I was called a traitor by a Conservative MEP in a committee meeting of the European Parliament to which I was giving eyewitness evidence on the UK’s complicity in torture and extraordinary rendition. Doubtless that is recorded in the minutes of the meeting, which means I am marked down on a forest of European Parliament paper as a traitor in each of the European Union’s 24 official languages.
Nobody turned a hair, least of all me. There were some giggles as the Tory MEP immediately walked out of the meeting, which was viewed as childish. But nobody thought of it as way outside the normal levels of political discourse. Indeed it was quite mild by European parliamentary standards. It is, of course, perfectly true that I used to represent the United Kingdom and now it is my dearest wish to destroy it as an institution. It is therefore arguable that I am technically a traitor. I am not scared of names.
My Scottish readers will have realised that this disquisition on treachery is a reference to the Labour Party’s published dossier of evil cybernats. The majority of those cited qualified as evil because of use of the word traitor. I am devastated I did not get included. I am unsure that my ego will ever recover.
It seems to me that, in an argument which revolves around what constitutes a nation, the idea of treachery to the nation is one that logically is bound to intrude, on all sides. Indeed it can be shown to intrude into the entire discourse around unionism and nationalism over centuries. I have used the term myself.
It seems to me context is important. There is a legitimate discourse on whether treachery to either the United Kingdom or to Scotland is involved in the independence conundrum. To make plain that some consider a position or act as traitorous has a place in robust political debate. I deplore the idea that politics must be reduced to genteel commonplaces over tiny areas of disagreement. Passion is important. But to imply violent retribution is different, and comes under bullying and threat.
“Traitor” should not be shunned like a racist epithet. It carries a meaning which is important.
There’s the old saw, isn’t there, about the person who has an opinion about something which is shared by on one else in his family and circle of acquaintances: instead of thinking “with such a weight of opinion against me, it may be that I a
..that I am wrong and I shall think again”, he opts for the thought “I am the only one who is right and it is all the others who are wrong”.
That sort of thinking is common amoung the Excellences of this blog and finds expression on virtually every thread.
It is exemplified by utterances such as:
“The fact that so many people have been brainwashed into supporting positions that run counter to their own interests… (Daniel, on the Royal Family)
and
“Sheeple only worship them because they’ve been told to.” (Singleobservation, on the same subject).
The condescension is jaw-dropping and the underlying “thought” is : if ONLY the sheeple had MY wisdom, insight and ability to see through the fog of official lies and propaganda”.
Truly pathetic.
No wonder you’re all up each others’ arses : “Absolutely right, Mary”, “Well said, Daniel”, “Yes, Macky, that’s my thought exactly”.
As a literary critic writing for the papers once said : I always put at least one unfavorable comment into every generally favorable review I write just in case readers think the author and I are buggering each other. 🙂
“Resident Dissident; “fuck off!””
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Seconded as far as you’re concerned, Macky.
And now be off, I’ve given you enough attention for one evening.
Habbabkuk, your flame-baiting will get no response from me.
Habbabkuk; “Seconded as far as you’re concerned, Macky.”
LOL ! 😀
You can run Troll, which actually, is all you really can do !
The name on Murray’s clothing is Under Armour. Their logos are plastered all over his outfit.
Fits in well with the militarization theme.
http://www.underarmour.co.uk/en-gb/about-under-armour.html
Based in Baltimore.
All the kids will want the stuff. Murray’s sitting on a £10m windfall according to the Torygraph.
Mary.
Thanks for the astute observations.
Did Sue mention Sir Cliff this year? Hmmm. Perhaps not what what.
For some insightful info about the royals check out Chris Spivey. Watch out for the language if you are sensitive.
I hope you feel better soon!
Hab.
Here is a question I posed to you earlier:
Hab.
Full citizens of Israel eh? Suppose a young foolish Jewish Israeli threw a few stones at the ‘authorities’. Would he be shot in the head too?
Habbabkuk
I wonder if I can ask you about this comment you made earlier in this thread:
Is it not time that people stopped talking this sort of bollocks and got real?
The “large corporations” (and, by the way certain countries of whom I’m pretty sure you approve – eg, Iran and Venezuela) do make a lot of money out of oil. They make it by supplying the rest of us with a commodity without which the modern world would grind to a stop rather quickly.
It’s possible that you might survive a little longer than most in your little lotus-eating retreat in Poitou-Charentes but the rest of the populace would be in deep shit if the oil stopped flowing.
Do you believe the oil should stop flowing, Rob?
The logic of your post implies that you accept the Iraq War and similar wars were really about oil and that therefore talk of WMD, liberation, deposing tyrants and spreading democracy etc. was just the moral fig leaf used to disguise this ugly truth and sell the wars to the masses.
That being the case it would seem that you therefore regard the slaughter in Iraq was an acceptable price to keep the oil flowing in the West.
Is that your position?
KOWN
“The logic of your post implies that you accept the Iraq War and similar wars were really about oil and that therefore talk of WMD, liberation, deposing tyrants and spreading democracy etc. was just the moral fig leaf used to disguise this ugly truth and sell the wars to the masses.”
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It implies nothing of the sort (and you know it).
I advise you to read what I wrote together with the post that gave rise to what I wrote.
Singleobservation
I’m not in the habit of replying to posts from English Knight in his/her various incarnations.
Habbabkuk
My apologies, I mis-read RobG’s comment. I thought it said the actions of the USUK in Iraq were to keep the oil flowing, but actually there was ‘not’ in the sentence that I overlooked.
KOWN
No problem.
Hi Craig, I thought you may be interested to share this more widely too. People do not need to believe us – we just need to help them think a bit more for hemselves.
It has always been something I have questioned given the remarkable similarity in language, style and attitude of so many Unionist/establishment Troll messages, especially in newspaper website comment sections.
Ever wondered where all those Unionist Troll messages come from – I guess GCHQ and the rest of the UK establishment’s security services have their own well-staffed/-funded versions of The Agency – see the NYTimes article below 🙂 http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/07/magazine/the-agency.html
Cheers, Frank.