Borders and Maps

Old Map of Europe with far fewer countries

The UN states – ‘peoples have the right to self-determination. There is no reason for a majority in a country to subjugate an unwilling minority. ‘The UN had 51 seats in 1945 and in 2017 now has 193. Change has been towards the smaller nation states.

The Kurds were divided up by Britain and France – as spoils of the Ottoman empire and the Provinces after WW1. This year both the Kurds and Catalonians were recently voting for their independence. Shockingly the Spanish government used brute force to try to prevent the Catalan vote. The BBC was not reporting on this either. The difference between a "made-up country" and an "authentic nation state" is that the real nation is like a centuries old tree with deep roots and many branches.  

A century ago a map of Europe in 1914 before WW1, there were far fewer countries in Europe – when three huge empires were shrunk in size - Germany, Austria-Hungary and Russia. Germany had then included parts of Poland, France, Denmark, Belgium and Lithuania. 

Dutch tycoon Freddy Heineken in 1990 wrote of a ‘Eurotopia’ of small countries of between 10m and 5m.

In todays Internet world of fast media and connections and improved communications (radio, tv) and fast travel – and we don’t need centralized control anymore.

Do we need empires anymore? The direction of travel today is towards the smaller nation states in a bigger trading block and away from `empire building. 

Europe today with far more nation states

Excellent letter in the National - saying the difference in Catalonia is that they have control of their media, a truly devolved region unlike Scotland. Compared to the problem here in the '2014 Scottish Referendum' - when Westminster controlled all the media, all th print  press here and all the unionist parties too. What hope had we? I remember my son saying, how could we have self determination without any media? I met a Norwegian film maker in Edinburgh, and I was explaining to him that Scotland, unlike Norway, has no oil fund. He asked where did the money go - he may well ask!? I told him Shetland has an oil fund though...

http://www.maps-of-europe.net/old-maps-of-europe/

PS 

Is 'take back control' really about - take back control to Westminster from the devolved governments

Scottish Broadcasting channel

Well, this is a shock! – announcement that the "Scottish Six" will not happen and then a few days later an announcement of a "Scottish BBC TV channel!"

I assume this is to keep the Anglicized Scots Yoons happy who love the union.

For 20 years a Scottish Six has been discussed, planned for and pilots made. There is a wealth of creative and journalistic talent here in Scotland. The BBC spends Scotland 55% of license money raised here – which compares to 75% for N Ireland, 100% England, 100% Wales. It’s been a scandal quite obviously!! This will increase License spend here to around 68%. There has been a dearth of Scottish Arts and Review programs.

The English news programs talk of BRITAIN as meaning England or Brenland – there is never any mention of the Scottish NHS or education being any different. Scottish news is totally ignored (such as the junior doctor strike).

The English-based national news does not serve Scotland – it is full of English only relevance on Brexit etc. The BBC ethos has been primarily is to promote the idea of a “united” UK and the concept of “Britishness”. The BBC often appears to be an Arm of the State. The Anti-Scotland Unionists are of course up in arms over the news! STV were also planning a Scottish news program. Why on earth can't we in Scotland be good neighbours without being run from London?

I read that the region of Catalonia has 4 TV channels, at a spend of £300m! A 24 hour news channel, a culture channel, a sports channel and a children's channel!!

As the InyRef looks likely it is very telling that the SBC will not start until autumn 2018!

Will we have NO media to cover IndyRef.

Independent Voices

It is important to listen to the ordinary person in the street to have good governance. On the Questions of information and Truth.

Most of us all agree with immigration of International students or scientists.

Most of us also agree about limiting uncontrolled immigration - that is too many unskilled coming all at once. Now we have to try to find common ground – is that possible? I listen to Leavers from Wakefield on the BBC Question Time who simply want out as fast as possible.  OUT of the single market without it seems any thought to trade tariffs. I assume the plan is trade with China or US instead. Meanwhile Trump plans his own US isolationism and protectionism and this doesn’t look so promising.

The Brexiteers claim they did extensive research during the EU Debates – where? – in Rupert Murdoch’s press, Facebook fake news, in TV Debates? I listened to many EU debates and I thought they were dreadful and misleading. Their conclusions are that Europe is robbing them of jobs. How is Europe to blame for lack of investment in the English NHS and education or the infrastructure (outside of London). Farage admits the bus saying 350m a week for NHS was simply a lie. 

Some ask – how can we find truth anyway/!

I did research too and came to different conclusions. I read editorials in both the right wing Times (Murdoch), Herald (independent), National (non Murdoch’s press), listened to debates on the BBC Newsnight and Scotland 2016. It is crucial to obtain as diverse news as possible, in a country where one person controls such a huge chunk of the UK Press.

Meanwhile May heads to Poland, Japan and India in the hopes of finding support. These countries want movement of skilled people and access to universities above trade of goods or services. Where does that leave England (and with Scotland being dragged along behind) then?

Britain no longer has a captive Commonwealth to do easy trade deals with. Cutting ourselves off from Europe – when we have centuries of connections and history – doesn’t seem advisable, either for prosperity, business, cultural exchanges, research and investment business or trade.

Scotland wants none of this isolationist movement – we want more connections not less. For Scotland our diversity, free thinking and interconnectedness is what has made our nation creative and innovative over the centuries. The last thing we would wish to do is to close doors.

I read recently Jim Sillars views that Scotland could do well on the Norway model, in the efta (European Free trade association)

They are consulted and agree to some of the EU directives. (So I decided to research Norway’s history, another BLOG)

The EU discussion on this Question Time seemed alien and nasty. However when they talked of the HR2 train the discussion became real at last – and they spoke of how all this money spent in London does little good for those in the north of the country.

The most significant arguments for the EU I read from political commentators – were those Freethinking, Individual voices. More than ever we need these independent free thinkers. Don’t believe 98% of political talk – its all jargon and manipulations. In fact Lies are the name of the game the more sensational the better...where are the people of substance?

Three criterion for decent press.

Range and variety

Freedom to speak the truth.

Success in revealing society (On one level how they speak and believed. On another level how a country functions politically, economically, culturally.)

**CHILCOT report TODAY – AFTER 7 YEARS.!!

**CHILCOT report TODAY – AFTER 7 YEARS.!! Resulted in dreadful misery in Iraq and around the world.

“”People who walk past the ‘HOUSES OF POWER’ – have to realise that they do have a VOICE.  Our sons and brothers killed in Iraq are no longer here – but we will be their voice now.”

Teflon Tony - he's a great actor. 

The report claims Blair knew what he was doing and the certainty of WMD threat was ‘not justified’ and you cannot go to war for regime change. Also the soldier's equipment was poor. 

**The CHILCOT report TODAY –

Hidden today and brought out the day Andy Murray plays Wimbledon and 2 semi-finals Euro 2016.  (They also buried Hunt's imposing the Junior doctors contract today! ) Unbelievable. KEEP THE MASSES HAPPY and ignorant.

Tony Bliar says "he had to make decisions" - what he means was - he was able to be a "Dictator" who never even consulted his Cabinet. He LIED in Parliament about the weapons. He was warned repeatedly about the risks of going to war.

And what of Bush are Americans happy with the shambles left in the middle east?

Bliar knew what he was doing.  The thousands of women and men and children who died, died for no reason.

The families hope that lessons will be learnt and that any action to war must be rigorously debated.

One father. said “I can only conclude my son died in vain.’  And we reserve the right to take all parties to court. “

Families asked to meet Tony Bliar face to face – one sister asked for Blair look me in the eye.

The Chilcot Report says that Bliar knew he was misrepresenting the truth.  Bliar says – I took it I good faith and in what I believed was the best interest of the country.

He wrote to Bush in April 2002, “I will be with you whatever.”  

The Labour MP Clare Short  claimed – ‘Everything before the war by Tony Bliar was kept totally secret – unbelievable. London Government needs to change, totally undemocratic. No minutes taken, in informal system..  Need to tighten up conditions taken to go to war. “Bliar would hang onto Bush’s ankles and the government would hang on to Bliar’s. “

Blair defends that he was right to topple Saddam.  The  Chilcot report says that the certainty of WMD threat  was ‘not justified’.  You cannot go to war for regime change.

We pay our LICENCE Fees for a 'State Controlled' Tv channel that tells us LIES!! Blair's actions as a dictator costs the lives of thousands.

 “Blair is the biggest terrorist, “

Blair gave a press conference straight after - he should be given an Oscar as a Great Actor!

 *     *       *       *

Bliar is a LIAR - fool, an amateur and a con man – he is spineless, deluded, stupid, shallow, blind. He did not listen and decided a year before the Iraq war when he told Bush he would support him – and he did not upgrade the army’s equipment. Never mind about the soldiers lives then? Apparently they did not even have mobile phones.

I will never forget marching for Peace up to Hyde Park rally London. Some were dancing for peace. I wondered about this war and what was it really  for?

The Referendum and the Open Revolution #indref

I met many interesting women and men activists for Scottish independence in 2014. I believe like the Greens, that independence is the only way forward for Scotland to achieve devolved and de-centralised governance - this does not mean rule from London moving to rule to Edinburgh. This means more voices for the Highlands and Islands and for Perthshire - with more local radio and improved local infrastructure. 

The Better Together side knocked on old ladies doors during the referendum campaign and told them that they would loose their pensions and their pound.  The unionists also had nice catchy phrases for those who can't be bothered to read up on the issues. 

1) Pooling and Sharing Recourses - which meant pulling resources into London and giving us pocket money in return.

2) Best of Both Worlds - supposedly meant a prosperous Scotland within a strong UK but actually means a dependent weaker Scotland in a more fragile union.   

3) Solidarity cross borders means solidarity with Osborne's Austerity, the big Banks and Big Business.

A democratic conversation has developed in Scotland in 2014. As the divide between rich and poor has widened greatly the past few decades, it is imperative we have this conversation for democratic change. 

There is much work to do towards land reform, de-centralize government, improve access to quality education (especially in the early years) and to reducing housing rents. 

A younger generation woke up to political engagement and activism and on social media they are not easily fooled by fear campaigns or lies and they are not afraid. They now express their voice on online websites such as The Common Weal, National Collective and Radical Independence Convention.

Unionist may try to claim the referendum was all simply a blip from normality, but they simply miss (or ignore) what the energised movement in 2014 has been and is all about. They claim the debate was bitter and divisive (being 
against change) - while if you are for democracy and a fairer more equal society, then informed energised debate is a huge positive.  Meanwhile those doing quite well thank you, mostly voted against change - no surprise there then.  

Ian Bell (The National 31.12.14) writes, the fear fell away and we saw through the false facades  of unionist claptrap.  Like Bell, and as one who also voted for a Scottish Assembly in 79, I was astonished by the weakness and shameful tactics of the Unionist side. Their slogan of  'No Means No' as the best they could come up with. The case for Britain and the union was meekly shown as a black and white ad for nostalgia for the past war and past glories.

The new generation don't care about that and it does not effect their futures. Bell feels we should say more why Scots would not want to be British. Monuments and looking backwards do not take us forward to a hopeful future. 

The Smith Commission, while set up to establish ‘extensive new powers’ has only offered devolved Income Tax, which cannot easily be varied and therefore effectively meaningless. EVEL (English Votes for English Laws) further weakens the Union, and with the Conservatives hope for SNP successes to weaken Labour in Scotland.

Writing in the Times (28.12.14) Jenny Hjul wonders why Unionists haven't been celebrating their hollow victory - there's a clear reason for this and that is that a campaign waged on fear and lies does not lead to harmonious or happy outcomes. It makes not only a mockery of voters but is also illegal.   

The Yes side campaigned positively for an inclusive, more equal society, both ethically and culturally. it took the moral high ground campaigning against food banks, child poverty and the out dated ‘them and us’ culture.

The nationalists have hijacked the conversation with the yes sides’ positive campaign. Meanwhile Scottish Labour is now a Monument rather than a Movement.

Iain MacWhirter compares 2014 to the Summer of Love in 1967 - when social and political landscapes were changed forever, ' The old order of deference, conformity, convention was swept away by a colourful tide of positivity and sometimes wacky togetherness.'

Scottish Independence is a journey we have taken massive leaps towards. As it becomes clearer and clearer how unworkable devolution is - and with the SNP, Greens and others now holding the narrative, it is only a matter of time on the road to Independence.  

Ten years ago I wondered was devolution enough but not today. Scotland's voice has woken up from centuries of silence and apathy and of believing our voices made no difference - and will not now be easily silenced. Many now realise they can have a voice and can shape their future.