We’ve only got a week and a half to go before the EU referendum, if we can survive that long. It’s not the threats of terrorist atrocities in every high street from the Brexit campaign that will do us in, nor the dire warnings of impending apocalypse from the Remain campaign, by Thursday of next week much of the country is likely to have commited suicide by battering their heads off the nearest brick wall at the sheer bloody stupidity and inanity of the claims and counter claims of both sides. And these people, let us not forget, are those we were constantly told during the Scottish independence referendum who were the big hitters of Westminster with galactic intellects and statespersony experiences which knocked our wee Scottish representatives into a cocked glengarry.
Many families who lost relatives in the homophobic Orlando attacks still haven’t been officially informed of the loss of their loved ones, and the Great British Brexit campaign has already leapt on their corpses like a political vulture intent on ripping a morsel of advantage from the bodies. The campaign to leave the EU is constantly harping on about Great British values, but clearly good taste and respect for the bereaved don’t feature amongst them.
This morning some pin-eyed pinchface in the leave campaign thought it would be a great idea to out-Trump the Trump in the tastelessness stakes and released a tweet claiming that the free movement of Kalashnikov rifles in the EU helps terrorists and we need to vote to leave the EU or risk seeing an Orlando style attack in the UK. It’s not merely tasteless and lacking in respect for the dead who haven’t yet been formally identified never mind buried, it’s wrong. Factually as well as morally. There is no free movement of Kalashnikovs between the EU and the UK as it is. There are already border controls between the UK and the rest of the EU. Voting to leave the EU won’t magically put up a force field which will make it any harder to obtain weapons in the UK than it already is. We already have quite enough angry young men as it is who are attracted to the message of religious extremism. The bombings on the London Underground in July 2005 were carried out by British citizens. Whether we leave the EU or remain a part of it, the risk of terrorism remains the same.
The leave campaign is attempting to conflate the fear of terrorism with warnings about immigration. They want us to believe simultaneously that leaving the EU means that the UK will be able to restrict immigration while at the same time the UK will continue to enjoy unfettered access to EU markets. They want the free movement of goods, but not of people. You can’t get one without the other.
Meanwhile over on the other side of the EU divide, the Polish president of the European Council claimed that the exit of the UK from the EU could lead to the eventual destruction of western political civilisation in its entirety. So that’s not hyperbole at all. Oh no, no exaggeration there at all. Vote to leave the EU and within a few years all that will be left will be wild eyed mutants crawling about in the rubble of Europe reducing everything to a base level of idiotic inanity. Although to be fair, when you look at Davie Cameron and Boris Johnson making their daily pronouncements you realise that that’s happening anyway.
Tusk’s comments are the scaremongering cherry on the top of a fright cake. We’ve had warnings of world war three, economic collapse, massive job losses, plunging house prices, a pound that’s going to be on a par with Monopoly money, and just about everything short of an invasion of tentacle legged mouth breathing barbarians from an alternate dimension. And the only reason that they haven’t threatened us with that is because they’re currently in Marseilles.
This week Gordie has been intervening again for the very first time. I’m not sure how many interventions for the first time that is, but Gordie inserts himself into things with the frequency and zeal of a social inadequate with a fistful of viagra and a watermelon with a hole in it. And with much the same result. The only person who gets anything out of the process is Gordie himself.
Gordie’s the man with the plan, and this time his plan is to reform the EU to make it more attractive. When it’s the UK’s turn to take the presidency of the EU in 2017, Gordie wants Britain to take action to tackle tax avoidance, better employment protections for workers, and the creation of 500,000 jobs. It’s much the same thing as he did in the fag end of the Scottish referendum campaign, promise all sorts of goodies without having the authority or ability to ensure that any of these goodies would actually make it off the pages of the Daily Record and into reality. Can you see Davie Cameron and George Osborne enthusiastically signing up to Gordie’s plan to protect workers’ rights while putting the hems on the tax avoidance industry? No, neither can I.
There’s been a mind numbing torrent of fear and insult on the one side, countered by a mind numbing torrent of fear and insult on the other. And they said that the Scottish independence referendum was divisive. At least in the Scottish independence referendum one side talked about hope, about opportunity, about how things could be better, about how we could relate more effectively to the rest of the world. There’s none of that in the Westminster big boys’ and big girls’ debate, only fear smear and invective.
This sorry and miserable excuse for a debate is only happening in the first place because the entire future of the UK has been put at stake by the Conservative leadership so that they can settle internal Tory divisions. That’s what passes for statespersonship in the UK today. We live in a country where the only considerations are short term ones, and as a result the country lurches from one crisis to another. Scotland’s role in this sorry mess is to look on helplessly while decisions are made elsewhere by people who don’t care about us. The outcome of this EU referendum may or may not be the spark that lights a new independence campaign, but the short term thinking of the wild-eyed mutants of the Westminster Parliament is going to crash and burn eventually, and when it does, we’ll be ready.
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Spot on – as usual!
I know Gordie’s delusional but does anyone think any English person is going to be persuaded by him to vote Remain? He’s extremely unpopular south of the dyke, and most of it is simple racism.
Up here, of course he’s hated for the right reasons: he’s a liar and a hypocrite.
Memo to all Proudscot-Buts: you may try to ape the English Establishment and do anything to ingratiate yourself with them, but you’ll never be accepted.
Sad, isn’t it to sell your soul for absolutely nothing?
I hope we WILL be ready once Westminster crashes and burns, Paul, but that entirely depends how many more Scots finally see through all the miasma of crap the MSM put out every day.
Gordon Brown is unpopular in England due to racism? Get your head out of your arse. As if his record in office isn’t dreadful in almost every regard.
you forgot psychopath 😦
The correct terminology is Proudscot-Butts.
Much better description… 🙂
Gordon Brown is unpopular because he was grossly incompetent when in office.
Given the nature of the debate, particularly in England, the notion that the EU referendum is ONLY about the trivia of who leads the Tory party is absurd – as if they are not real and genuine issues at stake. As if there is no reasonable arguments (both from the right and the left) against the EU. The level of intellectual dishonesty and denial within the SNP-o-sphere is disappointing.
Speaking of the SNP (and I their deeply cynical sophistry on the politics of the EU – questions of democracy etc are of no interest etc) are Nicola and Alex going to endorse Gordon’s Vow Mark 2? If not why not? Isn’t the EU ipso facto “progressive” etc.
Joe,
Is that not the point? The nature of the debate?
The facts are that the nature of the debate which is taking place over this issue seems to have no room for those other reasonable arguments or other issues. Each side of this debate is dominated by one set of Tories or another offering no more than hyperbole, disengenuous “facts”, and tasteless fantasies. It has been next to impossible to engage anyone with ” other reasonable arguments” because even when non Tories try to engage the noise is so loud from both sides of the Conservative narrative that no one even prints or reports it never mind hear it and listens.
Pointing out the fact that this is the case and that in effect the debate is totally dominated by a civil war taking place in the Conservative Party in which the leadership is a serious context is not, whether you like it or not, “absurd.” Yes, it is absurd that this is the reality. But trying to make out that is somehow the fault of SNP supporting individuals or representatives for pointing out this reality is even more absurd and represents the intellectual dishonesty you are complaining about.
The phrases “phycisan heal thyself” and “people in glass houses should not throw stones” seem more than applicable here.
So, Joe Kinnear, what IS the nature of the debate, particularly in England? I’d be very grateful if you could enlighten me.
Gordon Brown is a nobody.
He failed spectacularly as leader of the Labour Administration. He was roundly ejected at his first time of trying.
He has sold out to big business , joining Blair,Darling, Reid, Robertson, McConnell, Ming Campbell, Danny Alexander, Douglas Alexander,and the like, coining it in as a servant of one of the 1% elite. He is a paid up bag carrier for the Masters of the Universe.
Yet our Dead Tree Scrolls give him a platform to spout forth more pish.
Tom Harris, a Red Tory Blairite (even Brown kicked him in to the long grass back in the Brown day) is one of the ‘Fucking Useless’ (attrib. Labour Shadow Cabinet spokesperson) 40 Labour Failures whom we booted out on their arses last May; yet he rersurfaces as the Brexit Leading Light Up Here.
NIce little earner, no doubt. Are our taxes paying his wages?
We rejected him, and his band of 40 gravy trainers last May, and gave the Holyrood Branch Office a severe near fatal doing this May, yet somebody in the Leave campaign considered him the ideal man to get the UK Imperial message across Up Here? I must have missed the job advert.
What does it take to convince the Scottish Unionist Media, the Secret Societies, or whatever Unsees Hand it is that keeps foisting this bunch of political failures upon us,the evil lying carpetbaggers whom Scots resoundingly consigned to the pages of Horrible History for good?
There they are full front and centre on the Telly, in the ‘papers, spouting shite.
If it pans out as the polls are now predicting, and Imperial England votes to reform its Empire, and we Scots citizens vote to remain as a member of the EU, I insist that NS and the Scottish Government, our true Government after all, open talks with Brussels regarding ongoing membership, in anticipation of Indyref II and a Yes landslide.
The thought of Boris and Mundell forming the next WM Oligarchy does not bear thinking about.
Lovin’ the nonsense from both sides, though, but, mind.
Well said Jack. if England votes brexit this will be an essential move for the Scottish government
“I insist that NS and the Scottish Government, our true Government after all, open talks with Brussels regarding ongoing membership, in anticipation of Indyref II and a Yes landslide”.
Ben, it may be argued that we live in a Scotland which is dominated and suppressed by an unelected elite Establishment.
A Ruling Class if you like, the apex atop the hierarchical pyramid, which completely ignores the will of the people. Wealth, position and power rests with a few, who appear to control all aspects of our lives: publishing, broadcast, finance, higher education, Health, business, Trades Unions leaders, and so on, appear to be exclusively pro Union.
Are there Dark Secret Forces at play here, behind the scenes, suppressing the masses, defending Scotland the colony for the SE Establishment? Is it really all Queen and Country, secret handshakes, and perpetuate the Upper Classes at all costs?
I am at a loss to understand why in a free society we have a MSM which is so biased and downright subservient to the Holy London Empire.
We resoundingly sent New Labour packing, at last, and the Tories can only muster 10% of the vote despite a nakedly sectarian drive to recruit the WATP Loyalist Unionist vote, to bolster up their traditional ‘professional’/ wealthy support.
The Lib Dems have disappeared from view despite a handful clinging on like chewing gum on the soles of Scotland’s shoes.
We have 56 SNP MP’s (can we forget this ’54 now’ crap, from the desperate Unionists), and NS despite the skewered Holyrood voting system has been returned as FM and attracting most of the constituency votes,with the Red Blue and Jaundiced Tories trailing a miserable second, yet our Newspapers and Broadcasters continue to behave as though Scotland were an overwhelmingly Unionist country, and that the drive for Self Determination is merely the province of a lunatic fringe.
They lie, pervert, and collaborate with abject political failures, rejects, carpetbaggers, and downright intellectual political dwarves, whose continuing diminished existence Up Here is given maximum exposure and coverage because they happen to be Unionists. That they are political failures, or have sold out to Big Business seems to go uncommented by the Gradhams and Brewers of this Unreal World.
This fallacy cannot be maintained of course; something has got to give.
I refuse to bow down to an elite, or be cowed into submission by the incessant lies and hostility of a few hacks, broadcasters, and the Old Boys (ahem) Secret Societies.
This Conspiracy of Lies is unsustainable of course. Self Determination is not far off now.
You must have read my mind. You’ve written exactly what I was thinking, only putting it better than I could.
The sooner we’re out of the clutches of WM the better.
I refuse to allow 591 ‘foreign’ MPs make my laws for me and determine how much of my money I get to spend any more.
We are NOT a colony of England. The Union is dead.
One Blue, one Red, and one Lair, Unionist MPs, yet it is sold by WM as ‘the democratic will of the people’: the 591 ‘people’ that is.
Time we wrested back our country from the Elite, Westview.
Jack, I firmly believe there are indeed “Dark Secret Forces” at play keeping Scotland down. It’s all part of Gordie’s “New World Order”, the globalist conspiracy (Rothschilds and the entire US establishment, etc.) that’s also behind the carnage in the Middle East. The UK is one of the key pillars of their emerging global empire, and they WILL NOT ALLOW Scotland to spoil the party. I also am convinced Scotland will be free, but we’d better batten down the hatches for a very rough ride. I saw on Facebook yesterday the banner “Independence for Scotland” in amongst the Croat supporters at their first match in France, and I thought there’s a people who know what it means to fight for their freedom, They know how valuable it is. Meanwhile Scotland is trapped in the mesmerising glare of the fat cats, like a mouse or a rabbit blinded by the headlights. I’m getting carried away with my mixed metaphors here. but my main point is that the UK is NOT run by NICE PEOPLE; it’s run by servants of the very rich and powerful, who care not a toss for democracy, and they won’t give up easily.
Nailed it again Paul.
Runaway fear narrative writ large.
Cameron was warning of the danger to state pensions the other day if we leave the EU; klunking Gordo did the same in his interveshun in 2014!
What a stramash! How much more of this mind numbing tripe from dahn sath can anyone take up here?
Gordo mutters about GB leaving the EU. Did he not say something about Scotland being something to the UK!?
The kalashnikov scare is the last straw. Next the US gun lobby will be over here spreading fear!
What fear is left to scare us? Russians opening borscht fast food outlets?
Surely Gordo must return to obscurity and advise the banksters. He advises the EU is good for the workers and he is working for the global financiers, the good (faux) socialist that he is! Was he not known as Red Gordon or was it Red Brown; the latter is a mixed colour and he has certainly shown his true colours after he retired from Parliament moving seamlessly to the movers and shakers in the Panama funds.
I am sure Corbyn is ecstatic at Gordo’s intervenshun given Girdo’s new job as a jobber for the banksters! Global finance and workers rights are opposites! Great signal to send to the people on zero hour contracts and pay day loans – a “socialist” like Gordo mouthing off about a proposal he is powerless to implement and claiming to stand up for the workers.
Evening, Joe. Nice to hear from you again.
I was thinking of examples like this:
Sorry, didn’t mean to embed, Paul.
Forgot to take the bit at the beginning off.
Hammers?
The comments on the upcoming referendum really consist of one bunch of liars, crooks and charlatans shouting at another bunch of liars, crooks and charlatans, and all the shouting is about the “benefits” or otherwise of staying involved with a bigger bunch of liars, crooks and charlatans.
Whilst I want Scotland to regain its independence, as soon as possible, and no longer to be exploited by either lot of the first mentioned liars, crooks and charlatans, I don’t really want to be involved with a bigger bunch of liars, crooks and charlatans who are also totally corrupt and undemocratic, and whose main aim is to exert absolute control over our affairs.
We want, and need our independence, and that is independence from everyone who would subject us to their form of tyranny. We need to be in total control of our own destiny.
All of it has to be done in stages. If you were to offer me an independent Scottish Republic out with the EU, then I would take it. I doubt that I am in the majority. Slowly, slowly…etc.
Hi Guga – just a wee observation that these days, it’s just not possible to be completely free from all outside control or influence given how interlinked economies are these days. This seems to be something that has escaped the attention/understanding of the Brexiteers – you can’t just shut the door and make it all go away!
I too want independence for me, my children and grandchildren and although it would give us more control, it will never give us total control over our own destiny – but I would much rather be negotiating on our terms than the shambles we currently struggle under!
Indeed mumsy, much of the world consists of interdependent economic blocks who share treaties on trade, military aid or some such. And all treaties, as in the case of the EU, cede portions of sovereignty of times to support legal, political and social ideologies. Its pretty much the nature of the modern world. Its what grown ups do. Decide for themselves how and when they work with others whilst retaining their individuality and their personal independence, to say yes or no to a thing as their conscience demands.
The trick, as in any treaty agreement, is in what you choose to cede in the pursuit of any given treaty/agreement. What you cannot, must not ever, under any circumstances cede is the right of your population to choose. This of course is the nature of the treaty of union and the great lie perpetrated on the Scottish electorate. 55% of our electorate for reasons we’re all familiar with by this point, were convinced to cede that most basic of rights to the mercies of politicians of another nation. They chose to cede 100% of the political decision making process, the power of full governance of their country.
Now this of course would entail control of their economy, resources, defence, constitutional legislation, all of it. The whole kit and kaboodle. Folk can’t compare the treaty of union and the European Union. Its like comparing apples and oranges. Their nature bears only similarities in that they are both fruit, but that’s pretty much where it ends. ie they are both treaties. The nature of the sovereignty ceded though in either case, near as I can see, is wildly different.
Scotland currently gets 6 MEP’s as part of the UK… an Independent Scotland would get around 16.
Scotland would near triple its’ current EU influence.
Yep 16 MEPs – so from fuck all influence to fuck all influence – brilliant. Oh and MEPs cannot remove laws, nor propose them. Nor can the UK or an independent Scottish parliament change EU law. I believe in maximal democracy, maximal accountability and maximal policy flexibility – the EU cannot and will never offer those. The nation state can. And that nation state should be a proud, sovereign and self-governing independent Scotland. Perhaps I have committed an SNP “thought crime’ ?
If you believe in maximal democracy then why would you support Scotland being taken out of the EU even though most Scots are likely to vote to remain?
Tsk Tsk – you should be thanking Old Broon as his intervention almost guarantees a Brexit vote south of Carlisle. Hasten the day!
It is like that because we have had 40 years anti-EU gabbling from the Tories, a series of bum toots from the Labour Party, and a 4th Estate that was mendacious and mediocre long before it became useless.
Its my friends in England I feel most sorry for. There is no way to escape this hell, the collective madness is contagious and only the #indyref inoculation is saving Scotland.
Roll on the end. A new beginning awaits.
Maybe the Polish president is right. Brexit means that one of the world’s most warmongering nations with continued delusions of empire will be outwith the European community.
How long before it starts a fight with its neighbours?
I have not had a single conversation about in… not at work… not in the pub. In fact, I have not heard anyone else discussing it. I avoid TV… don’t buy newspapers. The only exposure I thankfully get on the Ref is on here and Wings.
The only conversation I have had on the subject has been on the phone, when the old dear asked me how they were voting.
I just said “Vote Remain… hope England votes Leave… and we’ll take it from there.”
ps. Secretly hoping for a narrow leave vote in England, with Scotland swinging a Remain result, but unlikely.
Ps… I can see turnout being abysmal.
well here is my tuppence worth .
Every single Government of every colour in their negotiations with the E U has told us lies , I voted for a common market in 1975 thats all , not another layer of bureaucrats .
These same bureaucrats who can’t be identified or indeed be removed are working away in total secrecy on TTIP a deal that will remove all democratic input from all of us .
Remember the morning after a NO Thanks verdict was returned , thats when we found out what we were going to get the same thing will happen with a stay vote .
A exit vote by England won’t win a second INDY vote the last thing people will want during the mayhem that will occur in the midst of exit negotiations is another vote it won’t happen .
The Tory’s are for TTIP. Being out of the EU is no protection against the Tory’s selling out to big business… including American big business.
Reblogged this on pictishbeastie.
[…] Source: Wild-eyed mutants in the rubble of Europe […]
I have to say that the more research I do the less I believe anty of the UK MSM especially the BBC.
Anyone who believes this crap is being had. The level of outright nlies is incredible.
Agreed, bjs. Thankfully more and more people are seeing it.
Manufactured grievances and toxic fantasies of victimhood are being being used to manipulate English nationalist sentiment to promote a global corporate agenda.
It’s Project Fear Squared:
http://moflomojo.blogspot.com/2016/06/project-fear-squared.html
Yep, the New World Order. Gordie was even stupid enough to say it out loud a few years ago, before he became a ‘born again socialist’. choke…