Friday 20 September 2013

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET AN ARTICLE OUT OF THE NO CAMPAIGN?

In this month's "Left Review", there appears the following editorial comment.


·     "The Scottish Left Review has made even-handed coverage of the independence debate a central aim. 

     "Where we have published issues on the constitutional debate we have allocated equal space to either side. 
    
    "We requested articles from both Yes Scotland and Better Together with a deadline of 23 August. 

     "It is never our aim to embarrass anyone and we recognise that for the two campaigns this is a very busy time. However, as by 12 September and after a number of extended deadlines we do not have an article to balance the one by Dennis Canavan for Yes Scotland we feel we need to explain the circumstance.

     "We include instead a recent blog written by Blair McDougall, Campaign Director for Better Together. This originally appeared on the Better Together website."

    So Cameron couldn't be bothered to write anything in defence of the union for The Herald, except a few worn out platitudes about how much history we have and how great we are together, despite the paper contacting Downing Street to encourage a more heartfelt (and larger) contribution, and now the Blair MacDougall team couldn't get anything together for the Left Review at all, despite extended deadlines. 

    If the nation is as unionist as they'd like us to believe, you'd think that it would be a bit easier to get someone in Downing Street or at Project Fear to pen a few words about how fabulous the union is.

    It seems that  no one on the negative side of this debate is really that interested.
   
    **********
I  
I'm told that the blogroll is a handy navigator for some people to other reading. I've tried to keep it reasonably balanced so we get Labour and Liberal views, although some of the blogs that were on became  so appalling that I had to take them off.

     If anyone has ideas about blogs that they think should be featured on the blog list, please feel free to suggest them and we look at adding them. I'm open to suggestions from any political viewpoint.

     We should really try to include some Tory blogs and some Green ones. So if anyone has suggestions along these lines for decent readable blogs, please do let me know.
    
    **********
    The above photograph is, as you will know, a portrait of our proprietor  Munguin, of Munguin's Republic, with his flag and rosette, and seated in his penthouse suite at the top of Munguin Towers.

    Munguin will be accompanying us on the march tomorrow. He also adorns our t-shirts, so if anyone sees him, or us, please come over and say hello.

58 comments:

  1. Tris

    Not surprised at all by this. As you know as one of the few who read my blogs I am rarely rude and never abusive but I posted a question on the Bitter Together Facebook a few months ago about the economy and how much Scotland contributes and got blocked, so I guess for the unionists it is about preaching and not discussion, lieing and not debating, installing fear rather than their so called positive case for the union. If they didn't have the media in their pocket they would be dead and buried by now.

    Bruce

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was barred from their facebook page too, Bruce.

      They will not tolerate argument.

      I leave you to work out why ... :)

      Delete
  2. Getting straight answers out of better together?

    Ex-Parrot!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=npjOSLCR2hE

    Gods knows, they show the same bloody mindedness... 'problem what problem' 'Question, what question?'

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Now you're not going to believe this Dean, but that's the first time I've seen that! Honestly.

      And I've never yet seen a good argument for BT. Mainly because they refuse to give one.

      I've begged and pleaded for something from them, and to be fair to you, you are the only person who came up with any kind of argument at all.

      But Cameron, Lamont, Pointless, Rennie, Ruthie, Darling, McDougal... not a word.

      A few lies about the EU, Nato and how we couldn't manage our own money (unlike Ireland and Iceland), a few words about how important the UK is in the EU, and the G8 (huh!) and a load of sentimental trash about how we won the war together, completely neglecting that there were a few their people involved.

      And when they get a chance to write something, they don't bother.

      I'm not one of these people who think that it's ALL peaches and cream. I'd be willing to at least read some intelligent argument for the union, if there but was one.

      Must do better. I think they just assume that we'll all be scared to change incase oil rich Scotland can't pay pensions, while assuming totally broke Britain will manage...

      Bah, mad.

      Delete
    2. Poverty Crisis in the EU

      5 years will became 6 and then 6 will unfortunately turn into 7 and more until they have recreated the developing-country scenario of omnipotent leaders reaping the benefits from the working, or by then the enslaved masses

      UK growth will be in more poor and food banks.

      Delete
  3. Maybe Blair and Dave feel they don't need to write anything because msm journos have it covered!

    I won't be there tomorrow so can I just say to everyone have a great day.
    Munguin is soooo cute - I may have tried to steal him if I'd been there :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. In that case PP I'm glad you're not coming!!! The loss of Munguin would be more than I could cope with.

      He says thank you. He knows hes cute, but it never hurts to hear it from one of his fans :)

      Seriously, sorry you won't get there tomorrow. But we'll try to get you news of the day. Let's hope for decent weather and a good turn out like last year.

      Delete
  4. I'll need to keep an eye out for you folks tomorrow. I'm also attending this evening's karaoke do at the Carlton Hotel, no idea how busy it'll be and if I'm being honest - I never sing but thought since I was at a loose end, the least I could do was make up the numbers.

    I'll keep an eye out for Munguin.

    And, what is Bruce's blog called. I always appreciate readers so always keen to read other blogs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah Pa... I'd love to meet up.

      Have a great time at the Karaoke. I never sing either. If I'm sober I'm too afraid, and if I'm drunk I know I sound like a banshee.

      One time about 2 am, a mate from work put my name forward to sing Downtown, and I couldn't remember the words, so I sang it in a mixture of French and German.

      But everyone was so drunk they didn't notice...

      Bruce is Grumpy Scottish Man...link here

      http://grumpyscottishman.wordpress.com/

      See you tomorrow.... I hope.

      Delete
  5. I'm on one of the Dundee Yes coaches, so i'll look out for a Munguin. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We're going by car Jutie, so if we can get there on time, we'll try to rendezvous with Stu (as per his map)...

      So yeah. Look out for Munguin, and he'll look out for you!

      Delete
    2. I think that Stu is having to relocate meet as the pipe band is congregating at the Tron. Maybe double-check.

      Delete
    3. OK Thanks CH.

      Delete
  6. Have a good day to all going on the march and trust the weather is kind to you. I expect our national broadcaster will televise the whole day like they did for the LibDems chinwag, only kidding.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. I expect it will be all over the news.

      Delete
  7. I booked the YES bus going through, as it was cheaper than the train.
    I may not return on the bus, depending on the quality of the speeches.
    Or the beer. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Labour leader Ed Miliband, just like Jackie Baillie said last week, has pledged to reverse the vile bedroom tax.

    Proof: Labour still has what it takes to fight for a positive, socialist democratic pro-union alternative to the SNPs pro-independence socialist democracy.

    The party of Donald Dewar isn't finished just yet ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Is that written in blood? Manifestos are prospectus and have no legal binding other than voters surety of their integrity. This will not please the voters in the SE will not like this and who he needs to convince to get elected. The way the polls are Tory/UKIP is the most likely scenario.

      Delete
  9. His mouth made noises, Dean. Look at what he actually said.
    What if his brother replaces him? Ed is a Tory, and his brother is even worse.
    We were promised more powers in 1979 by politicians, what happened?

    ReplyDelete
  10. I promise to stop smoking, if I am alive next week.
    Maybe i'll wait until 2029 to actually stop, but I promise to stop smoking if I am alive next week.
    I can't believe how gullible some folk are.

    ReplyDelete
  11. tris

    well ed has done it he will abolish
    the hated bedroom tax.
    now what has Alex Salmond dun
    apart from a PR stunt of offering a few quid
    to half a dozen people.


    Your Faux inability to understand any reason
    to stay in the glorious union is somewhat undermined
    by your leaders determination to cling to all things union.
    Such as the £ bank of England hegemony Queen and her
    heirs, join the nuclear club via NATO etc etc

    But then you know as well as i you only
    pretendy to lack understanding.

    anyway

    whats you thought on Ian Hamilton latest blog

    THE DARKNESS GROWS DARKER

    he has little faith in Alex Salmond and the snp
    these days

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Has Taz had his bath and grooming yet before goes on his march tomorrow?

      Delete
    2. No he wont be going he will be locked up in garden
      all day and night

      Delete
    3. Ok guys.

      First of all. Well done to Ed Miliband.

      Will I apologise for saying that Jackie Baillie and Anas Sarwar lied.? No.

      Why?

      Because at that time their party said much the same. They didn't say 'lied' of course, but they said that they had overstated the position. The UK welfare spokesman, Liam Byrne said that they would have to look at cost implications.

      But I think credit where it's due (and I'd say every party breaks electoral promises at some time or another adn who knows if they will keep this one, but we must assume that as they made a big noise about it, they will have to).

      I'm not sure whether they were always intending to do it, and Baillie and Sarwar announced it in advance. They wanted to keep it for Ed, or if having announced it Baillie and Sarwar forced their hands.

      But this for sure. Ed Miliband refused to answer Cameron's point blank question Will you reverse the tax? And Liam Byrne said it was a matter of costs.

      As I said before, I salute them for doing it.

      Now, will they reverse the Post office privatization? And will they do what they promised in 1997 and nationalise the scandalous railways?

      Delete
  12. Replies
    1. LOL> Hmmm. I can ask, but....well, he's not renowned for social graces!

      Delete
  13. The Cybernats and SNP exective called Jackie Baillie and Anas Sarwar liars when they said Labour would reverse the vile bedroom tax.

    I'll be expecting the apologies then? Salmond can go up first.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Deano

      you will be expecting for a very very long time
      the snp/nats are the apotheoses of lying
      deceitful ner do wells .
      Why even Ian Hamilton has given up on
      them and there lies and obfuscation .

      Delete
    2. No. They were either lying or speaking out of turn.

      The London party said that they had exceeded their authority.

      Liam Byrne said that they would look at cost implications.

      I'd apologize if I was wrong, but I don't think I was.

      Delete
    3. Jaba and Anus were liars when they said it Dean. Call me Dave asked Ed if he would reverse the bedroom tax at PMQ's after Jaba and Anus claimed it was a done deal and he declined to say he would..

      http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/sarwar-pledge-opens-new-row-over-bedroom-tax.1378473382

      quotes from the article...

      call me dave...... "The question is now for Labour. You have ranted and raved about the spare-room subsidy. Are you going to reverse it? Just nod. Are you going to reverse it? Yes or no? Absolutely nothing to say, and weak with it."

      The Herald.."Mr Miliband has yet to say whether he will propose a repeal of the under-occupancy charge"

      Labour spokesperson.."with so much uncertainty over the economy, we are certainly not writing our manifesto for 2015 today."

      I guess they're all liars as well are they ?
      If a party changes policy you can't just call people liars for questioning them on their original policy.
      Well you probably can in your universe I suppose.

      Delete
    4. As I explained above, I won't apologise because at the time that Baillie and Sarwar said what they said, the London party which has complete control over social security said that they had spoken out of turn.

      That might be because they were trying to keep it for Ed to announced in his speech... totally justifiable in my opinion.

      But when London says that Baillie and Sarwar had no right to say what they said, you can't balme onlookers for saying that they lied.

      Byrne said quite clearly that they couldn't commit to that until they looked at the cost implications.

      As I said however, I congratulate Ed Miliband on that brave decision.

      It's probably made him a load of enemies in the South east among people who see people on benefits as scroungers, and it will cost him votes. But principles are more important than votes (yes Tony, yes Nick).

      I salute Ed.

      Delete
    5. Thanks for providing the quotes Monty.

      Delete
    6. no probs tris. It really annoys me when Dean acts the goat. Making out he's thick in order to try and score political points.
      On a brighter note I see the Albanach bar opens at 10am !

      Delete
    7. Ha ha... Conan and Urchin will be in there....

      You'll recognise Conan from his picture...

      What I would say is think of it the other way round.

      A junior minister of the SNP government makes a statement on something, say to do with justice. The government will do x y and z.

      The First Minister when questioned refuses to back up that statement from the junior minister, and the Justice Secretary says that the policy will be under consideration depending on funding. The another junior minister repeats the claims of the first junior minister, and a spokesman for the SNP says that these junior ministers have exceeded their authority. I would say then that it wouldn't be unreasonable to assume that the junior ministers have lied.

      The two senior people have not backed them up and the party has made a statement saying that the junior ministers had no right to make these statements.

      OK...later it turns out that, in the heat of the moment the junior ministers had in fact told the truth (that they were sworn to keep secret because Eck was going to announce it to great flourish at the conference) and it was the senior ministers who were lying... I still wouldn't expect to have to apologise.

      Reasonable Dean, Niko?





      Delete
    8. Reasonable Dean, Niko?

      That would take integrity sadly lacking in most unionists.

      Delete
  14. Actually, in fairness I find CH that both Dean and Niko can be reasonable. They maybe don;t always want to be, but they do listen to an argument... otherwise why the hell would they still come round here.

    I mean, I don't hand out free cakes and ale!!! :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. CH Thanks for the info about Stu's new rendezvous. I thought I'd already written this but I can't find it now, so, just incase I didn't... Ta!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Have a rally good time at the march. Originally we were going to go and then, ahem, slope off to Easter Road for an hour or so but circumstances mean we can't. Would have been great to see you all but all the best anyway.

    I understand Taz has formed an escape committee!

    Good news for Labour. The Tories claimed that Brown and Darling left the Treasury completely skint but a cleaner has found a 50p piece down the back of a sofa.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks John.

      It was a fantastic day.

      Had a blast. Munguin was over the moon. Had his photo taken with Humza Yousaf, then later with Shona Robison and Stewart Hosie. And he got a metal badge form the Rev Stu...

      What more could a Munguin want?

      I saw several dogs at the march... none of them was Taz though. I fear Niko may have locked all the doors to keep him from escaping.

      Apart from Stu, didn't get to meet anyone though, although I was looking around all day... I think people were avoiding me!!!

      Good news about the 50p. I think I dropped it when I was there... I've been looking everywhere for it.

      Delete
  17. For those who are unable to watch coverage of the march by our state broadcaster here is a Live stream of independence rally.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I hear that the BBC said that there were more than 8,500.

      That was generous of them.

      According to figures I heard from the police 30,000 was the estimate.

      We shall have to wait an see what the consensus is. All I know was the hill was pretty well full.

      Awesome day, great atmosphere.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the link! :)

      Delete
    3. Well ! we will settle for ' Thousands ' but not hundreds of thousands
      or even one hundred thousand. seems to me the ' natural majority '
      of Scots either stayed at home to watch telly or found some thing
      else far more important to do.

      Meanwhile the Nats wandered about a bit like the lost tribe waved the odd flag quoted Robbie burns to each other, played counting games with the unionists declared themselves the winners. and went home with fixed beatific smiles like a load of Moonies.
      The only thing missing was a convincing winning majority still Alex told another lot of lies and all was happy.


      from ya roving reporter Niko who in fear for his life hid behind a hedge and watched Taz was on his lead close by and while your intrepid reporter
      was distracted piddled all over me shoe.


      Delete
    4. Atwitter quote:

      Wondering if the feeding of the 5000 wasn't a miracle after all, but that the BBC were in charge of counting the loaves and fish

      Delete
    5. still ch the numbers are always far larger when the BBC management apply them to there own redundancy payments.

      Delete
    6. Spot the difference!

      Move over darling.

      Strange how the Beeb are self selecting in picking the news to report but I suppose Labour hasbeens are more photogenic in their world.

      Delete
    7. I wouldn't have a clue, Niko, how many people there were.

      I believe there were a good few thousand. The hill was packed, and it took about 2 hours to get everyone on to it from the High Street, but estimating figures is not easy. It was never 8000 though.

      One thing they should remember next year is that they need more toilet facilities. The queues circled the hill. (I was reminded of that because of the intrepid reported peeing on your shoe. He obviously couldn't find a lav!)

      Anyway, I'm sorry you hid. You'd have enjoyed it. I made sandwiches and we had a picnic and listened to Elaine C Smith and Hardeep and Margo and Allan and even Eck.

      It was a fun day, and as I said over at Wings, I've never spent a day when I met so many nice people, total strangers sharing tales, and food and flasks of coffee.

      Twas nice and little Munguin got to hobnob with VIPs, and he likes that kind of thing!

      I love the feeding of the 5000 story... Brilliant.

      And yeah, when the BBC are working out pension the figure 8000 wouldn't be likely to appear, unless they were working out the weekly payments.

      Delete
    8. We saw that Darling one, CH, just on North Bridge. I think my friend Anya got a picture of it.

      We were all creased with laughter at some of the posters.

      Loads of anti war stuff from the socialists in particular. That went down well. Loads of stuff about fairness and decency. They were painting the country I want to live in.

      Delete
  18. I like "a cybernat writes" blog. He's funny and has a hangman game about the too poor, wee and stupid myths. Check it out Tris and see what you think.

    ReplyDelete
  19. From what I could see there were about the same crowd as a Hibs/Hearts game so well over the figures quoted.

    Lots of people on Wings claiming to have met Conan - I wonder what bar they were in. Wish I'd been there!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The place was heaving John...

      Obviously the bar that Conan was in was doing brisk business too!

      Yep, we all wish you'd been there too.

      You have to go next year!

      Delete