FREEDOM!!!! [3]

Doubt it he is Irish.

I bet he thinks he is in the Bourne identity

Is scottish labour lookig for a new spin doctor, because I think they've found her.

Hey, it's not like I compared you to Alastair Campbell or something.. Oh..

The way Scottish Labour are going it couldn't do them any harm.....maybe

its not my fault he thinks the public is kryptonite and the gvt is Superman.

Wee Nicola on the Daily Show while she is over in the US flogging Scotland to the natives-

"And I want to to know, that like a politician I will most likely not fullfill that promise."

"You have oil? May we invade you?"

are you Sadam Hussain?

I think she is doing a good job promoting the nation and getting some business done, today she was in a meeting with the head of the International Monetary Fund.

More drivel from historian (and I use that word advisedly) David Starkey about Scotland. And in particular comparing the SNP to the Nazi's (Yup an actual historian pulling the Hitler card!)-

''Well, we have a political movement that has a single historic explanation for why your country is facing such terrible oppression; it's either Versailles or the Treaty of the Union.

'You have a particular group of people who are responsible for this; it is either the English or the Jews.'

Ok lets start with this opening statement.
Most folks who vote SNP dot do so because of the Treaty of Union, if its real worl politics you re looking for Thatcher has more bearing on choices to vote SNP in Scotland than the Treaty of Union does which most people couldn't even tel you the date of.
Nor are the 'english' responsible. Its nothing to do with the english, its a mix of dissatisfaction with Westminister, which isn't English its the national parliament of the countries which make up the UK.
So for a historian not doing too well here, big on ignorance mind you.

"You have as a symbol the twisted cross: the saltire or the swastika. You have a passionate belief in economic self-sufficiency: known by the Nazis as autarky and the Scots as oil."

You would think, as a historian, Starkey would be aware of the historical circumstances in which the Saltire of Scotland allegedly came into being-

'According to legend, in 832 A.D. Óengus II led an army of Picts and Scots into battle against the Angles, led by Æthelstan, near modern-day Athelstaneford, East Lothian. The legend states that whilst engaged in prayer on the eve of battle, Óengus vowed that if granted victory he would appoint Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland; Andrew then appeared to Óengus that night in a dream and assured him of victory. On the morning of battle white clouds forming the shape of an X were said to have appeared in the sky. Óengus and his combined force, emboldened by this apparent divine intervention, took to the field and despite being inferior in terms of numbers were victorious. Having interpreted the cloud phenomenon as representing the crux decussata upon which Saint Andrew was crucified, Óengus honoured his pre-battle pledge and duly appointed Saint Andrew as the Patron Saint of Scotland. The white saltire set against a celestial blue background is said to have been adopted as the design of the flag of Scotland on the basis of this legend.'

Secondly the economic point- oil is not Scotland's wealth, or its main asset, its a bonus asset. And as the current oil price demonstrates only fools would pin their entire 'self-sufficienty' on such an asset. And Scotland doesn't.


His next comments I don't think needs any further comment from me, as it betrays the vile bias underpinning all his thoughts on Scotland and just how depressingly desperate he is to find any sort of link he can between the SNP and NAzi's-

"And also you have the propensity of your elderly and middle-aged male supporters to expose their knees,' he said, passing comment on the traditional dress of Scotland and Germany."

He then went on to add-

hose who sympathise with the SNP, especially in England, are 'incapable of recognising that this is national socialism. And the nationalism is much more important than the socialism, as it was in Germany. The socialism is a very fragile, superficial thing. The nationalism is very real.'

This is probably his worst misreading of the situation- in Scotland its the social issues matter to most way, way more than the nationalism.
If the SNP dumped their social policies tomorrow they would be dead as a serious party within a year. The nationalism would not keep their vote, no chance.
They only got the size of vote they did get as a combination of factors- being th eonly party ho didn't make the pledge, so the only ones who can be sent to make sure its enacted, the collapse of Labour and of their social politics, and the adoption of the SNP of more social issues.
Nationalism barely comes into it.

What I find depressing is Starkey is widely considered to be one of Briotains leading historians, rather than a vile little Englander ho thinks England should still be ruling the world, as evidenced by comments such as these-

"If we decide to go down this route of having an English national day, that means we become a feeble little country, just like the Scots and the Welsh and the Irish. Once upon a time England was a great country."

He's been ragged by the press & was even called "hated" because of his out spoken views. I find him to overbearing. I think If I was in a room with him it wouldnt take long to get into a bitter argument. He has spite in his eyes & malice in his voice. Now, the one guy I do like listening to is Dan Cruikshank. He gets so passionate over the small things as well as the big things.

Yes he is very good, I especially like how interested he is on the personal scale of things, he likes to get down to the individuals experience, not just the the wider picture.
I am also a big fan of Neil Oliver, Lucy Worsely and Bettany Hughes.







Everyone worth a watch if you have the time for them all, if you don't Bettany Hughes Ancient Worlds is probably the most universal of them, and very good.

Free speech tends to work both ways.

New Tory MP branded a 'Nazi' and 'slag' by SNP supporters after making a joke about Oliver Cromwell's suppression of Scots

A new Tory MP has been bombarded with sexist and anti-semitic abuse by SNP supporters after making a joke about the Scots during her maiden Commons speech.
High-flying barrister Lucy Frazer was called a 'Nazi' and a 'slag' for referring to Oliver Cromwell's suppression of the Scots more than three centuries ago.
The furore blew up after she noted that her South East Cambridgeshire constituency was once home to Oliver Cromwell, who 'defeated the Scots… incorporated Scotland into his protectorate and transported the Scots as slaves to the colonies'.
The Cambridge-educated QC, 42, went on to make clear that her reference was light-hearted, joking that it would 'solve' constitutional headaches over how much voting power should be given to Scots MPs.
However, within minutes of her speech earlier this month, Ms Frazer's personal Facebook page was swamped with dozens of deeply offensive messages from so-called 'cybernats', who use social media to attack their political opponents.
The posts continued despite the MP saying she was 'extremely sorry for any offence' and that she had 'the highest regard for the Scottish people'. Ms Frazer, who is descended from Jewish immigrants, was subjected to vitriolic anti-semitic jibes.
The incident comes amid growing outrage over the activities of cybernats. On Friday, SNP official Brian Smith resigned after making abusive Twitter comments about the late Charles Kennedy.
The convener of the SNP's Skye and Lochalsh branch sent the former Liberal Democrat leader more than 130 messages before his death on June 1 after a battle with alcoholism, calling him a 'drunken slob'.
Ms Frazer declined to comment on the abuse last night.



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