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"Promoting all that is best in Scottish Nationalism and all that is best in Scotland."
Content of the Flag in the Wind Web Site is the copyright of the Scots Independent Newspaper.

[ Issue 398 - 18th January 2008]

Ian Goldie
Compiled by Ian Goldie


Lots of great information to read and enjoy under our Features Section:
Scots Language | Scottish Food | Dates in History |
Scot Wit and lots more


 


THE STATE OF BRITAIN
 

Here is an interesting letter  by a Mr Peter Day I picked up from the Times newspaper.  It expresses what many people throughout Britain feel about things.  But I have a question about it at the end.
 
There should be no surprise that English kids’ reading ability has plummeted.  We British are the worst, or almost the worst, at almost everything we should be strive to be best at.
 
‘Compared with pretty much everywhere else, we are the fattest, the most unhealthy, most illiterate, most unhealthy, most unfit.  We have the most litter, most vandalism, most fly-tipping, most binge drinking, most congested roads, most drivers per acre, most bug-ridden hospitals, most complicated train timetables, most decrepit transport infrastructure, most dog mess, most bookmakers, most CCTV cameras, most drug abuse, most sexual diseases, most pregnant teens.
 
‘What an indictment of the last two governments, which could have prevented this.’

Much of what Mr Day writes is true, although ‘the last two governments’ should probably read ‘all governments since 1945’.  It is a catalogue of decadence hardly matched by any other European country.
 
But that being the case, is it not amazing that  British Unionist politicians are still pleading with the Scottish people not to vote for independence.  They are still obsessed with the idea that Britain somehow is a top nation, envied by all others, who they seem to believe would all join up to being part of the Union at the drop of a hat, if offered.
 
What tosh. The real Britain is currently, sadly, a rather degenerate state.  The different nations that make it up could easily do far better – but on their own.


 

GEORGE GALLOWAY AND ‘TRIBALISM’ 

I must confess that George Galloway gave me a lot of fun when he was being questioned on Iraq by American senators in Washington last year.
 
He also gave me a lot of fun in a different way when I saw him on TV praising Saddam Hussein for his indefatigability as a great leader.
 
GEORGE GALLOWAYWhat a flatterer, I thought.  Right up there with Tony Blair when he was addressing the US Congress.
 
Well, George has emerged as a columnist for the second most popular – based on circulation – tabloid newspaper in Scotland.
 
And he has decided to use his column to slate the Scottish national party and its politics of independence.
 
So what has the bold George got to say?  

(See his whole article at:
 
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/comment/columnists/lifestyle-columnists/george-galloway/ )



Nationalism and Tribalism

He starts by asking: ‘What is nationalism except tribalism by another name?’ and goes on to draw a parallel between the current massacres in Kenya, the recent disasters in the Balkans, and Scottish nationalism which is in favour of independence.
 
George never once mentions the national independence of Norway, Finland or Ireland that resulted in those countries winning their freedom, running their own affairs and going on to become far better examples of democracies than Britain is.
 
Long-lasting Political Unions
 
George goes on: “In Scotland, we speak the same language as the people we have shared a state with for 300 years.  We work for the same employers, are in the same unions, watch the same TV, support the same national game, are defended by the same army, have the same culture … do I need to go on?’
 
Well, not really George, if all your arguments are going to be as lamentable as those.
 
After all, we speak the same language too as the Americans, Canadians, Australians and New Zealanders.  There is no political Union there, nor a dominant centralised city, be it London or Washington, thank goodness.
 
And just because a Union is 300 hundred years old doesn’t mean to say it’s any good. Many other states have won their independence after being in Unions lasting many years: Norway finally broke from two Scandinavian Unions lasting more than 500 years and 90 years in 1905; Finland took its own control from Sweden after 652 years, and from Russia after  more than 100 years in 1917; Ireland from England/Britain after more than 750 years in 1922; and Iceland from Norway after more than 100 years, and from Denmark after 564 years in 1944.
 
I could go on with other examples, but quite clearly a long political Union is not necessarily a good one, and nations throughout the ages have broken away to rule themselves – and in northern Europe especially, with excellent results.

Sharing the Same Things
 
As for ‘the same employers  … the same unions … the same TV … the same culture’ … well, more’s the pity.  Lots of Scots would love to work for Scottish companies, rather than American or British ones; our workers might have suffered less poor pay if they had more Scottish unions standing up for them; television in Scotland might well be in a better state if it were not so London-dominated, as might Scottish culture.
 
As for football – well maybe George hasn’t noticed, but football is pretty well universal and in fact the Scots and the English tend to support different national teams.
 
Finally, the army.  Since we are in a political Union, of course we are defended by the same army, although much of our military effort now is with the US and other European forces.  And it just might be that Scottish troops would not have been fighting and dying nearly so often if Scots had the final say in the wars we go into, rather than a Westminster elite who still harbour delusions of grandeur.

George’s Fight-Back
 
George threatens a fight-back against independence, although he just can’t bring himself to mention the word – he calls it tribalism.
 
He says: ‘So 2008 is where I begin the fightback against tribalism in this green and pleasant land … I will do it, if necessary, myself, on my radio show on Friday and Saturday night, with every breath that God gives.
 
‘Alex Salmond, you have been warned.’
 
Well, bring on your arguments, George!  You’re beginning to sound lust like former Tory MP Jonathan Aitken with his sturdy sword of British justice!  Remember what happened to him!
 
And Finally …
 
George finishes with some good points on the scandalous divide between the haves and the have-note in our society.  Next month I’ll analyse just where he goes wrong there too!
 
 


Christina McKelvie MSP
Read Christina McKelvie MSP's Weekly Diary


SYNOPSIS

Friday 11 January 2008
 
MACNEIL COMMENTS ON HAIN DONATIONS INVESTIGATION

Commenting on news that Peter Hain has been reported to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over his failure to declare more than £100,000 in donations to his Labour deputy leader campaign, Angus MacNeil, the SNP MP who sparked the cash for honours inquiry, said:

Angus MacNeil“The investigation by the Standard’s Commissioner will have to determine whether Peter Hain acted, at worst, unlawfully, or at best, incompetently. Either way his position does now seem untenable.
 
“In addition to Peter Hain’s failure to declare these donations, there is also a massive question mark over his endorsement of private companies who later made cash gifts to his party campaign.
 
“I will be writing to the Prime Minister seeking assurances that offices of state are not being used to make commercial endorsements in exchange for donations to Labour Ministers.
 
“North and south of the border Labour are sinking in a pool of their own sleaze.”


Sunday 13 January 2008
 
WEIR DEMANDS ACTION ON ENERGY RIP-OFF

Mike Weir MP, the SNP Westminster Spokesperson on Energy, has called on the UK government to take urgent action to investigate allegations that the major energy companies have taken co-ordinated action to drive up prices and boost profits.

Mike WeirMr Weir's calls followed the publication of an investigation by The Sunday Times which reveals that the UK's biggest energy companies have stifled competition to raise prices.
 
Mr Weir has previously called upon the Chancellor to use his first question to the chairman of Ofgem at their projected meeting to ask why the UK market in energy was not working for consumers.
 
Mr Weir said:
 
“Perhaps we now know the answer to this, if these allegations can be substantiated. It is certainly the case that once one major supplier raises prices the others follow fairly shortly thereafter. On this occasion Npower is first to put its head above the parapet, it will be interesting to see which companies now follow them.
 
“Very many vulnerable families are finding it increasingly difficult to meet their energy costs. An urgent investigation is needed into these very serious allegations, and strong action taken against the companies if they are found to be acting in this way. “


Sunday 13 January 2008
 
WISHART WELCOMES DECISION TO RECOGNISE SCOTS LITERATURE
 

SNP Westminster Spokesperson for Culture, Media and Sport, Pete Wishart MP, has welcomed the reversal of a decision by the Library of Congress, one of the world's largest libraries, to reclassify Scots authors as English. The move would have seen classic novels like "The Thirty Nine Steps" by the Scottish author John Buchan, listed as an English adventure story.

Pete Wishart Mr Wishart said:
 
“I am delighted that the Library of Congress has made this decision after pressure from writers and academics in Scotland, who were right to react when this proposal was first made.
 
“This means the category of “Scottish writer” has been newly recognised by the Library of Congress, whose classifications set a global, standard. I welcome also the British Library supporting this decision and it will return to classifying Scottish literature as a separate category. This is another major step in recognising and celebrating the cultural differences that exist across the nations of the United Kingdom.
 
“Scotland’s literature over the centuries has made such a significant contribution to the world literature and continues to do so with great vitality into our modern era.
 
“It would have been a travesty that our capital city, Edinburgh, has been given the honour of being named a UNESCO City of Literature whilst one of the worlds largest libraries might have institutionally not recognised Scotland’s distinctive body of literature. I am thrilled that this will not the case”


Tuesday 15 January 2008
 
BREATHTAKING HYPOCRISY AS LABOUR VOTE TO DEPRIVE GOOD CAUSES OF £184 MILLION

SNP Westminster Spokesperson on Culture, Media and Sport, Pete Wishart MP, has accused Scottish Labour MP’s of appalling hypocrisy after voting though a UK Government motion to divert a further £675million of lottery funding from good causes to subsidise the London Olympics. Up to £184million will be lost by Scottish good causes as a result.

In a scathing attack, Mr Wishart said:
 
“The sight of Scottish Labour MP’s voting away life-line funding for some of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged in society, indeed in their own constituencies, was truly unforgivable.   
 
“The reality of this lottery raid is that good causes in some of the poorest communities will be sacrificed to subsidise the spiralling cost of the London Olympics.

“For the past few weeks Scottish Labour have blubbed crocodile tears over a mythical threat to vulnerable groups. Today Scottish Labour MP’s had their big chance to support the vulnerable and the marginalised, and they have been found wanting.
 
“Not one Scottish Labour MP voted against this lottery raid, and as a result they are now responsible for Scotland being deprived of some £184 million for good causes.

“On the day that Wendy Alexander visits Westminster, this indeed shows the true extent of Scottish Labours concerns about the weak, poor and disadvantaged, and their hypocrisy is simply breathtaking.
 
“Every time a Labour MSP now gets to their feet to repeat their fantasy concerns about the vulnerable they will be reminded that it was Labour MP’s who voted to deprive Scotland’s good causes of a very real £184 million.”