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.
“But Fred, “Nevermind’s post was perfectly reasonable. ”
Not to me it wasn’t which is why if you lot don’t get back to discussing the referendum instead of discussing me I will start flaming.
Your bully boy tactics will not work on me.
” These plans make no sense. You can’t protect the human rights of Brits and pull out of the system that protects them” Simon Hughes on the proposed changes to the ECHR by Camerons cabinet.
Sadi Khan derides the document as muddled and said’The Tories are betraying their own history as the party with a central role in shaping the liberal Europe we live in today’
Kenneth Clark said ‘bewildering’ deswcribing the ECHR as ‘one of the fundamental underlying principles of liberal democratic values across the whole of the continent’
Dominic Gtrieve’ It seems to me it is factually inaccurate…that is unfortunate, because if one is going to approach a complex subject I think its very important we should all collectively adopt a moderate and measured approach towards explaining what the issues are and what can be done’
FACTUALLY INACCURATE! will nopt be pushed under the table because immigration is also an issue the Australian Guru is ‘short listing’ as appropriate issues at the next GE.
Off course all other issues will disappear even if we raise them, because the same prestitues, thanks Mocheyn69, will have their strings pulled to perform all over again to get Britain on to the blackshirt track to a better more fullfilled Unionism.
Intellectual arrogance helps no-one, particularly people in cerebral glass-houses.
Cracking article Craig, how you feel well soon I’m sure you’re as tough as old boots.
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Fred.
Is Fred evil or just stupid, well in my opinion his reasons for voting NO,had more to do with his affiliations to the Orange Order BNP, EDL and NF, and probably UKIP, than it had to do with looking out for his fellow Scot, so I’d conclude Fred is indeed evil.
‘To just assume there was voter fraud on the basis of rumours and to just assume there was only one side responsible for it is not reasonable. Either have an investigation or accept the outcome.’
Nobody here assumes voter fraud, but fraud by those functionaries who took part in a conspiracy to defraud Scotland of a fair result. Voters have nothing to do with it, unless you know of a case were this might have been happening.
But righteous as you are, you would be reportinmg such fraud would you not, Fred?
Did you come accross any voters stuffing multiple votes into the ballot box Fred?
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.
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Habb
The above comment from a vindictive clown who chased Mary away, by hounding her every comment, arsehole.
Hello i am kavin, its my first time to commenting anyplace, when i read this paragraph i thought
i could also make comment due to this good article.
“Fred.
Is Fred evil or just stupid, well in my opinion his reasons for voting NO,had more to do with his affiliations to the Orange Order BNP, EDL and NF, and probably UKIP, than it had to do with looking out for his fellow Scot, so I’d conclude Fred is indeed evil.”
Then you can just fuck off and die retard, get back to the sewer you came from with the other putrid turds and fester cunt.
If the Tories get in everything you wrote Craig will be implemented. There is no guarantee it would not happen if they did not get in. Realistically there is only Labour and the Tories now. The Tories could be robbed of votes from the other far right – UKIP. Unfortunately if that happened in sufficient numbers it would open the door to Ed Miliband. I despair. We used to have a Labour Party started by Scottish miner, socialist, pacifist and suffragette supporter, Keir Hardie. If he could see the beast that has grown out of that movement he would shed tears.
Craig is what a public servant should look like. He’s sacrificed his health while on mission, and he’s still fighting from his sweat-soaked bed.
Keep on trucking, dude.
“Think about it, Dummmy.”
Noddy, as a young Blytonian you should know that here in Blyton we do not permit name-calling. A bit of fagging, flogging and buggery – but no names please. Consider this a warning. 🙂
Although I’d never buy the Sunday Mail due to its union bias, this is a good article by Jamie Maxwell, who’s late father pointed out that it is mainly middle class conservative Scots who vote no, with their own interests at heart.
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/jamie-maxwell-scottish-middle-classes-4381990
Mind there’s also many mindless God save the Queen and Orange Order bigots who did or would vote no, due to their inane loyalties, these idiots give Scotland a bad name.
” 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. ”
An independent Scotland would still get all of that if it remained in the EU and the ME has been in a state of permanent war since 1948.
I suppose dismissing the majority of Scots as thick and evil is an advance on wanting them tried as traitors.
Hope you get over the flu quickly Craig. Here’s a suggestion that’ll ruffle the feathers of many of your regular contributors; have you considered having a seasonal flu jab?
Influensa is one of the few illnesses where I felt myself wishing I were dead Craig.You have my sympathies and wishing you speedy recovery.Alas I do not think even a good Malt Whisky helps.
The rub is that No voters have with probability made a conservative goverment likely.What possible benefit could there be that trumps not being ruled by the minority party?The accusations of vote cheating are becoming louder and more explicit.I find it extrordinary that there is no concern.I understand the No side have no wish to recount,but that the electoral process is full of holes and open to cheating should alarm any reasonable democracy.But not the UK.
Excellent news which will change the gravity of the UNSC. Thank you Sweden, I’m almost sure Arbed will be happy about this positive change.
The new centre left Government in Sweden will recogniose the state of Palestine making Sweden the first major EU country to do so.
The general Assembly of the UN did so in 2012 and now we have to wait what other countries do.
Next step is the EU giving Palestine official recognition and their prosecutor general decreeing that Julian Assange had no case to answer, well unless the Swedish left is also told what to do by its leading industrialists.
“Nobody here assumes voter fraud, but fraud by those functionaries who took part in a conspiracy to defraud Scotland of a fair result.”
The answer is exactly the same, if there is doubt the Scottish government should be arranging for an independent investigation.
Snap Nevermind and thanks for reminding us of the new Swedish government. I said pretty much the same thing as you yesterday. Hopefully good things will come from it.
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/10/alex-salmond-v-poll-tax/#comment-484778
I see Boyd Tunnock sent the Lib/Dems, boxes of Tunnocks products to enjoy their conference, in Glasgow, with an accompanying letter thanking the for helping to save the union, I’ll never buy Tunnocks again infact Aldi’s sell their own caramel wafers, which I find better than Tunnocks.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/taking-the-biscuits/
J. Coleman
“A the true personality of Habba is exposed. Only his views are RIGHT any others will NOT be tolerated.”
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On the contrary, “Coleman” – what you describe is the mindset of the Eminences and Useful Idiots, as evidenced by them using the word “troll” at the first sign if dissent from the prevailing orthodoxy on here.
The post of yours which makes me suspect you are a provocateur (and probably a sock puppet – where did you suddenly spring out from, I wonder…?) was as follows:
“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.”
Egregiously silly, hence my suggestion that you should sling your hook.
Hi there to every , as I am actually keen of reading this blog’s post to be updated on a regular basis.
It contains nice stuff.
Craig, hope you are soon better. When I was fourteen I went down with ‘flu. At 105 degrees Farenheit I was next to the highest on Dr. Lee’s list. The other poor sod had polio. I remember getting out of bed, my leg muscles would not support me, and I ended up in a heap on the floor. I’m still here. Take it easy. You’ll be weak for a week or so.
They visited you in those days. Today you have to be sick between the hours of 8.30 am and 7 pm Monday to Friday. Outside those hours and it is inconvenient for you, if not life-threatening. I know my doctor plays golf and I don’t begrudge him that, though I’ve never seen him at Cocks Moor Woods municipal course.
I don’t think if you plotted the iq of voters against the vote cast you’d find that the ‘noes’ were all about 60 and the ‘yesses’ would all rate at least 160.(Though i did vote ‘yes’) Not long ago you wrote to say how proud you felt when you first went out and about in the ambassadorial limo.like all of us you’d been soaked all your life in bogus history to show how splendid it was to be a Brit, and now you, YOU, were its representative. In fact you were one of them,then, and you’d have voted no if asked because you were a Brit.. And all through this campaign, if nothing had happened to cause you to wake up, you’d have heard Dimbledum and Dimbledee and their host of imitators, telling you in many many ways that you, as a true and worthy Brit should follow their lead and join the noes. Nothing would happen to cause you to doubt for one moment that ‘no’ was the only honorable and sane and virtuous way to vote. And because nothing had happen to cause you to doubt their voices, that is what you did. And they all say now that you did the right thing. Absolutely. So next time you’ll never doubt the path of virtue
The ‘Noes’ aren’t any more stupid than we are. They are just pissed on the intellectual booze they drink all day and all night which keeps them in order. It comes from the media, and you know it and I know it and anyone who thinks knows it. But they need to be made to think. You can help make them, if you cheer up and try. The flu causes depression. What you said wasn’t true. Cheer up old lad, and try some more. Derek.
Republicofscotland 5 Oct, 2014 – 3:05 pm
“I see Boyd Tunnock sent the Lib/Dems, boxes of Tunnocks products to enjoy their conference, in Glasgow, with an accompanying letter thanking the for helping to save the union, I’ll never buy Tunnocks again infact Aldi’s sell their own caramel wafers, which I find better than Tunnocks.”
The link you give seems to suggest that it is the LibDems giving the biscuits to journalists as thanks for saving the Union, rather than Tunnocks giving them to the LibDems. Maybe Tunnocks knew nothing about it.
Another who back-stabbed Scotland is Ian Wood, Wood who backtracked on his paper, which showed there could 24 billion barrels of oil in the North sea, performed a complete u-turn, after being knobbled by unionist politicians, why did Wood become a Tomb Tabard?
Well Wood is buying up fracking companies, the SNP, if Scotland had become independent weren’t too keen on fracking, were as Westminster, were and still are chomping at the bit to sell fracking licences all over the UK.
RepublicOfPerspiringDreams
“Habb
The above comment from a vindictive clown who chased Mary away, by hounding her every comment, arsehole.”
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Oh, that’s interesting, ROPD – if you read Squonk, you’ll find that she’s apparently not well and that’s why, presumably, she’s not commenting.
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I’ve said it before, but I’ll say again : you too are a sock puppet and a vicious provocateur.
Appearing suddenly out of nowhere, posting a few commments on Scotland and hey presto you’re soon onto the Israel/Palestine kick and all the other obsessions beloved of the Eminenjces and Useful Idiots.
Thank God you’re so transparent.
“Well Wood is buying up fracking companies, the SNP, if Scotland had become independent weren’t too keen on fracking, were as Westminster, were and still are chomping at the bit to sell fracking licences all over the UK.”
So the “Scotland’s oil” that was going to make the Scottish people wealthy by using new extraction methods was in fact the oil under places like Shetland and the people it was going to make wealthy were in the Central Belt.
With fracking it would have been feasible for them to extract oil from under the Central Belt and share the profits with the people of Shetland.
The link you give seems to suggest that it is the LibDems giving the biscuits to journalists as thanks for saving the Union, rather than Tunnocks giving them to the LibDems. Maybe Tunnocks knew nothing about it.
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Node
You may well be right Node, in my opinion though, it really doesn’t matter as Boyd Tunnock is a die-hard unionist,and just like Audrey Baxter who’s also a die-hard unionist I will not like many others buy their products again.
It seems it doesn’t work too well. (well it works very well at creating monster profits for pharmaceutical companies and degrading immune systems – but they obviously do not tell you that). The main reasons why you are more likely to get ill in the winter, rather than the summer is that your immune system becomes degraded by lack of sunshine, that builds up your vitamin D, you are also like to get SAD (sunshine improves mood), you are probably doing less exercise, and eating less fresh food and more crap.
“Study: Flu Vaccine Causes 5.5 Times More Respiratory Infections – A True Vaccinated vs. Unvaccinated Study”
http://healthimpactnews.com/2013/study-flu-vaccine-causes-5-5-times-more-respiratory-infections-a-true-vaccinated-vs-unvaccinated-study/
Tony
Bit strong Craig. It could be that no voters believe what they see in the mainstream media. I used to be like that. In which case what needs done is to continue to doggedly highlight the disconnect between reality and what the media tells us. (It was the publication of the McCrone report that did it for me – and I bet if you surveyed Scots, a majority would still believe Scotland was a net beneficiary of the union).
Alternatively – and more depressingly – a majory of Scots might just see themselves as British and therefore didn’t want to break up their ‘country’.
@Fred
5 Oct, 2014 – 2:31 pm
I merely voice niggling suspicions .. but you haven’t replied to the substantive points I went on to make vis-à-vis ‘nationalisms’ ..
.