The referendum result is the loss of a chance to dispute the hegemony of the neo-con corporate elite in the international world. My heart is still bursting with pride that 45% of Scots – a people devoid of political autonomy for three hundred years – had the nerve, intellect and will to see through the avalanche of propaganda from the entire mainstream media, political establishment, banking sector and corporate world. I met numerous voters who had received letters from their employers – including Diageo, BP, RNS and many others – telling them to vote No or their job was in danger. I met the old lady in Dundee who was told by the Labour Party that independent Scotland would flood the country with immigrants, and a Romanian building worker in Edinburgh who had been told by the Labour Party that Independent Scotland would deport all East Europeans.
Yesterday the Daily Telegraph, Daily Express and Daily Mirror in Scotland all had precisely the same full page photo on their front cover – not a startling news snap, but an arty concoction of male silhouettes and union and Scottish flags. The Mirror had photoshopped it to remove the blue from the union jack, but it was the same distinctive photo. There could be no more stark example of the fake diversity of the mainstream media.
Just as the Conservative, Labour and Lib Dem parties have been startlingly shown up as precisely the same creatures of corporate masters offering no policy differences whatsoever, merely a false tribalism. As they partied together at Better Together last night – the only party in the whole of Scotland, at which everybody present lives very, very well at taxpayers’ expense – it was impossible to tell which brand of Tory was which.
Keeping the popular momentum going, keeping all those wonderful people I met and spoke to engaged in trying to engineer a different society, is going to be a hard struggle. But we always knew that. The goal of independence must remain as a powerful unifying factor.
Through media onslaught people were convinced that a No vote was a vote for Devo Max. Actually after a fortnight of pontificating it will fall off the news agenda of the mainstream. Nothing significant will happen. The Westminster view is that we can have any powers we want at our glorified council in Scotland as long as we still don’t get the revenue from oil or whisky – and still provide cannon fodder for neo-con wars abroad, house Trident and are subject to draconian Westminster imposed attacks on civil liberties.
Anyway the dress rehearsal is over. At the next referendum – which is only five years away, after the UK has voted to leave the EU – we will not be putting forward Salmond’s Independence Lite, (I am not criticising, he carried it superhumanly far). We will be proposing a fully independent Scottish Republic, out of NATO, with its own currency, sweeping land reform to give Scotland’s land back to its people, nationalisation of railways and public utilities, a genuine minimum wage you can live on, a humane benefits system and strict regulation and controls on banks and bankers.
I am eating an excellent lunch and looking forward to it.
And also, RD, the democratic will of the people of Crimea was passed in 1991, but the new Ukrainian government ignored it. Why doesn’t the western media talk about that.
The USSR is great because it defeated fascism, put satellites unto orbit and put people into space. It’s human rights record left a lot to be desired, I entirely agree.
And also, RD, the democratic will of the people of Crimea was passed in 1991,
Doh – in 1991 Crimea voted 54-42 to be a part of independent Ukraine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukrainian_independence_referendum,_1991
That referendum was also held under rather freer conditions than the more recent one.
Res Dis.
Thanks for the truly shocking revelation in Forbes that only 82% of the Crimean population rejected rule by Nuland’s junta.
I loved the conclusion…“…but Putin counts on repetition of his Big Lie to convince his own people and sympathetic politicians and press in the West that the people of east Ukraine actually want to separate from Ukraine.”
Let’s say it loud and clear, THE 18% WAS ROBBED!!! Who are the 82% anyway to think they can reject the US/NATO/EU coup with such a slim majority?
You might want to check out the Saker. I know he uses his brain, considers a wide range of opinions and has a naive confidence in evidence, but hey, we’re none of us perfect!
Better still you can read his comment section without having to shower afterwards!
Here’s an example, http://vineyardsaker.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/ukraine-sitrep-september-18-1730.html
Resident Dissident,
‘Well well it appears that our friends have supported despots and illiberal regimes throughout the world have all of a sudden developed a concern that he Scottish referendum was “rigged”. They of course have no interest in democracy whatsoever and are just playing their old old game of allowing the end to justify the means – if they oppose something they will use anything whatsoever to justify their position, rather than admit that their position was not sufficiently strong to convince people and may need some refinement/modification so as to achieve popular assent.’
This is an extraordinary claim. Please could you be more specific in what you mean and exactly who you’re referring to.
“Craig. I thunk you should ban some of the worst trolls now. I hate having to read them by mistake. Thank you.”
Might I suggest that you read a bit of John Stuart Mill like Craig has – and then you will find that the criteria JSM used for banning free speech was one of harm rather than offence.
Re JG at 8:57am perhaps there is some hope for the old geezer after all.
RD – of course I have to agree, any suppression of a free trade union movement as occurred with Solidarnosc in Poland cannot be seen as anything but a total abuse of socialist principles and indicative of how the USSR was no longer worthy of its name, if it ever was.
@John
In 1991: 37% of Crimeans in favour of Ukraine rule. 63% against. What figures were you looking at?
Sofia
Might I suggest you read the Forbes report of the unofficial official Kremlim report again.
You might also wish to look up the quote/instruction from vineyardsaker telling how it was of course ok for you to lie about the Russian presence in the UK (I’ve provided it twice already) to remind you that the ends can be used to justify the means in true Soviet fashion.
Forever to be known as the Great Postal Referendum where 97% of voters registered! So with that 370k lead, how much of those extra NO votes were delivered by the 710k postal votes “cast”?!! Can the bookies moles tell us? We NEED to know the split between the YES and NOs in the postal ballot. It appears several hundred thousand pensioners and the dead still on the voting rolls, voted NO by post without their knowledge.
Res Diss 9 17am
“…it was of course ok for you to lie about the Russian presence in the UK (I’ve provided it twice already)…”
WTF?
@Jon
Clark has a tendency to adjust his memories to suit himself. That’s fine by me.
If he then starts broadcasting his fantasies to forums read by hundreds of people that isn’t. He gets flamed, he knows he will get flamed, if he doesn’t want to get flamed then he shouldn’t do it.
I was not fanatical about the referendum I went to bed Thursday night, the fanaticism others showed was part of the Nationalist Racist Tribalist attitudes which are such a threat to the people of Scotland especially if they are being manipulated by people to further their own personal and political agenda.
I have argued for truth, unity and peace here, those I believe are the best way forwards for the people of Scotland and fortunately a large majority of the people of Scotland think so too. The politics of hatred and division preached here by others I will continue to argue against. If someone decides to make a personal attack on me I’ll flame them if I want to. If you don’t like that tough shit.
Sofia
I of course meant the Ukraine – the presence in the UK is of course confined to those who slip polonium into tea and members of Public Schoolboys for Putin.
Res Dis.
I don’t know what you’re slipping into your own tea but I really think you should decrease the dose 🙂
Of course now nationalism is out of the equation we can now have a more sensible debate about how power can be devolved away from Westminster to local and regional governments within the UK – unfortunately, that does include the devolution of power to the Leninist democratic centralist committees favoured by those enlightened individuals who know what is good for the masses.
As someone who many years ago used to be a member of the Campaign for the North a group which was looking for devolution to the North of England – I would be all in favour of 3/4 devolved parliaments for the English regions, together with parliaments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland – which would leave Westminster with all those issues that affect the country as a whole and proper scrutiny and input into the decisions of the EU. I do however think that these matters are of such importance that they need to be put to the UK electorate as a whole rather than being the subject of a backroom carve up.
@RD:
Do the ptb know what is good for the masses? All that media bias suggests a suppression of an alternative view and that is not democracy. And lets not talk Lenin… I’m talking Thomas Jefferson.
“I don’t know what you’re slipping into your own tea”
Just a little milk – if I want something a little more bitter then I know where to look on this blog.
“Do the ptb know what is good for the masses?”
Clearly not – I don’t think that there is a suppression of alternative views, it is more that those espousing them do not recognise that they have to engage with ordinary peoples views and fears and achieve some dialectic. All the evidence is that when people try to do this rather than spouting their pet theories then there is a willingness to engage – but it all rather too much of a hard slog for those who prefer street theatre and quick solutions.
As I said trust the people.
Brendan
“Curiously, he {ie, David Cameron}also brought up the subject of Scottish MP’s voting on English-only policies. Where did that come from?”
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It’s called the West Lothian question, Brendan, and it’s been around for decades – ever since devolution. Tam Dalyell was particularly interested in this question.
The idea is that if MPs sitting at Westminster for English, Welsh and Northern Irish constituencies have no say on matters devolved to Scotland – eg education – because those matters are determined in the Scottish parliament, then MPs sitting for Scottish constituencies at Westminster should not have a say in matters such as education as far as England, Wales and Northern Ireland are concerned. It is essentially a matter of equity between the component parts of the UK.
They would obviously continue to have a say and a vote at Westminster for matters concerning the whole UK – eg, defence.
As I implies, it’s not something Cameron suddenly dreamt up – the question has been around for a long time.
Hohn Goss writes à propos Salmond:
“He might have pledged (in the lodge perhaps) that whatever the result he would honour it.”
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Apart from the bit about the lodge, that is a fair comment and is probably correct. And I mist say that if it is, Salmond is behaving in a more honourable and democratic manner than some of the commenters on here. Bit like Craig, actually.
Mr Goss’s comment “But you cannot make accusations without proof. It is dangerous ground to be walking.” is also correct. Surely no one wants to slide into what one mlight call “African politics”, where any result of any election us immediately rejected by the losing side?
John Goss, sorry! Typo, not deliberate.
RD: Well it certainly has backfired on Labour, and serves them right. They were encouraging people to vote No because Yes would mean a permanent Tory govt in England.
Well, the Scots are now so hacked off with them that it’ll probably mean a permanent Tory govt in the whole UK (unless we get proportional representation…)
SURELY… they could see this would happen!
Eslo As I keep telling you and others in your organisation, I post on no other blogs apart from Squonk’s. Someone here did of course post in my name on Stormfront.
Northern Truth Seeker? Not a site with which I am familiar.
I think you meant those who vote no when you said yes in your previous scribble.
Res Dis.
The power of your arguments was slowly winning me over, but here’s the smoking gun.
Putin (Prince of Darkness and Master of Diguise) caught in the act!
And if you look closely you can just make out the entire 3rd Guards Spetsnaz Brigade on the dresser.
How cuold I have doubted you?
Habba
I am not sure having a UK parliament where a majority of its members have responsibility for UK matters and English matters makes a lot of sense – what if there is a conflict between English and Scottish interests who is the arbiter. Better that there is devolution of powers from the UK Parliament to English/English regional parliaments – leaving the UK parliament to concentrate on UK wide issues, scrutiny of EU legislation and arbitration of disputes at the regional/national level. I appreciate that would also need some tidying up at the local government level as England would have one more tier than elsewhere.
As I also mentioned whatever is done needs to be the subject of proper debate and democratic scrutiny.
Sofia
Looks nothing like him – unlike this guy
http://the-lonely-sock.blogspot.co.uk/2010/12/welcome-to-another-albeit-belated.html
Oh look everyone. ‘Resident Dissident’ changed his IP address/e-mail address/avatar post 9.03 am this morning. Perhaps he’s changed his Y fronts too.
Q Do they still make Y fronts and string vests? LOL
Northern Truth Seeker? Not a site with which I am familiar.
Strange that you posted links to it on pages that Craig deleted when the anti-Semitism got too much
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/08/cupar/#comment-475966
“Gaia Hepburn” suggests
“Craig. I thunk you should ban some of the worst trolls now. I hate having to read them by mistake. Thank you.”
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You are entitled to your point of view – we are all democrats here, aren’t we – but on what basis?
May I recommend Captain Komodo-Baal’s multipurpose Habbabreak? Ideal for the weak-willed and those residing on Mount Olympus!
Have a nice day now. 🙂
Wayne Masden, Aangirfan and now “Northern Truth Seeker”…….. Lol.
Has anyone blamed the result on the Jews yet?
“Eslo As I keep telling you and others in your organisation, I post on no other blogs apart from Squonk’s. Someone here did of course post in my name on Stormfront.”
So why have you made the choice to confine yourself to these troll infested waters – why not go some where else where you would be appreciated 100% and nuisances are quickly removed. It must be love – or perhaps the organisation has set you up as a patsy which we can easily shoot down?