Soon to be accompanied by border guards and customs if Salmond has his way

I originally wrote the following as a comment on this BBC News article regarding the current tiff between Holyrood and Westminster over a referendum for Scottish Independence. Unfortunately, the BBC don’t make it clear there’s a (fairly short) limit on the number of words/characters in comments so I thought I’d shove it up here instead.

I’m English born of Scots and Welsh parents. I grew up predominantly in England (Newcastle and Bradford) with a short stint in Scotland and now live and work in Glasgow where I reckon I’ll be settling for the very long term.

I also dislike the Tories and the current UK government. However, I dislike Salmond and his hyperbolic rhetoric even more. I find myself amazed to say this but I fully support Westminster – and the Conservatives – on this matter.

While part of me does see a future for 16/17 year olds getting the vote in general elections they – as yet – cannot. As such they should not vote in any referendum. The simple reason for Salmond wanting them to do so is that they are, at that age, very reactionary and nationalistic. There is nothing wrong with being proud of your country but I can’t accept that this would allow them to help make an informed choice in such a vote. It would, however, help Salmond’s cause.

I also seriously doubt the maths which “prove” that Scotland could survive financial independence. I am prepared to be corrected, but have these figures been published and confirmed by an independent body?

By all means have the referendum, but Salmond must be prepared to do it within the existing rules. He can’t go making his own up until/unless they win – and even then, they have stated, it will only be taken as an advisory vote as to the opinion of the country. Not, as people seem to be thinking, the immediate departure of Scotland from the UK.

We are a United Kingdom. Our strength comes from that unity. Much as there is rivalry amongst the countries and separate national identities we’ve worked wonders as a nation combined. I also agree with other viewpoints that the departure of Scotland from the UK shouldn’t be a decision for Scotland alone. It would affect the other three nations every bit as much and they should have a say – based on the results of the referendum – as well.

It has the potential to be a hugely historic move. But would it be a good one? I wholeheartedly doubt it.

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The Scottish Question

Mr Russell,

I would be glad if you would clarify your statement on STV this evening that, I quote, “‘The actions of the Government and Local Government along with the new deal with teachers will ensure there are more jobs next year.”

I ask as your own figures state that there will be a drop of 1057 jobs this year. Far be it from from me, as a Computing teacher, to tread on the toes of the Maths or English departments to argue numbers or semantics, but I usually associate a “drop” with a lessening, i.e. resulting in a lower number. Not an increase, as the word “more” implies.

Or, dare I say it, are you just lying to the public in a bid to gain support while you destroy our education system?

Many thanks, (etc.)

If you want to ask him yourself, he’s available at Michael.Russell.msp@scottish.parliament.uk

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An open letter to Mike Russell

Secretary for Business and out-of-touch sleazebag

People my age will remember the old days when someone would tell you off for something, and the response would be to tut and say “it’s a free country”.

Well those days are coming to an end and there’s no worse example of why than the new Digital Economy Bill unveiled today. How do you fancy these for powers:

• Your internet can be cut off if someone in your household is suspected of filesharing. No evidence or proof is required nor formal charge need be brought
• ISPs are forced to snitch on you or face a fine of up to £250,000
• Accused of filesharing? £50,000 please – even though it might not be you that’s done it
• These rules not working? The the Business Secretary (an unelected role) can make up any new punishments and regulations as they see fit. Just for a laugh.
• Eavesdroppers funded by “rightsholders” (that’ll be our friends in the movie and music companies) who will be able to freely poke around your internet traffic, data, usage patterns and then demand that you remove files, block websites and so forth. Privacy? What privacy?

Then there’s some stuff about a rejigging of the games ratings system which actually isn’t that bad as it takes the BBFC out of the loop. This means, hopefully, that games may be more evenly rated and unlikely to be banned.

What’s amusing is that this whole mess is the brainchild of one Peter Mandelson. Mandie came up with this great idea after a free holiday in Corfu paid for by Geffen. Who happen to be one of the aforementioned rightsholders. Of course, he’s saying this is coincidence.

We are being told to behave ourselves and to follow rules and not steal stuff by a man who was forced to step down from government not once but twice due to his inability not to be a sleazy little dick.

This whole bill is a travesty. It’s the digital equivalent – worse, even – than speed cameras where you’re guilty until proven innocent. The only winners here are the near-sighted media corporations who are too old-fashioned to embrace a new technology and instead seek to stifle it while they continually fail to catch up.

Please, check out the articles linked below. And if you feel as I do then go to the Number10 website and sign the petition. Of course, this makes the assumption that the government we elected actually give the faintest damn about what we have to say.

Not something I think most of us believe to be the case these days.

If you at all doubt the government’s integrity or my attack on it then bear in mind that when they announced the Bill, it was with the statement that it had 99% support of British ISPs. Have a look at the man who started the petition. He’s TalkTalk‘s head of strategy and development. BT, if I recall correctly, threatened legal action if it went through. The ISP industry as a whole announced it’s “disappointment” with the wording of the Bill as it stands.

Hardly 9% support, let alone 99%.

Related articles by Zemanta

• UK Digital Economy Bill As Bad As Expected; Digital Britain Minister Flat Out Lies About ISP Support (techdirt.com)
• BREAKING: Leaked UK government plan to create “Pirate Finder General” with power to appoint militias, create laws (boingboing.net)
• Protests grow over digital bill (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Was the Digital Economy Bill Consultation a Whitewash? (torrentfreak.com)

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Say goodbye to your internet

Ammunition, not foodstuff

Oh joy of joys. Much as I don’t tend to follow the violence route, it was a giggle to see Nick Griffin being egged by protestors outside of Parliament today. His petty bleatings afterwards that they weren’t allowed to protest against recognised political parties (erm… yes they are, Nick) only overshadowed by the way he ran away like a scared bunny.

I don’t like Labour. I don’t like John Prescott. But I do still admire the guy for sending a very impressive punch into the jaw of the guy who egged him on the election trail a few years back.

Nick (or, as far as he’s concerned, his bodyguards) then proceeded to drive at two of the protesters who are now in hospital. According to Griffin, it’s their fault for getting in front of his car. In the same way that WWII was the Jews‘ fault. Not that any of them were killed – not according to Griffin the Holocaust-denier anyway.

Oh, yes. And let’s not forget his claims that the protest was funded and organised by the Labour Party. And supported by the rest of the political system. And that the police were ordered to stand clear and not interfere.

Of course there is absolutely no evidence of this whatsoever. Griffin can’t seem to get it into his strangely-shaped skull that people are capable of despising him and what he stands for entirely on their own. They don’t need organised political aid to realise he’s a fetid little rat.

Mind you, we are talking about the BNP – the party who, a week ago, claimed their web servers had been hit by one of the largest DoS attacks ever organised. Which was not even an exaggeration, it was simply plain wrong. Evidence points to a cockup at the server end or simpy that the system couldn’t cope with an increase in demand very shortly after their pathetic party political broadcast had just been on television.

I swear, the BNP are more paranoid than a room full of conspiracy nuts high on marijuana who happened to be in a certain tunnel in Paris when a certain car crashed.

Nick, it’s not paranoia when everyone really does hate your guts.

Related articles by Zemanta

• BNP Leader Nick Griffin Pelted With Eggs (news.sky.com)
• Protesters halt news conference by far-right party (ctv.ca)
• Two People In Hospital After BNP Protest (news.sky.com)

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Should we egg him on?

Democracy FAIL

You know, it’s sad to waste a vote by not using it. It’s even sadder to throw it away on something you know nothing about. But it’s disgraceful to use it to support a cause that tens of thousands of people lost their lives fighting against so recently.

Somehow the BNP gained three council seats and two European Parliamentary seats in the recent election. What a travesty. Fat Hitler and his little SS youth now get a say in how our country is run. I don’t think some people realise exactly how much influence Europe has over the laws that end up controlling our country. And thanks to the nigh-on one million people who voted for them, these jumped-up fascists are going to help shape (or more likely warp) them.

I heard a couple of soundbites on the BBC earlier and they pretty much summed up what I honestly believe make up the entire BNP voting contingent: protest-voters who just didn’t think, and the racist brain-dead brigade.

The former:

“I just wanted a change after all the rubbish our government have been giving us recently. All the expenses stuff and the economy – we just need to go in a completely different direction.”

Not the exact wording (sorry, I was in the car), but spoken in a forthright “I’m being interviewed for the radio, hear me roar” kind of manner. Someone who wanted to sound like they’ve done the right thing… and they haven’t. Yes, we need to kick the government into touch. Yes, we realise the Conservative Party are just as bad… but there’s “going in a different direction” and there’s “throwing away our dignity”.

This is the political version of cutting off your nose to spite your face. If the council says you can’t build a 10′ high fence round your property, you don’t put a minefield in as an act of protest. You find a middle ground. See how far you can go – maybe 6′. Then paint it bright green with pink flowers. That makes a point without causing your poodle to explode when it goes out for a pee.

Category two was just unreal. The woman quoted honestly sounded like she had to think really hard to remember to breathe – incidentally something I doubt she used her nose for. At least her windows at home would be clean. I reckon she licked them on a regular basis:

“It’s cos of the white British workers, innit? It’s just not fair. There’s no jobs for them and it’s not fair. I mean, it’s just not fair is it? Havin’ no jobs for white people. It’s not fair!”

The last three words delivered with as much a petulant whine as when my little cousin didn’t want to come in for dinner yesterday. Only she wasn’t incorrectly blaming every non-white, non-British person for the unfairness.

So the two main sets of BNP voters – the disillusioned and the deluded. Person A, I don’t think realised exactly how filthy the option he chose was. Person B, I don’t think realised how to spell “X” and had to get help in the voting booth.

Still in any doubt as to the “calibre” (oh, how loosely I use that term) of the rancid filth who now have a toehold (and an income from) one of our major governing bodies? Well, have a read about Andrew Brons, the BNP MEP from Yorkshire and the Humber. Aren’t you glad that we’re now partially represented by a man who believes that bombing synagogues is a great idea apart from the fact that it wouldn’t be good PR? Well done, Yorks and Humber.

What’s perhaps worst is that all of this could have been avoided if only recent governments had done their job. Immigration is a huge issue and something that concerns the public in general. However, it’s an issue that’s been at best ignored and at worst just messed about with like a plaything over the last few years.

I’m sure I’ve stated here and I will continue to do so – I am not against immigration. We’re a nation of immigrants. We’d be a poorer country without it, and these days to some extent we need it. Courtesy of bottom-feeders like Voter B above, we have estates full of drug-addled scum who have no interest in working a day in their lives. So foreigners get the work. Qualified dotors from India and Sri Lanka take medical positions. Poles pack envelopes. Chinese people collect mussels (OK, maybe not the best example).

But the thing is – good on them. Because they’re prepared to work. Imagine how hard it is to get a medical degree in the UK with loans and so forth behind you. Now imagine how much harder it must be in, say, Sri Lanka (which incidentally has a very highly-regarded medical school). I’d happily be treated by a doctor from Colombo. Just because the guy’s skin is a different colour doesn’t make him a poor GP.

Given the tax burden the government has been building up on high earners in the UK, we’ve suffered a brain drain. IT contractors left in a mass exodus around ten years ago as they flocked to the US. They had to be replaced from somewhere. Other high earners will follow. If it means filling the gaps with Indians or Americans or Aussies or Thais, I don’t care. If they’ve worked hard enough to be qualified then they’re good enough.

They’re people.

Another issue which has caused anger is positive discrimination and this is something I also have a severe dislike of. However, once again, this is a policy issue that needs addressed. It is not a race issue. There are two situations – one where non-British or non-whites actively take advantage (“play the race card”) and those where it happens unwittingly.

An example of the latter first. There are three candidates for a position. Two score 80% in exams, one scores 75%. But he’s coloured and the “rules” state that there must be a certain quotient of coloured people in this position so he gets the promotion. This guy may not even know about this. He just knows he sat the exams, passed and got the pay rise. As such, how is this his fault?

The thing is, this isn’t just a race issue. It happens across the gender divide as well. Plainly put, it’s wrong. An example I give is that I don’t want a blind one-legged black woman climbing a ladder to rescue me from a burning house because government policy states that the local force had to hire a disabled coloured lesbian to balance the minority books. I want the best, most able person they have doing the job – whatever they look like and however their parts fit together.

On the other hand, we have – as I put it earlier – the “race card” crowd. These people I do take issue with but again it’s because we let them, but it’s not every single non-white who’s guilty of it. The problem is, we’ve become too soft. By shouting “you’re only arresting me because I’m black!” as you’re dragged off for punching your girlfriend in the street (or for assaulting a traffic warden, as happened a few years ago in Bradford) you’re being an idiot. You’re making your own people look like fools.

But the worst part of this is that it works. We back off. We’re scared of causing an upset. Why? By being lenient we’re saying “hey, it works” and the problem perpetuates.

Everyone should be equal in the eyes of the law. This means punishing people for the same offences in the same way, regardless of colour. If someone told you that you could get off with a warning by claiming you were only arrested for being ginger, or overweight, or wearing a particular football shirt would you go for it? Of course you would. Well, by being lenient to avoid being called racist, we’re sending out the same message to non-whites.

The thing is, not all of them will use it. Unfortunately, the few who do give their entire community a bad name. It’s like saying every white kid who wears a hoodie is a junkie who wants to steal your cash and happy-slap you. It’s just not true.

We don’t need to treat Asians, South Asians, Africans, etc as different. That’s what’s caused the problem. Equality means making things equal. Not trying to redress a perceived imbalance by tipping the scales in the opposite direction. If we don’t positively discriminate and a group complain too much – and in an illegal manner – come down hard on them. If they don’t like it then they are welcome to “go back where they came from”.

However, if people are prepared to live by our laws, to speak our language (another belief of mine – live long term in a country, learn the language) and to work for a living then I don’t give a damn where you’re from. Welcome. Live here. Work alongside me.

On the other hand, if you want to proclaim your hatred for other people because they look different, or because they’re taking a job you’re too lazy to do – get the hell out of my country.

This means you, Nick Griffin. You and all the white trash sucking up our tax money with free accommodation because we’re too soft to tell you “no”.

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Democracy FAIL

The BNP - they worship my cock

It’s European Parliamentary election day in the UK tomorrow. If you’re thinking you won’t bother voting, I’m begging you – at least pop down to the local centre and pop a piece of paper in the box to help prevent the BNP gaining any territory.

With the mess the incumbent government have made, it’s easy to want to get rid of them. The Tories and Lib Dems have also had their fair share of dodgy MPs as far as the expenses thing is concerned. But that’s no reason to turn to fascism, racism and – eventually – a divided nation and a divided Europe.

Think before you cast a protest vote. Think not about who you’re protesting against but also who you could be lending your support to. And then think if they really deserve it.

My grandad fought so that Hitler wouldn’t take over our country. It would be an insult if you supported a party comprised of many little wannabe Hitlers.

I don’t care who you do vote for. Just don’t vote for this filth.

Don’t believe they’re racist? Then check out the following:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nBiCymtchA

Don’t believe they’re cunning, and that they haven’t changed despite their slightly glossier new look? Check this one – at least they’ve learned how to use “spin”:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bfwdNAT8sWU

There are loads more videos on YouTube and plenty of other sources out there.

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A vote for the BNP is a vote for him

Spot the smug racist

Clear Channel are an advertising company. They have chosen to accept money from the BNP and provide advertising space for them in the run-up to the European Elections. I would urge anyone to get in touch with them via the email addresses, snailmails and phone numbers on this page and inform them that you will be boycotting any and all other companies who use Clear Channel as their advertising partner.

I note that the name of the PA to the Regional President is somewhat non-British. I wonder how they feel about their employer providing advertising for the largest group of organised racists in Britain?

While I am all for free speech, any company has the right to decide where they want to get their money from. In a way, that’s them using their freedom of expression. A publisher doesn’t have to print a book decrying Islam should they choose not to. Likewise I’d not expect a printers run by and for Christians to print copies of Anton LaVey‘s Satanic Bible. In the same way, Clear Channel did not have to accept the BNP’s cash in exchange for advertising space.

All it takes is a quick email to let Clear Channel know that people aren’t exactly pleased.

I did get a (form) reply back regarding this so it seems they must have had a few emails already. I do thank them for the response, and I can accept their viewpoint that every party has a right to be heard and advertised at the standard rates. Where my view would differ, though, is that a party is not a normal customer. It has certain viewpoints and beliefs which it stands for. To help them express those beliefs shows either some agreement by the advertising company(I am not saying this about Clear Channel)  or – alternatively – an attitude whereby they don’t mind as long as money’s coming into the coffers.

While all political parties have a legal right to be heard, no company is obliged to accept that advertising. By refusing to be a part of the BNP’s campaign, Clear Channel could have made quite a statement.

If Clear Channel had not accepted the advertising budget, I’m sure someone else would have. It’s business after all. I just find it sad that cash is coming before principles, as is all too common in the world today.

If you’re not aware of the BNP, how about the following as some recent zingers from their membership?

“Rape is simply sex. Women enjoy sex, so rape cannot be such a terrible physical ordeal… [it] is like suggesting force-feeding a woman chocolate cake is a heinous offence.” – Nick Eriksen

“I honestly don’t hate asylum seekers – THESE PEOPLE ARE COCKROACHES and they’re doing what cockroaches do because cockroaches can’t help what they do, they just do it, like cats miaow and dogs bark.” – Mark Collett

“This wicked, vicious faith has expanded from a handful of cranky lunatics about 1,300 years ago, to it’s now sweeping country after country before it, all over the world. And if you read that book (the Koran), you’ll find that that’s what they want.” – Nick Griffin on Islam

“A FRIENDLY DISEASE because blacks, drug users and gays have it.” – Mark Collett on AIDS

“WHITE WORKING CLASS SCUM will be swept away by a future BNP government.” – Simon Smith

Actually, if the last one means “chavs” or “BNP members” then I can kinda see the appeal.

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Clear Channel and the BNP

Or, perhaps, what has it already gone to? I’ve only been back her a week or so and I’m sick of the place already. Don’t get me wrong, life up in Perth with the folks is laid back and relaxed. But there are things which just don’t feel right and news stories that are driving me nuts.

A daft one to start with. All of the bins along the main road into Perth have been removed. If there’s somewhere you expect to see a bin, it’s by a bus stop. They’ve all gone. So rather than pay someone to empty them, someone’s decided that they’ll just take them away. Maybe they’ll be replaced, but I doubt that very much. I might look into this and see if the council have an answer.

[Update: the bins are back - new ones. So only bad planning, not a removal of a public service]

Then there’s a budget and the general economic mess. Gordon Brown refusing to apologise and people making more fuss over some potential letters to “smear” some other sleazeballs. As if we don’t have enough problems without parlimentarians calling each other names. Pathetic. I wouldn’t trust these overgrown schoolchildren to cook their own dinner, let alone run a country.

The decision to only allow about 100 Gurkhas to apply for residence is a complete disgrace as well. We hand out millions each year to lazy, good-for-nothing, workshy filth who can’t even be bothered to look for a job… and turn our backs on people who fought for our country every bit as bravely as any British soldier. Disgusting. I don’t think there are words strong enough for me to describe how repugnant we must seem to push them away as we are.

If we’re bothered about “thousands” of people trying to move here then the solution is simple. Check their military record and if they were a Gurkha, let them in. And stop giving money to the chavs who just spend it all on drugs, booze, fags, crappy gold jewellery and Sky TV. Let those bastards starve until they find a job. That’s not what these brave men fought for, nor my grandad, nor anyone else.

And a final one. Just one incident, but similar things have happened before, and recently. A young girl, 11 years old, shot while queuing for an ice cream on Merseyside. The shooter described as being about 16 or 17 years old. Shot her then cycled away.

What. The. Fuck.

I am so thankful she seems to be OK as far as shooting victims go, but it just staggers me that something like that can happen in this country. An isolated incident, a one-off by a loony.. OK. But this kid was part of a gang, and it’s happened in the past. How can this keep happening?

In a week that’s seen St George‘s go by with barely a blip outside of some mentions on Twitter and the like, I should have been proud – for a day – to be English. Instead, I’m ashamed. Not to be English as such. But of the state my country has fallen into.

Yes, I know England‘s just one part of Britain but I see myself as both English (born) and British (bred). They are, to a large extent, one and the same to me. And I’m saddened at the state I find both of them in now.

Is it too late to dig ourselves out of this hole? I genuinely think it is, short of some kind of major upheaval in the social and political systems of this country. We need someone in charge who’s not afraid to strip away the last 40 years and get back to some serious basics. Strip people of a lot of their “rights” (criminals, chavs, filth who run our streets, politicians…) and make people realise that they can’t get away with this any more.

Because right now they can. And will. And do.

And that’s just not good enough for my country.

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• Fury over Gurkha settlement plan (news.bbc.co.uk)
• Girl, 11, shot in ice cream queue (news.sky.com)

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Seriously, what is this country coming to?

Useless cunt

Thanks to the government for getting all techie and allowing us to set up petitions on their own website. Thankfully, someone’s made good use of this and added a petition which covers a lot of bases. I urge any registered UK voter to “sign” it:

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to resign.

I don’t expect the stupid, one-eyed, Scots bastard (I’m going to cop it from the RNIB for that one) to pay the slightest bit of attention. Politicians never do, unless public opinion goes the direction they’re already looking anyway, but it would be nice to let him know how much he’s reviled. I don’t think they’re hiding our PM from the real world in much the way that George W.‘s rose-tinted glasses portrayed him as not universally despised. How that guy didn’t top himself I’ll never know.

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• Jeremy Clarkson apologises for calling Gordon Brown a ‘oneeyed Scottish idiot’ (telegraph.co.uk)

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Gordon Brown – kindly fuck off

One of these men is a fucking idiot, the other I have hope in

For the first time since I was about 12, I think I’d rather be living in the US than the UK.

I’ve spent all day with BBC News in the background and it’s depressing. So many jobs going, hard-working people being forced onto the dole pile and the pound diving lower almost every minute. My upcoming trip is going to be a lot more expensive than it would have been only 6 months ago.

However, one pair of statements really made my ears prick up.

First up was the Labour plan to exempt MPs from having to disclose their expenses. After all the fuss in recent months regarding those very people screwing us over because they knew they could hide it, what on earth made them think it would be a popular move with the voting public to legalise hiding such details?

Amazingly, though, their own MPs and Conservative opposition actually made loud rumblings against it and it seems it won’t get through – assuming they don’t find another way to bury it. Given the whole Freedom of Information thing, any fiddling would all come to light anyway. Just too late for us to to anything other than point fingers But to try and hide it all in the first place… pathetic.

Completely the opposite was Obama‘s first statement as President. All wages of high-earning White House staff have been capped. The giving and receiving of gifts (*cough*bribes*cough*) banned from lobbyists to members of the Administration. Outright. No more can lobbyists walk into an administrative position and work on anything to do with what they used to lobby for. Likewise, no member of staff can walk out and into a lobbying position against the Administration.

Sheer common sense, but unfortunately simple guidelines that have been ignored in the past. Now they’ve been put into place formally so that hopefully a reduction in corruption will follow.

Essentially, while our government throws a hissy fit about not being able to be secretive, the US government has announced a plan to be more transparent than it has been for decades. As the title says – this is a bit backwards to the last few years, isn’t it?

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Role reversal