I have been much criticised for referring to Unionists – and No voters are precisely Unionists – as evil or stupid. I have given this much thought, as a number of very well-intentioned people have urged me to apologise. After a great deal of angst, I have decided to offer a heartfelt apology. Not all Unionists are Evil or Stupid. Some are just Cowards. There, I think that covers it.
My analysis runs thus:
Evil
The United Kingdom has become a force for ill in the World. In invading Iraq against the express wishes of the UN Security Council, Blair and Bush did to the United Nations what Hitler and Mussolini did to the League of Nations. The UK was up to its neck in complicity with extraordinary rendition and torture. Its foreign policy is based on resource grabs for the benefit of a few wealthy corporations. Even this year it is in Court still defending the atrocious deportation of the entire population of Diego Garcia to make way for a US airbase, and still preventing their return. It is actively preparing to do the same to the Ascension Islanders. It supports the hideous dictatorship of Bahrain and was implicated in the overthrow of Egypt’s only elected government by the CIA’s General Sisi. It constantly works against the interests of the Palestinians at the UN.
This week the UK has been passing still more laws attacking fundamental liberties in the name of “counter-terrorism” and increasing surveillance. It has an economy dedicated entirely to the interests of very wealthy people in the City of London. Its wealth gap between rich and poor is massive and still growing. The UK has 100 billionaires, and malnourished children, living on a small island. It is dominated by corporations run on a low wage model and has systematically destroyed workers’ rights.
On balance, the government of the UK has become a force for evil in the world. not a force for good. To support it in full knowledge of the above is evil.
Stupid
Given the existence of the tremendous communications possibilities of the internet, and given the wide range of information available above all in Scotland where a new political consciousness has developed, there are few excuses for having been ill-informed in the referendum. The failure to inform oneself, given the resources available, was itself evidence of a lack of gumption.
Some people are Unionists not because they support the policies outlined under Evil, but because they fail to perceive them. This group overlaps heavily with those who do not believe the Labour Party is now a fully paid up neoconservative party subscribing to everything above, and with only a sham concern for social justice. Despite the Red Tories’ open pledges to be tougher on welfare reform and immigration than the Blue Tories, these stupid people believe social progress is possible within the UK under Labour. They also actually believed that The Vow on Devo-Max would be delivered. This group of Unionists are incapable of perceiving evil when they see it, even when it comes certified with membership of the Henry Jackson Society. These people are stupid.
Cowardly
I have added this last group. These are people who did perceive the evil of the UK, and thus weren’t entirely stupid, but were too scared of social change to abandon unionism. A substantial section of the cowards should in fact be grouped under evil, because the cause of their fear was entirely self-centred. They could see the evil the UK does, but cared rather more about their own pension, job, mortgage etc. than they cared about anything else in the world. This combination of selfishness and fear of social change is of course classically Tory. But not all cowards fell into the Tory category. Some were genuinely fearful that things might somehow get even worse for everybody. They would not have boarded the first trains in case their heads were blown off by the 30mph winds.
Conclusion
After four months of constant thought, I cannot think of any hypothetical unionist position which does not fall into one of those categories. I am grateful for the criticism which led me to realise that I had left out the cowards. Some of that criticism came from nationalists who do not like politics to be described in moral terms, and for whom national independence should rouse no more passion than a change in local council boundaries, being a simple question of the best technocratic management of broadly similar political systems. That is a position I wholeheartedly denounce. For me national independence for Scotland is a great ethical choice for good – and against evil.
Fortunately a great many of the stupid are realising their mistake – being slower on the uptake does not stop you getting there eventually. So now there is a definite majority, for Yes. I am pleased about this, and view Independence as absolutely inevitable in the near term. I shall certainly live to see it. I don’t see converting No voters as part of my personal mission in life. The Wizard of Oz could give the Coward a medal and the Stupid a diploma. I shall content myself with being the one who throws water over the Evil.
Finally, for those who cannot get their heads round the purpose, style and conventions of political polemic, plainly you don’t have to be a No voter to be stupid. I have No voters in my family and among very close friends, including some without whose assistance I couldn’t keep this blog going. An attempt to introduce intellectual rigour into political discussion and test positions as part of political debate in no sense equates to personal animosity. As I have repeatedly stated in the context of the hundreds of political issues this blog has debated over ten years, I do not choose my friends by their politics. Otherwise I guess I wouldn’t have any 🙂 !
Apathy? I ought to expand on this, but can’t be bothered.
There was a good piece on BellaCaledonia on why Project Fear worked.
http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2014/12/29/a-psychological-post-mortem-of-the-scottish-independence-debate/
Giyane
“Today I called the police on a neighbour who was threatening to smash my face in.”
____________________
I didn’t know you lived next door to Nevermind!
(previous Ingo posts refer).
If your analysis of the Uk Establishment is correct – and I do not doubt that it is – then how do you categorise the No voters who finds themselves still labouring under the yoke of a corrupt, evil, autocratic government whilst dutifully sending off their contribution to the war machine by way of their Income Tax return. It’s the fuel that feeds the monster; it’s also the achilles heel. It seems strange on an Independence minded website, but in one respect, it really is time to say No.
“It’s not quite polemic enough yet.”
Well it’s not ideal circumstances, with the complete collapse of current establishment ideology. I don’t think i’v read one robust argument from certian camps.
It’s like those elderly folks in pubs still brainwashed about the war and won’t hear anything wrong about “our boys”.
You know they are living in a total fantasy but what can you do. Try to enlighten without offending to much? This is our “adversary” lol. I’m more than happy to let them get pissed alone frankly. On their last legs anyway.
Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)@ 12 Jan, 2015 – 8:31 pm: You are more than entitled to your own, now obligatory,it would seem, (to the point of ad nauseum), jaundiced reactionary rancour…..’jsj, ….. aka, ….’una bella persona’…. 😉
Hankybin
Have you ever seen things in the clouds, or squinted at driverless cars which turn out to be propelled by burkah-clad females?
The eye is the most suggestive of senses and not to be trusted at all.
The really dangerous part of the media is the accompanying narrative. You don’t like deception questionned. That’s why you always crap in the clean earth of Craig’s flowerbed.
Jermynstreetjim
Thank you. Your OBN (Order of the Brown Nose) is in the post, hope it matches your shirt.
Giyane
“The eye is the most suggestive of senses and not to be trusted at all.”
____________________
Perhaps you should tell Republicofscotland…..you know, the bloke who’s linking to those zany YouTube videos. 🙂
Bloody well said Craig !
” I have No voters in my family and among very close friends”
So, are your family and very close friends stupid or evil or cowardly? Or are they stupid and evil and cowardly?
What a pompous, arrogant and truly disingenuous piece of writing. Applauded by the usual ass kissing disciples, with their shouts of approval.
The vote went the way it went. Get over it for fucks sake!!
Hector,
Oh a mixture. I consort with publicans and women of bad reputation too.
And all this form a guy who, not so long ago was willing to accept the votes of these evil, cowardly and stupid people, when he was hawking around for a seat in parliament.
The so called “Unionists” Craig so obviously despise’s (I mean, could it be any clearer!) may or may not be deserving of his vitriol, but at least they ain’t hypocrite’s. Pfft!!
“Hector,
Oh a mixture. I consort with publicans and women of bad reputation too.”
______________
Tisk, tisk (I refer of course to the publicans).
“And all this form a guy who, not so long ago was willing to accept the votes of these evil, cowardly and stupid people”
But if they had given them they would not be by definition surely?
“The so called “Unionists” Craig so obviously despise’s”
Taking it a bit far.
Lance Vance
Would you mind awfully changing your moniker? Whenever I see it I am reminded of Lance Percival and Vance Packard. And then I start laughing, which in turn prevents me from taking your insights and thoughts with the seriousness they deserve.
At least some don’t prostitute themselves over freshly dead body’s.
Maybe these small terrorist groups aren’t as bad because they are small, as they seem essentially the same as westerns states. But maybe they are also more honest? Does that make them any less deplorable? Probably not. But it’s worth noting the difference.
May I again make one of my occasional pleas for correct use of the apostrophe?
@HomeAloneara*’s post above refers.
All those disgusting leaders in a row. If France had any scene of justice they’d have shown most of em to the gallows. We could have crushed the empire in one swift stroke.
Ok perhaps not, but the thought is important. France would be a lot safer without these wraiths.
All people are evil, stupid or cowardly. Yes voters, No voters and Dunno? voters, you, me, him over there and them at the back. None are ever always quite so pure of heart. The tricky part is recognising it and rising above it.
Fools Die by Peter Tosh/Bob Marley
The lips of the righteous teaches many
But fools die for want of wisdom
The rich man’s wealth is in the city
Vexation of the soul is vanity
Destruction of the poor is their poverty
The poor man’s wealth is in a holy, holy place
Why do you fight each other
Why do you kill your brother
Then your reward will be the cemetery
We got to build a better nation
Clean up, clean up Jah creation
Or there will be no future for you, you and me
I said before and after the referendum that to vote NO would be Selfish, Stupid or Scared (or any combination). No subsequent amount of discussion with NO voters or reading their tortured self-aggrandizing on Bella has led me to consider otherwise; regardless of how objective I try and be.
Evil is harsh hence my use of selfish. They know on some level about the UK but chose to protect their own position by ignoring it. That level of selfishness is probably a fairly common human trait, to be evil surely suggests a level of involvement beyond a NO vote.
Resident Dissident 12 Jan, 2015 – 7:11 pm
“You say “On balance, the government of the UK has become a force for evil in the world.” Perhaps you could explain what is on the other side of the balance – and why it should be deemed to have less weight than your arguments and then why everyone should share your interpretation”
It seems Craig can’t think of anything to put on the other side of the balance. Over to you. Please counterbalance Craig’s list with your own list of the good the UK is doing throughout the world. Perhaps Kempe and Anon will help you out.
You missed people wanting Scotland to stay to counterbalance the Tory voters in the SouthEast of England. We Northern English have much to thank Scotland for.
There are still some Scots who sought to preserve the Union from solidarity with us, and them we thank.
@Craig, can you not honestly admit that you would have been an embarrassing liability for the SNP ? There’s the political, chief perhaps being your identikit Neocon attitude on the Ukraine/Russia issue, then there’s the personal, like the hypocrisy of stating your belief in Free Speech, yet personally not allowing it to be practiced on your own blog, and there’s your insistence on the right for people to blaspheme in a place of worship, which probably doesn’t chime too well in Scotland where loyalty to the Church has remained strong. All things that people looking to attack the SNP would have had a field day with.
For those knocking Craig’s post, you can count on the fingers of one hand people involved in politics who have the balls to stand up and say what Craig has said here.
I happen to agree with Craig’s take on things, but even if I didn’t I would still admire his courage and integrity.
Integrity, do you still remember that in political life?
Integrity, did anyone watch the BBC Ten o’clock News tonight?
The Muslim bogeyman, and all that (fear keeps the plebs under control). It was so laughable it was like a bad B-movie. The sad thing is, many people fall for all this vile propaganda.
Dr G would love it, but one has to ask what our ‘enlightened’ western democracies have become?
And on this forum I need hardly add that Scotland was the seat of the Enlightenment.
“May I again make one of my occasional pleas for correct use of the apostrophe?”
What? and leave you with nothing to try and take the piss out of, making you look utterly pathetic and without substance. Not a cha’n’c’e.
Clearly you can’t so you don’t take issue with the substantive points. No, Il’l keep giving you ‘good’ options to let me know i’m doing it right.
This short talk by Ruth Chang greatly helped me understanding how we make hard choices. I think it’s very relevant to what Craig says. http://www.ted.com/talks/ruth_chang_how_to_make_hard_choices
She basically says: the fear of the unknown are the common motivation of the fault in dealing with the hard choices. It is not possible to compare deferent values that cannot be quantified. Better alternative is to reflect on ourselves and create reasons to choose one option over another, and in so doing we become the authors of our lives. The people who don’t exercise the normative power to create the reasons allow the world to write the stories of their lives. They let the mechanisms of reward and punishment to determine what they do.
Davey M:
“Fool, you cite three countries which already exist on an island, and have done so for centuries. For a lesser number of centuries, those same countries have been involved in political union. In the case of Wales, that was due to conquest by her larger eastern neighbour; in the case of Scotland, her royal family had succeeded the English throne and then her parliament voted to enter a political union (against the wishes of the public) a hundred years later.
Should one or all of these countries opt to leave the political union (which is the right of all of these countries), why would that be a bad thing if the people of that country wanted to do so? It’s clear that the UK isn’t interested in solving any problems other than keeping costs down for the rich while kicking the poor as hard and as often as possible. If that’s what you would rather see, then that’s up to you.
How on earth would the ending of a political union amount to “splitting the island up”? The answer: it wouldn’t.”
……….
This island was Wales, but when was there ever a “Wales”? Welsh was spoken not only in Cornwall, Wales, Cumbria but in Scotland and in parts of Scotland even until C12, but when was it a single country… rarely. United under Rhodri Mawr, Howell Dda and Owain Glyndwr, but not for long. For me Scotland and England are Wales, but I don’t expect everyone to concur.
There is a lot of rubbish spoken about nation states. Elites used to control through force and religion, but after the printing press they advocated the nation state.
To be Welsh is to know what that means, although not the same for all. It doesn’t require some external confirmation of identity. It is true that in what we now know as Wales people have suffered, but the language remained despite considerable attempts to undermine it. There is room for the wind up and for indignation. There is room to stick two fingers up at UKIP and those who bang on about recent unfairness to the England, but nonetheless this is one Island and it is better for that.
A Federal UK is perhaps worth working towards, but not parts of the UK becoming independent. How you get to a federal UK is perhaps a difficult process, but more rewarding one than independence. If we can’t manage a genuine federal UK what possibility a federal Europe?
It is not very difficult to steal a country particularly a new one. If you give birth to a new country you need a big brother and the cunning and strength of an Israel – is that what you would want?
Notice how West Africanist Craig never discusses latest Boko Haram outrage. Odd that.
“ but nonetheless this is one Island and it is better for that.”
What nonsense, the whole “one Island” idea is a fantasy propagated by the ruling class for there benefit. It does not matter if they call it one in India (as they did) or in Scotland or Wales or mile end London.
I do believe in one island, with local totaly autonomous government. And without even the notion of a UK existing. The whole idea is a big stain.