Friday 29 November 2013

Sturgeon's gran.

Soorploom Sturgeon said something interesting in last night's Question Time that, I think, illustrates nicely the intrinsic conflict between nationalism and socialism:
"My gran was from Sunderland, and that part of England, I'm sure doesn't like Tory governments any more than we do… well, my gran I think, would've if she was still here, would've probably argued that we should include them in the referendum. Anyway that's a different story. We are a nation and we have the opportunity next year to assert that and to be independent and to take our own decisions and that's what it's about. Y'know, I believe passionately in the social, cultural family union we have with the other parts of the UK but I want us to be politically and economically responsible and we only get that if we're independent."
So, let's get this straight... a senior politician who claims to espouse progressive socialist ideals is not interested in anybody else who shares those same ideals, if they're not part of her nation. Solidarity be damned! Clearly, nationalism comes before socialism (and even family!) in her world. Sharing social and cultural stuff with those outside her tribe is fine by her (she says), but she draws the line at politics. Rather ironic for a politician, don't you think?

Wednesday 27 November 2013

Seen on a web forum today.

The idea that a decision that will potentially have repercussions for hundreds of years will be based on how browned off the people of Scotland are at the time with the current PM, or at the immediate political "promise" of being £500 a year better off (less than £10 a week) is profoundly depressing - and no doubt a perfect illustration of some of the worse aspects of human nature.
Couldn't have put it better myself.

Monday 25 November 2013

A Natural State of Affairs?

As the much-heralded SNP manifesto Scottish Government White Paper is due to be launched amid much alarums and excursions tomorrow, Union Jock thought it's time he got back in the blogging saddle and limber up a bit...

So, how about this. According to one of the SNP's Scottish Government's propaganda tracts, independence is a natural state of affairs. But what's so natural, in this internet age of the global village, about carving up (once again) an island such as ours into separate nation states, when there isn't even the usual excuse of ethnicity or religion to justify it?

To me, it seems pretty unnatural to combine a mawkish fixation with a medieval kingdom that ceased to exist more than three centuries ago, with contemporary left-wing political sentiment - especially when the latter is shared by many outside the borders of said former kingdom.