Westminster running scared

Here we have a man who rode into town on a white horse at the eleventh hour last year to tell us that he would be...

Posted by The Point - The World, The Universe and Everything on Sunday, 19 April 2015

The referendum wasn't about the SNP but the General Election has to be. We are part of the "family of nations" now, that...

Posted by The Point - The World, The Universe and Everything on Tuesday, 31 March 2015

Red Tories or Blue Tories?

Dear Friends,

As you know there will be a general election in the UK on May 7th and we all have a decision to make. I have covered previously that Scotland has historically made little impact on the outcome of the UK GE, I have also noted that last year's Independence Referendum was won on the basis of misinformation, biased reporting and outright lies. "The Vow" hasn't exactly come to much, has it and as of now, all 3 parties involved have made attempts to distance themselves from it claiming that it was a mock-up by The Daily Record and that they had not, in fact agreed to honour any of it. The Daily Record on the other hand have denied any involvement in the wording of the article and as yet no-one knows who is responsible for writing it!

So, where does that leave us? Well I believe it should be fairly clear to all that if you voted No on the basis of the promise of more powers you were lied to. The media and the politicians said what had to be said at the 11th hour to turn round the vote and now that it has gone their way they have forgotten about it. You were conned.

I still believe in the UK, I still believe that being part of something greater is important but more than ever I believe that Britain is no longer Great and we need to do something meaningful to change that. You can vote Tory and you will get more of the same or you can vote Labour and..well, little will change. Miliband is an empty suit I'm afraid to say. But now more than ever the "Red Tories" nickname is accurate as once again Labour and Conservatives are in bed with one another to try and convince us not to vote SNP. "Scotland In Union" or "Better Together 2G" is a group consisting of Labour and Tory MPs. Their aim is to identify areas where tactical voting is required to keep SNP out of power, ie if needed Labour MPs will inform the public that in order to keep SNP out they will need to vote Tory and vice versa. Labour no longer stands for the working man, they have become desperate and now that they have stuck their necks out to defeat Independence in Scotland, they have no option but to collude with the Tories to continue lying in the bed they have made for themselves.

But why go to this trouble, why are they so united in their contempt for SNP? Probably because 45% of the Scottish voting public voted for Independence and they know that when we need to we can pull together for a common goal.

Which is what we need to do now. We need to vote SNP and get as many SNP MPs into Westminster as possible. Why? Because whether you agree with Independence or not we are part of the UK and we need a voice in Westminster. Like it or not we are still part of the UK and we need a voice, we need someone to fight for OUR way of life and our beliefs. We are still a socialist country but Labour are no longer a viable option and we need someone to speak against the Tories. Remember that the first thing Joanne Lamont did post Referendum was quit. She quit because she was frustrated at the lack of power she has as leader of the London Labour Party Scottish Branch Office! But she waited and towed the party line up till that point arguing how much new powers we would have and how great it was being part of the UK.

The only power we have is if we unite and all vote for the same party, The SNP. It is the only way we will be represented in Westminster and the only way we will have a voice and a say in The UK. Our voice must not be diluted, there IS strength in numbers and we ARE Better Together!

I'll leave you with this, for those who think that it's not so bad having a Tory government and for those who argued better the devil you know during the Referendum. The list below has been on a few sites but I have randomly checked and verified it and have included a few independent sources at the bottom of the page to support this. Feel free to google some of them to confirm this. THIS is what you are getting if you allow the Tories to stay in power. You get a complete lack of compassion, you get an "us and them" mentality, you get the demonisation of the poor to distract you from the corruption and greed of the rich, you get outrage at those in need asking for help and a general acceptance of those who want for nothing taking so much from those who have nothing to give. You get food banks and poor people dying of starvation, while trust fund millionaires in tails preach austerity to the masses from their banquet halls. This is what happens as a result of the "difficult decisions" that The Tories have made for the "hard working Briddish familes". Read on if you can stomach it.

Terry McGarvey, 48. Dangerously ill from polycytheamia, Terry asked for an ambulance to be called during his Work Capability Assessment. He knew that he wasn't well enough to attend his WCA but feared that his benefits would be stopped if he did not. He died the following day.

Elaine Lowe, 53. Suffering from COPD and fearful of losing her benefits. In desperation, Elaine chose to commit suicide.

Mark Wood, 44. Found fit for work by Atos, against his Doctors advice and assertions that he had complex mental health problems. Starved to death after benefits stopped, weighing only 5st 8lb when he died.

Paul Reekie, 48, the Leith based Poet and Author. Suffered from severe depression. Committed suicide after DWP stopped his benefits due to an Atos 'fit for work' decision.

Leanne Chambers, 30. Suffered depression for many years which took a turn for the worst when she was called in for a WCA. Leanne committed suicide soon after.

Karen Sherlock, 44. Multiple health issues. Found fit for work by Atos and denied benefits. Fought a long battle to get placed into the support group of ESA. Karen died the following month of a heart attack.

Carl Payne, 42. Fears of losing his lifeline benefits due to welfare reform led this Father of two to take his own life.

Tim Salter, 53. Blind and suffering from Agoraphobia. Tim hanged himself after Atos found him fit for work and stopped his benefits.

Edward Jacques, 47 years old and suffering from HIV and Hepatitis C. Edward had a history of severe depression and self-harm. He took a fatal overdose after Atos found him fit for work and stopped his benefits.

Linda Wootton, 49 years old. A double heart and lung transplant patient. Died just nine days after the government found her fit for work, their refusal letter arriving as she lay desperately ill in her hospital bed.

Steven Cawthra, 55. His benefits stopped by the DWP and with rising debts, he saw suicide as the only way out of a desperate situation

Elenore Tatton, 39 years old. Died just weeks after the government found her fit for work.

John Walker, 57, saddled with debt because of the bedroom tax, John took his own life.

Brian McArdle, 57 years old. Suffered a fatal heart attack the day after his disability benefits were stopped.

 Stephen Hill, 53. Died of a heart attack one month after being found fit for work, even though he was waiting for major heart surgery.

Jacqueline Harris, 53. A former Nurse who could hardly walk was found fit for work by Atos and her benefits withdrawn. in desperation, she took her own life.

David Barr, 28. Suffering from severe mental difficulties. Threw himself from a bridge after being found fit for work by Atos and failing his appeal.

David Groves, 56. Died of a heart attack the night before taking his work capability assessment. His widow claimed that it was the stress that killed him.

Nicholas Peter Barker, 51. Shot himself after being told his benefits were being stopped. He was unable to work after a brain haemorrhage left him paralysed down one side.

Mark and Helen Mullins, 48 and 59 years old. Forced to live on £57.50 a week and make 12 mile trips each week to get free vegetables to make soup. Mark and Helen both committed suicide.

Richard Sanderson, 44. Unable to find a job and with his housing benefit cut forcing him to move, but with nowhere to go. Richard committed suicide.

Martin Rust, 36 years old. A schizophrenic man who killed himself two months after the government found him fit to work.

 Craig Monk, 43. A vulnerable gentleman and a partial amputee who slipped so far into poverty that he hanged himself.

Colin Traynor, 29, and suffering from epilepsy was stripped of his benefits. He appealed. Five weeks after his death his family found he had won his appeal.

Elaine Christian, 57 years old. Worried about her work capability assessment, she was subsequently found at Holderness drain, drowned and with ten self inflicted wrist wounds.

Christelle and Kayjah Pardoe, 32 years and 5 month old. Pregnant, her benefits stopped, Christelle, clutching her baby son jumped from a third floor balcony.

Mark Scott, 46. His DLA and housing benefit stopped and sinking into deep depression, Mark died six weeks later.

Cecilia Burns, 51. Found fit for work while undergoing treatment for breast cancer. She died just a few weeks after she won her appeal against the Atos decision.

Chris Cann, 57 years old. Found dead in his home just months after being told he had to undergo a medical assessment to prove he could not work.

Peter Hodgson, 49. Called to JCP to see if he was suitable for volunteer work. Peter had suffered a stroke, a brain haemorrhage and had a fused leg. His appointment letter arrived a few days after he took his own life.

Paul Willcoxsin, 33 years old. Suffered with mental health problems and worried about government cuts. Paul committed suicide by hanging himself.

Stephanie Bottrill, 53. After paying £80 a month for bedroom tax, Stephanie could not afford heating in the winter, and lived on tinned custard. In desperation, she chose to walk in front of a lorry.

Larry Newman suffered from a degenerative lung condition, his weight dropping from 10 to 7 stone. Atos awarded him zero points, he died just three months after submitting his appeal.

Paul Turner, 52 years old. After suffering a heart attack, he was ordered to find a job in February. In April Paul died from ischaemic heart disease.

Christopher Charles Harkness, 39. After finding out that the funding for his care home was being withdrawn, this man who suffered with mental health issues, took his own life.

Sandra Louise Moon, 57. Suffering from a degenerative back condition, depression and increasingly worried about losing her incapacity benefit. Sandra committed suicide by taking an overdose.

Lee Robinson, 39 years old. Took his own life after his housing benefit and council tax were taken away from him.

David Coupe, 57. A Cancer sufferer found fit for work by Atos in 2012. David lost his sight, then his hearing, then his mobility, and then his life.

Michael McNicholas, 34. Severely depressed and a recovering alcoholic. Michael committed suicide after being called in for a Work Capability Assessment by Atos.

Victor Cuff, 59 and suffering from severe depression. Victor hanged himself after the DWP stopped his benefits.

Charles Barden, 74. Charles committed suicide by hanging due to fears that the Bedroom Tax would leave him destitute and unable to cope.

 Ian Caress, 43. Suffered multiple health issues and deteriorating eyesight. Ian was found fit for work by Atos, he died ten months later having lost so much weight that his family said that he resembled a concentration camp victim.

Iain Hodge, 30. Suffered from the life threatening illness, Hughes Syndrome. Found fit for work by Atos and benefits stopped, Iain took his own life.

Wayne Grew, 37. Severely depressed due to government cuts and the fear of losing his job, Wayne committed suicide by hanging.

Kevin Bennett, 40. Kevin a sufferer of schizophrenia and mental illness became so depressed after his JSA was stopped that he became a virtual recluse. Kevin was found dead in his flat several months later.

David Elwyn Hughs Harries, 48. A disabled man who could no longer cope after his parents died, could find no help from the government via benefits. David took an overdose as a way out of his solitude.

Denis Jones, 58. A disabled man crushed by the pressures of government cuts, in particular the Bedroom Tax, and unable to survive by himself. Denis was found dead in his flat.

Shaun Pilkington, 58. Unable to cope any more, Shaun shot himself dead after receiving a letter from the DWP informing him that his ESA was being stopped.

Paul ?, 51. Died in a freezing cold flat after his ESA was stopped. Paul appealed the decision and won on the day that he lost his battle to live.

Chris MaGuire, 61. Deeply depressed and incapable of work, Chris was summonsed by Atos for a Work Capability Assessment and deemed fit for work. On appeal, a judge overturned the Atos decision and ordered them to leave him alone for at least a year, which they did not do. In desperation, Chris took his own life, unable to cope anymore.

 Peter Duut, a Dutch national with terminal cancer living in the UK for many years found that he was not entitled to benefits unless he was active in the labour market. Peter died leaving his wife destitute, and unable to pay for his funeral.

George Scollen, age unknown. Took his own life after the government closed the Remploy factory he had worked in for 40 years.

Julian Little, 47. Wheelchair bound and suffering from kidney failure, Julian faced the harsh restrictions of the Bedroom Tax and the loss of his essential dialysis room. He died shortly after being ordered to downgrade.

Miss DE, Early 50's. Suffering from mental illness, this lady committed suicide less than a month after an Atos assessor gave her zero points and declared her fit for work.

 

Robert Barlow, 47. Suffering from a brain tumour, a heart defect and awaiting a transplant, Robert was deemed fit for work by Atos and his benefits were withdrawn. He died penniless less than two years later.

Carl Joseph Foster-Brown, 58. As a direct consequence of the wholly unjustifiable actions of the Job centre and DWP, this man took his own life.

 

Martin Hadfield, 20 years old. Disillusioned with the lack of jobs available in this country but too proud to claim benefits. Utterly demoralised, Martin took his own life by hanging himself.

Annette Francis, 30. A mum-of-one suffering from severe mental illness, found dead after her disability benefits were ceased.

 Ian Jordan, 60. His benefits slashed after Atos and the DWP declared Ian, a sufferer of Barratt's Oesophagus, fit for work, caused him to run up massive debts in order to survive. Ian was found dead in his flat after taking an overdose.

Janet McCall, 53. Terminally ill with pulmonary fibrosis and declared 'Fit for Work' by Atos and the DWP, this lady died 5 months after her benefits were stopped.

Stuart Holley, 23. A man driven to suicide by the DWP's incessant pressure and threat of sanctions for not being able to find a job.

Graham Shawcross, 63. A sufferer of the debilitating disease, Addison's. Died of a heart attack due to the stress of an Atos 'Fit for Work' decision.

David Clapson, 59 years old. A diabetic ex-soldier deprived of the means to survive by the DWP and the governments harsh welfare reforms, David died all but penniless, starving and alone, his electricity run out.

Chris Smith, 59. Declared 'Fit for Work' by Atos as he lay dying of Cancer in his hospital bed.

Nathan Hartwell, 36, died of heart failure after an 18-month battle with the ­Department for Works and Pensions.

Michael Connolly, 60. A Father of One, increasingly worried about finances after his benefits were cut. Committed suicide by taking 13 times the fatal dose of prescription medicine on the 30th October - His Birthday.

Jan Mandeville, 52, A lady suffering from Fibromyalgia, driven to the point of mental and physical breakdown by this governments welfare reforms. Jan was found dead in her home after battling the DWP for ESA and DLA.

 

Trevor Drakard, 50 years old. A shy and reserved, severe epileptic who suffered regular and terrifying fits almost his entire life, hounded to suicide by the DWP who threatened to stop his life-line benefits

Better the devil you know, eh?

 http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/man-who-ill-attend-fit-for-work-3177803
http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/suicide-bid-of-woman-who-feared-losing-her-incapacity-benefit-8761182.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/mark-wood-sweet-and-gentle-44yearold-man-with-mental-health-problems-starved-to-death-after-benefits-cut-9161749.html
http://www.theguardian.com/society/patrick-butler-cuts-blog/2011/nov/16/do-public-spending-cuts-kill
http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/boyfriend-missing-leanne-chambers-speaks-4465236
http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/327050/My-ill-wife-had-to-fight-for-benefits-up-until-she-died
https://welfaretales.wordpress.com/2014/01/11/rip-paul-after-14-weeks-with-no-money-due-to-dwp-error/

Yes, they do know it's Christmas time

"Well tonight we're reaching out and touching you."

The last thing I ever wanted to hear from Bono if I'm honest.

Cards on the table, I am a sucker for a good cheesy Christmas tune and the original Band Aid is up there amongst some of my favourites. In fact there really is nothing like a good Christmas tune. Which is what the new Band Aid song is: nothing like a good Christmas tune. In fact it's shit.




Obviously taste in music is subjective and you can't please everyone so I'm sure there are those who will enjoy the new single. But this isn't a music blog and no-one involved with the charity single is claiming it's Beethoven's 7th, it's shitness isn't really the point here. Though it's shit, let's all agree on that before we proceed any further. It IS shit!

The reason I am labouring on this point is in the interests of full disclosure, so you know that I don't like it musically. Because I'd hate it to come out later and for you to think it's what has coloured by view of it. It's not. It's awful, flimsy, castrated lyrics and general fluffiness is not the reason I dislike it. I dislike the politics. And actually as I look around it would appear that the tide seems to be turning against Saint Bob and His Holiness The Bono as others seem to dislike it too. It seems that perhaps Bob has been a little misguided this time around.

Here's the thing. Although for corporate reasons I'm not at liberty to divulge what exactly it is I do and who I do it for, I have recently changed job roles. I have gone from a role with responsibility for Scotland and Ireland to a role with responsibility for Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. Now I'm my previous role I would probably have bought the single and never listened to it but felt a little bit good about myself for having played a part in wiping out what is undoubtably a horrific disease. I would have bought into Saint Bob's vision of an Africa crippled by this most virulent of diseases. The images of African children with swollen bellies, swarming with flies, still burned into our collective psyche I think many of us would have done the same and indeed have. By association we assume that if Bono and Geldof are asking us to dig deep once more then things must really be desperate.

But now my view of the world has changed. The fact is I now have colleagues in Africa who I have meetings with at least once a week and I know that they aren't speaking to me from shanty towns or sheds with corrugated iron roofs. In fact they are based in air-conditioned offices and I know know how much money they have and how much business they do locally because I am involved with their budgets. So it seems to me that the Africa that I deal with must be a different Africa from the one One Direction and Coldplay are begging us to help. I've asked and they do know it's Christmas time, they are off or a couple of weeks in fact!











But Africa, it transpires is a rich continent, it has an infrastructure and it has wealth and a growing economy, yes of course there is poverty and there is famine but that is not the bigger picture. There is corruption and there is much to be done, that's is not in doubt, but that is not what Band Aid are asking us to donate to. Band Aid are specifically targeting Ebola. Let's just put this into perspective, Africa has a population of 1.1 billion and according to the latest World Health Organization update on November 14, 2014, a total of 14,383 Ebola cases have been reported. That's less than 0.01 percent if I've done my maths right (which I may not have as I couldn't fit all the zeros on my calculator). But it's a small amount anyway. And it's currently only present in 3 countries across the African continent, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. So to be clear I am not suggesting Ebola isn't a problem and isn't worthy of you time and money but the suggestion by Band Aid that the whole continent is on its knees is offensive and damaging.

Africa is developed in places, developing in others, but if there is one thing that will inject money into an area it's if people with money go there and spend it. Not charity, tourism. But if there's one thing that prevents rich people from visiting a place, it's the constant message that the place is run down, dangerous, riddled with disease or in any way a risk. And that is the image being perpetuated by Mr Geldof and Bono.











I repeat, Ebola IS a terrible problem and there are parts of Africa that really need our help and I would hope that if you have a few Bob (ha ha ha ha, clever eh?) to spare you'll spare it. Not because Paloma Faith and Ollie Murs are singing cleverly re-written lyrics in a Christmas song but because it's the decent thing to do.

The new Band Aid kind of reminds
me of an elderly relative on Facebook, sharing every scare story and scam warning they come across without ever checking snopes! All the celebrities involved seem to be enthusiastically begging us to help as Bob and Bono told them to without actually stopping to check if what they are singing about is real or required! I don't doubt the sincerity of Messrs Geldof, Ure and Bono in their appeal, I just think they are misinformed and misguided and leading the young and impressionable ex-X Factor contestants astray.










The fact is people are donating, there is money going to help fight the spread of the disease and treat those afflicted and if anything the charity single dilutes that as it gives people an instant hit of warm glow simply but downloading a 99p track off iTunes.

So if you would like to help and you can afford to spare a few quid please click on the link below I donate to Oxfam's Ebola appeal. You won't have to listen to One Direction and you won't be touched by Bono.


Oxfam Ebola Appeal

Do They Know it's Christmas 2014




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Rmememberunce Sundi: Are fallin heerows

Spelling and grammar, eh? It's not for everyone.

As we approach Remembrance Sunday, may of us will have bought the obligatory paper poppy to wear on our lapel and show our support. It's only right we should show our gratitude to our fallen heroes, those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Many of us quite justifiably stand opposed to war and cannot relate to many of the modern justifications for sending in the troops but it should not affect our support of those who unquestioningly go into battle to defend our country. And surely no-one can argue that the war against the Nazis wasn't a good idea? Fascism is a disgusting and hateful force and it has no place in a civilised world.

So it is for this reason that the rise of Britain First is so hard to fathom. But then is it really so hard?

Britain First is the modern version of fascism for the 21st century, it takes advantage of social media and manipulates some of the more unfortunate habits that social media users have. For example, there is a large section of social media users who will like, share or comment on any post without checking the source, without even asking themselves if it is accurate or true and without thinking about the wider impact, ie if you comment on a post, even to say that you disagree with it, it will then appear on the news feed of everyone you know. Ditto if you click "like". This is how hate is spread.

That is why there are pages and pages devoted to jokes about cancer, animal cruelty, terrorism and racism. The more vile and hate filled the bigger the reaction and the more traffic that page will generate. If you post "How dare you, this is sick" every one of your friends will now see the thing that upset you and every one of them will be upset too. If every one of them posts the same, every one of their friends will see it and this is how a post becomes "viral". This is also why you have trolls on the internet because they know that the more obscene and the more inflammatory they are, the further their reach will be. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you: Britain First!

Now everyone is on board with the poppy, I think we have established that already and as well as wearing our little paper badge many will also look to update their profile picture with an image of a poppy, or share some touching images or quotes on their page to show their support; and this is where Britain First come in. They are well known for hijacking any cause that has the public's support as they know that the more shares, the more likes, the more comments, the bigger their reach and the more powerful they appear. They can say that they are the most popular political movement on social media and they are speaking for the silent majority who are too scared to speak up and they will point you towards their "likes" to prove it. So if it is the anniversary of Princess Diana's death they will have a "People's Princess" picture with a "like if you agree" caption on the bottom and you will share it. If a famous celebrity dies they will have an RIP picture and a "like to show your support to his family" on it and you will like and share. When Drummer Lee Rigby was murdered they showed pictures of him and asked for likes and even though his family contacted them to ask for the images to be removed, stating that the group stood for everything that Drummer Rigby stood against, they persisted. And the same goes for the poppy and remembrance. If you look on their page at their more populist posts you will see them filled with military personnel asking for them to remove the images and condemning them, but still they persist. And hidden in amongst their populist, like-baiting pictures of Princess Diana, veterans and Rick Mayall you will find their true message, hate, religious intolerance and bigotry. And spelling and grammar errors.

There is a quote that I read on the internet (so it must be true) but I unfortunately do not know where it originated: "You can be taught to hate, or you can be taught to spell. But apparently it's one or the other."

So above you can see some examples of  Britain First's true colours, pure anti-Islamic, anti-immigration, anti-establishment, anti-everyone who is not Britain First. It always amazes me how fascists use Hitler and his defeat to justify their actions. "Our forefathers didn't defeat the Nazis so that we could have religious freedom and democracy, England for the English!" Fascists and bigots, it seems, are completely without a sense of irony. Or a dictionary.

I'm not sure if you can make it out but in the picture above there is an example of a template letter that our racist brothers are recommending all civilised parents should send to their children's school. It asks, no it DEMANDS (CAPS LOCK IS A BIG PART OF BEING A RACIST) that their child be excused from religious education and "Islamic indoctrination via the school as ordered by the British State". Education is something to be feared if you are a bigot and a xenophobe (for all my British First readers it means someone who is afraid of anyone who is not exactly like you). I have generally found that those who go in for the more basic, tribal approaches to life fear knowledge and education as it might challenge their firmly held beliefs and the last thing they want is to find out they are wrong. Better to be hatefully ignorant than informed. Hate is like a sport, it's a hobby. It's like football hooligans pretending that football is their main motivation when really it's just a wrap-around to give their violent thuggery a slightly more socially acceptable face.

So if you truly are a racist, a bigot and an uneducated knuckle-dragger then please do join Britain First. But if you are a real patriot, someone who believes in democracy and freedom of choice and you are just looking to show support for our troops or express your love for Princess Diana/Puppies/Christmas trees then do not share, like or comment on anything that bears the words "Britain First". By all means take a look at their page, scroll through the posts and have a right good laugh at the level of debate but do not under any circumstances be drawn in to comment. It's what they want.

Read Further: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/britain-first-hijacking-the-poppy-is-a-vile-insult-to-veterans-like-myself-9841791.html

Islamaphobia, Bigotry or Bleeding Heart Liberalism; pick your team.

I chanced upon a video online of a TV debate featuring Ben Affleck and Bill Maher. I'm sure had Ben Affleck not been involved it probably wouldn't have made my news feed but regardless it did bring to my attention two things: 1) Bill Maher is a prick and 2) Ben Affleck talks sense.

If you haven't seen it yet have a look at the video below and we'll talk afterwards.

Now there are 2 viewpoints here, one is that all of Islam are being tarred with the same brush and discriminated against based on the actions of a very small number of radicals and the other is that liberal minded, free thinking individuals who should speak out are afraid to do so for fear of being branded racists. That Bill Maher is the beacon of light in a sea of darkness, standing up for the poor white man and criticising Islam on behalf of the rest of us who are all too afraid to do so ourselves.

What is your view on this? Ask yourself the question and your answer will let you know whether you are racist or not.

 

The fact is, no-one has ever suggested that all Catholics like to wear sheets on their heads and tie black people to the back of tow trucks but the KKK do claim to be a religious, Christian organisation. The Westboro Baptist Church operate their particular brand of intolerance and bigotry in the name of God but no-one claims that all Christians are radical fundamentalists. So why is it acceptable to suggest that all Muslims are murderers and radicals? Why in the wake of 9/11 were Sikhs being targeted for "looking a bit Muslim" and why are hate groups such as Britain First and BNP growing in popularity in the UK? The answer is simple. People who hold these beliefs were already bigots but in the face of difficult times it is deemed ever so slightly more socially acceptable to voice them.

 

In this area we can take a few pointers from history, its always a good place to look to find examples of the worst of mankind!

The Reichstag Fire of 1933 led to the Reichstag Fire Decree, effectively stripping the German people of civil liberties and allowing the authorities the power to arrest and detain anyone felt to be an enemy of the Nazis, it subsequently led to The Enabling Act which allowed the then Chancellor Hitler the power to enact laws without having to go through due process, it was a temporary act which, unless renewed, would last four years. It was democratically voted for and passed. In difficult times the people were happy to give up their rights and protection as they felt that desperate times call for desperate measures. For more details of what happened next see: World War 2.

After 9/11 the US Government passed The Patriot Act which allowed them to detain indefinitely anyone they deemed to be a risk to national security without trial, evidence or, once again, due process. Guantanamo Bay was the public face of this law with its jolly orange overalls and barbed wire fences. Can you imagine a camp where innocent people are locked away without trial or any opportunity to be heard?

And now in the UK we have Theresa May talking about "new powers" to gag extremists, to stop non-violent protests, to monitor social media and "clamp down" on hate speech and David Cameron is proposing to do away with our "much hated" Human Rights. And people are still voting for them!!

As I say above, people have a tendency to cast due process aside in difficult times, it's happened before and it will happen again but it NEVER ends well. The people you hand this power to are never willing to give it back and temporary always leads to permanent.  In the aftermath of the financial crash a few years ago we saw a rise in the popularity of BNP with 1 MEP being elected and 33 local councillors at one stage, UKIP are currently doing the rounds and presenting a more user friendly, palatable brand of racism and they are looking strong at the next general election. When times are tough and people are suffering, whether it be from fear of terror or discomfort as a direct result of austerity measures, they need to find someone to blame. They need a scapegoat to make them feel better and when they find a common enemy it galvanises them, makes them feel like they have power to change the things that they cannot, to improve their circumstances and get back that which they have lost. This is why the Tories demonise the poor to make you think they are stealing your tax to pay for their lavish, free council houses, this is why UKIP make you fear that Poles are coming for your job and your house and this is why a very small handful of evil murderers and thugs are used to make you fear all Muslims. This information always comes to you via someone with an agenda. They already hold these views but its more acceptable if they can surround themselves with a crowd, it's more acceptable if they can convince you that such views are fine. They are not.

The reality is that a mere 5% of the population of England and Wales are Muslim, 15% of the population are immigrants and only 3% of social security is spent on the unemployed. And if you are surprised by those figures I don't blame you, you wont see them reported in the press. Why? Because the press thrive on making people scared. The recent Scottish Independence Referendum has shown us how effective fear can be in maintaining the status quo. They tell people who the enemy is and what they should be afraid of then convince them that you have all the answers. When the terrible thing doesn't come to pass you can say "look, I told you I'd keep you safe".

Yes, there are terrorists and there is evil in the world and Yes we shouldn't just sit by and allow it to go unpunished and uncriticised. But as Ben Affleck says above, criticise and condemn the people who are doing these things, not the group that they belong to, whether it be Muslim, Iraqi or Male! Do not group them together by race or colour or religion, a murderer is a murderer regardless of which church he or she attends. I shall leave you with the words of a far more talented writer than I, Mr Aaron Sorkin.

War: what is it good for?!

Less than 2 weeks ago we were poised, anticipating a future filled with hope. The hope of change in our country. Not just for Scotland, but beyond our borders too. Because we knew that when the change came it would be sweeping and it would be momentous and it would inspire. We had hope, hope that with our independence we would build a better society and those looking inward would see us as the model for how a country can be run. If Scotland was able to make its own decisions then why can't Wales? Why can't Northern Ireland? And why can't England? If we had a truly representative government, of the people, by the people and for the people then the government in England could worry about the issues affecting England only without having to pay lip service to the rest of the Union. Every single person in the small island would have a voice, unique to them.

It was exciting. It really felt like we were about to see something wonderful.

But it wasn't to be. I fail to see how anyone who voted No could have felt anything like the exhilaration of those closing hours of polling day, the 18th September. At 10pm on that day, Independence was like Schrödinger's Cat. It was alive and dead at the same time. But for those of us who voted Yes, the feeling was of anticipation that we stood on the precipice of enormous change. A frightening but exciting time. For those who voted No the feeling was of anticipation that absolutely nothing was going to change or get better, the best that one could hope for was more of the same as before. Of course we now know they were sold a lie.

In the days prior to the vote I spent a fair bit of time on various forums and, as is the case with any debate, some of the posts I read were nonsense, some were daft and some were divisive and scary. But one grabbed my attention. It was posted by someone who said their family member was in the military and they had been placed on standby, all leave was canceled. To them this indicated that UK was on the brink of another war. This didn't seem to make the news though, one wonders what effect that would have had on the outcome of the vote.






We now know that the UK indeed, was on the brink of another war. Interestingly I have seen two articles on how much this military action might cost the UK, one was conservative (with a small "c") and the other was a little larger. What was interesting to me was that both figures were more than the 2 figures quoted as the cost for setting up an independent Scotland. The conservative (with a small "c") and the Conservative estimate.

Funny how the cost of setting up an independent nation with the power to make its own decisions; decisions that affect the people who live there and would therefore be made by people who live there; was seen as a ridiculously expensive, catastrophic, economy destroying amount and yet it's money that we can easily afford when it comes to a bit of bombing!

Well I say funny!

One thing we can look forward to is the new powers that are heading our way of course, we have that to reassure us. Of course we now know they have sold us a lie.






But hey, at least we now have 120 years worth of oil, that's 100 years more than what we had to look forward to if we had voted Yes! Of course we now know they have sold us a lie.






But division is one thing we don't need, whether it be Yes vs No, 45% vs 55%, BritNats vs ScotNats or the massive big dividing fault lines that fracking will open up! We do need to accept what has happened, realise that those who voted No did so because they believed what they were told by people they should be able to believe. We need to move on, we need to work together. We need to start building bridges instead of walls and we need to start thinking about what happens next. The only way we can possibly achieve independence for our country is if we work together, we need the 55% who voted No, they are our brothers, sisters, friends, fathers. After the 2 year campaign of fear and lies through the mass media it's hardly surprising that 55% of the population said No, they feared for their pensions, they feared for their pound, they feared for their jobs, they feared that they wouldn't be able to provide for their families in the third world conditions of an Indy Scotland, can you blame them? Every fear they had was put there by a lying media and reinforced over a 2 year period, you can hardly blame anyone for making that decision. The worst that would happen is nothing, according to the press, more of the same if you voted No. If you voted Yes you might be malled by tigers!

Of course we now know they have sold us a lie. Don't we? And it only took 10 days.

In the meantime it's back to business for our Tory leaders. And to think 11 days ago I was debating and discussing what we should include in our new constitution!

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