tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post3799834935324877310..comments2024-03-29T05:24:12.453+00:00Comments on call me ishmael: The Sunday Ishmael 28/03/2021call me ishmaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14369028864168461729noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-1480942433886900252021-03-31T23:25:52.784+01:002021-03-31T23:25:52.784+01:00I don't see this independence thing happening....I don't see this independence thing happening. When push comes to shove, the tribesmen will vote with their wallets (or is it sporrans). If it ever did come about, apart from the financial hit, any native with any skills would be on the next train south, so there would never be any recovery. And I don't see the EU touching this for the reasons Mr Yardarm described. Rhodesia was a sad case; the British Govt managed to take the jewel in the crown in Africa and destroy it within a few short years by handing it over to Mugabe at the Lancaster Gate conference. A deliberate act of bastardry by Lord Carrington.Mikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-69610992719696350232021-03-31T22:54:37.568+01:002021-03-31T22:54:37.568+01:00Spot on, mr yardarm. Europe is disintegrating, as ...Spot on, mr yardarm. Europe is disintegrating, as the original members of the EEC all face disgruntled ethnic minorities and splinter regions within their own boundaries. For the same reason that Europe could not give Britain a good Brexit, they cannot reward Scotland for seceding from the United Kingdom. Sets a shockingly bad example.<br />I do fear UDI, but the furthest the SNP has gone is to threaten Indyref2 (goddamned baby talk - the second referendum on the issue of Scotland withdrawing from the Union) with or without permission from Westminster. Should such a referendum demonstrate a large majority in favour of secession, then UDI looms as a possibility, just as it did in Rhodesia, when UDI was justified by the Rhodesian government on the grounds that the dispute between the British and Rhodesian governments regarding the terms under which the latter could become fully independent,was overly protracted.<br />It would be a shame, I think, quite apart from my personal interest in Scotland remaining in the UK, I believe Scotland would struggle for decades to establish a successful economy and the sort of comprehensive welfare, health and security infrastructure that they currently enjoy as a member of the United Kingdom.mrs ishmaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-10228998045679490062021-03-31T18:38:51.567+01:002021-03-31T18:38:51.567+01:00The toadish bloater, MacMugabe Salmond is desperat...The toadish bloater, MacMugabe Salmond is desperate to regain his entitlement to take Scotland into UDI versus his protege, Gnasher, who is hoping to gently float Scotland into independence on a raft of the Covid dead.<br /><br />But would the EU fund the meal ticket of an independent Scotland. Even assuming the money was there and they wished to throw it down a Scottish drain, would Spain vote for a lead Catalonia might follow ? Would France over Corsica or Italy over Lombardy ?Yardarmnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-61792403841412132672021-03-31T12:56:22.030+01:002021-03-31T12:56:22.030+01:00All that, mrs i, and lockdown is lifted and we can...All that, mrs i, and lockdown is lifted and we can therefore expect deaths to start to rise again in about 17 days or so.mongoosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-62919216083383154762021-03-31T10:54:24.355+01:002021-03-31T10:54:24.355+01:00The Great Alec is capable of spinning on his arse ...The Great Alec is capable of spinning on his arse and fielding some constituency candidates, of course. He is banking on Sturgeon having lost popularity over her exposure during the Inquiry, and on nationalists wanting to flock to a male leader. Maybe you are right and there is more dirt to be dragged out which would further damage the SNP. She is pressing her Covid advantage and getting daily publicity for her briefings. He is standing on the list, so is expecting to get back into Parliament, without risking standing in a constituency, which he lost last time. <br />Exciting times.<br /><br />mrs ishmaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-8732659854280747552021-03-31T00:00:16.354+01:002021-03-31T00:00:16.354+01:00My quick-and-shockingly-dirty analysis, mrs i, yie...My quick-and-shockingly-dirty analysis, mrs i, yields the following Regional MSPs elected via the lists:<br />Labour 20<br />Cons 23<br />Reform 1<br />Green 5<br />SNP 4<br />LibDem 1 <br />Independent 2<br /><br />So the Regional cake is surprisingly small for the Nationalists, unless they gain a lot of Regionals this time. Which seems unlikely (but Mr Fish would know better than do I). He has to hope that the SNP constituency vote is smashed AND then hope to split the Nationalist Regionals. Will there be a great Regional Alba surge? I can't see why there would be.<br /><br />This is all terribly silly because it isn't quite that bad for Nicola just yet, is it? I think it's not, and hence why we should prepare ourselves some further unpleasantness. Prepare yourself for a smoking gun and some fingerprints.mongoosenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-35302511133453503192021-03-30T23:00:39.213+01:002021-03-30T23:00:39.213+01:00Salmond's intention is to hold the balance of ...Salmond's intention is to hold the balance of power in the next Scottish Government, a position currently held by the Greens, who are a nationalist party, and who have supported Sturgeon in an informal coalition of sorts - that's why she won the vote of no confidence. Salmond is not fielding constituency MSPs and his intention is to scoop up everyone's second vote - so they'll vote SNP with their first vote, then vote for the other overtly nationalist party, Alba, with their second vote. So that will cut into the list vote of the SNP and the Greens. This will require them all to be nice to each other in order to achieve their nationalist agendas. <br />Saw the Leaders Debate tonight. All fairly tame stuff. Sturgeon is resting on her popularity as a Great Covid Crisis Leader. Salmond wasn't invited on as his party is too new to be included.mrs ishmaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6065998731267025499.post-17720811281805769232021-03-30T11:29:47.225+01:002021-03-30T11:29:47.225+01:00Well, mrs i, it can only split the McFreedom vote....Well, mrs i, it can only split the McFreedom vote. Even if it does so perfectly - 100% constituencies for Mrs Fish and 100% of the list vote for Mr Fish. In that event, some of her power becomes his. Or does it? The idea of a "super-majority" is an odd one. Where does that come from? Will anyone seriously vote for either the SNP or Alba who wasn't going to vote for the SNP before? I think not. And therefore the whole exercise is an internal Pythonesque schism that will do nowt but wrap chips in due course. <br /><br />It also fills the vacuum until the beans can be spilled to best effect. Ho hum. Twenty-odd days to go. I wonder what it will be. She surely hasn't been so silly as to tinkle the ivories and leave a trail?mongoosenoreply@blogger.com