I've blogged a couple of times in recent weeks about the upcoming referendum and who doesn't love a trilogy? So here we are again.
I know I've been banging on a bit about this and I'm probably getting on people's nerves. There is no "but", that's simply a statement of fact! I shall now bang on a bit more!
Now I know I have only recently embraced Independence after a life long aversion to it and I've detailed my journey in the previous posts but I didn't simply arrive at this decision on a whim. One thing I have been asked by a few people was to explain what prompted me to change. I'm not setting myself up as the poster-boy for switchers as I am certainly not alone, but I will go into a little more detail about the specific thing that eventually convinced me that I was on the wrong path.
I've touched upon the fact that I slowly became aware of the bias in the media and the lies of the Better Together campaign, this was a gradual thing that started to make me question my position. I used to take as truth the facts and statements I read in the news, I've always known the tabloids were full of lies so I would check and double check anything I read against several sources, preferably broadsheets before I would believe it. If something appeared in the Daily Mail and no-where else it's clearly bullshit but if you find it on the BBC website as well then it must be true, right? But over time I started to realise that there was another layer of the media that reported things that the BBC and other mainstream outlets simply ignored. And now, more than at any time in the past, Social Media is playing a massive part in the way in which people get their information and interact with the campaign. It is in this area that the Yes Campaign are doing a better job of getting their positive message across.
A friend of mine came away with a perfect summary of the campaign last night; "Yes groups post information. No groups post pictures of Alex Salmon made up to look like Hitler" and this is absolutely accurate. When I was arguing in favour of the Union I was on the No websites but I also looked in on the Yes boards in an effort to "know your enemy". This was where I started to learn things and noticed the difference in approach between the two opposing sides of the campaign. At one point I took myself off of all Yes sites because I could tell I was becoming convinced by their facts, information and verifiable links to independent sources! How very dare they attack my long held beliefs with the truth!!
The "us and them" nature of the debate has really got to me and it continues to do so, it is not necessary or in any way helpful. I really don't see the need to demonise your opponents and make it personal. Don't vote Yes because Yes voters are nasty people!
But this was a very slow burn, it happened over time, the turning point for me was when I realised the following.
When Labour were in government things weren't so bad, I voted labour so I was happy with the way things were, when the Tories came to power things very quickly went to shit. I hadn't voted for The Tories and I disagree with almost all of their policies, you probably do too. But the thing that I suddenly realised was that although Labour got in, it was nothing to do with me and it was nothing to do with Scotland. At that time Scotland traditionally voted Labour so if the rest of the UK agree then we end up with the government we voted for but in 2010 they didn't so we got a Tory/Lib Dem government. This was the metaphorical straw that broke the allegorical camel's back. Neither you or I have any say in which government is elected, it's completely left to chance. If the rest of the Union vote for a party you like them you are in luck, if they do not you'll be stuck with whoever they choose and you have NO say, you have NO voice. You are completely powerless to change that! Now the Tories could conceivably get voted out next year and our lives and the lives of those who are currently suffering under their austerity measures could improve. They might get better. It's just your luck though, there's nothing you can do to influence that.
And this is why I decided enough was enough. You might not like The SNP, I sure don't but whichever party you vote for in Scotland, they will still have to operate within the confines of whatever government is in power in Westminster, wouldn't you like to change that? If you don't like SNP, vote them out. If you don't like The Tories, cross your fingers and hope for the best.
And just to back up my claim above here's a picture of David Cameron made up to look like Hitler.
Just kidding. Here are some facts. The figures were pulled from Wikipedia and the UK government website, the graphic was produced by Wings Over Scotland. The links to these sources are at the bottom of the page.
The table above shows the results of the Scottish electorate's votes versus the rest of the UK electorate's. You can probably guess which way it went each time.
The table below shows a comparison of the results of every election from 1945 with the Scottish votes and without. See the massive difference?
It's not an inferiority complex and it's not about having a chip on your shoulder, it's a simple case of mathematics. Scotland's population in 2011 was 5,254,800, London's was 7,825,200 (according to the Office of National Statistics). You see where the problem lies. England simply has more people than the other parts of the UK so we will always be subject to whatever choices they make. Either you can live with that or you would like to do something about it. That's your choice. Self-determination sounds very "Nationalist" and "Bravehearty" but when it comes down to it this is the real choice you have to make.
The question should really be "Should Scotland be allowed to elect a government that represents it's people?" I would say the answer is Yes.
If the answer is No then you will get whatever government England chooses. As long as you are OK with that.
So, Dear Reader, I wrote this little blog a week ago detailing my journey from being a firm No voter to becoming a shaky Yes voter and would you believe it, to date it has been seen by 2098 folks!
I have to say I find it a little overwhelming to think that so many people have read my thoughts when I only really wrote it for myself. To give a little background it took about 2 weeks to chisel away at that article and slowly reveal it's shape. It started as me listing all the reasons I was voting No in an attempt to convince myself that I was resolute in my beliefs and I was not wavering. In fact the more I wrote the more I realised that I was no longer convinced. You can actually see (or I can cause I know) which paragraphs I wrote when I was in Team No and which I wrote once I had realised the truth. I have had a lot of really supportive texts, emails and messages on social media praising the article and the word that came up a lot is "balanced". The article is balanced because it was started by a No voter and finished by a Yes voter!
I have also had texts and messages and conversations with people who had told me that after reading my blog they too have re-evaluated their position and are now planning on voting Yes. That to me is amazing and humbling I feel I owe it to those people to follow it up with some substance in support of the soliloquy.
You see much has happened since I wrote my little piece; there has been a second debate in which Darling lost his mojo, Salmond found it and he more or less verbatim did exactly what I suggested he should have done in the first debate (perhaps he was one of the 2098); Russell Brand has come out in support of Scottish self-determination and the Patronising Better Together Lady has made up her mind to vote No in less time than it takes her to make Paul's cereal!
But i haven't just been sitting eating cereal and looking at my phone, I have been doing a lot of reading. If I was terrified to publish my blog last week (and I was) for fear of ridicule and uncertainty that I was making the right decision I am now fully resolved that I HAVE made the right decision and that, in fact, there is no other viable option. Allow me to explain.
“Nationalism is not to be confused with patriotism. Both words are normally used in so vague a way that any definition is liable to be challenged, but one must draw a distinction between them, since two different and even opposing ideas are involved. By ‘patriotism’ I mean devotion to a particular place and a particular way of life, which one believes to be the best in the world but has no wish to force on other people. Patriotism is of its nature defensive, both militarily and culturally. Nationalism, on the other hand, is inseparable from the desire for power. The abiding purpose of every nationalist is to secure more power and more prestige, not for himself but for the nation or other unit in which he has chosen to sink his own individuality.” George Orwell
I am not a nationalist. I never have been, I never will. I have not and will not vote SNP and while I was reassured by Alex Salmond's confident performance in the second debate I still find him smug and unbearable and my own beliefs are at odds with his policies. I still maintain that I would much prefer to remain in the UK as I still feel British, I still feel proud to be British and I do love England and all things English. I have never been to Wales but I have a massive affection for it and my time spent in Northern Ireland has never been anything but wonderful. I wish we could change the way in which we are represented in Westminster and I wish the revolution that we are about to have North of the border was nationwide. But wishing doesn't make it so. Nostalgia for royal wedding parties with Union Jack flags, warm beer and the 2012 Olympics will not undo the damage that has been done by the current Tory Lite Administration. I was at several events at the Commonwealth Games recently and I proudly stood for the English and Welsh anthems during medal ceremonies just as I did during Scottish ones. Voting for Independence doesn't make you any more or any less of a patriot, despite what some zealots might tell you. There are some real idiots on both side of this debate but don't be distracted by that, throwing eggs at politicians doesn't make you more of a patriot, quite the opposite in fact! But whether you feel British or not is irrelevant, this is not what the referendum is about. The current Westminster government are destroying our country, they are killing Britain and what it means to be British. Britain IS a democratic and fair society founded on socialist values. We have been the envy of the world for our National Health Service, we are innovators in science, we are educators and and we look after those who cannot look after themselves. We have a welfare system that is there as a safety net for those who need it and while there is a small section of society who abuse this, we should not allow that to impact on those who rely upon it. We are, at heart, a socialist nation. So why are we ruled by Conservatives whose main aim seems to be to demonise the very people in society who we should be helping? Why are we ruled by Tories who think nothing of claiming £20 for a breakfast yet think the disabled who are unable to work do not deserve the dignity of the basics they need to survive? Again I ask why?
The answer sadly is that we have no voice in the UK. We are powerless to affect change because we are that much smaller than our neighbours. So again I will reiterate what I said in my previous blog, what are our English neighbours options at the next general election because like it or not the responsibility for fixing this mess falls to them? They can vote Labour but realistically I don't think many will, as much as Cameron is disliked Milliband isn't a great option. I like Ed Milliband, I wish we didn't live in a world where style was more important than substance but we do and he isn't the man for the job.
So who else? The Lib Demsnlofnwkm.v,..
My apologies, I just fell over laughing.
So we are left with The Tories Full Fat without the calming influence of the Lib Dems or the possibility of a new coalition. But who might form this coalition if Lib and Lab are out of the game?
Yep, UKIP. Believe it or not, and I know it seems far fetched, UKIP are gaining momentum in England and could well end up in a coalition with our friends The Tories. Now, sensible people must realise that UKIP are racists and xenophobes and no-one in their right mind should vote for them but I know sensible people who read The Daily Mail and it is the paperback novel on which the Tory/UKIP movie would be based upon. Essentially in this scenario we would be ruled by The Daily Mail. We would be sending em back home, keeping England English and us Jocks would be kept firmly in our place! Nigel Farage's "sensible solutions" would meet with Cameron's austerity and a bad situation would just get worse. So in fact my love of my country is what has led me reluctantly to conclude that we MUST vote Yes at the referendum. Because you know what? England, Wales and Northern Ireland will be watching us. OUR Independence could well be the catalyst to create real change across the rest of this island.
Until 2 weeks ago I was intending on voting No so I know that No voters are not stupid people. I know that they are no less informed than Yes voters, however what I have come to realise, and it has been the Rosetta Stone which has allowed me to understand the situation more clearly, is that we have been lied to over a prolonged period by a mass media that wouldn't be out of place in North Korea. Almost everything that we have been told by any UK media outlet has been heavily weighed in favour of the Union. My cousin works alongside Professor John Robertson at the University of Scotland and sent me the video below after I had come out in support of Indy but it confirmed what I already suspected to be true. What stands out for me in this video is his section on "experts". The fact is that all experts have views of their own which colour their interpretation of the facts and whatever position you wish to present, there will always be a suitable expert to back it up. But we believe what we are told if told by someone claiming to be an expert. Wouldn't it be more transparent to divulge their political leanings and allow you to make an informed choice?
Speaking of an informed choice, I have been reading a lot in the past week or two, mostly sources that you won't hear about in the mass media. Of course in the interests of balance you may find them buried somewhere on the outlet's website but it won't be the headlines! One of the things that prompted me to look into this further and ultimately changed my mind is that I was going on discussion boards and having face to face conversations with people where I would present the information given to me by the Better Together campaign and almost everything I said was very easily disproven by verifiable links to sources that I have not seen before. The impression I got quite quickly was that No voters come armed with soundbites, Yes voters are armed with sources and facts. I am, of course, generalising but this is how it appeared to me. It certainly motivated me to read a bit more as it was embarrassing how easily beaten I was in any debate. Although no-one can claim that Wings Over Scotland is impartial and most No voters refuse to read it, I strongly urge you to download and read the Wee Blue Book. You'll find the link at the bottom of this page. If you have a web enabled Kindle, iPad or iPhone (other tablets are available) it is so easy to read as every single statement and fact has a link to the original source and is verifiable. It is not as bloated as the SNP white paper and replaces all of the rhetoric with real information, information you will not see reported on. It very quickly dispels a lot of the myths perpetrated by Better Together and is honest in it's approach. If it doesn't know the answer, it admits that.
Which brings me to my next point and it is an important issue. One of the arguments I made time and time again when I was defending The Union was "Alex Salmond can't give a straight answer to what Independence will be like". There is a reason for that and it is an important one which it took me a while to realise. He won't because he can't. He can't because David Cameron "refuses to pre-negotiate Scotland's exit from the UK". He will not even discuss any details, this is where his power lies and he will hold it over Scotland to keep us in our place. Although he's happy to pre-negotiate that we won't get the pound. Again, its a power play by them to frighten us but in all reality it would be disastrous for rUK to refuse a currency union, he just thinks it will never come to that so he needn't worry about being proven wrong! Same goes for Europe, the EU have stated that they will happily discuss the Scotland situation if asked by a member state, ie if Cameron asks they will clarify it but he refuses to so that he can keep it as a debating tool, "Big Bad Salmond won't tell you whether Scotland will be in the EU". Lets not forget that the Tories have promised an in/out referendum on EU anyway and if they are in a coalition with UKIP what do you think will happen? Anyway, whenever the Yes campaign do give answers no-one reports it!
It's all political posturing by Westminster, it's cynical and it's dishonest. THAT is what you will be voting for if you vote No. Yes, Independence is a risk but voting to maintain the status quo and handing the current government a massive vote of confidence is an ever greater risk. In the words of a good friend of mine who text me after the last blog, "A yes vote won't create a utopia, it will stop Scotland's neglect in the future. A No vote will guarantee it."
In a democracy you present your case and give evidence to support it. You then allow the people you represent to make an informed choice. If they agree with you, you win, if they do not, you don't. There should not be any need for mud slinging, misrepresenting the facts, egg throwing, defacing car stickers, abusive tweets and arguments on social media. If anyone is undecided or has any doubts and wants to ask me any question I would be happy to share some of the stuff I have read with you and allow you to make your own informed decision. Whatever we disagree on, everyone wants what is best for their country, their family and themselves. We may not agree on what the best is but we can all agree on that. If you identify yourself as a member of a political movement then every action you take, every word you say will be taken as representing that movement. Try to bear that in mind when you are discussing the referendum between now and September the 18th. There is no need to go to war with one another over this, it isn't about sides, it is about opinions and in a democracy anyone educated enough to stand up and debate should be listened to and welcomed to the table. Good luck in making your decision.
Those of you who knows my position on Scottish Independence may
have noticed that I've been quiet on the subject lately. Perhaps you haven't as
others have certainly filled the void with their voices, as indeed they should
do. This IS the most important decision we will make in our lifetime, it
deserves a little of your time to listen to and debate all of the arguments on
either side. I wouldn't take your information from the mass media though!
The reason I have been quiet is because I've been listening to
and debating with friends and strangers who hold opposing views to my own. I've
been reading and looking behind all of the facts and opinions. I've been
changing my mind.
I have held the view for most of my life that Scotland shouldn't
be independent of the rest of the United Kingdom and that is something that has
not changed. It shouldn't. But I think it needs to be.
I don’t want to break away from the UK, I am
British and as proud of that as I am of being Scottish. I wish we didn’t
have to go our own way but increasingly I feel like we need to. We can’t
continue to be ruled by an elitist establishment whose sole aim is to keep us
in our place and exploit us for their own means and that of their friends.
Austerity measures in the face of a huge deficit make sense, everyone tightening
their belts for a bit and pulling together to get the economy back on track
makes sense. You do it yourself, when money is tight in your household you make
cuts and sacrifices. But when that message is delivered by a shiny-faced
Etonion sitting on a throne at a banquet, telling us that these are not
temporary measures but a permanent way of life, it no longer seems sensible, it
feels like abuse.
Westminster doesn't have our interests in mind, it has their own
and that of their friends. And by friends I mean those who line their pockets; people
like that don't have friends. They need a lower class so that they have fodder
for their factories and shops, they need poor people to do the work and make
money for the rich people. I've said for a while now that we will get the
chance to vote the Tories out in 2015, if we vote for Independence there is no
going back. I stand by that.
But. What if the Tories get back in? Can you imagine how bad that
will be? If we vote No and the Tories get voted back in they will take that as
a stamp of approval that they are doing the right thing and they will keep on
doing it. Even if they don’t, what viable alternative do we have?
There is no socialist party of any merit left to choose from, Labour are a mess
and the Lib Dems? Really??! So what are our options?
Well we could vote for Independence and we will get the
government we want. Unless of course you want a party other than the SNP
because if they win the independence debate they will almost certainly be voted
back into power. Unless they fuck up the negotiations with rUK of course, but
they won't. They have Scotland's best interests at heart, don't they?!
So now we've reached the part that I have a problem with and you
should too. Because Alex Salmond is not the man you want negotiating your
corner, he had 12 minutes to hold the Better Together campaign to task on live
national TV and he wasted it talking about aliens and driving on the other side
of the road. He had the opportunity to put the whole currency debate to rest by
saying "Yes I strongly believe that we will use the pound in a currency
union with rUK but I'm not daft, we're not pinning all our hopes on one
outcome, here are the viable alternatives that we have considered" but he
did not. In any argument or negotiation you have to be able to give and take,
you can't just dig your heals in and say it's my way or no way. I believe him
when he said repeatedly he wants what's best for Scotland, I don't agree with
his vision of what's best but he does and I believe he is genuine. What's best
for Scotland is definitely to keep the pound but when it comes to negotiating
do you not think the Westminster government will do what's best for the rest of
the UK? If Salmond is right and it IS in the UK's best interest to enter into a
currency union then they will do so under the terms that suit and protect them.
They will not take Scotland's interests, values or welfare into account when
negotiating terms or deciding interest rates. They will do what is right for
them. They should. We left, it was our decision. We gave up our seat at the
table and have no right to argue. Hell mend us.
But if we vote for independence we will always get the government
we vote for. The people of Scotland are the best people to decide the future of
Scotland. I agree. But let's not get carried away here, the First Minister
whoever he may be in 2016 is not going to phone you up and ask your opinion.
You won't have any more of a say in an Independent Scotland than you do now.
The politicians will still be in charge, just different ones. Watching the first
debate between Darling and Salmond it just seemed like a point scoring game,
and that's what it was. Politics is a game and the politicians are players.
Their accent doesn't change that fact. It's like saying that Westminster has
England's best interests at heart because it is in England. No it doesn't. It
has its own.
Westminster IS the problem though. The current Tory government IS the
problem. Something needs to be done, something needs to change. The question
is, is this the change we need? It isn't independence. We will be giving up our
seat at the table but will continue to be ruled by them. They will have control
over our money and that unfortunately means you have control over everything.
Whoever has the money has the power.
So now we're really fucked! What are our options now? What is the
answer? We'll I'm afraid I don't have the answer. We're not Better Together at
all because we are not really together at all. THAT is what we need to change
though. If we break away and form our own government then the rest of rUK will
be watching, waiting to see how we get on. If we are successful then they may
well change the way they are governed too, we would be responsible for creating
a political revolution in the UK, we would be as innovative in the world of
politics as we are elsewhere.
But what are we risking? Our pensions, our mortgages, our standard
of life (which isn’t awful compared to some places) our
financial security and that of our children. It’s a big ask to take the leap without
the most basic of questions answered.
The SNP want independence AT ANY COST and have not prepared for
it. Alex Salmond is very much a believer that “it’ll be alright on the night”.
Well it wasn’t on the night of the debate! That was
his big moment and he was woefully underprepared. And don’t
be fooled, a vote for Independence IS a vote for Alex Salmond as he will be the
man negotiating the shape of what’s the come.
His closing statement was “voting yes is a vote for ambition over
fear, it tells the world that Scotland is an equal nation that carries itself
with confidence and self-belief”. This is emotional blackmail, it says
if you don’t vote yes you are a fearty, I do this with my kids all the
time. “I bet Lewis won’t eat his turnip, he’s
too much of a baby to try it” Oh yeah, I’ll
show you. Then Lewis ends up with a mouth full of turnip and let’s
be honest, turnip does taste like crap! My fear is we will all end up with a
mouth full of turnip on September 19th.
I have witnessed the depth of feeling that people have for
Independence, I used to think that everyone who wanted Scottish Independence
had a chip on their shoulder and were motivated by thoughts of Mel Gibson in
woad. I was wrong. I have engaged with some of the most well-informed, intelligent
people during this campaign. I have friends and family that I think the world
of who take completely the opposite view on this from me and they are not
stupid or naïve. They want Independence and this is
the closest we have been to achieving it which I believe is blinding them to
the risks. And that is where my main issue lies, each side of this debate is so
convinced that they are right that they are ignoring the potential pitfalls and
pushing all the potential benefits, no-one is being completely honest with us.
How the hell are you supposed to make a decision like this when you don’t
know who to trust? Honestly you can’t trust either side!
So here we are, less than a month from the referendum and I have
gone from a very firm No to a wobbly Don’t Know and I am reluctantly leaning
towards a Yes. Can we do this? Of course we can, I never doubted that for a
second. My area of doubt has always been that we SHOULDN’T, not
that we COULDN’T. But now I’m
beginning to think that we MUST. I am fearful of the future either way, there
is no going back but for our future and our children’s
perhaps we should take this opportunity while we have it and show the world
that we can and will succeed. And just maybe, we might learn to love turnip.
I popped out on my lunch break today to get a few bits and pieces and found myself in a well known newsagent and stationers that you tend to see on every high street. Whilst in there I witnessed further evidence that the world is just getting crueler.
First of all I was in the book section and I saw a chap walk up to the post office section which was all closed up with a big sign saying "Closed due to local holiday". He then walked up to a member of staff and without further ado got right to the heart of the matter by asking the question that was on everyone's lips. "Is the post office closed?"
The staff member courteously explained that it was closed today as it is a Scottish holiday. The gent asking the question had a slight East Coast accent and requested further clarifcation.
"It's a Scottish bank holiday?!"
"No Sir" replied the staff member, "It's a local holiday in the West of Scotland."
"Well.." said Mr East Coast, "it's not a Scottish holiday I can assure you of that!"
At this point in proceedings I was beginning to wonder what he hoped would be the outcome of this discourse. Did he think the staff member would turn round and say "Oh really? Not a Scottish holiday you say? Well in that case I'll call the staff in and open that post office right up for you, please take a seat, they only live upstairs." No, I got the impression that the guy asked the question of the member of staff already knowing the answer with the express intention of starting an argument that neither side would win. In fact, I got the impression he was complaining for the sake of complaining in that passive aggressive "I'm only having a laugh with you buddy" way that says "I have nothing else going on in my life."
By this point I had directed my attention back to the books and whilst perusing them heard someone on the other side of the bookcase say to a member of staff (the same one as before I suspect) "I hate to tell you this but this is much more expensive than Waterstones". Really? Do you? Do you hate to tell him that? Then why tell him, what do you think he will do with that information, is he going to offer you a price match? Perhaps he'll pop out to Waterstones which is only a few doors down and buy it for you. Or maybe, just maybe, armed with this information you could take yourself off to Waterstones and buy the fricking book there and we can all get on with our lives. Personally speaking I was perfectly happy to pay what I paid for my books, I would say it was pretty good value for money. Maybe I could have got the books cheaper in Waterstones, who knows, but all in all I was happy with my purchase.
At this point in my story I am looking up and feeling that I too have been sucked into the cruelty culture. Although I tend not to indulge in the popular reality TV genre that I believe has been wholly responsible for the corruption of society, it is possible that some of it has leaked into my psyche via osmosis. I wont watch anything with Simon Cowell in it as I believe him to be one step down from Satan but his "honest criticism" and cruelty as entertainment style of TV has not escaped my attention completely. I know who he is and what he does for example, so even though I chose not to partake, I cannot escape completely. So now I think I may have been a little harsh on the poor punters in my tale. However that does not excuse the fact that they were unnecessarily mean and rude to the member of staff for doing nothing other than being in work on a day when everyone else was on holiday.
By now I am feeling a kinship with the staff, I've worked in the service industry and I, after all, am also in work when everyone else is not. So I take myself up to the till with my purchases. Now, for the second time in 2 weeks I have opted to go into a shop and purchase a DVD rather than buy online. I normally buy these things online and since places like Woolworth and HMV and all of the places you would normally go are gone or going I have had little option. But last week I was able to go into shop and find a movie that I was struggling to find elsewhere and it was a lovely old-school experience where I took my empty box up to the counter and a fellow went through the back and brought out the discs and the booklet and inserted it into the box and I completed my transaction. I felt like I was giving the high street a shot in the arm instead of the kick in the teeth I have been giving it in recent years. It will still die ultimately but I threw a few coins into the fund for it's long-term care and felt good about it.
So here we are today and I am looking forward to repeating this process as I stand in the queue with my empty DVD box. Then I am called forward by a sweet little lady who welcomes me with a smile and starts passing my chosen items through the scanner. Then she find the DVD in her hand and the whole world seemed to spin on it's axes. It was like that bit in The Hunt for Red October where the camera stops, slowly spins round and suddenly Sean Connery is speaking in English instead of Russian. This sweet lady turns to me and says "I'll need to go through the back and get your DVDs, I'll be as quick as I can but you'll need to wait there". No I realise when reading this it doesn't sound too harsh but there was a tone. A tone that said "Have you seen the length of this queue, do you realise its because of people like you that they have to wait? Are you seriously expecting me to go through the back and get this DVD for you?" I wasn't sure if she expected me to say "Don't worry about it, I'll just leave it." Perhaps if I had been one of the grumpy complainer that's exactly what I would do. "WHAT?!?! WAIT?!?! Do you realise if I was in Edinburgh I would able to buy stamps right now!! Keep your DVD, this is an outrage!!"
Anyway, the bitch took a bloody age to get it and I only get half an hour for my lunch. I won't be back and this time next year she'll be unemployed. Good riddance!
12
years ago today I was on days off from work and was at home alone. I
slept late, walked down to the shop and bought some stuff for brunch,
came back to my skanky flat, cooked up a full Scottish breakfast, turned
on News24 and watched in confusion as the whole world changed right in
front of me. I spent the rest of my week off watching the Twin Towers
collapse over and over again in slow motion from various angles, saw the
planes hit again and again and again and listened to confused
commentators and witnesses speculate and try and make sense of it all.
When it was time for me to return for my first shift back in the high
glass tower I called work, I walked towards it afraid to look at the sky
in case a plane flew into it too as this was the only image I had seen
for the last few days. No-one expected the Towers to fall down so who
knew what might be next. Probably not a hotel in Glasgow and I knew that
but I couldn't get the image out of my head. Still can't 12 years
later.
Now I work for a company who have been involved in
rebuilding the World Trade Center site and my part in it is miniscule
but at least it's something and I can take a small amount of pride in
that. So for today I shall be thinking about the 3,000 people who died
that day and the many heroes who defied logic and ran towards the
buildings when everyone else was running away.
If it interests you at all to see what work has been done on the site since then there is a link below with some interesting documentary stuff at the bottom.
I haven't written much recently and it's not because I haven't had anything to complain about. I just haven't felt compelled to sit down and share my infinite wisdom with the world (wide web).
But as Peter Parker's Uncle Ben once said (not to be confused with the rice guy) "With great power comes great responsibility". So if one is blessed with a mind like mine one feels a responsibility to use it to solve all of the world's great problems. You're welcome.
And so to the point. There has been a great deal of talk of late, in the UK in particular, about Islam. It has come on the back of the horrific killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich on May 22 and while healthy discussion and debate is a good thing, the rhetoric that has been banded about has been far from good. If you are a reader of the Daily Mail you will know what I mean but unfortunately if you are a reader of the Daily Mail it may already be too late for you!
I haven't been completely silent however, I posted the following on my Facebook at the time: "It
never ceases to amaze me how hatred and violence just leads to further
hatred and violence. The race that has been responsible for the most
terrorism, aggression and evil on this planet is mankind and if you're
looking for someone to blame, blame them.
Religion is a
convenient mask that is used to somehow justify some of the terrible,
horrible acts that mankind is guilty of but it's not the only
one. In the last few days I've seen the events in Woolwich used to
justify some pretty dark and hateful views by otherwise sane and
rational friends. I've seen "send them home", "bring back the death
penalty" "ban Islam and convert them to Christianity" and various other
extremist views disguised as patriotism and debate.
The EDL,
whos slogan is "an inclusive movement dedicated to peacefully protesting
against Islamic extremism" used Woolwich as an excuse to throw rocks at
Mosques and policemen, the KKK use Jesus as an excuse to tie black
people to the back of trucks and who the hell knows why a white man
stabbed a 75 year old Muslim in the back 2 weeks ago in Birmingham!?
It's OK to be scared and its OK to be angry but if we give up our
morality and our values in the face of terrorism then we've already
lost.
One of the men who claimed to have murdered Lee Rigby in
the name of Islam quoted the bible as he did so, this was not the
actions of a Muslim, it was the actions of a mad man. Don't let his
madness spread to the rest of us.
We are better than them
because we accept more than one idea, more than one way of life, more
than one point of view. We respect other cultures even if we don't
understand them and we welcome them to join ours and as long as we keep
doing that the terrorists will NEVER win."
Of course the advantage of posting this on Facebook is that I know that people will see it and indeed there were many comments, likes and a few shares at the time. Some of the comments were supportive and helpful, others were not. The problem though is that I have absolutely no idea who, if anyone, ever reads this blog. It doesn't really matter as it's just a place for me to get things off my chest but in the case of the above I wanted to say something and wanted it to be heard.
Since writing this things haven't really moved on. We are still seeing mosques and innocent Muslims being attacked and although the family of Drummer Lee Rigby have publicly called for calmer heads to prevail and asked that no retaliatory attacks are carried out in his name, they continue nonetheless. To be honest the point I made above is that the people carrying out the retaliatory attacks in his name are really only using it as an excuse for starting a fight. If it wasn't religion it would be football. If it wasn't football it would be whether you shop in Homebase or B&Q. The neanderthals with big foreheads and half a brain cell each will always find something to fight about.
But as the trial of the 2 accused loonies continues it is increasingly apparent from their erratic behavior in court that they are indeed insane and did not carry out this horrible murder in the name of Islam but simply because they are mad.
So if calmer heads are available please let them prevail and let us try and put the horror behind us and work towards a peaceful future. I don't believe in God but I have no quarrel with those who do, be it Jehovah, Allah, Lakshmi or Zeus. If religion is used as a set of values that help you to lead a moral life them by all means fill your boots. It should not be used to excuse violence or intolerance ever and to use it in this way is to completely misinterpret it.
But there is hope. Just take a look at this amazing story. I'm sure the debate will rage on and hopefully in time the current bout of Islamaphobia will die down (for those of us who do not take our moral guidance from the Daily Mail) but in the meantime let's all agree on one thing. B&Q is better than Homebase (in my humble opinion).
This is the argument I heard recently in a post online, expressing outrage at the recent revelations. It's a very common response from animal lovers and in particular horsey people (pictured above). It's true though, I can't fault the argument, in this country we do not eat horses. Knowingly. Unless you have been roving on Mars, locked in the big brother house or in a coma you can't have failed to see on the news that horse has made it's way into our food chain by somewhat nefarious means. At the time of writing it is not clear whether it has been by illegal activity or human error but in all honesty the scale of the problem suggests that it's been something dishonest and it looks to be widespread. I'm sure more meaty details will be splashed across the news in due course.
In the interest of full disclosure I should point out that I have, in the past, knowingly chosen horse off the menu and eaten and enjoyed it. I'm not a horse lover, although I don't dislike horses, I have no particular attachment to them. I love animals and find any kind of animal cruelty abhorrent but I don't have any issue with eating them. In fact the notion that its fine to eat sheep, cows, pigs and chickens but not horse leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I just don't understand the criteria that makes some animals ok to eat and not others. While discussing this point recently on a social networking site with a stranger I was met with the response that nothing so majestic should end up on the dinner plate. So it's majesty that's the ingredient so many find hard to swallow? Well to my mind deer is a pretty majestic creature but it seems to be fayre game!
I guess I'm not going to understand this point as I don't own a horse, nor have I ever ridden one or experienced their majesty first hand. I do understand the depth of feeling that people have and I understand why some people don't want to eat them. I am fine with that. I don't like artichokes either and would balk at being forced to eat them. I certainly have a problem with meat products being mislabeled and that is the real issue here. As the products are labeled as beef but are not in fact beef, this is a very serious problem and this must be dealt with. This is where the focus of outrage should be directed. For starters as the horse meat is coming from unknown sources and is not going through the proper checks it could be from anywhere. It might be a pet that was put down by a vet and could have chemicals in it which are unfit for human consumption. Equally it could contain bute, a painkiller used in horses that can cause serious blood disease in humans. These are issues that should not be ignored and it is for this reason that I find the whole situation to be of concern. If I was feeding these ready meals to my kids and thought for a second that they were in danger I would be in uproar. But this doesn't seem to be what the majority of people are getting angry about.
I will leave you with this food for thought. The primary concern amongst animal lovers would appear to be that horses are pets and beloved animals and should not be eaten. I would agree. If it is your pet you probably shouldn't eat it. But it's not my pet so why should that concern me? The thing that crossed my mind is this: there is no money in breeding horses for food. They just are not efficient in terms of fattening them up with grain in the same way that other livestock is. So the horse that ends up on people's plate was not bred specifically for eating. Cows, sheep, chicken, pigs, all of these animals were bred for food. They probably didn't have the best life as they had one purpose and one purpose only, to be sold for meat. Horses on the other hand are beloved pets, or work animals, they might run around in fields being ridden or perhaps they are thoroughbred race horses or police horses. Whatever life they were going to have they had it. Then at the end of their life when it is their time to go they are then used as food. Who would you say had the better life? The cow or the horse? Just saying. Anyway, I'll trot along now and leave you to chew that over. -- Post From My iPhone
I popped out on my lunch break today to get a few bits and pieces and found myself in a well known newsagent and stationers that you tend to see on every high street. Whilst in there I witnessed further evidence that the world is just getting crueler.
Now I work for a company who have been involved in
rebuilding the World Trade Center site and my part in it is miniscule
but at least it's something and I can take a small amount of pride in
that. So for today I shall be thinking about the 3,000 people who died
that day and the many heroes who defied logic and ran towards the
buildings when everyone else was running away.
