Our man from America, Danny, sent me this little piece from the Rachel Maddow show on MSNBC. It's interesting, because (and I'm sure our American readers won't mind me saying this) by and large the USA doesn't pay a huge amount of attention to what is happening in minor countries in Europe.
Ms Maddows doesn't take a side in the referendum. What she is, though, is mightily impressed with the massive turnout potential that we have.
**********
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Harry Burns is Professor of Global Health at Strathclyde
and was Chief Medical Officer for Scotland until April this year. |
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I wonder if this is the bus to Broughty Ferry
Strange, no one around. Where's the driver?
Sarwar? |
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| Local pub with yes stickers outside. |
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| Go away Eton Boy |
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Dunno about you, but to my mind there is something
repulsive about a Labour Lord. |
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| Better Together with the Klu Klux Klan. I kid you not. |
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Well, not really "at last".
We always knew it. |
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| No wonder he's with Johann, Jim and Sarwar. |
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I doubt she could tell you how many eggs make six
Unless one of her spin doctors clued her up on it first.
Not one of life's great intellects oor Mags. |
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Well you shop there if you want to.
I'll be at Morrisons or Aldi |
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| Ticket for Sarwar? |
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| Denmark votes on Scotland being admitted to the Nordic Council |
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| He isn't a journalist any more. He's Cameron's fag. |
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| They have lost all credibility |
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| And the worst of these is BBC News. |
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Oh heavens, NOOOOOO Thanks
Off you go to Mars and save their world |
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| Better Together with this lot of old bigots |
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Simples. Probably too hard for Darling or Osborne
or their wee puppy, Alexander |
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This is probably what they should all have said
Price depends of taxation; wage costs;
distribution costs and shareholder demands.
Apart from the shareholder demands, all of these are unknown
at present and will be until after the first election. |
Here's one for you...
ReplyDeleteWas at our regular indoor model flying session last Sunday when the subject of the Referendum came up.
Several of those present (5 out of 11, in fact), admitted to being no voters (in Angus!).
I asked one why he was voting no - to be told "I don't have enough information.." He was handed a copy of the Rev's excellent "Wee Blue Book", find out the facts then make up his mind.
Another asked " I have a personal number plate- I might not be allowed to keep that.."
How shallow and selfish can you get? To decide the future of the country where you live on the basis of something so trivial...my self restraint was sorely tested.
The same chap is now spouting on Facebook about how patriotic he is..... ah well, ask not what you can do for your country, but what's in it for you. The no campaign all over.
Rant complete.
I've always thought people, with personal number plates were daft; but for
Deletef#£%&s sake.
JimnArlene
First of all, of course he'll be able to keep his number plate. It's his, he bought it. He will be able to use it. The notion that he wouldn't be allowed to is simply beyond belief. Maybe he's the half wit that wrote to the Courier about that the other day.
DeleteBut frankly to place that above feeding starving bairns, and making sure that pensioners aren't cold in the winter, in support of warmongering, thieving perverts in Westminster shows that he is a person of very little brain, or indeed humanity.
Personally I dislike personalised number plates but if you can afford one, it's your choice.
If I had €10 million to spare I'd not waste money on one.
Personal numbers plates as you say are a personal choice, my husband says he doesn't have a personal number plate on the fridge so why the car. I do know someone who has commemorated their son who died with a special number but then some get park benches so no problem with that though I still think it is daft.
DeleteNow on your posting may I say I thought that Rachel was excellent, another one to send to my friend in California, who thinks we are having a very exciting time.
Have to say looking at both campaigns I have to say what a miserable lot the Noers are. When you look at the YES campaign they are happy and smiling and singing and dancing.
Well another visit from our Prime Minister who was not going to get involved in the Referendum. My Husband thinks he is only coming up to save his skin at Westminster, so he can say he tried to save Scotland for the Union and he is bring up a load of patsy's too that he can also blame. I think they are finished and they know it otherwise why the long faces. Scotland, through the benefits of Union has more people who are working class than middle class and I think they will carry the day.
Brilliant video but, we kinda do get dictated to by Westminster.
ReplyDeleteJimnArlene
I just thought it was interesting that Scotland even got a mention on America's tv, muchless praise!!
Deletehttp://www.scotsman.com/news/andrew-wilson-no-voters-reflect-on-project-fear-1-3541040#.VBVvMXPyVM0.twitter
ReplyDeleteThis is worth a read.
"The cocktail the Tory led government and campaign want us to drink is one part love-bomb to 99 parts fear, smear and contempt. Don’t drink it, the sour aftertaste will stay with you for life."
ReplyDeleteThink about that, Nico and the ostriches that you run with. We choose to fly, to freedom.
JimnArlene
Good article, JnA.
Deletejimmny
DeleteAnd I will be flying out to dalaman/Turkey on friday 19th stick that up yer yes vote.........
and think on this if you lot win (you cant and wont )the frigging financial meltdown which will indubitably follow. means the shares in my pension
collapsing down and I may not be able to escape from a hate filled snpland
please let me go let me have my freedom by voting NO and keeping my share price high
I Thank you all in anticipation of a positive response to my urgent request
give niko freedom in 2014
Nico, enjoy your retirement, there will be no financial meltdown; that's just wind and pish fae Westmonster. The rest of us will bask in the sunshine of an independent Scotland.
DeleteMaybe someday I'll go to your bar and by you a drink, you can pin a Scots pound to your bar wall, all the best to you and yours.
JimnArlene
No worries Niko we will keep you in Edinburgh Zoo as our pet Unionist .
DeleteAwww bless Niko.
DeleteYou know, I had no idea that a tiny little country in Europe, wanting to make its own decisions about pensions and social security and when to go to war with brown people with a lot of oil because some greedy bastard wants it, and whether to have nuclear weapons or not, would ahve such a gigantic effect on the whole of the world economy.
I can remember many many other countries, some far larger than little old Scotland doing it, and there wasn't a ripple.
Canada, Australia, New Zealand all managed to get away and never brought the world economy to its knees.
Why would tiny insignificant Scotland?
Have a good holiday. Take your Scottish passport with you.
Who's looking after Taz?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWell I approve of your choice, Turkey where they are much nicer to their animals than the Greeks, and I never thought I would hear myself say that. They have their own problems with Politics Niko, ask intelligent Turks how they are liking their new President? Stand well back when they tell you.
DeleteAs for freedom, well it is closer to Cyprus so you won't have to go far. Ta Rah or as we like to say these day Cheerio Cheerio Cheerio, and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Rachel Maddow is one of our best TV journalists, and one of the few who has actually earned the title "journalist." As for his observation, Danny is, sadly, correct.
ReplyDelete(Rachel's throw-away line at the end, by the way, refers to MSNBC's endless weekend showings of "documentaries" about life in prison.)
Ahhh Jon, our other "man in America".
DeleteI've always liked Rachel and I liked Keith too before he "left" MSMBC. I loved the "Worst person in the world".
Danny introduced me to them.. and to a few others including Billo ...lol
And thanks for the explanation. I am used to missing references when I watch American, Canadian or French tv...
Thanks for posting that Tris. Although she took no sides (perhaps fearing that Oxford would revoke her Rhodes Scholar PhD if she openly advocated a YES vote), I thought that the YES camp did get far the better of the visuals in the piece.
DeleteIt was great that Jon caught the prison comment at the end. I had neglected to mention that. MSNBC's GAWD awful weekend prison documentaries begin on Friday night (at 9:00 PM in the Central Time Zone), with Rachel's show as their lead-in. So she always makes a snarky comment about "going to prison" to introduce them. I wonder if her ridicule about the endless but highly rated weekend prison shows goes over well with her bosses at MSNBC......LOL.
LOL Danny. Yes, the visuals were much more balanced than they are here. Thanks for sending it to me.
DeleteWhy on earth do people want to watch programmes about life in prison?
Although there is a fascination with it I suppose as most people never see the inside of a prison.
For a long time here one of our channels showed a drama about life in a women's prison in Australia. "Prisoner Cell Block H", and at one time there was an amusing comedy here called "Porridge" about life in a prison.
I'd imagine that Rachel can probably get away with stuff because she is so good at what she does.
MSNBC is a mish-mash of good journalism (Rachel,Chris Hays, Melissa Harris-Perry, Steve Kornacki and some others), bad ass-kissing of the right (Joe Scarborough) and those prison "documentaries". I agree Rachel has earned more leeway than others, and I think that's because she's got a built-in audience whose numbers attract the executive suite's attention. And we have Keith Olbermann to thank for launching her show.
DeleteAnd it is quite the commentary that our best TV journalists include Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert. But, as with the Pythons, you'd better damn well know your stuff and keep up with what's going on to get their humor. I'm occasionally heartened by the fact that plenty do. Sadly, however, most of our TV news have long ceased to be news; it's more "info-tainment" and my wife has largely banned me from watching (something about not wanting to clean up the broken shards of our TV set and the beer mug or something).
And Danny, are you also on Central time?
Tris: I would have thought that ANY documentary about Australia would be considered a "prison show." Or am I just thinking of the old days? ;-))
DeleteJon: Yes, We're in Kansas City. So it's Central Time for us. I've never done enough televeision watching when I've been in the West to notice how they handle the times for the news shows there. I have the impression that maybe New York does new live feeds for the West Coast, since the big cities of California are there, but I have no idea how they do the feeds for the Mountain states serving Denver, Salt Lake, etc. I think that maybe the networks' "late news" being at 10:00 PM in the Midwest, instead of 11:00 PM as it is in New York (and maybe California) is a holdover from the days in the late 40's and early 50's when there wasn't enough bandwidth to carry live television into and over the mountains to California. No idea at all how they do the two time zones farther west in Hawaii and the farthest reaches of Alaska. Anyway, thanks for commenting.
What Jon in Chicago said.
ReplyDeleteI used to watch Rachel Maddow regularly around the time of the rise of Barack Obama. She is amongst the very best that America has to offer. Sadly lost touch with both her and the comedian that is possibly their best journalist, Jon Stewart.
Yes, she's brilliant as is Jon Stewart.
DeleteI love her presentation...
YOu might like this, which has nothing to do with Scotland, but Danny sent it at the same time:
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/watch/double-scandal-wreaks-havoc-on-ballot-328782403928
Yes, Rachel is both smart and funny, and she's also unapologetically Democratic and liberal left in her political views. She's hated by the right wing Republicans, probably as no other TV journalist is. That she's openly gay and a fierce advocate of same sex marriage completes the picture of evil for the right wing Republicans.
DeleteI mentioned her PhD. So the fact that she's also VERY smart assures that most of them won't dare to come on her program. A US Senator who came on her program (Rand Paul of Kentucky) left so bruised and bleeding that Republican politicians now avoid her like the plague. A problem in booking guests of course, but her own detailed and insightful pieces on political issues take up the slack.
This piece on the problems in some of the states involving which names should go on the ballots was typical of how entertaining she can be. Interesting about the problems that Nebraska has had getting a Governor-Lieutenant Governor combo going. Particularly in that it involves a sex scandal with four women. WHO could have imagined it? This is NEBRASKA for heaven's sake.......LOL.
Take care Tris. Good luck in the voting! More people here in the states are watching than you might imagine. I certainly will be. Too bad they won't let me vote. ;-))
Damn. You should have come over for a vacation Danny.
DeleteThanks for the good wishes. It's very very close and the brits are scared stiff.
On Thursday we need to get all out support out and to the voting booths... and of course the Brit Nats will want to do the same.
I don't see anyone sleeping on Thursday night!
Smashing as usual. Saw a video over on dundee wifie's blog, an Asian lad was at OO march because he wants us to remain in Britain, ok that's his choice, but does he nae realize they are downright racial bigots & wouldnae thank him for his support!
ReplyDeleteThanks tris
I saw that on Twitter M...
DeleteI think their association with the Klan should maybe tell him something about their feelings for people who aren't just like them.
Maybe better associating with a movement that actually welcomes diversity in all things.
I just got an email from Maggie Curran.
ReplyDeleteTristan,
There's not long to go until all votes will have been cast.
This is going to be very close. That's why we need to know if you'll be campaigning for a no vote in the final week. Whether you can talk to friends, share the facts online, phone voters, or knock on some doors, there's a role for everyone.
So Tristan, will you join me campaigning for a no vote in this final week?
Yes
No
Every vote will count, and everyone who hasn't yet made up their mind is looking carefully at which side they'll come down on.
Soon, there'll be no more time to make a difference, and there'll be no turning back from the outcome of the vote.
There's so much at risk — I hope you'll be able to join us on the campaign.
More soon,
Margaret
Margaret Curran
Shadow Secretary of State for Scotland
Cheeky ...
DeleteAh think she pure fancies you so ah do....;-D
Deletemore soon, eh?
I hope you informed the deluded git, where she could shove her appeal ( though I doubt there is anything appealing about her ).
DeleteJimnArlene
Well, I thought she fancied me too.
DeleteWe spent an afternoon together when she was a minister in the Scottish executive. So probably she's been holding a candle for me since.
Unfortunately I'm holding a blowtorch!
Less soon I'd say :)
I Did indeed, with my customary good manners, I declined to be involved in any campaigning with her.
DeleteNot bad for an American TV station.
ReplyDeleteCan someone tell Rachel that we are NOT seceding? To Americas that smacks of Civil War and Southern States. We are dissolving a union - legally, not by force of arms.
If she does that then maybe we can get the BBC to stop saying Obama recalled Congress. :)
That's a good point.
DeleteAll we want to do is to revoke the treaty of 1707.
A VERY good point! I noticed the word "secede" too, and it occurred to me that has a very specific (and chilling) meaning in the history of the USA.
DeleteDid any of you denizens hear the news from Japan's Okinawa?
ReplyDeleteIt seems they've taken 'inspiration' from the YES campaign and are beginning to demand separation from Japan.
Will a YES vote inspire the revival of the Kingdom of Ryukyus?
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/sep/15/okinawa-independence-scotland-japan-us-military-base
LOL No. I didn't hear about that. Off to read it now. Thanks.
DeleteIf we can inspire people to look for a better life and bring democracy closer to the people then all to the good.
Good article.
DeleteI guess it's mainly about having this airbase forced on them...
Can't say I'd care for that either!