Having spoken alongside Mhairi at a few meetings, and much admired her, it is rather strange to find her in danger of becoming an object of cult veneration. Just as with Nicola Sturgeon, it seems the shock of seeing the coherent and intelligent articulation of views outside the narrow consensus manufactured by the corporate media and political class, really does strike home to people. They almost never get to hear such views put; Mhairi is being given a hearing because of her youth in her position, but the marginalisation and ridicule will soon kick back in. Above all, Mhairi should remind us of how the Labour Party has completely sold out those they used to represent, and abandoned the task of proposing an intellectually compelling alternative to trickledown.
Jeremy Corbyn and the small group around him are of course an honourable exception.
You will recall that I managed to fall asleep on the platform in Perth while Mhairi was answering a question, embarrassingly revealed when the chairman passed the question to me! It really was nothing to do with Mhairi, I was exhausted. The question, as it happened, was asked by Joanna Cherry, who also just made a first class maiden speech.
The Labour Party has finally woken up to oppose something the Tory Party is doing, in the new draconian and unnecessary anti-union legislation. This is not because they really want to protect workers; the only thing that has motivated Labour to action is a threat to their own funding.
The Tory anti-union proposals are shocking. Criminalising peaceful secondary picketing is an infringement of the right of free expression and undoubtedly open to challenge under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
The proposal that not just a majority of those voting, but 40% of the qualified electorate must vote yes for a strike to go ahead, is beyond belief, coming from a government who have an absolute majority on the basis of the votes of just 23% of the electorate. The hypocrisy is absolutely stunning.
The part of the proposed legislation I do support is on party political funding by unions. It should be by opt-in not opt-out. A majority of members must vote for a donation to a political party. That seems to me absolutely right and fair.
Precisely the same principle should be applied to company shareholders, of whom a majority should specifically have to endorse a political donation by the company. Where a shareholder is institutional, that shareholder must too base its vote only on a vote taken by a majority of its own shareholders specifically in each case, or its members if a mutual.
So if Tesco wants to donate to the Tory party, that must be specifically approved by a majority of Tesco shareholders. If Aviva is one of those shareholders, Aviva can only vote for Tesco to donate, if a majority of Aviva shareholders vote to do so. And so on down the chain ad infinitum.
That would be entirely fair and strike a massive blow at the corporate state/political party nexus. Then more real people like Mhairi would be able to become prominent in public life.
MAY 2, 1933
NAZIS SEIZE CONTROL OF TRADE UNIONS
Storm Troopers (SA) and police occupy the offices of trade unions. Trade union officials and activists are terrorized. The trade unions’ records are impounded and their assets seized. The unions are forcibly merged with the Nazi organization, the German Labor Front. Independent labor representation is thus abolished.
http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007673
27 May 2015:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/queens-speech/11634415/Queens-Speech-David-Cameron-announces-law-to-slash-Labours-union-funding.html
Nazis -lite….
Lysis 08:19pm,
It’s a fair cop guv.
But credit where it is due it could not have been achieved without the other Gruff Billy Goats. Nevermind’s timing was perfect. Thanks mate.
You see, if you bait the gollum with a mirror for long enough there is nowhere for the reflection to hide. It has to eventually reflect back it’s true nature.
Although the relevant comments have been pulled they did exist in time long enough for both Nevermind and myself to be awarded the prescious Cnut medal by the King of the genre himself (at 07:59 pm), and to gratefully receive the ownership arising from the reflected accolade (at 08:01pm) of not just the prescious itself but it’s previous owner..
I am polishing the prescious item as we speak.
Gollum, as we should now refer to him, is well and truly owned and has slunk away, albeit temporarily (because he’s given away his prescious and will do anything to get it back) under his bridge.
“OK appealing to reason doesn’t work.”
Carruthers and the Major are still working on trying to isolate that particular personality, if it’s in there.
It might take a great deal of quantum and they may need to hire the Hadron Collider.
That’s all I can tell you for the moment.
Herbie
“On the possibility of “civil war, or even a restored military dictatorship”, in Greece.
Habby harrumphs:
“There is zero chance of either.”
How’s that habby.
It happened before, in Greece and many other places.
What’s so different now?”
__________________________
Well, don’t just take my word for it, Herbie.
Here’s my suggestion : you keep a sharp eye out for civil war or military dictatorship in Greece and report back on here let’s say every 3 months.
If you’re right, I’ll eat humble pi and pay public tribute to your powers of analysis and prophecy; if you’re wrong and what you wrote is just your usual bollocks then it’ll be for you to crawl back on here with your tail between your mangy legs and admit you were wrong.
Does that sound fair to you, Comrade Herbie?
I’ve long regretted the sudden departure of Sofia Kibo-Noh after the Habbabkuk’s daughter theme was rather clearly played out.
So all please welcome the equally sudden arrival – as if from nowhere – of one “Dave Hansell”: same Celtic loquaciousness,same somewhat strained images and conceits, same obsession with yours truly.
“Dave” = will you forgive me if I occsionally forget and address you as “Sofia”?
Leave Habby, forget about being vile and dismissive to others for a day, it will refresh your wayward mind a little.
Just take your shekels and run, cause there’s nowhere to hide for a cyber stalker on this blog. We will ensure that a daily Habby warning such as this goes out.
Nevermind
“We will ensure that a daily Habby warning such as this goes out.”
___________________
“We” ?
🙂
We miss you Mary, your links are brilliant. Others post brilliant links as well, I must say.
We will support you against that baw bag.
Well I’ll go to ‘ t foot of our stairs! Who would have guessed it, Golum’s a Carly Simon fan.
I’m still polishing that medal you threw away in a fit of pique last night by the way. It’s coming up champion.
What are you doing with your’s Nevermind? After all, you did get awarded first place you little tinker you.
Have you seen the first post in the new thread above by the way? Nice try Gollum, but that Uriah Heep persona won’t wash. You cannot polish a turd that level of rancour and decay inside it.
Back under your bridge lad, some of us have got better things to do then put up with the stench of your presence.
If Mhairi Black was English, she would have had wall to wall sugar coated coverage, and would have been classed as the greatest thing since “sliced bread”, and then some. But, she is better than that to me, she is SCOTTISH, so put that in your pipe and smoke it!
There is one here who thinks his choice of prospective candidate is better that the choice of the majority. The winning majority at that, who are “free thinkers”. We know this for sure because they voted differently from what the media told them to vote. Therefore, we know their brain is their ane.
“Fred just to say … Like Craig, And Many here.. i have had more Experience, in Scotland. Than yourself… i have lived here all my life Seen it all, From the insides”
Good to see you place so much importance on experience Brian, I think you have a valid point. After all in cultures all over the world and throughout history leadership has gone to the old and wise not the hot headed inexperienced children.
Out of the mouths of babes!
leadership has gone to the old and wise not the hot headed inexperienced children.
Which gives me the perfect excuse to mention Tony Blair. (David Cameron – youngest PM since 1812). The late Charles Kennedy. Insert astonishingly talented/pushy young politician here). Who actually made it to a leadership role, starting as an elected representative like Mhairi Black, who isn’t leading anyone just yet. Though of course the idea that young people should be represented at all is disgraceful, eh, Fred? Let’s hear a harrumph from you, there.
Still and all, you have a point about experience. An astonishing amount of Unionist MP’s – like David Cameron – have never done anything but politics, and perhaps Black will prove to be of that number. Your present SNP MP is not of that number, and few are. Opportunities as interns, SPADS, PPS’s and general bootlickers were limited until recently in the SNP.
What I’m seeing the old and wise doing these days is obtaining lucrative directorships when they shuffle off – often with companies whose interests they promoted when in office. Pure coincidence, and a clear indication of their shining integrity.
Have I been told to FOAD again? Wish the mods wouldn’t keep deleting these valuable awards.
“Though of course the idea that young people should be represented at all is disgraceful, eh, Fred?”
I was just agreeing with Brian on the importance of experience. Maybe you should be arguing with him.
Independence would be good for Scotland. It is the only way to be!
That is why I voted for it.
Better that than to be ruled by foreigners.
The same foreigners have fought wars not to be ruled by other foreigners.
Scottish Independence before I die, please God, if you exist.
I was just agreeing with Brian on the importance of experience
So was I, Fred, so was I. With no more of a cloaked agenda than you.
“Independence would be good for Scotland. It is the only way to be!”
Are you saying that your opinions are more important than the opinions of the majority?
Are you saying that your opinions are more important than the opinions of the majority?
No, he’s just stating his opinion. And you?
http://dilbert.com/strip/2015-06-07
“No, he’s just stating his opinion. And you?”
I was just asking him a question. And you?
“Are you saying that your opinions are more important than the opinions of the majority?”
At what point in time?
People, well most rational people who are not trapped inside a ideological straitjacket/comfort blanket they refuse point blank to let go of, and the world moves on. Despite the conceits of people like Fukuyama and the fanaticists who subscribe to the mindset he represents, history moves on and never stands still.
The true free thinker changes their mind when new evidence is presented which renders the previous paradigm untenable and irrelevant.
In the light of events does that majority still exist? Will it crumble to dust or increase in the face of the feedback loops currently working their way through the system?
Opinions or the reasoning skills. What is it that is better? In your mind that is? Than the majority.
“At what point in time?”
I was just asking because when I criticised Paul Monaghan he said. “There is one here who thinks his choice of prospective candidate is better that the choice of the majority.”
I just wondered if the same rules applied to him or not.
The 55% against the 45% that you like so much, to prove you are “right” and we are “wrong”.
The 55% now realise they were cheated by the 56 MPs they sacked at the General Election, along with other MPs in England that the 55% could not get at. Or they would have been sacked too.
That is reasoning not an opinion.
Everyone wants to be independent even you.
Would you feel insecure in an Independent Scotland? You being English.
And you?
I think Dilbert’s spot-on.
But are you saying your opinions are more important than the opinions of the majority or not?
It was a simple enough question.
I do not understand why you decided to up sticks and live in Scotland when your remarks seem to indicate how much you dislike everything we and the SNP majority government says and does.
We seem to be incapable of breathing in and out properly, according to you.
If you are so unhappy with how you are being governed in Scotland, why do you stay here?
We are sick of your constant belittling of everything Scottish.
Is “negative equity” the reason why you stay?.
“I do not understand why you decided to up sticks and live in Scotland when your remarks seem to indicate how much you dislike everything we and the SNP majority government says and does.”
We had a referendum and I seem to be in agreement with the majority.
It’s you that has the problems.
If all you have is the power to “reason”, how does one gain experience?
Maybe an apprenticeship?
Mhairi Black has just started a 5 year apprenticeship. At the end of that 5 years her electorate will be able to judge if she has passed enough tests to be sent back again for more experience.
The only profession (if it is a profession is sex) one starts off as a journeyman and ends up an apprentice! What is your opinion? Or, better still, reason it out and then tell us.
“What are you doing with your’s Nevermind? After all, you did get awarded first place you little tinker you.
Have you seen the first post in the new thread above by the way? Nice try Gollum, but that Uriah Heep persona won’t wash. You cannot polish a turd that level of rancour and decay inside it.
Back under your bridge lad, some of us have got better things to do then put up with the stench of your presence.”
I have just taken it out of the potpourri pot Dave, It had the pervasive smell of something utterly rotten, I had to mask it first. Now I’m polishing it through the grades, once I have it down to 3thousand grit it ‘ll be shining like a silverfish.
It’ll be smooth and without resistance, a first class stone to skip into the sea the next time I’m going fishing at Lowestoft…..
I have problems, no two doubts about that.
When I did not get my Independence I decided that I was not going to stay here in Scotland any longer and help pay England’s debt.
My health problems intervened. If the spots on my lungs turn out to be cancer I would rather be treated here in Scotland than England. The publicity about England’s NHS is worse than the bile you spew out about the NHS in Scotland, or is it just in the Highlands?
Even if I do manage to leave Scotland, I still want My country to be free.
I look forward to the day when I read a happy, positive comment from you.