I am available again for Yes meetings on 15, 16 and 17 September. Invitations welcome through the contact button above. Happy to go anywhere I can do good. My St Andrews speech a week ago has now had 75,000 views on Youtube.
It is symptomatic of the way this campaign has gone that I can find nothing online from the No camp which has had one fifth as many views, with the solitary exception of the PatronisngBTWoman video, which has massive views from people making fun of it.
Miliband was in Blantyre yesterday where his every bodily function was breathlessly reported by Severin Carrell in the Guardian – but even the Guardian could not pretend his audience in the “Labour stronghold” amounted to more than “dozens”. I am told it was under fifty. Better Together support on the ground has simply evaporated. What they rely on is that the massive output of mainstream media and the authority of the Westminster parties will have sufficient impact on their key demographics – pensioners, and housewives in a 1950’s sense – to shore up a residual no vote of the easily scared. My challenge to people to identify any Better Together gathering of more than 300 has been met with resounding silence.
Television has been wall to wall Miliband lately, and the BBC in Scotland seem to have simply abandoned their obligation to give equal broadcast time and treatment to both sides. Presumably many of the New Labour hacks who control Pacific Quay realise that their behaviour has made a Yes win a career threatening situation for them, so at this stage they see nothing to lose.
If independence is achieved it will be down to a popular movement and not to any politician. Indeed, if one person has to be singled out, I would say the Rev Stuart Campbell has made the most decisive individual contribution in the campaign. If Social media has beaten the mainstream media, the central rock around which millions of flowers have bloomed has been the Wings over Scotland website. This has a significantly larger daily readership than any newspaper in Scotland. The Wee Blue Book I found everywhere, including copies already available in pretty well every pub I entered, as I toured the East Coast. Over 400,000 downloads of the PDF have been made and 250,000 copies centrally printed, as well as a number of private initiatives which had already obtained professional printings from the PDF. Conservatively, there are over half a million hard copies out there, as well as all the reads online. In a population of 5.2 million, that is a major impact.
When we close down BBC Scotland and create a new citizen based, cheaper and more arts-oriented organisation in its place, let’s put Stuart Campbell in charge. Some state-funded drama and arts output seems to me commendable. State funding of pap entertainment is not needed – the private sector can do that perfectly well. State funding of “journalism” which investigates nothing and never challenges the establishment must be stopped.
“But that is not a reason to give in to it.”
Agreed. But it is foolhardy to think you can expurgate. And it certainly flies in the face of scriptural understanding that we are imperfect to an inordinate degree.
RepublicOfNotHotEnoughYet:
“The only thing transparent, is your infantile crying to Craig on this blog,”
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Well, it is Craig’s blog and the “crying” as you call it did get your nauseous bilge deleted, didn’t it.
And if you try it again, you’ll get deleted again.
So swallow that and choke, hot shot! 🙂
One of the most unsettling experiences I had was to stand before a rubble lady statue (Trümmerfrau) in Dresden after having been to the Frauenkirche the ladies church ruins (they have since reconstructed the ruins).
The boots on the statue, her apron and hammer on her side along with a stoic expression that almost was expressionless. I was studying the sculpture, and asked my guide, why a lady?
She answered me as a matter of factly; men were all dead, or in concentration camps, when Dresden was getting rebuilt.
The one-sided myopic collective memory so cultivated has discounted many realities, among which WWII seems to have been only about Jews! This in turn has produced the climate of coercion and suppression that we are so reminded of on a daily basis many years later.
AS if sending Blair to broker peace between Palestine and Israel, will make a difference, its just for show.
Yes, RoS. Quite. Though you’re not taking account of the man’s pro-Israeli bias, which makes it less a show and more a spanner in the works. Do take a look at my frequent notes on Blair’s activities passim
“Racism can’t be neatly tied in bows. You excoriate Zionism without noting the enabling of same by the population in both the US and Israel. I suggest we are all racist. It’s just a matter of degree. It’s part of our genetic structure, so attempts at purity are futile.”
It’s a matter of degree Ben.
There is nothing just about it.
Did anyone listen to Radio 4 Agree to Differ 22.15 pm?
A wonderful artifice for full, uncensored Zionist propaganda, balanced by a few calm words of commonsense from the Palestinian side.
Barry, the New Zealand sounding Zionist came up with the admission that there were a few Bedouins wandering around Palestine when the Israelis got there.
ZBC. Palestine Holocaust deniers same as Libyan Hololcaust denier Al Milliner of Tunbridge Wells Disgusted that you accuse us Tories of Genocide fame. Saudi Arabia the genociders of Syria would also like it to be known that they have never paid one p to terrorists in Syria. Dollars yes, but not p.
The bizarre volte-face of USUKIS at Newport and sending a few bullets at Islamic State should remind us that Political Islam, Deobandis, Muslm Brotherhood, Ahle Hasdith, Salafis are all fully paid-up members of the Zionist alliance against Real Islam. Got very rich doing it too.
“There is nothing just about it.”
Then we are all unjust, aren’t we? Some less so than others, but the purity test seems like the line from Shakespeare…
‘methinks the lady doth protest too much’.
Ben if you ever get the chance go to see this statue for yourself, she is unpretentiously left on her own, in a corner of a square
The background story is here
Well, it is Craig’s blog and the “crying” as you call it did get your nauseous bilge deleted, didn’t it.
And if you try it again, you’ll get deleted again.
So swallow that and choke, hot shot!
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I’m well aware this is Craig’s blog, and that’s why I won’t be paying any attention to your minion like comment.
“Then we are all unjust, aren’t we? Some less so than others, but the purity test seems like the line from Shakespeare…”
Once again you just aren’t making sense.
By your logic we should just abandon all morals, nobody should make any effort to do good because nobody is perfect. Don’t criticise people for hanging black men from telegraph poles we’ve all got a bit of racism in us somewhere.
“It’s part of our genetic structure, so attempts at purity are futile”
– that’s your excuse. It’s not even rational, but that’s your excuse.
“The only thing transparent, is your infantile crying to Craig on this blog,”
No, your virulent racism was transparent, and deleted as such.
“Don’t criticise people for hanging black men from telegraph poles we’ve all got a bit of racism in us somewhere.”
I don’t think I can make it clearer. Yes, most people want to do better, but they are hobbled by their own selves.
But your comment above indicates you still regard racism as black/white, so we’re back to where we started.
Not by a mile!
Nothing virulent and not racist at all.
Craig can delete but you cannot put your own spin and angle on what Craig did. The simple fact is you are an opportunist and it comes across clearly and patently. The cavalry seems to be arriving just in the nick of time to join in the affray batting on the side of old bats brigade (as ever continentally and by accident of course).
“But your comment above indicates you still regard racism as black/white”
Nonsense – it’s clearly an example. You may be back to where you were, but then you’re obviously happy being there.
“you cannot put your own spin and angle on what Craig did.” I don;t have to, or I wouldn’t have been on this board since he stood for election in Blackburn. He’s very clear where he stands on holocaust deniers. Turning to complaints – run out of lies, have you?
“But your comment above indicates you still regard racism as black/white, so we’re back to where we started.”
I think it’s a matter of degree and degree matters.
RepublicOfGasVans
“I’m well aware this is Craig’s blog…”
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Splendid! Then you’ll be well aware also that if you try it on again with your nauseous Holocaust denying bilge, you ‘ll get deleted.
Like last time.
Ben said, and what do we get as a cogent and thoughtful rebuttal?
An adolescent angst blurted out.
In line with all those years service “commenting” on this blog evidently.
Pathetic.
Indeed a clear example of freedom of expression and freedom of thought.
How does self inflicted manage using Craig’s dick to piss all over the parade of ROS is a miracle that only self inflicted can manage.
In the real world ROS has every right to his actions, and Craig is at liberty for his actions, what has any of it to do with you self inflicted?
Yep, happy to be of service to the people who vote for people who stand up against torture and bigotry and racism in any form, any day. Otherwise, ‘adolescent angst?’ – gibberish, now, I see. Try the lies again.
“I think it’s a matter of degree and degree matters.”
Fully agree. Now watch out for the rotten produce flying your direction.. 🙂
“The only thing transparent, is your infantile crying to Craig on this blog,”
No, your virulent racism was transparent, and deleted as such.
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No its not racist to look at things from a different perspective, and some who disagree find it convenient to call it racism.
As I see it its turning into a fight between the MH17 shooting/911/USS Liberty God deniers v the holohoax deniers here. The jury is still out, but I know what judgement Judge Hellerstein will deliver – it was Iran wot done 911, now lets seize their deposits at all New Yowk Banks !
“Pathetic.”
Let’s try putting it another way.
The Palestinian firing of rockets into Israel is wrong but nothing even remotely as wrong, nor can it ever justify, the Israeli bombing of Gaza.
The Israelis are using the same argument as Ben is, they are wrong and so is he.
Splendid! Then you’ll be well aware also that if you try it on again with your nauseous Holocaust denying bilge, you ‘ll get deleted.
Like last time.
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Ad infinitum, broken records have a habb-it of repeating themselves, broken records have a habb-it of repeating themsleves, broken records have a habb-it or repeating themselves, get the picture.
Full of yourself aren’t you?
Craig can be clear as he likes, but what has it to do with you?
Craig can delete as he wishes, but what has that to do with you?
Have you been awarded the blog gauleiter role?
What are your wittering on about lies?
You are the hypocritical liar, who has been caught out time and again and shamelessly you come back for more. Stop your nonsense and coercion, I have seen your predatory ganging up on individuals time and again, whilst Jon the mod let you get on with your little games.
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FAO the other blog users, these degenerates currently bent on shutting up ROS have used the same tactic on many other occasions to suppress and silence others. Stop these predatory specimens and don’t let them get away with their antics.
An anthropology study from the late 60’s related an in-group/out-group in equatorial Africa. The tribe in question had the custom of an earring, but it was the right ear. A sub-group formed within that genetic matrix, identical to the others except some started wearing on the left-ear. Such a tumult resulted that violence led to outright war between the two groups, and separate tribes emerged from the one.
You see. It’s all about the differences. Humans don’t change.
“The Israelis are using the same argument as Ben is, they are wrong and so is he.”
Thanks for completely perverting my words. i think we’re done.
“these degenerates currently bent on shutting up ROS have used the same tactic on many other occasions to suppress and silence others.”
Names please. Of those who have been “suppressed and silenced”. A blog reference would be good, but if not, please tell us who these people were.