a few boring arsewipes on here that claim to be edumakated)
It would be good if the majority of repurposed votes said a similar thing and made some statement to WM to let them know we are NOT GOING AWAY therefore #EndTheUnion
Andy Ellis
I am firmly of the opinion that 20/25% of the electorate would vote for Independence tomorrow irrespective of what that entails or who forms the Government. A fair number who post on here would. I am equally certain that 20/25% would never vote for it, no matter what.
That leaves 50/60% who want to be convinced. Who is even trying to do they convincing? The daily repetitive bilge in the comments section on here, whilst appealing to the romantics and dreamers, actually has the effect of turning people off. Who wants to constantly read the historical mince, the colonialism shite and the seemingly magical routes to Independence agreed on by a minuscule percentage of the electorate.
The majority in Scotland are sick to the back teeth of Politicians. The continual pandering to minority groups and the waste of money. Until somebody, anybody honestly tells them how it could be, with figures to back their assertions, we are stuck in a merrygoround of incompetence and dishonesty. Nobody even attempts to do this and I have to ask WHY?
To some the above is heresy and confirmation, in their minds only, that people like me and possibly you are simply closet Yoons and must be shouted down at every opportunity. They can then happily resort to their boring, repetitive drivel amongst the clique which sadly prevails on Wings. Only they can solve the many problems that exist in Scotland, the UK and the world. The reality is that they add nothing to any debate. ‘It’s jist no fair’ is their mantra.
Anybody up for a crowdfunder to build a new powerpack and a coding upgrade for oor Chas. He appears overly jaded and fatigued from too many discharge cycles caused by treks around his golf course.
Maybe ChasV2 would have a bit more zest and be capable of producing a more inspiring and broader range of btl content.
I’m not sure what operating system the Chas based range of (non)entities use, but would happily donate about a hundred 3.6v lithium batteries salvaged from discarded disposable vapes picked up on my litter picks.
Original Chas never took me up on my offer when I challenged him to a round of golf to raise funds for good Scottish causes. Maybe ChasV2 would be up for it…
@Chas
Thanks for that illuminating contribution. I haven’t noticed you posting the least thing in support of independence.
There is perhaps across Scotland a widespread belief 45% to 50% that we would be better going it alone rather than the present awful UK government which stil dominates so much of what Scotland can and can’t do.
On here the “usual suspects” show a contempt for neoliberalism that the UK has inflicted on us for 40 years. We know it to be harmful.
We can see the enormous damage done to all levels of UK and other countries and we know it will take years to mend.
The “usual suspects” have broad ideas of how an independent Scotland should be. It should have a written constitution with equality first and foremost.
Public assets, all of it, including banks should be in public hands. There should be a Land Tax. There should be an emphasis on making things and being self sufficient.The political system should be social democratic.
We lack the power to effect change.
If you took the trouble to read some of the research done in colonialism you might be less ignorant of it.
Colonialism leaves a long print behind it. Have you read Iain Mathieson on the internal colonialism in Scotland and the long effect of it? Have you read Turnbull on the Scottish “cultural cringe”? Africans now recognise the colonial methodology that has removed their self confidence. The Caribbean countries still see the effects of colonialism in economies still dominated by the white race.
You, in your ignorance, need to inform yourself better.
Dan Dan the Frontier Man
Your post barely makes sense.
As for your offer of a game of golf! Why would any sane individual want to spend 3 or 4 hours in your company? Your forte is clearly picking up crap/litter/shite. Writing………….not so good.
Grace Green.
It all BS to train up youngster to fight in an imaginary war that somehow R–ush–ia is going to invade Europe when the reality is it can’t even capture the hold of U.
Its a BS boogeyman story created by the west and Naeto, the other part of this made up threat is that C–hi–na is going to eat your babies so we need a fighting force to stop them.
Eighteen year old should tell Sunak and co where to shove his conscriptions.
No Scots should ever take up arms for English interests.
@Sam 6:48
From “inventing the modern world” a century or so ago, to being on a par with African shitholes today.
I’m old enough to remember when Scotland still had a lot more in common with the former than the latter. I see our decline as being more a result of devolution and the insane incompetence of our home-grown SNP than anything forced on us by Westminster.
Who needs Yoons to do us down when the so-called supporters of Indy do such a grand job?
@Sam 6.48 pm
I’ve certainly seen Chas post in the past. He seems one of the more reasonable contributors BTL, not that it’s a particularly high bar these days. He appears at least to be persuadable about the case for independence, which is just as well as that’s what we need isn’t it? Chas would hardly be the first, since we know that even in around 2012 support for indy was less than 30%.
The worldview of the usual suspects, whilst perhaps interesting at least to them, is not likely to command majority support however hard they might wish it otherwise. Raging against the machine, decrying neoliberalism and/or the current world order or any of the other things on your wish list might give you and others a warm fuzzy feeling, but whether they are realistic practical politics has to be questioned, whether folk self identify as social democrats or not.
It may have escaped your notice but post indy there are still going to be just as many (if not more?) people supporting right of centre parties and ideologies than there are currently. Doubtless many of us will agree with some of the things on your wish list, and perhaps disagree with others.
An independent Scotland that did all of the things you advocate would certainly stand out. Whether the wish list is at all realistic remains to be seen. It’s not something that seems to have been attempted elsewhere.
I suspect the early days of a new Scottish republic aren’t going to see anything revolutionary, because you won’t be able to construct a majority in favour of those kind of policies. Good luck trying though!
Sam
I am suitably humbled……………not!
You are yet another dreamer. Wings is full of them. Airy fairy mince does not cut it with the majority in Scotland. What is a public asset? Banks???? Why don’t you have a stab at writing the Constitution for an Independent Scotland. Christ-why am I even bothering to converse with you?
Have a pleasant life.
@Republicofscotland 7:12
Imaginary war eh?
I can see your best years are still ahead of you. Or to put it another way, you have yet to hit peak lunacy.
Stick around. You brighten up my world.
Chas Chas the Golfer Man
C’mon, we could raise a few quid for good Scottish causes.
You could be Shooter McGavin and I could be Happy Gilmore. I don’t think they got on either, but still played each other in competitions.
If I play golf as good as I write, and you think I’m such a disaster that’s only good for picking up litter and shite, then an elite sportsman like yersel should have 3 or 4 hours of pissing yersel laughing at my crap stickball skillz whilst you totally school me.
Not sure I’ve ever picked up a golf club other than maybe a putter on a fairground crazy golf course, but I played a bit of hockey about 4 decades ago, and recall winning a medal playing unihockey at an event held by Murray International Metals team to get kids interested in the sport.
Ooh, think my uncle worked as groundsman at the Hersel course in Coldstream so maybe golf is in my family’s genes!
I’ll probably manage to find some used golf clubs and a few baws in the local charity shop, but what’s the dress code, will I be alright rocking up wearing some wank ass tartan Rupert the Bear pyjama troosers and Addidas sambas, aye?
Maybe we could get Cartoon Boy Cairns in on the game tae if he isn’t on yet another holiday…
“Abstract
Since the 1970s, neoliberalism has been the dominant economic and political philosophy among global institutions and some Western governments. Its three main strategies are: privatisation and competitive markets; reduced public expenditure on social services and infrastructure; and deregulation to enhance economic activity and ensure freedom of ‘choice’. Generally, these measures have negatively affected the health and wellbeing of communities.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32242181/#:~:text=Its%20three%20main%20strategies%20are,health%20and%20wellbeing%20of%20communities.
Social Murder?: Austerity and Life Expectancy in the UK
“Life expectancy is about more than just health – it’s about the kind of society we live in. And in the early 2010s, after decades of continual improvement, life expectancy in the UK, USA and many other rich countries stopped increasing. For millions of people it actually declined. Despite hundreds of thousands of extra deaths, governments and officials remained silent. Combining robust evidence with real-life stories, this book tells the story of how austerity policies caused this scandal. It argues that this shocking and tragic suffering was predictable, caused by a dereliction of duty from those in power. The book concludes with an optimistic vision of what can be done to restore life expectancy improvements and reduce health inequalities.”
David Walsh is Senior Lecturer in Health Inequalities at the University of Glasgow and previously Programme Manager at the Glasgow Centre for Population Health.
Gerry McCartney is Professor of Wellbeing Economy at the University of Glasgow and Honorary Consultant in Public Health at both Public Health Scotland and NHS Grampian.
“Golf combines two favourite American pastimes:
Taking long walks and hitting things with a stick.”
P. J. O’Rourke (1947-2022) Author and Journalist
O’Rourke’s best-received book is ‘Parliament of Whores’.
I know – but O’Rourke’s book is about the American Government, not the UK’s or Scotland’s.
“The causes driving mortality and inequalities in mortality among young men are not directly related to genetic differences, migration, poor diet, or lack of exercise. High rates of mortality from alcohol, suicides, and drugs, especially in the more deprived areas, can be better explained by theories emphasizing marginalization – lack of power (political and economic), opportunities and social support structures to overcome adverse life events. They speak of despair, of self-destructive behaviours that can have a direct effect on mortality through suicide, or an indirect impact through substance abuse [6].
Since the 1980s the Scottish economy has undergone major changes, such as the substantial loss of heavy industry jobs, and the financial crisis of 2007 and subsequent imposition of austerity measures, significantly affecting employment and income levels. The links between economic opportunities and mortality from drugs, alcohol and suicide have been made before. The impact of economic recessions on suicides and alcohol abuse is well documented [35, 36] and evidence also suggest increased disorders from illicit drug use during economic downturns [37]. In addition, those of lower SES may be more likely to experience depression or substance use disorders during recessions [37, 38], supporting our findings of high socio-economic inequalities in mortality from suicides, drugs and alcohol. The impact of economic change on health can also be very long-lasting. For example, the cohort of men born in Scotland between 1960 and 1980 and affected by the neoliberal policies of the 1980s have experienced high drug and suicide mortality also in the 1990s and early 2000s, decades after the economic changes [30, 31].”
“So today, we are going to continue our closer look at more than four decades of neoliberal policy and how they’ve changed our economy by focusing on the triangle of debt, real estate, and financial instability.
In short, we are going to talk about how in these decades while incomes have stagnated, debt has expanded such that households, governments, and businesses have all become indebted to the gills.”
https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2024/01/12/debt-neoliberalism-radhika-desai-michael-hudson/
“However, when examining factors that make up these indexes we discover that as size of government and tax burden become more neoliberal across nations, homicide rates increase. A post hoc exploratory analysis suggests that the association between government size, spending, taxes, and homicide is largely indirect and manifests through economic inequality and poverty. That is, neoliberal government policies appear to increase poverty and inequality which, in turn, lead to higher rates of homicide. We situate our findings within the broader literature on neoliberalism and violence and suggest directions for future research.”
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00207659.2018.1560981
“High rates of mortality from alcohol, suicides, and drugs, especially in the more deprived areas, can be better explained by theories emphasizing marginalization – lack of power (political and economic), opportunities and social support structures to overcome adverse life events. They speak of despair, of self-destructive behaviours that can have a direct effect on mortality through suicide, or an indirect impact through substance abuse.”
Aye, Sam. It’s almost as if folk are being oppressed by a colonial power bent on their annihilation.
The colonised Native American Indians suffer from the same maladies:
“While Native Americans account for only a small part of the U.S. population (1.7%), these people experience much higher rates of substance abuse compared to other racial and ethnic groups.”
extracted from the American Addiction Centers website.
Hey Sam,
How many tens of millions have come into the UK since 2000 to experience some of our poverty, inequality, debt, instability, substance abuse, depression, hopelessness and suicide for themselves?
The numbers are, if anything, increasing, year after year.
Weird, eh?
I’d love to read how you reconcile your quoted witterings with the evidence presented to your eyes and ears, every time you take a scroll down your local high street. But don’t you pop a blood vessel trying. 🙂
Is it me or does John Swinney look like Cecil Turtle from Loony Tunes.
So the anti Scottish and Fascist Reform Party are saying they will stand in every Scottish Westmidden Constituency. I wonder who is funding them???
Sturgeon is not the only SNP member without a firm handle on reality. Fundraising levels and lack of activists is diminishing their campaigns (Along with the selfishness of Matheson). A quick comparison between 2024 and 2015. Chris Law SNP Dundee West was 1 to 33 to win in 2015. Lot’s of activists including myself supporting his campaign on the streets and financially. A comparison to now in 2024. Chris Law is 4 to 6 to win in the now Dundee Central seat in 2024 and Scottish Labour is only 11 to 10. However the electoral calculus is predicting a Scottish Labour gain. Do SNP MPs not realise by now that in 2015 activists were furthering the cause of Independence and not groupies for them?
Iain More, I wonder if they will all lose their deposits.
Brilliant Guardian cartoon today – to be fair most days the cartoonists outstrip the columnists with the exception of John Crace and Marina Hyde.
I guess Chas is simple minded -hit on the heid by a guff ball.
Banks should not be involved in derivatives or any other of the wraps that conceal the nature of bad debt – pardon me, bad loans.
When the UK and US banks went tits up in 2007/8 it was because banks had made loans that were never going to be repaid and wrapped them in packages and sold them on to other banks who also sold them on.
The banking system was infected and at risk of collapse. So Darling and the Treasury stepped in and the Treasury became a private asset.
Light touch regulation espoused by neoliberals meant that few (The Big Short) saw the coming crash and were unprepared for it.
Light touch regulation continued after the crash so banks did not stop their corrupt behaviour as the manipulation of the LIBOR eventually showed.
Banks as public utilities would not lend for derivatives. They would not make take over loans.
The UK has long been a haven for dirty money.The National Crime Agency estimates that money laundering costs the UK more than £100 billion each year. The costs are not only reputational, it also deprives people in the nations from which the money has been stolen of funds intended for important public services.
Public banks would lend for production. Today, banks lend for assets fuelling house price rises.That’s how the banks recovered from negative equity after the 2008 crash.
“I wonder if they will lose all their deposits”
Most likely, except govan.
Great work Chris. Is the other one Peter Murrell self-identifying as a lady? Looks a wee bit like Giles off Gogglebox as well.
The early years of Chas getting humped at golf. (1min 30sec clip)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1STphWYUFI
Chicmac
That ain’t no lady!
What sort of subliminal message would Chris be sending by making ‘Pal Val’ look like Paul McCarney or Giles from Gogglebox.
It’s Murrell!
Although it might have something to do with a Beatles song!
Help!
The ‘Three Amigos’ have each go pair of these golf pants.
https://img.rasset.ie/00062b36-521.jpg
The Black Report in 1980 was one of the first to link health outcomes to social class and socioeconomic status.
The Tories knowing they were to begin deindustrialisation on a huge scale to move to services based economy, released the report on a bank holiday with few copies available and then rubbished it.
The first Tory privatisation as part of its neoliberal approach was of hospital cleaning. The result was a surge in hospital acquired infections.
In 2000, a HoC report estimated there were at least 100,000 hospital acquired infections in England’s hospital each year, costing its NHS about £1 billion each year and taking the lives of 5000 patients each year.
Of course, this is all caused by immigrants.
@ Dorothy Devine at 08.47: “Brilliant Guardian cartoon today.”
Can you say who drew it and the subject because I can only see the Guardian on-line and it is coming up with loads of cartoons. Is it the “Your country needs you” one?
https://capublicbanking.com/whats-a-public-bank/#:~:text=Benefits%20of%20Public%20Banks&text=Investing%20public%20money%20locally%3A%20Public,being%20funneled%20to%20external%20investors.
the SNP killed itself today, it was found, lifeless, with a boltgun in its hand, a massive wound on its skull
a suicide note was found :
all the indy folk join alba, all the woke fuckheads join the greens; it’s over
you will never find the money
at the wake everyone said “he had a good innings … ” (while thinking : thank fuck he is gone)
and agreed : it was for the best, he was in a lot of pain, he had no future
in other news, the express is wanking itself into a frenzy over the oil find in antarctica, now valued at 33T, trillion with a “t”. Then it goes into a paranoid fantasy about mad vlad.
– but here is the thing, no one recognises the british claim and its not just the chileans or argies, but rusha, and most importantly the USA.
Still, 16T of that is ours once we breakup; we will take it in installments, 500B per year.
rusha, it must be said, has the worlds largest store of wealth in the ground, due to its sheer size, about 2/3 of it is barely developed, and it really doesn’t need to mess about in antartica, it doesn’t even have to mess around in the arctic, so the real obstacle to britain’s territorial claims will be the US – “our greatest allies” – at least until the exxon and chase CEOs decide “our oil” is a vital american interest.
– when daddy needs a ride, the punk gotta pucker up …
the anglo press is fascinating for its layered, delusional thinking – that the english matter, are central to the world, and people give a shit about them, so you get these baroque arguments and silly conclusions, fact is to anyone not an english who does not suffer the debilitation of “anglo brain”
– that oil is not “ours”, and likely no one is going to drill for it anyway, and if it did happen, it would not be britain that gets the benefit of it; these are fantasies of relevance and power – would we send a gunboat?
It is insane to even think this way, but good enough to get you a journalist spot at a major newspaper. But if you want to get in on the riff, why not
“78T worth of wind power bonanza available in british antartica”
“get in on the fracking boom as UK issues licenses”
we should also build a nuke power plant or two down there, and where better to build the under the sea nuke waste dump
anglo journalism for you, and there’s more
– “starmer and the unions in plot to stop british jobs bonanza from antarctica”
or, going for it bigtime, what we really miss –
WHY DID WE HAND OVER MATABELELAND TO THE HOTTENTOTS?
– they were far happier when the wise, pimp hand of the anglo kept them on the straight and narrow
(plays nimrod, as the sun sets)
to be english is to suffer from delusional narcissism at a genetic level and with a double standard woven into every perception.
they love us over there
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13463269/Anti-tourism-protest-organisers-vow-just-start-holidaymakers-booed-abused-15-000-strong-mob-ate-evening-meals-Majorca.html
uno beero por favor
how hard is it going to be for indy Scotland to get “international recognition” over the “people that everyone hates”.
– let this be a true “summer of hate”.
How dumb were the Scandinavian countries joining NATO?
36 military bases for USA Neo Colonial expansion served up ‘just like that’
Now what to fill it with? Hmmmm ..
Their European fodder of course. Start conscription. You didn’t think they’d use their own ppl did you? & Europe is full of puppets & playing along instead of growing a backbone & telling them to GTF.
I wonder what made them change their mind so fast? Puppets, puppets everywhere & leading the charge is the dumb English government..
Privatisation increases health risks say study from Stirling University.
“The paper, published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, looked at the correlation between a rise in privatisation initiatives in an 18-year period, between 1979 and 1997, and an abnormal increase in disasters that caused several deaths.
This period corresponded with a significant rise in the number of disasters, and resulting number of deaths, compared to other periods in the UK’s recent history. The annual death rate was 322% higher than it was in the years from 1998 – 2007.
The research also made comparisons with other large European countries like Germany, France, and Italy. The UK had a disproportionate number of disasters and fatalities, in some cases twice as high as these countries for the same period. For example, the UK rate was 225% higher than that of Germany between 1979 – 1997.
Multi-fatality disasters during this time included the 1987 MS Herald of Free Enterprise ferry sinking, oil and gas industry explosions such as the North Sea oil platform Piper Alpha in 1988, and railways accidents such as the Clapham Junction crash in 1988.
More recent examples occurred where outsourcing and aspects of privatisation played a part in disasters for the public and workers, alongside a lack of health and safety regulations, inspection and enforcement. These include the Grenfell Tower fire and the scale of fatalities at care homes during the Covid-19 pandemic.”
@ sam: “privatisation increases health risks”.
Of course it does. Remember the “bonfire of red tape” that made mad cow disease possible? I hate all these careless stupid greedy politicians who are totally irresponsible so far as looking after the welfare of our people and land. Every one deserves to be jailed or subject to the punishment for treason.
“(plays nimrod, as the sun sets)”
Maybe with a David Dumbly voiceover; his voice cracking with emotion as his sombre tones mark time to the lowering of the Union fleg in symbolic remembrance of a once ‘glorious’ but now dead empire. An empire over which, once upon a time, the sun never set. – thankfully that particularly grim tale has reached its inglorious final chapter.
@Confused 1.08pm
– but here is the thing, no one recognises the british claim and its not just the chileans or argies, but rusha, and most importantly the USA.
Not altogether true. Seven countries have territorial claims in the Antarctic: Chile, Argentina, the UK, France, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. The five non South American states all recognise the claims of the others. Most other countries don’t recognise the territorial claims of any of the seven claimants.
The 1959 Antarctic Treaty entered in to force in 1961 make the continent a scientific preserve, established freedom of scientific observation and banned all military activity on the continent.
Interestingly those hyper woke folks in Norway lay claim to around 20% of the continent (2.7 million sq. km), as well as Peter I island off the coast nowhere near their other claim.
Even more interestingly, it would be possible for an independent Scotland to make a territorial claim for part of Antarctica called Coates Land:
https://www.westarctica.wiki/index.php/Coats_Land
https://intpolicydigest.org/scotland-territorial-claim-to-antarctic/
@ Confused
Off you go again, another loud “splat” as you heave up another pile of hateful, bile-ridden puke – complete with your trademark appalling grammar, complete lack of punctuation and yet again, capital letters elude you.
Embarrassed for you pal.
I wonder if these holiday home owners in Mallorca got a vote in the Catalan Indy Ref.
Should I #AskAndy?
Error in earlier post should be:
The ‘Three Amigos’ have each got a pair of these golf pants.
https://img.rasset.ie/00062b36-521.jpg
Could this be where the new *rules based order* comes in? LOL
America trying to ditch International law & dictate to everyone else what *their* new rules will be which will just happen to include redrawing everyone else’s territories, obviously.
@Caveman
Off you go again, another loud “splat” as you heave up another pile of hateful, bile-ridden puke
Embarrassed for you pal.Got a mote?
It turns out ‘Captian Caveman’ is the Captain of the Grammar Police.
Watch your grammar & pronouns.
I thought Confused’s post was very witty as always.
I particularly liked ‘uno beero por favor’.
I’m quite interested in what % of Antartica we’ll get but even more so in what % of Gibraltar will be Scottish.
Gibraltar could be a good place to buy a holiday home.
I think the weather down there might be better than Mallorca.
Slight problem is that the Spanish might close the border and Gibraltar isn’t big enough for a decent runway so landing & taking-off can be ‘precarious’ – not for nervous flyers.
PS I don’t think Antartica would be good place for a holiday home. The Falklands might be a better choice.
Maybe Captain Caveman was joking about the grammar & punctuation but I don’t think so.
There are a number of posters here who have absolutely zero sense of humour.
People without a sense of humour are very scary!
I call them cunts.
how hard is it going to be for indy Scotland to get “international recognition” over the “people that everyone hates”.
Good question!
What was it ‘Project Fear’ said about Spain blocking Scotland’s EU membership? Aye right!
It must be a nightmare living on Mallorca with a new set of ‘neighbours from Hell’ arriving every week from Gatwick.
Hi Ruby,
Nice to see you off the Naughtie step. is that the Cambridge definition of “cunt” that yer usin?
cunt -“an offensive word for a very unpleasant or stupid person”
I wonder why it is thought offensive.
Does he read like a real Captain. Hae me doots Assumed the rank.
The answer in a debate long ago to a question by Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANS was:”The answer to the first part of the question is that he has no right to describe himself as colonel. As regards the second part, it is an offence against good taste for a person to call himself by a military rank to which he is not entitled, but it is not in itself a legal offence, and the War Office is not in a position to take any action.”
The Coates Land stuff is only interesting if that is as well as the 1/8th of the UK claim.
@ Rev, I see you tweeted that you think the abolition of all political parties is the answer.
You are right. Having independent parliamentarians would make it much harder for lobbyists to influence enough of them.
The other way to improve our politics is to have direct democracy where voters have immediate and strong powers over politicians. It works in Switzerland and it used to work in Scotland until 1707.
This is what Salvo.scot and Liberation.scot are working to restore. I hope today’s tweet is a sign that you will put your weight behind Liberation.scot.
‘Does he read like a real Captain. Hae me doots Assumed the rank.
The answer in a debate long ago to a question by Sir L. WORTHINGTON-EVANS was:”The answer to the first part of the question is that he has no right to describe himself as colonel. As regards the second part, it is an offence against good taste for a person to call himself by a military rank to which he is not entitled, but it is not in itself a legal offence, and the War Office is not in a position to take any action.”’
OMG you people are priceless… “Captain Caveman” is a 1980s cartoon character you numpty, my nickname is Cavey not because I have delusions of military rank, but because I’m a hairy arsed biker…. with patience and diplomatic skills to match. You reckon it’s me who lacks a sense of humour!
Nae it’s the ‘Scottish Urban Dictionary’ definition I’m using.
I wasn’t actually on ‘the Naughtie step’ I just thought I was. It seems I’ve just been cut back to a three day week. :-). It’s ridiculous!
Caveman might be a Captain in the BB or Orange Order. They have lots of different military sounding posts.
I think you can also be a Captain in McDonalds.
Whatever he is I’m quite happy to call him Captain C.
The important thing about any form of communication between humans is comprehension of intended meaning.
It’s a sign of limited creative ability and thought in those who rigidly adhere to a set of rules some of which might no longer intelligently serve a society – as is frequently the case in the constantly changing dynamics of living languages.
I find Confused’s intelligent, creative and original use of English grammar – &*…punctuation,,,,,,, :; – aNd CAPITALISATION perfectly understandable…and FREQUENTLY entertaining.
Whatsmore (a word described as a grammatical ‘error’ but is perfectly functional), Confused often delivers, in a unique rhetorical style, valid points and counter-points with a single sentence punch – which I also find clever and amusing.
Ruby, too, has an intelligent and unique rhetorical style.
In fact, I’ve observed that many independence supporters who comment on here display a good deal of cutting and humorous wit when delivering their points in argument; a wit indicative of a higher form of intelligence.
If Murrell is charged will he dob Sturgeon in poop.
Will they fight like cats in a sack.
If the crown office delay for the election what happens after if the SNP win or Labour win.
Who will be first to call foul
Lots of options here and no good for the SNP.
And the perjury case still coming down the line
I used to think Stu was over the top on his assessment but now i think he is correct. They have destroyed the SNP, we have to start again and there needs to be oversight of what is going on from outside the Hollyrood bubble and there needs to be a system for screening to exclude or use plants
I tried to post on the WGD site earlier today. Unfortunately my comment never got past the censors.
I simply asked if the site was in support of Independence or was it solely for the support of the SNP. The two seem mutually incompatible amongst the 10 individuals who comment umpteen times every day. There are a couple who must never leave the house. Their mince is even worse than the drivel that the Wings regulars spout, which is almost unbelievable.
I found very view articles in the support of Independence. 90% of all articles are about the Tories and Labour. The feeling within the site is that the SNP are doing a fantastic job and that success in the forthcoming GE is almost guaranteed!
The worrying thing for Scotland is that if Independence is ever to be achieved someone has got to reconcile the nutters on Wings with the balloons on WGD! It is not looking very promising from where I sit.
I am thinking if the SNP candidate here does not put “for independence” on the ballot paper I will not vote for him.
Fir the SNP it should not be a hard call.
So Alex Salmond launches the Alba General Election campaign in Dundee. The Alba candidate looks good. I did my ten local constituency bets this afternoon voluntary work being rained off. All involve SNP losses. Including a Scottish Labour gain in Dundee Central. If the SNP can’t hold Yes City it’s over for them. Alba is laying the groundwork for 2026. Smart guy Alex Salmond.
Shug…
Your SNP candidate can put what they like on their constituency blurb so long as HQ and the CA approve it.
Doesn’t mean jack sh1t when it comes to what the Devo-Max, Indy back-pedalling, mandate squandering, Westminster funding addicted SNP does.
So why in blazes vote for an ultra-Woke, incompetent bunch of troughers that are the SNP?
You’ll sure as hell not see an Indy Scotland in your lifetime if you do, and plenty else you won’t want to see besides.
DAN @ 11.01am very enjoyable viewing there Dan, so typical of people like Chas moving the goalposts or creating more obstacles no wonder he NEVER has anything worthwhile to post
He like his pals franchise fanny and Geno John Moan like to berate and demean any positive proposals put forward by anyone, they much prefer the status quo where we are ruled by corrupt, amoral unionist arseholes , franchise fanny goes on endlessly about plebiscite elections as if he has found the cure for cancer, if franchise fanny took a look back over the years he would see that some of us have been proposing plebiscite elections on here for the past decade,the EASY route to independence, BUT unfortunately nane ay yer bastard politicians or political parties are listening or interested, they only become interested when they want in on the power
If any of them had listened a decade ago we would be independent NOW
OMG Chas is boring! Worse than someone who has zero sense of humour is someone who thinks he’s funny.
There are Cunts and Super Cunts.
The Super Cunts are often found in and around Golf Clubs.
Hey Chas I would rather be a nutter than a cunt.
@Ruby
Fear not, you’re definitely one that qualifies as both. indeed, you are the queen of said category. Well done you!
Sarah , sorry , was busy doing a hellish jigsaw this afternoon . Yes the Your Country Needs You is the current one which I thought brilliant . I have to say , The Guardian cartoonists are the reason I visit the Guardian.
@Andy Ellis
You. Mote.
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage.
@sam
Tu quoque.
The ZZio–monsters bommbed a refugee camp in Rafah killing many civilians including women and babies as they slept in tents, these sub-human creatures need to be arrested and tried for crimes against humanity along with their aiders and abettors in Westminster, Washington, Berlin etc.
Ruby First Sherbet Of The Day
I’m loving your self-id’s for every day of the week.
Why not take it a bit further, be even more specific, and provide unique self-id’s for each mark you make on the bottle as it inexorably empties.
Have the one at the top from me for free.
Bovine spongiform encephalopathy is a horrible disease. It robs the sufferer of all mental faculties-not that they had much to begin with!
Apparently it is incurable and the only sensible course of action is to cull the infected to ensure it does not spread. A bit harsh but there you go. Although I understand that the combined brains of the Bonnie Purple Heather Brigade are working on a cure.It is unclear if an aggregate IQ of 83 will be enough.
We hope and pray.
@Republicofscotland says:27 May, 2024 at 6:43 pm
There’s long lies in, and then there’s the stuff you do.
I blame the yellow cnuts, hiding in their tunnels beneath their women and kids, lobbing missiles from behind their human shields of terrified and brutalised hostages.
But I don’t want to be hateful, in fact, I want to be as constructive as possible, especially with you.
Offer yourself up to your heroes as an alternative hostage. Get swaps in place – one desperately caring virtue signaler like yourself, in exchange for every terrified, innocent lassie.
I’ll honour your memory forever. In fact, every year on the anniversary of you going down into your concrete hole, I’ll write a minute’s silent post on Wings BTL.
Believe me, you’ll be worth it.
Both whit categories?
You’ve got me in so many categories I don’t know which one you are referring to.
Queen of The Fringe Nutters? Natavistic Bigots? Foul Mouthed Harridans with Tourettes? Queen of the uneducated Schemies?
@sarah 4.10 pm: yep, the political party system is broken because it is a principle-free zone almost exclusively inhabited by chancers, spivs, perverts, frauds and otherwise unemployables. Has it always been this way but we didn’t realise it? Possibly, but things have got even worse since 2019 and somehow we need an army of independent independence-types to break the back of this corrupt grand guignol Goveshow, short of Alba getting its house in order.
Brings me back to the cartoon at the top of the thread. We can all spot the delusional narcissist but recently I caught a YT video of an old ITV programme reviewing historical murders. I didn’t spot her at first but there was Val The Pal in all her glory, almost unrecognisable in her role of crime “expert” because of her St Hilda’s Oxford-type accent with all its Raith Roverish Kirkaldyness rubbed off.
Think the brogue was only rediscovered about 2014 when the independence bandwagon picked up a lot of similar Bella Caledonia/Pseuds’ Corner types.
Middle-class phonies really grind my gears and I feel few of them have independence as their priority.
How come you three cunts dislike the people who post BTL here on Wings so much?
@Ruby , Ruby , Ruby 7:36
‘Cos it’s wot the sob’s unionist old boys do. Don’t fret , they won’t last much longer.
Cuntos gonna cunt
Sweeney’s saying it’s as simple as ABC.
(Unfortunate term to use.)
That’s what they thought in 2020 too.
Their ABC’s might end up in court for perjury and the ‘Masters of the ABC’s in jail and having to cough up a pretty sum to Alex Salmond.
I don’t know what the Gen Z are complaining about. I do voluntary work every week. I meet interesting people every week and the networking opportunities that go with that. The Conservative proposal should have gone through a proper consultation process. And debated in Parliament. Not some desperate electioneering gambit. And that would include an opt out for the Scottish Parliament. A debatable idea that has been lost in the febrile atmosphere of a General Election instead of a measured public debate. There is some merit in a public discussion on these matters. Us auld folk can’t be the only ones that volunteer.
Whats happening with my post about men in their 20’s going through menopause?
Have they been flushed? Hot flushed?
Sorry my jokes are rubbish.
There was a really lovely picture of Elaine Miller’s smiling face in the link too.
Ach well! I tried TWICE
I had thought that the term “Bonnie Purple Heather Brigade” had been consigned to the bin, where it belongs, months ago but no, Chas returns, has a rake in the bin for an insulting term, then lets fly.
Sad and unoriginal. Grow up!
@ Dorothy Devine at 6.22: no need to apologise – I enjoyed thinking of your afternoon devoted to a hellish crossword puzzle!
@ Tinto Chiel at 7.35: “…chancers, spivs, perverts, frauds..”
You have a way with words, TC!
That is interesting about Val M’s chameleon ability to fit with whatever company she is keeping. I wonder if narcissism rubs off too?
I see that Ed” Post Office Scandal” Davey has been campaigning in Jockland. Why isn’t that Fiberal Woke Turd in a cell? Have his Woke arse cheeks recovered yet from whoring he did with the Tories for 5 years. The Quizzer Press and Media in Jockoland is quiet on both issues.
The first duty of a State is to protect the people. And that includes the Scottish Government. Back in the 70s the attrition rate for my recruitment platoon was over a third. Different reasons then for quitting. Lack of physicality, missing their mum, losing their friends and so on. Fast forward 50 years and very few are capable of a standard infantry six month passing out parade now. A public debate is needed on voluntary work it doesn’t mean military service let’s face it most of Gen Z won’t qualify for military service except the very best of them.
Dave Llewellyn posted this with the caption
John Swinney releases SNP manifesto
https://x.com/TheIndyNinja1/status/1795042409287459290/photo/1
That is very witty!
@sarah 9.05: narcissistic chameleons are all the rage in politics nowadays, I hear.
Might be a symptom of sociopathy or summat.
It’s a funny old game, Saint 🙂 .
Branchform with prosecutors.
Except this absolute cow Dorothy Stain – Sorry Bain – the corrupt Lord Advocate anointed by Sturgeon. Is refusing to cooperate with the honest officers of police Scotland.
The most bent and crooked Crown Office joke of a woman in the history of the Scottish Crown office.
She’s bent. She’s crooked. She’s creepy and she’s cooky. The dorothy Bain clown office family. Do. Do.
Nicola’s protector is protecting Nicola. She wants to protect Nicola and the SNP from the massive scale fraud police investigation.
Like Crooked Ian Livingstone. Crooked corrupt Dorothy Bain of the corrrupt and crooked Clown office. Is sabotaging Justice. She’s aiding and abbetting fraudsters.
She’s letting the Sturgeon’s roam free. When they should be getting prosecuted.
Dorothy Bain. Stronger for Criminals!
@ Tinto Chiel: I don’t know why I never realised that all low-grade politicians are narcissistic chameleons. They adjust instantly to suit the circumstances and have nothing but survival in their heads.
I meant to say in response to you wondering if politicians were always like this, that yes, some have been but there were also people of real ability and real principles. I was musing to myself the other day that Harold Wilson was a truly great Prime Minister – he had the guts to refuse to get us involved in Vietnam. The USA must have been furious – and no doubt some of our establishment were as well, thinking that we must always be the USA’s poodle. Is this the reason for that very high-level plot against him?
Dorothy Bain. Stronger for Criminals.
Let the cops do their job Dorothy. ACT! Stop destroying justice in Scotland.
Stop protecting Criminals dorothy. Scotland deserves better. How dare you pander to criminals dorothy. HOW VERY DARE YOU.
Aiding and abetting massive scale fraudsters.
the charges are with the Crown office. Don’t you fucking dare protect them you are going down with them!
Dorothy Bain and Lady Dorian.
Stronger. For Criminals!
Salmond is coming to collect the 3 million Dorothy!
The crooked Crown office. are going to be paying out. AGAIN!
Wings over Scotland and the mainstream media need to pressure the crown office.
They think they can wait until after the election to charge. Dorothy Bain is compromised.
She’s shredding the evidence. She’s buying Peter Murrell a 1 way flight to the Maldives.
He’s on a flight with the missing 600k. Catch me if you can.
Dorothy is planning a meet up in the sunshine! What’s the hold up Dorothy?
Where’s the missing 600k? The people of Scotland need answers. Before the election.
THE SWEEPER OF CRIME UNDER THE CARPET. DOROTHY BAIN. THE FABIANI WHITEWASHER. 2.0.
The USA took over UK politics during Thatcher. (Probably before)
They ramped it up during Blair years/911/Bush.
We don’t have politicians. We have cowards in service to donors & lobbyists funded by the USA swanning around parliament to make sure everyone does as they’re told or they’ll get *the Corbyn treatment*.
The last politician in Westminster with any integrity was Robin Cook, imo. He knew they were lying in parliament to go invade Iraq & he stood up in parly to say so.
Now those same government ministers, BBC reporters & journalists all fall over themselves to appear in documentaries to admit it was churned out propaganda & everything filmed “live from the front line” in Iraq was staged bullshit. 1 million Iraqi civilians killed inc children ‘A price worth paying’ according to America. For what exactly? They won hee-haw & ran away after leaving it not only in ruins but destabilised. Same for Afghanistan, Libia, Syria, Europe. Everywhere they go they win hee-haw but they’re happy cause wars sell weapons.
The wankers advocating conscription haven’t fought in a real war. There hasn’t been one since WW2. Everything else has been invasion & occupation to instal a puppet. They’ve only fought unarmed civilians or unarmed resistance fighters with fck all weapons to speak of at all & now they’ve delusions of grandeur they’re Rambo FFS & can take on the world. Even break international law without fear.
Their foreign policy is to rule everywhere. Depose governments, insert puppets & to be on forever wars but they have a problem – young ppl aren’t signing up to fight some rich guys unworkable fantasy – imagine that – so the US has instructed its puppets throughout Europe to enforce conscription & sanctions, lots & lots of sanctions & threats for those who don’t comply.
Genocide Joe now issuing sanctions to judges issuing warrants for war crimes LOL
@David Hannah 10:33, 10:36, 10:37, 10:45
I dunno what you’ve been smoking mate but you need to remember there’s such a thing as the law of defamation. You’d better make sure you can back up your claims in case DB’s lawyers come after you and also come after Wings for giving you a platform.
https://archive.ph/6TvRY
Yeah, just a pity these troughing wankers won’t force a vote to recognise Scotland’s sovereign integrity and defend The Claim of Right eh?
Sounds about right. I’ve tried a handful of times to post a message along the lines of, “How can you folk still hold any faith in the SNP after everything that’s happened?” but never with any success. My working theory is that the moderation process simply dumps any message which speaks of the SNP in anything other than glowing terms, but then again the site backend may simply be clogged by the 24/7 permaposting balloonacy of scottish_skier. Oh well 🙂
@Geri says: 27 May, 2024 at 11:58 pm
For some reason, I read your post as being about “installing puppies”. It was a more enjoyable read that way.
Interesting that you claim there hasn’t been a “real war” since 1945. I guess all the casualties of the “unreal wars” since, must have died from over-active imaginations.
All these military casualties from unarmed opponents. I guess the “friendly fire” incidents are just off the scale. Somebody should do something about that!
Interesting too, that you are the chosen spokesperson of all those young people who won’t fight. They could have done a lot better for themselves, but WTF, it’s their choice. Maybe Taylor is on holiday again.
I look forwards with great anticipation to you explaining how Scottish pacifism and defeatism is going to deliver us Indy. If you can shoe-horn in something about puppies as well, even better!
Everybody likes puppies.
@sarah 10.35: yes, Wilson keeping the UK out of Vietnam was a great achievement when the likes of Australia signed up for the disaster. He must have made a lot of enemies with that stance, as all those later shadowy coup manouevres suggest.
There have been some decent politicians since the war but they have been easily outnumbered by the more usual amoral, venal types with warped personalities.
LBJ seems a truly monstrous man if you believe only half of Phillip Nelson’s biography of him. The scum always rises to the top, as an old uncle of mine used to say.
Cue Billy Connolly’s remark about those wanting to be politicians should automatically be be barred from the job. The next five weeks or so will be a long and tedious exercise in futility, I’m afraid.
@Breeks says: 28 May, 2024 at 5:20 am
If our SNP worthies successfully board the Palest1nian bandwagon, they get baubles and all-expenses paid jaunts to foreign climes, where they can virtue-signal with the best of them.
If they get us Indy they get more work to do sorting out the bins and the SNHS at best, or at worst, they simply get their jotters.
Join the dots.
A quote from one of the stalwarts on the WGD site.
‘John Swinney is the perfect man for the job right now, quiet and steady, the closer we get to the more public stuff then he can unleash Kate Forbes upon the opposition, I don’t envy them that wee lass coming at them with her grasp of the facts and their grasp of their own incompetence
Send her out without her breakfast, she’ll eat them’
Is it any wonder Scotland is in such a mess?
Breeks @ 5:20 am
“a pity these troughing wankers won’t force a vote to recognise Scotland’s sovereign integrity and defend The Claim of Right”
Aye Breeks, it will be one more brutal confirmation that the national party’s deluded and deceitfu wasters seek to proclaim awbody else’s’ right to self-determination, yet they have done hee-haw to further Scots ain rightful and lawful reclaim o oor soveranety; instead they have been co-opted by the colonizer tae aye haud us fowk doun, and the people now see this which is why their time feeding from the imperial trough is up. All part of the weel-trod decolonization template of course:
https://yoursforscotlandcom.wordpress.com/2024/05/25/the-three-phases-of-decolonization-lessons-for-scotland/
Why were you trying to post on the WGD site? Are you not getting enough satisfaction coming here and insulting people?
Are you suggesting that one poster on WGD is not only responsible for the entire state of Scottish politics but is also representative of the whole of Scotland or is it just those you describe as members of the ‘Bonnie Purple Heather Brigade’?
Is talk of the GE bringing out the ‘Super Creeps’ & ‘Super Cunts’ more regularly here BTL on Wings?
Chas seems to have gone into overdrive.
Geri
Ignored says:
27 May, 2024 at 11:58 pm
The wankers advocating conscription haven’t fought in a real war. There hasn’t been one since WW2. Everything else has been invasion & occupation to instal a puppet.
Aye and even then it went badly wrong for them more often than not. The only time the Brit elites got it right was when they refused to participate in the Vietnam disaster. Back then, they must have still been suffering from Post-Suez shock syndrome.
Now the wee US-puppet Brit elites are screaming for a war with Russia. You couldn’t make it up.
THE NATIONAL..
SNP will force vote on SCOTTISH statehood, John Swinney says
Oops…..PALESTINIAN….should have gone to specsavers.
Palestine, what does that consist of exactly and who runs it mr Swinney?
Gaza, HAMAS milchcow and super democracy?
Mr Swinney, specsavers special offers on now for seniors.
Does DB need to hire lawyers I thought she was one. Aye your right you’ve got to watch what you say here in Scotland. Basically it’s best just to keep your mouth shut. No suggesting people are smoking illegal drugs – that is a hate crime.
Every time I hear the name Dorothy Bain I envisage her singing ‘Happy Birthday Mr President’. That’s Stu’s fault.
What’s with Angus Brendan’s request to Dorothy Bain that there to be no charges until after the GE?
As Tinto Chiel says
‘The next five weeks or so will be a long and tedious exercise in futility’
We could do with a few ‘True Crime’ stories to liven things up.
Northcode is one of the most intelligent, witty, thought provoking posters on this site. The man is brilliant.
Earlier he posted the follow
‘Ruby, too, has an intelligent and unique rhetorical style.
In fact, I’ve observed that many independence supporters who comment on here display a good deal of cutting and humorous wit when delivering their points in argument; a wit indicative of a higher form of intelligence.’
🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
Outrageous and disturbing true stories of entitled people who thought they could – or should – get away with elaborate criminal behaviour.
Just the facts, maam.True crime.
The SNP MSP John Mason has lost the plot, or he’s a Shia Masot asset.
“SNP MSP John Mason has claimed the International Criminal Court (ICC) is “biased against Is-hell””
Mason then goes on to point out just how nice the Zzio-monsters are.
https://archive.is/zQTwS#selection-1859.3-1871.295
Chas would be trying to post on WGD how bored he was. Riveting stuff.
They dodged a bullet there.
The Dumbo doesn’t realise the post he quotes could be a troll just like him trying to noise up the comments.
Him & Cunty McCunt face don’t have a life outside forums.
They should join a brigade but no one wants them in their team.
Starmer descibes himself as a socialist. I think he *mis-spoke (*lied). Giving him the best of it he meant to say he is a socialite.**
**The Labour Files exposed a current of anti-Black racism and Islamophobia in the party under Starmer, at times apparently encouraged by its most senior officials.
Breeks link…
Who the fck is John Mason & what’s he doing in the SNP?
There was an interesting discussion on the telly last night. An occupying force has fck all rights under international law “to defend itself” defending themselves against what? They’re the invaders seizing land that doesn’t belong to them.
As for Swinney, what an eejit. He’s as administrator in the colonial office. He’s Hee-haw say on the world stage cause he chose not to use any of their various mandates. He thinks we zip up the back. He’ll be making demands of no one. Not even his fellow passengers. They chose Sunak to be their boss.
The SNPs coffin has so many nails in it that no one can lift it. Futile mutterings to his last remaining followers too dumb to know he’s insulting their intelligence.
Geri
It would appear that the outbreak of B.S.E. is spreading.
Seek help if you can. You would not want to end up like the other obvious sufferer of the affliction. Oops……..too late.
I still think the WGD site has more nutters than Wings but it is a close run thing. In fact, as we enter the closing straight, they are almost neck and neck.
Geri; “…They should join a brigade…”
They’re already in one, Geri! LOL
Chas
What kind of eejit frequents places they dislike?
It’s not the content of the articles cause you never comment on them & it’s not the BTL commenters either cause you don’t even need to read them as you’re always so bored. So that just leaves a sad sap seeking some attention. You should seek help for that. Get are friend or take up knitting or something worthwhile.
Go punt a ball yards away & then walk after it like an eejit & gies peace.
Not just a cunt but a sexist cunt.
The Super Creep tries to disguise it by using the term BSE when what he’s really saying is both Geri and I are mad cows.
Just how sexist can you get.
By the way
‘Geri, too, has an intelligent and unique rhetorical style.
In fact, I’ve observed that many independence supporters who comment on here display a good deal of cutting and humorous wit when delivering their points in argument; a wit indicative of a higher form of intelligence.’
Inspired by Northcode. The man is very inspirational.
Go Geri! Go Northcode!
Go Chas! Aye go Chas right to fuck!
“Go Chas! Aye go Chas right to fuck!”
LMAO!
Id bet good money that him & McCunty face top Stu’s famous list. They wouldn’t last two minutes on his twitter account so they come here instead.
Ruby
“In fact, I’ve observed that many independence supporters who comment on here display a good deal of cutting and humorous wit when delivering their points in argument; a wit indicative of a higher form of intelligence.’”
Spot on.
I noticed this too during indyref & the many YES groups on Facebook. These roasters only have two tactics – ask & repeat debunked questions until you’ve gone full circle back to the beginning again or just insult everyone & play victim.
There used to be some belters in the replies to these spoilers LMAO. Better than any stand up.
I remember the infamous English guy ranting to Scots in a vid about indyref. The comments were hilarious but the sad sap soon deleted it & ran away. Kev, the pet food salesman with his mad graphs showing us Scotland was really shite in the union, was always another eejit to throw his toys oot the pram when the comedy started.
‘Geri, too, has an intelligent and unique rhetorical style”
A sentiment I entirely agree with, Ruby. And thank you for your kind compliments. 🙂
If there is no ALBA or ISP on the voting slip I will mark the paper “Free Palestine and Free Scotland”….
‘ by using the term BSE when what he’s really saying is both Geri and I are mad cows.
Spot on Rooby. Well done. I see absolutely nothing in what both of you write to alter my opinion. I am not alone. The truth often offends.
You can take some comfort in knowing that at least you have Alfie boys erse licker to back you up!
Have a pleasent afternoon.
This is how I imagine Chas but i expect I’m doing him a favour.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/video-pigeon-head-thrown-at-housing-activists-during-take-back-the-city-protest/37345344.html
George, “Fast forward 50 years and very few are capable of a standard infantry six month passing out parade now. A public debate is needed on voluntary work it doesn’t mean military service let’s face it most of Gen Z won’t qualify for military service except the very best of them.”
I’m not sure about that. If you have evidence, I’d like to see it. Most of the young people I know take fitness seriously and there’s gyms on every corner these days (full of young people, as far as I can see).
But I don’t think the readiness of our children for military service is the standard by which we should judge them, and I know we all like to slag off young people today but my experience of them is that they are much more politically and socially aware than older generations, and much more conscientious.
In short, they are better people. And that matters most.
The ill informed always make me smile when I converse with them.
Was having a chat about politics with my brother and explained why I wasn’t voting , especially the SNP. He then said :” Aye but Swinney doesn’t have any dirt on him!” I nearly spat oot ma tea.
He then said : ” oh don’t tell me you are in the Alba party, they are very right wing and Salmond was on Russia today”
I have never been called right wing before, but hey ho.
As for the Russia Today. There were plenty of people utilizing that as an outlet media. It doesn’t mean anything. What means something is the millions of pounds from Russia funding English Premier football teams. That’s the real scandal.
But people just want to paint Salmond as the evil villain. They are being played like a fiddle.
An absolute f*ckin disgrace by BLiS run council what a bunch of b*stards. Who gives a toss about Swift, homeless folk should not be suffering to accommodate this multi-millionaires fans.
This kind of reminds me of England’s kings coronation when prior to it, the coppers went around the streets of London forcing homeless folk of the streets or get nicked if they put up nay resistance.
“HOMELESS people in Edinburgh are being forced out of hotel-style accommodation in the city in preparation for Taylor Swift coming to the capital.
Homeless Network Scotland said the reports of homeless people being removed from accommodation “lays bare the reality of the housing emergency” facing the city.
The charity said in a statement: “It is appalling that people already dealing with the agony of homelessness could be forced onto the streets because of a gig, but it is also telling.”
https://archive.is/UiohE
“Speaking of Labour, and it millionaire knight of the realm and Zzio-loving leader.
The Labour leader was accused of trying to be “all things to all people” following the comments, which come after he repeatedly praised Margaret Thatcher and said he does not mind being called a conservative.
Starmer has also faced intense criticism from the left of his party after ditching the lion’s share of the “ten pledges” he made during his leadership campaign – the majority of which were seen as socialist policies.”
Re. young people
After years of trying to get trained people “off the shelf”, I’ve taken on 6 new graduates in the last 12 months with more to follow. It’s been a revelation and I’m kicking myself for not having done it years beforehand. Forget all the ridiculous stereotypes unfairly levelled at the young, a very great many of them are hugely industrious, committed, ambitious and real team players.
It also means I’m in effect producing more much-needed trained engineers for UK plc, which I will admit to being proud of. They’ll be doing much good, long after I’m gone. I hope they remember me in the same way as I do my kindly old gaffer.
@ Tinto Chiel at 07.39: Vietnam.
I met an Australian who said he and other young men signed up for Vietnam thinking that they were doing as their fathers had done in signing up for the 39-45. He injured his back during his service and suffered terribly. But I think what he felt more was the criticism he still gets from young Australians telling him how wicked he was to have volunteered. Poor devil.
As for the election, “long and tedious exercise in futility” – indeed. MOH and I are feeling very low and grumpy about it all. A local is standing for the SNP in this seat – normally we would have been bustling round helping out because she really would be a class above most MPs, intelligent, principled and energetic BUT if she spoke out about independence or gender the SNP would tear her to pieces and we’d be no further forward. There is an Alba candidate as well but rather shoehorned in by the high heid yins a la SNP style so we don’t fancy voting for him either. #EndtheUnion may be the option this time. They knew this in 1715 after all – “Prosperity to Scotland and No Union”.
Shakespeare was a master of ambiguity in speech.
Ambiguity, though, is a fault to be carefully guarded against in purely intellectual communications – although it’s sometimes deliberately sought in literary or poetic communication.
Irony is the use of words to convey a meaning contrary to the one normally conveyed by the words used; a form of deliberate ambiguity.
Irony is a trope based on contraries. By naming one contrary it intends another; as in when Gloucester talks to himself in a scene from Richard III:
Gloucester ironically states his intention to have Clarence shortly dispatched from the world of the living contrary to his declaration of love for poor Clarence.
A cruder form of irony might be seen in everyday conversations where, for example, someone is wished a pleasant afternoon when the contrary is the intended meaning – but this is a form of irony more closely aligned with dull and wit-free sarcasm than with the sharp and witty ambiguous ironies of Shakespeare.
@ Republicofscotland at 09.58: “John Mason”.
Well, he is sometimes right! He was one of the 9 rebels who voted against something gender-related – either the Lamont or the GRR Bill.
Why bother with irony? Insults?
In response to him you could try giving him a hard look – but he’s got one already.
After circumcision they threw away the wrong bit.
And Shakespeare (Sir Henry Neville) did not mince words. How do you do that?
Would that thou wert clean enough to spit upon.
“I met an Australian who said he and other young men signed up for Vietnam thinking that they were doing as their fathers had done in signing up for the 39-45. He injured his back during his service and suffered terribly. But I think what he felt more was the criticism he still gets from young Australians telling him how wicked he was to have volunteered. Poor devil.”
It was a futile war that had nothing to do with them. Who cares what political system another country has? If only someone would start a war over Tory ideology LOL.
Only the Americans trying to flex superiority against their arch nemesis. They just couldn’t get over them winning WW2 & finding Hitler without having to waste $billions on dodgy intel & a prolonged manhunt first.
I don’t blame folks volunteering back then. Our media is full of propaganda but they can no longer peddle rubbish since the dawn of the world wide web.
Well of course you don’t neither Geri nor I are special needs teachers. Nor are we exorcists or qualified to perform anal or brain surgery.
Sorry we can’t help you although if we could we would be happy to help. HTH.
Your BFF ‘Fanny la Franchise’ hasn’t come to your defence today what gives? Trouble in paradise?
Go Chas!
Go Fanny!
Go CuntFace!
“And Shakespeare (Sir Henry Neville) did not mince words”
Indeed, Sam. Shakespeare was also a master of direct and scathing insult.
The example you quote from ‘Timon of Athens’, is a prime example.
Captain Cunt has entered the building.
He tells us
I’m in effect producing more much-needed trained engineers for UK plc, which I will admit to being proud of. Rule Britannia! God save the Queen! .
It’s a flame-bait.
At least Captain Cunt is honest and he’s not pretending to be an independence supporter.
Is Captain Cunt the cunt from Cheshire or was that a different cunt?
There are just so many of them it’s hard to keep up.
I’m researching the history of the word cunt. It’s all very confusing. Here’s what one Google listing says.
‘The exact origins of the word cunt are unknown, but it’s recorded in the early 1200s as the name of a street in Oxford, England called Gropecuntlane, apparently a reference to prostitution. Both Chaucer and Shakespeare made puns on cunt.’
Anyone got any info on the puns by Chaucer & Shakespeare.
I’m not too sure about Gropecuntlane I think that could be a wind-up.
Hatuey @ 2.10
Given the nature of ” village ” ( mine has really grown too big to be called that ) social life , you end-up interacting with residents of all ages and the young people I know are not so much as you describe , ie politically conscious/interested , but neither are they unaware or enamoured of the * gender * garbage , are , in fact , openly scornful of that idiocy . Heartening 🙂
Normally , I would write-off this conscription bollocks as yr predictable Tory pre-G.E trope in the mode of ” bring back the death penalty ” , ” lower taxes ” , ” King n Country 1st ” shite ; but these are not normal times & the current Political Class have demonstrated their off-the-scale advocacy of truly shocking domestic / geopolitical machinations , eg supporting ( materially & politically ) the slaughter of innocents THERE and the promotion of the suicidal P War THERE – never forget how that disgusting piece of shit Johnson was sent by his masters to scupper the peace treaty the U-Gov were on the verge of signing in 2022, resulting in the needless deaths of – so far – over half a million humans .
When we consider the motive for the U.S Gov allowing an estimated 30 million + foreigners – the vast majority of whom are young men of fighting age – to stroll unhindered across that country’s southern border in the last few years , the obvious question is ” why ” ? What’s in it for them ? I mean , c’mon , the Yankee ” we are the greatest ” mentality doesn’t do altruism
One theory is that the demented Democrats think by doing this they’ll have a guaranteed * captive * vote , so grateful for that Party’s largesse they’ll all vote for it . I doubt this is the real reason – they ( the D.Dems ) are surely not THAT stupid , to think this is how the madness will play-out ?
Far more plausible is the idea that – somehow – they’ll be able to use this vast influx to swell their military ( particularly as their having great difficulty finding sufficient numbers of recruits amongst their native population ) for the impending war they seem intent on starting ( I know , they’ve , by proxy , already started ) against R….a n C…a .
How * convenient * it would be for them to have a vast , * disposable * army of non-Yanks to do their dirty work for them , eh ?
Note also the fckn idiot ever-compliant ( with U.S diktat ) E.U goons making the same noises/moves and it all suggests the West has lost it’s collective head and NOTHING is too insane for them to engage in – even at the cost of global conflagration .
@ Ruby
I realise that your contributions are generally intended to upset people (me personally in this instance), but in your case at least, I just feel sorry for you.
The juxtaposition between the half dozen bright young prospects to whom I was referring to – each of them with their entire, rewarding professional lives ahead of them, doing actual brilliant stuff that benefits people out here in the real world – and yourself – could likely hardly more poignant nor pronounced.
Ruby
Many sources treat the word ‘cunt’ to have derived from a Germanic word (kunto), which in Old Norse was kunta.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary it’s earliest use in England, around 1230, was in a placename, an Oxford street called Gropecunt Lane later to be re-named Grove Passage and then subsequently Magpie Lane in the 17th century.
I don’t think Shakespeare used the word ‘cunt’ directly in any of his plays.
There are, however, some scholars who think Shakespeare might have been alluding to the word through the use of wordplay and puns in his plays; Hamlet and Twelfth Night are a couple.
The word wasn’t considered so vulgar in the Middle Ages and Chaucer, writing in the 14th Century, made free use of the it.
Swearing is a useful technique for any writer to have in their toolbox. The technical term for swearing is ‘using intensifiers’, and indeed that’s exactly what it fucking does.
Rabbie Burns wasn’t averse to using intensifiers. Have you read his alternative version of ‘Comin’ Thro The Rye’?
Here’s a snippet – the fourth verse:
Whit wis he like, thon Rabbie?
“I realise that your contributions are generally intended to upset people ”
Wrong ‘Captain Cunt’ my posts are generally intended to entertain.
Yours are intended to antagonise.
The question is why?
Mr Caveman
Ruby is being playful with language.Above yer heid, lacking humour.
@Ruby
Hamlet: Lady, shall I lie in your lap?
Ophelia: No, my lord.
Hamlet: I mean, my head upon your lap?
Ophelia: Ay, my lord.
Hamlet: Do you think I meant country matters?
@sarah 2.49: yes, I would feel sorry for the Aussies duped into fighting for the Yanks but not feeling the love when they survived (just) and got back home.
From 2014 until December 2019 I’ve sadly lost count of the number of times I canvassed for the SNP (what a sap!) like so many on here, no doubt, but I’m struggling to vote for anyone in the GE now. I won’t even vote for Alba if poltical carpetbagger Tasmina (Jab the kids!) is the candidate and so “Prosperity to Scotland and No Union” will be my addendum to the wee bit of paper or maybe just #End the Union if the electoral pencil is too wee 🙂 . The sword motto you quoted is a favourite of mine.
Historian Murray Pittock has transformed old-fashioned notions of the Jacobites as being merely Gaelic-speaking Catholics with a doomed romantic adherence to the Stewarts to a group who patriotically wished an end to the corrupt and rotten union and restore our independence.
That’s good enough for me.
There you go, Ruby. Sam has pinpointed one of the exchanges in Hamlet where Shakespeare’s use of wordplay, and many scholars agree, alludes to the word under discussion.
I think I’m right in saying that emphasis on the first syllable of ‘country’ made the allusion more obvious when acted out on stage.
Cheers Northcode
That is very interesting stuff.
Whit’s he like thon Rabbie right enough! A wordsmith worth emulating?
It turns out
“Gropecunt Lane” was once a common street name in England – indicating probable historical centres of prostitution.
It seems unbelievable! When I first read it I thought it was a joke/a wind-up.
I’m wondering if Rose Street in Edinburgh and Blytheswood Square in Glasgow were once called Gropecunt Lane.
Obviously back then the word cunt wasn’t as much of an intensifier as it is today.
The word fanny has the same meaning but that isn’t anywhere near as strong as the word cunt.
Fascinating stuff! Researching the history and uses of the word cunt and fanny might be a good alternative during the next five weeks to reading about the cunts & fannies attempts get aboard the gravy train. 🙂
@ Ruby
If I was just here to troll, it’d be bloody obtuse way to do it – and I’ve got better things to do. A few of the posters here are interesting, some less so (IMO). I’ve always been fascinated by debating with people who have a completely different worldview to me and as I’ve said. Scottish politics interests me. Clearly, though, it’s not welcome here, which is fair enough. I’ll still read the articles etc.
Oh my lord Sam these country matters are very interesting!
The next five weeks aren’t going to be as dull as I thought they might be here BTL on Wings.
I did do Hamlet at school but that passage went right over my head.
Young people were more innocent in the olden days.
Captain Cunt
Unfortunately for you you have come here after a never ending stream of trolls ‘interested in Scottish politics’
I can only speak for myself and say I’ve had enough of it. It’s been going on since 2011 and it’s boring. SSDD.
If you are so ‘interested in Scottish politics’ why are you running away.
I am only one poster there might be loads of others interested in having a debate about Scottish politics with a Unionist from Chester.
Maybe not loads. Could be only three.
Any interest in the franchise for the next IndyRef?
@ Ruby
You can’t really be addressing someone as “Captain C**t” and expecting meaningful interaction. I know you like to characterise this as people “greetin'” being called a c**t, but I think you’ll find it’s more a case of just not being arsed. My God, I can’t believe I’m even having this conversation.
This is the problem when you have no moderation – you tend to get a nucleus of highly disruptive, obsessive types with a lot of time on their hands dominating (and destroying) the discourse. I’ve got broader shoulders than most; so do you honestly think a floating no (or yes) voter – reading these boards and thinking about tentatively dipping their toe into the water for a discussion is going to remotely do so once they’re read your, ahem, brand of “humour” every other post? (It’s not just you btw)
The sad irony is, I actually think you and a few others would’ve quite enjoyed hearing opposing views and a healthy debate or two. Oh well, enjoy your sweary echo chamber.
Ruby,
According to a hyphenated some-body in 1926 it is bad form to accord the rank of Captain to one who is not a Captain.
I know it is long ago but some things endure, language and colonisation fer twa
@Ruby
Hamlet: My excellent good friends! How dost thou, Guildenstern? Ah, Rosencrantz! Good lads, how do ye both?
Rosencrantz: As the indifferent children of the earth.
Guildenstern: Happy in that we are not over-happy. On Fortune’s cap we are not the very button.
Hamlet: Nor the soles of her shoe?
Rosencrantz. Neither, my lord.
Hamlet: Then you live about her waist, or in the middle of her favours?
Gildenstern: Faith, her privates we.
Hamlet: In the secret parts of Fortune?
Here’s the thing Captain Cunt I have no interest in having a ‘meaningful interaction’ with you.
However lets here your pitch Captain. What are your opposing views and what is it your are opposing?
Do you really think that I haven’t heard any opposing views vis a vis Scottish Independence.
Between 2011 to 2014 we were bombarded with opposing views. Even after 2014 the opposing view still kept coming.
Why would you think your opposing views would be any more interesting than all the others?
Arrogant much?
Captain Caveman
You should stick around.
When I first found this site, I was blown away by two things:
1) The quality and professionalism of Rev Stu’s journalism.
2) The pathetic inadequacy of many of the frequent commentators.
The first is a tribute to Scotland, albeit written by a bloke who fulfills the most important criteria of the successful Scot – he lives abroad.
The second is an ongoing stain on Scotland’s honour, eclipsed only by the fraudulent folly that was Humza Yousaf.
Stick around long enough and you too will start to wonder just what a regular poster, named after one of the most well known trolls in popular literature, is trying to achieve.
As for the others, there’s a good reason why one of the first things the SNP did on gaining power was to sideline the mouth breathers and knuckle draggers.
As we all now recognise, the glory days of the SNP are over, but one thing we can be sure of: whatever Indy phoenix arises from the ashes, it too will have to ditch the playground diddies as soon as it gets a sniff of power and responsibility.
Meantime though, they can run about safely on here, pulling hair, scraping knees, and screaming playground insults, while safely insulated from the grown ups in the real world.
Hallelujah!
The Captain has made a match. Hooked up with one of the few posters interested in his pitch.
One down two to go!
Yo no soy marinero
Yo no soy marinero, soy capitán
Soy capitán, soy capitán
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba
Bamba, bamba, bam
Nae Hair On’t
Yestreen I wed a lady fair,
And ye wad believe me,
On her cunt there grows nae hair,
That’s the thing that grieves me.
It vexed me sair, it plagu’d me sair,
It put me in a passion,
To think that I had wad a wife,
Whase cunt was out o’ fashion.
Robert Burns.
James
Today Nae hair is highly fashionable even for men.
It’s called a Brazilian Wax.
Weird how times change.
Germaine Greer on the C Word (Balderdash and Piffle)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XY-5a0vRzYg
I never think of a vagina as a cunt ever
A cunt is a cunt and they are usually male in my mind. Sturgeon being the exception.
Cunt is supposed to be the most offensive word in the English language yet it is very widely used in Scotland. It’s even used as a compliment. ie He’s a good cunt!
It’s just a word.
If it just means vagina how can it be so offensive?
The word vagina comes from the latin v?g?na which means ‘shield for swords’
I’m guessing it was a man who came up with that word while thinking of his penis as a sword.
I think I agree with Germaine Greer that vagina is more offensive than cunt.
Although as yet I haven’t found the origin of the word or who came up with it.
OMG it’s very late I’d better get some sleep and be refreshed and ready for more research tomorrow.
Note to self: Don’t forget the Cona coffee pot and the shocked Portuguese tourists.
I never think of a vagina as a cunt ever
A cunt is a cunt and they are usually male in my mind. Sturgeon being the exception.
Cunt is supposed to be the most offensive word in the English language yet it is very widely used in Scotland. It’s even used as a compliment. ie He’s a good cunt!
It’s just a word.
If it just means vagina how can it be so offensive?
The word vagina comes from the latin v?g?na which means ‘shield for swords’
I’m guessing it was a man who came up with that word while thinking of his penis as a sword.
I think I agree with Germaine Greer that vagina is more offensive than cunt.
Although as yet I haven’t found the origin of the word or who came up with it.
OMG it’s very late I’d better get some sleep and be refreshed and ready for more research tomorrow.
Note to self: Don’t forget the Cona coffee pot and the shocked Portuguese tourists.
Sorry about double posts & v?g?na
the accents were replace by ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_Li6LenBdU
Very important addition to the research into vaginas.
What a woman! Elaine Miller is the best.
Great health care provider and brilliant stand-up comedian.
Ruby,
Some more from Shakespeare/ Sir Henry Neville.
Mercutio to the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet, “the bawdy hand of the dial is now upon the prick of noon”.
Twelth Night Malvolio reading a letter, “…these be her very Cs, her U’s and her T’s and thus makes she her great P’s.”
How “and” is pronounced???
This link might be of interest. References to male and female genitalia, including “cunt”.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/288445847_Aischrology
Michael Rosen may have something to say but I have not found anything online.
This?
https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:937408/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Cheers Sam
These ‘Erotic Tales from Shakespeare’ are a revelation.
I’m trying to get a hold of ‘Twisted Tales from Shakespeare’ to check if there is any reference to ‘country matters’
All I remember from that book is:
‘Ophelia might have been mad but the girl damn well knew her flowers’
&
‘Mark it Horatio! But Horatio didn’t have a pencil and he wasn’t sure if it would work on a ghost’
Sam
Going back to your post about ‘Fortunes cap and the very button’
I got on the wrong track with that one thinking ‘fortunes cap’ was about ‘country matters’ and the very button was the one when pressed causes the earth to move.
Without ‘Brodies Notes’ I get a bit lost with Shakespeare.
Text speak
C U Next Tuesday.
I’m thinking the older version of cunt was always in reference to the vagina but now it’s more about someone being a really despicable person.
There are lots of more modern words for the vagina.
‘Beaver’ I thought was a modern term but I found this on Google.
Google reports the term originated several hundred years ago when the prostitutes wore beaver pelts to cover their genitalia due to a need to shave and prevent an infestation of lice in their pubic hair as a result of a serious lice epidemic.
I try not to think of this when I read Dan’s posts.
Gotta go now and look up ‘merkin’
This could end up as a very long research paper. 🙂
Could be exactly what ‘Creative Scotland’ are looking for.
Ruby,
“Nest of spicery”
“Withered pear”
“Venus’ glove”
The Ancient Greeks used “cunt”.
You are right, I think, that the word is more applied to men.
Shakespeare/ Sir henry Neville also had words for penis, also a word in Ancient Greek.
“Bugle”, “prick, “thorn” “tool”
I hope you have looked at The Labour Files. The investigative journalism is excellent.
There may be reasons why the world of journalism has ignored Al Jazeera’s work – in particular why it is ignored with regard to D Abbott.
One guess is that a certain warlike “country” – sorry, two warlike countries outside UK – were involved in helping to make Labour net zero Corbyn.
Have you had a BAP recently? In June 2014, Obama signed the US and UK Mutual Defence Agreement. So neither the US, UK or any other country was expecting Scotland to be independent and shove Trident south.
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/9/23/unprecedented-leak-exposes-inner-workings-of-uk-labour-party
Thank you Sam. These are great and there are loads of them!
I will be able to do lots of Shakespearian bile & filth.
I noticed some filf on Stu’s Twitter. (kinda Shakespearian)
He wrote
But I know what my readers really want: big cocks.
Maybe’s he’s right but honestly I find them pretty irritating first thing in the morning.
Onto Sir Henry now.
I’m going to copy them on to the ‘Country Matters’ thread so that all filf is in one place.
Porrige? I suppose there is an explanation for that in the same was as there is for beaver.
Thank you Sam.
Ruby, I have found a piece of scientific research which is on Youtube. I think it will be of interest to you and may throw some light on hitherto unexplained aspects of life.
https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtQK_gPv8E7U