This blog is severely hampered by flu. I hate flu. In a globe-trotting life I have had a number of illnesses that became life threatening – peritonitis, typhoid, cholera, cerebral malaria, pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension (thankfully misdiagnosed) severe arrhythmia. I was once declared dead and awoken by a cockroach eating my nostril as I lay naked on a corpse trolley in Kaduna. I refuse to die because of the thought of the people – Jack Straw, Islam Karimov, Alisher Usmanov, Tony Blair, John Reid etc – whose day I know would be momentarily brightened by news of my demise. But for sustained misery and feeling really, really awful and uncomfortable, a week with the flu, while not nearly as dangerous, is pretty well as unpleasant, at least to me.
As I lie in a sweaty bed, my thought are perhaps unsurprisingly not happy and light. I am paying keen attention to all the proposals for how to move forward the Independence movement after that check, and am struck by all the calls to reach out to No voters and bring them in.
I have no idea how to reach out to No voters because I find the majority of them stupid beyond my understanding. This is not because they desired an end result different to that I desired. That is a perfectly legitimate choice. It is because, by voting No, they are going to get an end result which is not what they wanted at all, and that was very obvious. Asking me to reach out to these unbelievably thick people is like asking me to go for a drive with someone who, against my advice, drove the wrong way down a motorway, causing a lot of people to get hurt as a result.
Through their No vote they are going to get five more years of Tory rule – which most of them absolutely did not want. And it is going to be Tory rule that lurches further and further to the right. It seems no proposition was too right wing to be applauded to the rafters by the Tory Conference.
Tax cuts for the rich. Benefit cuts for the poor. Openly declared government in the interests of multinational corporations. Censorship of the internet and severe restrictions on freedom of speech. The government intercepting all communications. Even more detention without trial. Permanent war in the Middle East. Leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and in consequence the Council of Europe – the first country to leave the body set up in 1946 to prevent the rise again in Europe of just the sort of proto-fascist measures the Tories wish to impose. To be followed by leaving the European Union.
All of these are direct consequences for Scotland of the No vote. This is much more profound than the entirely predictable and immediate dishonouring of the pledges on Devo-Max by Cameron, Clegg, Miliband and Brown. Brown’s call for a petition to request him to work for what he assured the electorate was already “a done deal” is beyond contempt. It should do for his reputation what the tuition fee betrayal did for Nick Clegg.
Frankly I have no interest in any devolution measures that do not give Scotland control of its oil and whisky revenues, and those are not on offer. But there were people who voted No – 23% of No voters them according to Ashcroft – because they wanted the promised pretend “powers”. Well, you are not going to get those either.
Mostly, of course, those stupid No voters acted under the crass assumption, against all modern precedent, that the opposition could win a general election from a position of just 2 per cent ahead, eight months out. And the even more incredible belief that the Labour Party was still in some significant way different from the Conservative Party.
The consequences of what is coming will fall disproportionately on the poor, with even greater escalation of the UK’s astonishing wealth gap. There will be still more damage to the social fabric that Scots hold dear.
Now there are hard-hearted right wingers in Scotland, in the Tory Party and the leadership of the Labour Party, who wanted everything that is coming in terms of neo-con policy prescription. Those No voters who are wealthy and successful and want to get ahead further on the backs of the poor, made the correct intellectual choice to achieve their ends. They are deeply unpleasant sociopaths, but they are not stupid.
But those No voters who voted No because they believed a fair and caring society was achievable within the present structures of the UK, are so stupid I am astonished that their cerebral cortex can transmit a signal that sparks respiration. They are probably not capable of ever noticing their error.
I am not going to reach out to you, No voter. You are either evil, or quite extraordinarily thick. You will forever be a long way beneath my notice. This will be the last thought I ever give you. To quote a great line from Casablanca:
Peter Lorre: You despise me, don’t you Rick?
Humphrey Bogart: If I gave you any thought, I probably would.
I Just found a blog called Wake Up Scotland where apparently intelligent people like Carol Craig believe that a progressive Scotland with worthwhile additional powers is actually achievable through the good offices of the Labour Party.
I guess if the polarised mood continues, and the SNP do succeed in taking 26 Labour scalps in 2015, which John Curtice considers a possibility, and which will almost certainly result in a Tory-UKIP government, then the hatred of these die hard Labour ‘intelligentsia’ will be even worse.
Get well soon mate.
Craig, as you probably know from your electrical dealings in Africa, some electricity can be made a little ahead of the curve, like you, and some a little behind the curve like NO voters. These differences can be utilised in starting 3 phase motors. I use this as a political parable.
Fortunately 3 phase motors are now normally started by inverters which make it easier for the motor to start on load. We need a different system for electing leaders to this one which puts greedy psychopaths in power. A real caliphah for example, running on Islam, rather than a Zionist one sponsored by the oil-hungry banksters, making it up as they go along.
I hope you get better soon and catch as bit of Eid.
if snp take seats from labour in may 2015, how does that effect the number of seats that the tories and ukip get? we mustn’t let this fallacy gain ground. the best possible outcome is snp holding balance of power and they surely understand that forming a coalition with the tories would be catastrophic?
I hope you’ll soon bite the flu in the a… and get back to what you do best, persuading people that they need change, soon.
having spent 4 lovely days in Argyleshire I think that every effort is worth the effort, but only when the mis messages hit home, the lie’s become so obvious that only a one cell individualm would not pick them up.
As you say, Braown was the first to renege on the steadfast 49 hrs promise, a prank from the start. He will go into Labours anals as the man who threatened Scotlands pensioners and lost Scotland to the SNP, him and mushy Murphy the self server general.
Soon we will all see that Labour is nothing more tyhan sheer brute force as they flog out poll tax refugees to hardnosed bouncer moonlighting as bailiffs, mashing with past supporters. A Labour party hiring thugs to bear down on those who dared to vote, no doubt some of their own voters.
“actually achievable through the good offices of the Labour Party.”
Please MBC, what do you know of the thugs the Labour party engages with? Have you ever heard of Mohammed Sarwar, Jack Straw and Lord Patel? I’m sure you do, otherwise you would not come with this glib party line.
If you are a NO voter then you had your adress from Craig above, watch and learn how you have been pulled about on that ring in your nose.
I agree with your analysis Craig, that no voters are thick and stupid. However, my belief is that these people were ALWAYS going to vote no, and didn’t even , in their own minds, analyse why and what if.
The Scottish cringe is a well documented phenomenon and I believe that the 55% clearly demonstrated that this cringe is still alive and well.
The default position of these people is that the union is a kind of “comfort blanket” which shall always remain. It allows these Scots to devolve their political thinking processes to outsiders, which lets outsiders make all the decisions, and allow these Scots more time to devote their considerable energies to getting on with what they deem as more important aspects of life.
I believe it will be a waste of time trying to convince these Scots otherwise. The younger folks will be much more receptive to being convinced of the benefit of yes.
I have tried to analyse the mindset of the “no” Scots, and have utterly failed. I believe it to be a purely Scottish phenomenon, god knows why. I believe that many Scots are lazy, opinionated, cowardly and easily frightened, and I believe our nearest neighbours have noticed this and have taken full advantage of our many shortcomings for 300 years, which explains the state the Scots are in now.
I have not seen similar thinking exist on any other nation on earth.
Bitter thoughts Craig, I hope you will change your mind once fully recovered. Too thick or too evil is a gross oversimplification of over 50% of scottish voters. You probably know this better than most peolple considering all your posts covering this extraordinary vote.
And isn’t convincing those who oppose your views the very fabric of democracy? If people like you don’t reach out to the No voters how will Scotland ever achieve independence?
If the majority of Scottish residents are either thick or evil, it is probably a blessing that it does not have independence.
“If you are a NO voter then you had your adress from Craig above, watch and learn how you have been pulled about on that ring in your nose.”
I’m a No voter and the address just confirmed the reasons I voted No and would certainly dissuade me from ever voting SNP.
Calling the the Scottish people names like stupid or sociopath only demonstrates a contempt for the Scottish people and the arrogance and conceit of the Nationalist.
Fred, you spent most of the day name calling,using foul language and you are not qualified therefore to accuse anyone of anything.Go back to your sheep rearing.
DonnyDarko
Here you are again, trying to provoke Fred into a bit of flaming.
Fuck off, Sir, and stop trying to derail this thread.
“Fred, you spent most of the day name calling,using foul language and you are not qualified therefore to accuse anyone of anything.Go back to your sheep rearing.”
Fuck off cunt.
The Nazi blackshirt tactics of harassment and intimidation of anyone with a different viewpoint further highlights the arrogance and conceit of the Nationalist.
I won’t be intimidated, if anyone makes personal attacks against myself then it will be answered with flames, if you don’t like the flames then argue the points rather than attacking the person.
The ECHR long ago surpassed its original purpose and has become, in the words of one academic, “A ravening monster that, without the slightest legitimacy, overrules scores of national laws and regulations”.
Craig must know this. He cannot honestly believe it exists to guard against the rise of proto-fascist measures when it has become a proto-fascist entity in itself. He’s not thick. He must be evil. 😀
“I am not going to reach out to you, No voter. You are either evil, or quite extraordinarily thick. You will forever be a long way beneath my notice. ”
And I agree wholeheartedly with that. And for emphasis I add this quote by Ian Banks: “Empathize with stupidity and you’re halfway to thinking like an idiot”
I feel so disgusted when I think of what the NO voters have done to Scotland.
I know a few NO voters. I voted YES (Node yessed!). The difference, I believe, is knowledge, not intellect.
They are not bad, they are not thick, and just like me, they voted for what they believed was best based on their understanding of the world. Unfortunately, their understanding is quite different to mine.
Mine is right, of course.
Hi Craig,
Hope you get over this flu soon…..I just happen to be reading MIS at the moment and you have your pulmonary embolism episode. Scary, but obviously you are made of sterner stuff 🙂 I have to say I’m enjoying it immensely.
Nigel,I would disagree with you that No voting Scots are a purely Scottish phenomenon. I just read, this morning, an excellent article entitled “Useful Idiots” by John Hamer, which I would like to share with you. I would appreciate your thoughts on it 🙂 http://chrisspivey.org/useful-idiots/
so Fred…. tell me exactly why you voted no
Fred is accusing Craig of what he himself,and you Habba are guilty of.Highlighting that fact is hardly derailing the thread.
He accused SNP, Salmond , Yes voters and anyone who supported them as Nazi’s. He has consistently shown contempt for the people of Scotland and the place where he lives.He is still ranting in foul language whenever anyone supports an independent Scotland.The flame and the troll is in your mirror Freddie/Habba.Freddie needs no one to derail him.He’s well off them.
If anyone has been derailing or changing topic to their masters needs,it is you two,or 3.
DonnyDarko
Well, you managed to provoke Fred into a bit of flaming. Congratulations.
Is there really not a single thread which you and your fellow Eminences and Useful Idiots will not try to disrupt and to divert into other, irrelevant issues? Zero intelligent input, just insults, ad hominems, lies, diversion and disruption from those who really deserve the title “The Original Trolls”.
Think about it, Dummmy.
Is Fred English? Just askin’.
“I feel so disgusted when I think of what the NO voters have done to Scotland.”
But the No voters are Scotland, more so than the Yes voters in that there are more of them.
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) ! Your last post to Donny Darko reveals all the self same prejudices you accuse him of. Maybe you are Fred in disguise?
“But the No voters are Scotland, more so than the Yes voters in that there are more of them.”
There were more NO voters only after the final bribery, scare-mongering and cheating of the NO campaigners in the last few days. Before then YES was in lead. See Ashcroft’s Poll.
And again I ask. Are you English? And please answer someone else’s question…why did you vote NO, and without including your usual Nazism claims against 45% (+now) of the Scottish populace in your answer.
Brilliant! Tell it like it is. I do hope you get well soon.
“so Fred…. tell me exactly why you voted no”
I don’t agree with Nationalism in any form. Not British Nationalism, Jewish Nationalism, Islamic Nationalism, I opposed the SNP for the same reasons I oppose the BNP, I didn’t vote for it for the same reasons I would not vote UKIP.
The Nationalists on this blog call me plenty of names to try and discredit me but the fact is I wasn’t part of any group or organisation and I didn’t actively campaign for a No vote in the referendum, didn’t event put a sticker on my car. I formed my own opinion based on my own values which I think is my right and the personal abuse directed at me by Nationalists on this blog for having my own opinion only reinforced my opinion.
J Coleman
“Habbabkuk (La vita è bella) ! Your last post to Donny Darko reveals all the self same prejudices you accuse him of. Maybe you are Fred in disguise?”
_____________________
Not at all, and no.
Just bored with the way certain people are attempting to hound Fred simply because he defends his opinions instead of rolling over before the combined wisdom of (most of) the Denizens of this blog.
Not good for their own credibility (and democratic credentials) and not good for the credibility of the blog.
“Is Fred English? Just askin’.”
Are you a racist? Just askin’.
J Coleman
The following shows me at least that you are merely a provocateur (and probably also a sock puppet):
“There were more NO voters only after the final bribery, scare-mongering and cheating of the NO campaigners in the last few days. Before then YES was in lead.”
______________
I’d also remind you that all the polls – except one – consistently showed the Noes to be in the lead.
******************
Now sling your hook and stop trying to cause trouble.
Hello Craig, I hope you feel better soon.
I end up forgiving people their apparently stupid decisions when I reflect upon the emotional power of propaganda.
Fred “Are you a racist? Just askin’”.
Since when did it become ‘racist’ to ask what ethnic group a person comes from? Me, I am Scottish and have no qualms about saying so.