Interview with an Independentista... Dave Coull... [the activist]

Dave Coull is a pro- independence activist of well-known reknown. Sometimes loved, sometimes disliked, always controversial and more than often right if you take the trouble to listen... Tragically for Dave the News of the World preferred to insult and defame him rather than listen to what he had to say. The same, obviously, is true of factions within the pro-independence movement. That's a shame, because fighting amongst ourselves doesn't help ANYONE.

Anyway, to the interview. Ladies and Gentlemen: Mr Dave Coull...

Q: Now that you’ve had some time to digest the NOTW article, what are your thoughts on it?

A: That article was a distortion of the truth. Every single alleged "quote" from me was in fact a MIS-quote which distorted what I had actually said, and every single comment from the NOTW was also a distortion. For instance, they turned my garage into a "chicken coop" because they thought that would sound funnier. Because the article was so blatantly inaccurate I wanted a "right of reply". I didn't want to sue for libel because I wasn't after money, just a correction in the NOTW. I consulted a lawyer about this, and he did write to them. They just ignored the letter. My lawyer advised me that the Murdoch Corporation, which owns the NOTW, would prefer fighting a lawsuit to publishing a retraction. He said they never retract anything, even if they have clearly been proved wrong. They are an extremely wealthy corporation with a team of very expensive lawyers who won't give an inch even in a very small case because of the precedent it could set. My lawyer said unless you're a multi-millionaire, forget about trying to take them on. I am not happy about this, and I'm not giving up, but any action is going to have be something else, not through lawyers and courts.

Q: The reaction from the pro-Independence lobby was not good. Why do you think this was?

A: Well, for a start, I reckon so far as quite a lot of folk in the SNP, or who are supporters of the SNP, are concerned, they feel they've got an SNP government, and there will be a referendum on independence sooner or later, so anybody who is demonstrating about this now must be some kind of nutter, and that made them more ready to believe anything the NOTW said about me. Then, so far as a lot of folk on the Left are concerned, there was the precedent of the Tommy Sheridan case. Quite a lot of folk in and around the old SSP, whichever faction they sided with in that party's troubles, probably took the view that I should have known what to expect from the NOTW, and, while what was printed was a distortion, by agreeing to talk to them I deserved everything I got. I had in actual fact been quite reluctant to talk to the NOTW, and would have preferred some other member of Determination to do so, but if I had refused they would probably have made a story out of that refusal, and printed something along the lines of what they were planning anyway. And let's not forget the split in Independence First. For folk who supported the closing down of the IF members forum, and the suppression of dissenting views, the NOTW describing me as some sort of impossible mister angry provided a very convenient way of shifting the spotlight off their OWN responsibility for the resignation of fifteen IF members. So, there's three reasons why some pro-independence folk didn't show solidarity with me.

Q: Is there any response you would like to make about the article?

A: I have written a detailed rebuttal of it. Do you want that? (FFX n.b. I have emailed DC over this).

Q: In your opinion, how will Scotland get its Independence from London rule?

A: I think it will be a combination of factors. There is the international context to consider, and the importance of international public opinion should not be underestimated. Generally speaking, I think the anti-war movement internationally is likely to be supportive. There is also the question of what is happening in England. A lot has been made recently of English Nationalism in reaction to the growing assertion of Scottish independence, but let's not forget that we also have our friends in England who support Scottish independence for positive reasons. Here at home, obviously the SNP government does have a role to play, and Alex Salmond is one very smart Alex indeed. But there are dangers in relying too much on any government, or on any political party, or on any Great Leader. If the troubles of the SSP with Tommy Sheridan proved anything, it was that relying too much on a charismatic leader meant it was a total disaster when something went wrong for that leader. It is important that the independence movement doesn't rely too much on any one leader, or on any one party, or, come to that, on any single campaigning organisation. We should support the initiative of the Independence Convention in promoting a petition aiming at one hundred thousand signatures, but not fall into the trap of seeing that as the ONLY way of campaigning. So far as our group, Determination, is concerned, our contribution will probably be quite small, but, nevertheless, I think it important to have an independent voice which is pushing hard for a referendum and for independence without delay, and not following anybody's party line. All of these factors will play their part. Sooner or later we will get our referendum, I am absolutely certain there will be a decisive majority for independence, and although there will be all sorts of obstacles placed by various elements of the British establishment after that, if we keep pushing hard, and remember to seek and keep the support of folk in other parts of the British Isles, and folk in Europe, and folk in the wider world, I think Scotland will be independent within a few years.

Q: [Since I’m a republican] Are you a Republican or a Monarchist?

A: The only reason I have never described myself as a republican is because I tend to be a bit anarchistic in my attitudes, and the word republican tends to imply support for a government as long as that government doesn't have a king or a queen!

Q: If you had to make one statement about Scotland, right now, what would that statement be?

A: REFERENDUM NOW - INDEPENDENCE - YES OR NO

Wikiscanner outs London Bias

This the story of an IP Address. An IP address is merely the number identification of an internet connection. It’s like your National Insurance Number, but for your internet connection rather than your computer.

Wikipedia, where our story takes place, is an encyclopedia. An encyclopedia YOU can go on to, read and edit.

Wikiscanner is a tool designed to unmask anonymous amendments made to Wikipedia. The following list of amendments Wikipedia entries come from IP Address: 194.60.38.10

Or… as the RIPE IP Address database puts it: 

netnum:         194.60.0.0 - 194.60.63.255
netname:         HOP
descr:           Houses of Parliament
country:         GB

Or more specifically: 

person:          Jon Daniels
address:         Parliamentary ICT
               7 Millbank
               London
               SW1P 3JA

phone:           +44 20 7219 2001
mnt-by:          UK-HOP-MNT
nic-hdl:         JD2618-RIPE
source:          RIPE # Filtered

person:          David A J Hamilton
address:         Parliamentary ICT
               7 Millbank
               London
               SW1P 3JA

phone:           +44 20 7219 2001
e-mail:          postmaster@parliament.uk
nic-hdl:         DH849-RIPE
mnt-by:          UK-HOP-MNT
source:          RIPE # Filtered

Reference: http://www.ripe.net/whois?form_type=simple&full_query_string=&searchtext=194.60.38.10&do_search=Search

The Wikiscanner page I’m using for this search is located here (so you can check for yourself): http://wikiscanner.virgil.gr/f.php?ip1=194.60.38.10&nolimit=1

Tennis Player Andrew Murray is a Twat

This particular computer decided that Andy Murray’s NAME was wrongly designated on Wikipedia. It changed the Wikipedia reference from ‘Andrew “Andy” Murray’ to ‘Andrew “Twat” Murray’.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=61357681

Labels: personal insults

Spinning the 40% Rule (Scotland Act 1978)

Spin is what Labour brought to the table when they were elected and you can’t accuse them of not applying the same rules to history…

The simple sentence “The British government rejected the referendum because the condition that 40% of the total electorate should vote Yes was not met, and the Act was repealed by Order on 26 July 1979” was rejected in favour of “The British government accepted the result of the referendum in accordance with the Act. Because the condition that 40% of the total electorate should vote Yes was not met, the Act was repealed by Order on 26 July 1979”.

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=52659490

Labels: Spin

Tommy Sheridan – Gang Bangin’

In Tommy Sheridan’s Wikipedia reference, surprisingly it wasn’t his old embittered amigos in the SSP who decided to play up the tabloid stories… but… er… the same British Parliamentary IP address as the ones listed above…

They decided to add: “The tabloid stories included allegations that Sheridan had seduced large numbers of young female SSP members, that he used call girls, and that he had accompanied journalist Anvar Khan to an orgy.”

See: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=9769410

Labels: personal attacks, defamation of character

Too much time on your hands?

Naturally whichever elected members or parliamentary researchers or millbank technicians altered Wikipedia, its good see they’ve got so much insight, wit and intelligence to keep the Union together…

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=30719253

Apparently BBC6 DJ Marc Riley’s musical are all “shit” according to someone called Tom Kiehl.

Labels: Don’t we pay you for something better than this?

The Militant War

In the 1980s the Labour Party expelled a particularly left-wing group of politicians from its ranks, notably people like Derek Hatton and Tommy Sheridan.

Over four separate edits, a series of names were added to the article to make sure no-one was in any doubt who the bad boys were.

This very British computer felt it necessary to tell tales out of school and grass up all the lefties who were chucked out of the labour party.

The baiting failed. The edit acquired “disputed neutrality” tag only succeeded in baiting Militants to actually expand the bloody article.

See for yourself:

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=74719741

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=74719842

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=74720560

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=74720997

And the current article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Militant_tendency

Labels: Baiting the commies

The Shona McIssac Edit War

I’m not going to lie to you, I never heard of this wummin until she cropped up on the Wikiscanner. The first thing I noticed was the removal of criticism from Ms. McIssacs Wikipedia reference.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=137413484

Fortunately though, sanity broke out and the same IP address deleted a fictional “she’s married to Frank Skinner” reference. Phew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=137413658

Er… then it deleted the rest of the article altogether…

I hadn’t heard of this wummin before and now she was disappearing before my eyes… Was she so anorexic that her entire history was disappearing?

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=137413803

Phew. Some nice editor who doesn’t mind people knowing his user name called “YJwong” then put it all back up again.

Until my current favour IP address deleted all again. Boo hiss. I was never going to learn who the hell Shona is at this rate…

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=137425292

By this point, clearly 194.60.38.10 is getting a bit sick of deleting everything and merely amends the web page by removing that strange reference that she’s married to comedian Frank Skinner by saying: “Deleted stupid and incorrrect reference to her marrying comedian Frank Skinner.” This technically is correct. Apparently she’s married to some guy called Peter. But since would clearly have preferred to delete EVERYTHING… I’m think “Hello Kettle? Erm… It’s pot. We’ve been talking about what colour you are…)

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?diff=prev&oldid=137434579

I left it there since I got bored… You can understand…

Labels: Censorship

New Moral Saviours

“The greatest nations have all acted like gangsters and the smallest like prostitutes.” Stanley Kubrick

Yes… I can’t tell anymore whether the SNP’s austere sincerity since election is a good thing or an intelligent thing. They’ve managed to straddle public opinion with the high values and expectations of its membership, and crucially, the non-member fringe groups (of which I am a proud member of at least two).

The terror attack showed a Presbyterian restraint on linking the issue to Scotland’s involvement with the union. Clearly the SNP leader knew that its ousted Fundie wing would do that for them, and still be onside.

You’re wondering why, aren’t you? How can the fundies stay loyal after being chucked, or at the very least distanced? They do it for the same reason that Socialist Workers vote Labour in General Elections: to keep the ones they REALLY dislike out of power. For the fundies: that enmity is reserved for Labour.

The SNP approach, in my opinion, is a rather bi-polar one. The SNP acts all statesman, and allows fundies to whore themselves to the independence argument. For people like me: EVERYTHING is about independence. Two things happen: the SNP look like ministers (after 73 years of trying and dreaming) and finally get an official stamp. Also, the independence argument gets pushed, covertly by the SNP and overtly by bloggers, independentistas, anarchists, left indies, indy indies and whatever the hell I am this week.

I guess this is how a Socialist Worker must have felt in 1997 when Blair got in. Whilst Tony et al got their Special Branch Escort and their expensive Ministerial Suits; the Socialist Workers were putting on their lippy and mascara and trawling for business on picket lines and at anti-thisandthat rallies. I used to laugh, and now it’s my turn (and I was an SSP member…)

With the benefit of hindsight, it turns out three things happened to cause this:

1. Most of my friends are SNP supporters. They’re the ones in Black T-shirts and kilts, by the way. Siol.. Siol… Siol nan… etcetera. It’s part social psychology and part necessity to keep the independence dream cooking until it’s ready.
2. My amigos in the SRSM come under the second thing that happened. We were rather schizophrenic about the Solidarity and SSP debacle. Yes Tommy was a bit of a bastard. And Yes he is a great politician. But no MSPs got elected and one of those parties got less votes than the BNP. Everywhere. There’s a stark fucking reality check for you right there.
   
3. Combine this with cliché numero three and you have yourself a campaign badge for the executive whether you want one or not: “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” This is a cliché whether you’re in Siol nan Gaidheal, a Dalek in Doctor Who or talking to that psycho in work you’d rather not, but you know pisses the boss off… But it’s still a valid tactical position.

“The profession of a prostitute is the only career in which the maximum income is paid to the newest apprentice. It is the one calling in which at the beginning the only exertion is that of self-indulgence; all the prizes are at the commencement. It is the ever-new embodiment of the old fable of the sale of the soul to the Devil. The tempter offers wealth, comfort, excitement, but in return the victim must sell her soul, nor does the other party forget to exact his due to the uttermost farthing.” William Booth

Situation Critical....

I'm not going to lie to you... the recent upgrading of the terror threat level worries me. Not because we're going to die screaming like pigs in an abattoir but because our personal freedoms are at threat and because we seem to bay for blood manipulated by the media against the wrong people.

It seems that I should therefore stand as the accuser rather than the accused. Who is to blame for the recent bomb attacks in London and who caused the situation in Glasgow Airport. Who's to blame? You fucking are.

Yes, that's right. And as V said in the movie "V for Vendetta":

"I suspect even now, orders are being shouted into telephones, and men with guns will soon be on their way. Why? Because while the truncheon may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to meaning, and for those who will listen, the enunciation of truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this country, isn't there? Cruelty and injustice, intolerance and oppression. And where once you had the freedom to object, to think and speak as you saw fit, you now have censors and systems of surveillance coercing your conformity and soliciting your submission. How did this happen? Who's to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they will be held accountable, but again truth be told, if you're looking for the guilty, you need only look into a mirror. I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn't be? War, terror, disease. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense."

I saw a person I hold in high regard call for the expulsion of Muslims who believe in Sharia law from our wee bit hill and glen. Aye, we're scared, but should be become Nazi's in penance for our own crimes? We failed to stop our intervention in the American Imperialism which caused these problems... When we let airplanes stop at our airports to torture innocent people, should we hold SOMEONE ELSE accountable?

One of the bleakest artworks you can listen to is "The Holy Bible" by the Manic Street Preachers. I listen to it when I'm depressed. The main lyricist, Richey James Edwards, threw himself off a bridge by the time the Album was done and the band were touring. (Aye, I know he's been officially "missing" but I doubt he's out there, personally...) In it are horrors of genocide, anorexia, the holocaust, crime, prostitution and apparently socialists politics. The horror of the 1994 album could be the country we live in now.

And yet we want to blame someone else for it. You didn't vote or persuade your brothers and sisters nearly enough. Had you done so, you would have gotten the Independence we need to stop these horrible things happening.

But you CAN help. You can RESIST. This malevolence stems from USA imperialism. You can stop it. Not me, YOU. Don't go to McDonalds or Burger King. Don't buy the Newspapers. Shut down your shopping malls and go to local suppliers. If someone bitches about your local Asian corner shop, put them in hospital. Destroy the Capitalist banks. Make yourself truly independent of the system. Fight Racism. Fight Imperialism. Don't stand up and be Alex Salmond or wet Wendy Alexander. Stand up and be Calgacus. Stand up and be Rob Roy or William Wallace. Don't listen to the idiots who blame the wrong person, listen to yourself because deep down you know that the real enemy is lying to you through Rupert Murdoch's rags, and via the Daily Record.

Sic Transit Independence

(BBC Website: Check Link) A grandfather whose decision to challenge a Holyrood result clinched election victory for the SNP has been hailed as hero by his party.

Former council official David Thompson was the last MSP to be elected, giving the SNP its one-seat lead over Labour.

But the result came after he demanded a recount of the Highlands and Islands list ballot, which had given Labour four MSPs and the SNP none.

The final result saw Labour get three, the Tories two and the SNP two.

Mr Thompson had lost out in the Ross Skye and Inverness West constituency vote earlier in the day.

With the SNP two seats ahead, the results of the Scottish Parliamentary election hung on which final seven MSPs would be elected from the Highlands and Islands.

Nationalists' hero

Amid huge tension inside the hall of the cavernous Inverness Sports Centre, returning officer Arthur McCourt was about to announce that Labour had won four list seats - which would have given them election victory.

But in dramatic scenes, Mr Thompson stepped in to challenge the figures.

Officials conducted a hasty recount and returned with a new set of results which saw the SNP become the parliament's largest party with a total of 47 seats to Labour's 46.

The last seat to be read out went to the Nationalists' hero of the hour, 57-year-old grandfather Mr Thompson, who will sit at Holyrood for the first time.


We were told that we didn't have any seats in the Highlands and Islands on the list which I knew had to be incorrect
David Thompson MSP

He told the BBC that it felt fantastic to be the 47th SNP MSP.

"It was on a bit of a knife edge for quite a while," Mr Thompson said.

"We didn't get our result until five o'clock. We were the last result in in the country and there was a bit of confusion at the count as well.

"We had to call for a recount of the figures because initially we were told that we didn't have any seats in the Highlands and Islands on the list which I knew had to be incorrect.

"When the returning officer redid the calculations we ended up with two including myself."

Mr Thompson joined the SNP at the age of 16 and said he now hoped to play his part in moving Scotland towards independence.

Independence Day (Part One)

On Friday you are going to wake up and wonder what the hell just happened.

Tomorrow you are going to visit your polling station and vote three times. Always for party(s) who believe in Independence.

Tomorrow, you are spartacus!

Was that a bit melodramatic? I guess. You'll have to forgive me that one slip up. (actually you'll have to forgive me quite a lot...)

Anyway. Todays topic is: "Because it just is." When you were four, you had a friend (who was slightly older) who couldn't understand why you didn't / would do something they wanted you to do.

Let me take you through it:

"Ah want ye tae be het in tig."
"Naw."
"Aye!"
"Naw!"
"Why no?"
"Because."
"How because?"
"Just because!"

And that's my point. I've been engaging the general public in pro-independentisting this election. The most frustrating ones to talk to are those thirty-something four-year-olds who vote labour because "that's what you did". Fuxache... some days it could make me spree kill...

It's not the absense of decision making that bugs me, honestly! It's the fact that they've denied themselves a say in the vote (daddy voted labour, and so will I); it's the fact that they take the trouble to get themselves along to their polling station to DEMONSTRATE their sheepness!

And there you have it. The nation who stood against the Romans and drove them from the Antonine Wall. The nation who stood and fought while the Vikings, Angles and Saxons came. The nation who rose again and again. The nation who saw the union and rebelled (1715) and rebelled (1745) and rebelled (1797) and rebelled (1820) and rebelled (1919) and... unforgivably... somehow started saying BAAAA!

It's pathetic. But once, just once, we seem to have looked at ourselves, looked at our lot and said: "Haud oan... naw... this isnae right... This is OOR LAND. Ye cannae tax us intae poverty. Ye cannae jist abandon oor brothers an' sisters tae poverty when yer ain are livin' the high life. Wuv goat eight oot the ten maist poor areas oan this fuckin' island, and then.. THEN ye decided tae send oor kids tae kill foreigners cos ye want their oil? Naw. It's no' fuckin on."

I think... if nothing else... this election is where we stop voting for Labour because our parents did. I think that this election is where we stand up for all residents of this country because it is right to do so. We deserve something better than what we have.

Labour negativity is a joke. "Don't vote SNP... Cos... Just because... It'll be bad and everyone will be poor and die horribly... urg... no... please?"

Tomorrow: you aren't voting for yourself. You aren't voting to keep your nice house, your big screen TV, your very nice collection of clothes from Next. You are voting for your children. You are voting for your future. One path involves ID cards, CCTV, higher council taxes and war. The other involves an equitable tax system, no war, freedom, peace and prosperity.

It's not hard is it?

Vote Independence - Quotes...

Man... I'm a Blog machine this week... Every day so far.

So... Indy quotes. I figured that since I was too busy doing stuff that I wouldn't ACTUALLY go out and seek real quotes for Independence. I'd make them up instead. If you particularly want to see one on the internet, that's what the comment function is for.

William Wallace: I can't believe you thought I looked like that fucking Australian. Shouting "You missed one at the back!" during Braveheart does NOT make you a patriot! Dear god Barbie... try and at least TALK to someone about Independence this side of the election so that deep down (deep deep down) you feel as if you took part.

Robert T Bruce: 'Tis better to win, than to take part. So... here's a tip from Scotland's best machiavellian King (on AND off the park). If your blonde co-worker is bitching about Independence and you can't persuade her: don't keep wasting your time, get your sister - cousin to use her vote. Also, instead of going postal against Labour Party politicians, why not do stuff like say you were a lifelong labour voter... but NOT NOW! Because of the War in Iraq, your local hospital being shut down or because of the Council Tax. Be subtle... make them feel bad!

Andrew De Moray: Okay, so you've graduated from being a 90 minute Freedom Fighter at Hampden to being a nine-week Nat during the election. But this is about committment to the cause. Think about Bannockburn people... (which I missed because of a slight case of death) If people had gone home after the game then we wouldn't be free. We needed the committment of 1320... And the committment to get us through the Second War of Independence.... Or the Committment to hide the REAL stone of Destiny... (on that point, me and Wallace took the black carved marble rock to an Inn and Dundee and... jeez... we got so drunk me and Wallace made "Mad Maeve fae Dumbarton" Queen of Scotland for thirteen whole minutes!

Mirren: Could someone tell Billy his tea's on the table?

Wendy Wood: Could one of you losers make sure my Lion Rampant gets back up on Stirling Castle when Independence is declared? Incidentally, sisters across Scotland fought for the right to vote, not so that you could bitch about how you had no one to vote for, but because we wanted to give you a chance to make a difference for all of us. Even spoiling your ballot paper makes a difference. Staying at home does nothing. All reasons why are merely excuses. THIS IS YOUR TIME TO BE HEARD.

Thomas Muir: There's a big world out there waiting to recognise YOU as a people in your own right. I know you're scared, I know everyone is saying that it can't work... But I'm not asking you to trust me. I'm asking you to believe in yourself for ONE ELECTION. Just one, because that's all it takes...

Okay.. me again... Right, so those people aren't speaking from the grave, and I'm using humour to make a political point. But since I get a SHITLOAD of readers and very few comments I thought you might listen to the dead more than you listen to me.

It just takes a day to make things better. Just one.

If you tolerate this... then your children will be next

" Or like the snow falls in the river,
A moment white-then melts for ever;
Or like the Borealis race,
That flit ere you can point their place;
Or like the Rainbow's lovely form
Evanishing amid the storm. -
Nae man can tether Time nor Tide,
The hour approaches Tam maun ride..."
from Robert Burns - Tam O' Shanter

I've been here before. If the Pro-independentistas fall on friday night, I can already hear the tears and the anger. I can witness the hate against a unionist press. The press don't care, they are merely doing the jobs their bosses pay them for. I guess they don't realise how much independence means to those who believe in it.

I joined the SNP after the 1992 general election, because I was angry that "Scotland Free by '93" didn't happen. The first meeting I went to was only bearly quorate and there wasn't a great deal to do because the election was done and we were merely mopping up afterwards. I remember a list of people who didn't turn up at the meeting who hadn't bothered to send apologies. I didn't know them, and I wouldn't get to know them. They wouldn't bother returning to the Condorrat SNP while I was there.

And on Friday, I get to witness this madness again. Maybe, just maybe, the SNP will get in. Maybe the pro-indy vote will finally charge the fields of paper and council bureaucracy to finally go legit.

But the kicker is, that if we don't, we been campaigning so long we forgot that we are just flesh in blood inside. We forget that if the result doesn't go our way, some of our friends are going home and we won't see them again. Maybe that's the case for us, maybe that's the case for the Labour Party. We forget how much losing hurts because it matters so so much.

So, friday for me means one of either two things: one, partying like never before because once, JUST ONCE! we are ONE STEP closer to freeing our people. Or two: counting the dead from another lost election.

This is why I joined Siol nan Gaidheal and the SRSM, because IF the bad results come in, I know I'm going to see the same faces I did before the count started.

But how can be a doom-monger? That's patently pointless given the polls. Lets be clear: only a MAJOR screw up or MAJOR screw job can fuck the SNP up now.

You can list our oppressors crimes in an encyclopedia; you can list the things they haven't done in a library. This is the most egocentric election you have ever faced. Will you watch your country go down the fucking toilet and vote unionist one more time? Just in case...

No. VOTE INDEPENDENCE and believe in the future.

Vote Independence

The last thing our country needs right now is another three hundred years swearing fealty to unionists for simply being allowed to be a subject of Brenda Windsor.

I thought I would take this opportunity to address a few myths regarding Independence. In my own way... (ahem).

Myth 1: Home Rule means Pope / Prod Rule:

Dear god... this is by far my least favourite. This tends to centre around the West of Scotland and, frankly, should stay there. It's propagated by bigots who can't argue with you. It's directed towards their alcoholic neighbours and housewives who don't want to think for themselves. There... I said it. If you believe this: you are a moron.

I feel I should at least bother to try and refute this rather than just rant about idiots like this not being allowed internet access or telephones.

To my mind, we don't have the depth of division in Scotland that is apparent in traditionally sectarian countries. Yes, there is sectarian violence, but this has never been exploited by political parties, per se. The "myth" has proved to be a feature in some areas for the Labour Party, but by no means would I suggest that this is endemic in top levels of the party.

Equally, take politics today. Voters in Airdrie, traditionally "labelled" a protestant heartland got angry (and rightly so) against Labour in Karen Whitefields constituency precisely because she stood idly by and let Catholic Coatbridge build all it's nice shops, leisure centres, bowling alleys and cinemas while finding something else to while their hospital was shut down. Chances are that Karen's game is a bogey and the SNP will get Airdrie. Nobody brought up religion, if you read the local newspapers is bread-and-butter politics being discussed.

My reasoning is that you aren't morons. Yes, our system is complete shit, but I have a higher opinion of you than that at the first opportunity you'll wander off and batter the next ethnic minority at the first opportunity. I've sat behind you in buses. You're quite nice. Really...

Myth 2: Ooh... Nationalism... that's bad... that's like... violent and stuff...

This one rips my knitting as well.

After the Perth AGM of Independence First I was in a pub with a guy who I discussed my membership of Siol nan Gaidheal. He was a left winger and brought up the fact that we're all bad nasty fascists and racists and so were the SNP and... You get the point. This comes more from the left than it does the right, but it's pretty endemic. It usually uses "Yugoslavia" as the "Aaa ooh!" part of it's song.

My answer to that is this: all politics has blood on it's hands. The left winger who makes allegations of racism is conveniently forgetting the blood on his own hands. I'll bet he's wearing a Che Guevara t-shirt. How many people did Che kill? He led ACTUAL revolutions. Now... that didn't involve him going to Bolivia to sell copies of the Socialist Worker. He took a gun.

And all over Europe and North America you'll find a trail of blood attributed to Socialism. You'll find Germany's Red Army Faction; Frances Actione Directe (sic); Red Brigades here, there and everywhere. Diet Red Brigades, Cherry flavour Red Brigades, Maoists, Trots and Commies all of who have rifles under their beds. You can go up to the Northwest of America and find the United Freedom Front and Red Guerrilla Resistance blowing up and robbing their way through New York. Lets be honest, the death toll is fucking huge.

Swing to the right wing and you'll find the Conservatives. Nothing bad about them, surely? Surely that nice Dictator Maggie Thatcher, who managed - miraculously - to have two separate wars and not invade someone once, didn't have links to nasty violent political people.

It's best not to ask them yourself. They'll probably neglect to mention Enoch "Rivers of Blood" Powell and Oswald "Crazy Bastard" Mosely (who was a member for the Tories in Harrow... which was nice): posters boys of your friendly neighbourhoodie fascists: the BNP, C18, National Front. They also might neglect to point out that they've sat next to "Psycho fun boy" Ian Paisley numerous times in numerous parliaments.

Your ballot paper is drenched in blood from the right wing to the left wing. Since the SNP was formed, it has been the most consistent vehicle for Independence. And they got a parliament without killing anyone. A damn sight better than the one gotten in Northern Ireland which has been dumped more times than I, or my wheely bin has been. Equally, the organisation I'm a member of: the SRSM helped persuade the groups who formed the original SSP that independence was a groovy idea and that they should hop on board the Indy train and dance to crappy folk music like the rest of us.

My point to unionist is this: if you want to look for violent ghosts in shadows, you'd be better served looking in your own political parties rather than in my Pro-Independence belief system. Most of the unionist parties have had members who have either advocated or attempted to create rivers of blood.

Myth 3: We cannae afford it Captain... there's nae merr money!

I can't help being patronising sometimes. It's just who I am:

Oh really... the country who spawned the guy who INVENTED the Bank of England can't build a decent economy. The country who spawned THE OTHER GUY who first documented Capitalism can't work out how to pay the bills? (William Paterson fae Tinwald in Dumfries and Galloway founded the Bank of England and Adam Smith fae Kirkcaldy worked out capitalism an' that).

Frankly, if you're stupid enough to subscribe to that myth you just lost the right to talk to me.

Myth 4: Black Gold

I think I missed that meeting. You know... the one where it was agreed that your country has to have oil to exist. Or to economically proper...

Ssshhhh... I just had an idea. If you're Irish you'd better go read something else. By that argument we should invade so that we can liberate them from their "non oil"ness. It would be only honourable on our part. We'd be doing them a favour.

They've a successful economy and don't have oil. Hmmm...

Either way, there is NO PROOF being documented that Oil is about to run out in the North Sea. And if it does... So what? Other countries proper, why the hell can't we?

Myth 5: Passports and Border Guards

My good friend Alyson probably worries about this one. Her current squeeze, Stevie from Jasper Carrot country, might be affected by the very issue.

Aside from the fact that people living here would get naturalisation rights and nationality IF THEY WANTED IT... It's in most of the manifestos and press briefings.

Honestly, Pro Indy supporters are all rather Swedish and nice about this issue. We want to be cool and nice and groovy and don't want to make your life, like, hard... dude. We're all cool.

I can guarantee there won't be any sniper towers this side of Gretna at any time. If "Stevie" is stopped at the border, it's merely because I fancy his girlfriend and nothing to do with the fact he's English....

Reasons for Scottish Independence #16 - The Great Deception

Niall Aslen in an accountant with a brain the size of a planet.

This little nugget of economics is well worth reading. Normally I'm a bit off with economics. Don't get me wrong, I understand this shinto. I did a bit of it at University, I just think it puts people off.

BUT, Niall is very thorough and very intelligent, so it would be remiss of me not to post this on to both my bloggerinos.

Reasons for Scottish Independence #15

Sweet little lies

SRSM Speeches at Glencoe 1990

The following is a video of SRSM speeches back in 1990.

The SRSM Video.

Radio Free Scotland

Once upon a time I posted this... Chris Moyles, on todays Radio One Show reminded that the reason I despise local radio is because they've nothing to say that's worthwhile.

And then something happened a couple of week back some people were discussing some shinto on a forum I frequent and it ACTUALLY happened. Someone broadcast a Radio Show I couldn't miss... It just felt right. I didn't have to bugger off to the kitchen to avoid being patronised, I didn't get to shout at the Brit Broadcasters who were playing Keane because a few London stations though they were "cool" or because they were banging the drummers girlfriend... (this bit might be libellous though...)

So... maybe they're just learning and there's the odd delay and sometimes the songs end a bit early... but in this case it's just enigmatic. On the basis of the three episodes I've listened to thus far there even seems to be a structure: one hour of folky tunes, and the next hour for modern music. Interspersed are interviews, new Scottish music, snippets, comment and general humour and propaganda.

For someone who has listened to BBC Radio One because there was -- "fuck all else to do" - Friggin' in the Riggin' -- I've FINALLY got something to listen to.

And therefore SO DO YOU. Go to Radio Free Scotland and work out how to listen from there. It's pretty simple. If you can't listen, then either a) your computer is shit or b) you are a moron. There... I've said it. LISTEN.

Why? Because this gives us, as a pro-independence movement, credibility. You can HEAR people talking our talk on a wednesday and friday at 9pm. You can send your stuff via email to the DJ and you can just listen in and switch off feeling good.

The Road to 2007

Radio Free Scotland

Reasons for Scottish Independence #14 - Saltires... Everywhere

Reasons for Scottish Independence #13

When your armed services are nuttier than a squirrel's jobby, you KNOW it's time to fence off the border and train most of your farmers as militiamen and pray that the English Military Brass don't go even more postal than they already are...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6388575.stm

Reasons for Scottish Independence #12 - 5000 Posts

Well isn't THAT an effin' turnup for the books! 5000 human beings have read The Firefox Chronicles for the first time. The only Scottish Republican, Socialist, Dadaist and Situationist Blog on the internet has achieved a living, breathing milestone. And it's all for a Scottish Worker's Republic.

I'm touched. No... really.

I'm also machiavellian and rather conspiratorial of late. Some of my life feels like a Neurocam assignment even though I wasn't in it that long, and haven't read stuff on it for while. Weird.

But the world is going to be a safer place, your narrator read on the BBC website that Tony Blair is to bring home 1500 troops from I-raq (like I-pod but with more dead people). From the 7100 who are there, it means (according to MY mathemonics, that only 5600 human beings are being underequiped and get to die.

AND HARRY OF WALES IN ONE OF THEM!

How happy is this republican?

I just can't put it into words.

I don't care if he has a retinue of bodyguards, I don't care if he's just there to make us think the sponging germans who rule us are "doing their bit". He's a royal, and he's near to Al Qua'eda. Maybe now SOMEONE will listen to the cries of the working classes who found themselves, through poverty, in a hell hole with a weapon and too little equipment and fully measured up for a body bag. All because Harry (son of James Hewitt) Wales is nearer to Osama than the government would like him to be.

When a working class Scot gets sent home (if we have the body, obviously) in a body bag no-one gives a damn. When it's the ruling classes, people listen.

But... it's okay. If we really ALL have to leave I-raq, we still get to keep all those nice weapons of Nuclear holocaust in Faslane, and all get to live in poverty in Glasgow and Edinburgh so that london gets our oil money, so it's okay. It really IS okay... we also get to allow ourselves to be lied to by a succession of Brit Left imperialists who trade their Marxist economics for an MI5 payroll and serve the 57 varieties of British Socialism and the British State.

Today is the 23rd February. The election is on May 3rd. Vote election. Between then use your anger to get us a vote for INDEPENDENCE.

"I'm not a slave to a god that doesn't exist. I'm not a slave to a world that doesn't give a shit. The death of one is a tragedy. The death of millions is just a statistic." Marilyn Manson - from the Video - How to Burn a Union Jack by the Nine of Diamonds Project

History from other perspectives

I haven't seen this news story much outside of the BBC website. I kind of hoped it would appear on some of the left wing websites I frequent, but it hasn't and I'm not about to pass it on. I'm guessing I'm one of the few whose interest this peaked.

Back in 1998 I was finishing up at University, started to get back involved in politics again and turning more towards Socialism (which I'd always liked "in principle" but I didn't fancy selling newspapers on street corners.

Then I read this, a rather spiky and well written document outlining the dying days of a Socialist organisation whose impact, militantism and history I only appreciated after I read up on them through this website. Including buying this rather fetching peice of literature:

I'm not trying to glamourise what they did, I'm just reiterating to you that politics has different perspectives and it's interesting to explore radical socialism which doesn't involve selling newspapers.

The happy medium for Scotland should be one where protesting at Faslane is acceptable, and not likely to end up being caught up in some orwellian purge.

I used to enjoy reading futuristic literature of the near future where a group of subversives battle some imperialist dogma while being filmed all the time, had biochips fitted and where civil rights were negotiable when it suited whichever administration was in charge.

But when you wake on the path you've watch on TV and start thinking that it was all a bit close to home, and Independence for Scotland isn't just an option, but necessary for domestic civil rights... When you wake up then you're either paranoid or as crazy as David Icke. Unfortunately David was right about a few of his predictions regarding the walls of the state closing in like the tomb walls in an Indiana Jones film.

I can just about deal with CCTV cameras. Some neds are wee bastards and the public needs to be protected. Knife crime needs to be stamped out. I have no bother with crime prevention for that. But when ministers start outlining vague schemes to target a minority population whose only crime is not to speak English? I start feeling uneasy. When we start funding racist political parties in the name of "democracy" I get just a smidge paranoid... And these are just two I've dug up today. I've whinged many, many times before on this blog about varying attacks on civil rights by the british state.

There's a whole ream of campaigns, anti-campaigns, demonstrations and contingents designed to point out aspects of the large cancer that is the british state. But the lessons from history in other political perspectives (one of which I've shown about with the RAF) show the path we're destined for if we don't start winning back our civil rights right here, right now.

Scottish NOT British
Vote Independence
Twice
May 3