I think you make some important points here and your impressions of both JS and GM-K fit with what I've seen, am learning and have heard from others who know them from either party membership or personal meetings at events. I'm reminded of moths flying around a lamp, entranced by the light and unable to wrench their gaze away to see the real moonlight that they should be flying towards.
In the meantime, I really think the SNP (and hopefully the Greens if they don't lose the plot as previously) need to start doing some serious preparations on the ground for Scotland to be able to launch as an independent, self-determining nation, at least in the fields of currency, payment systems and energy, at very least in setting up or facilitating "shadow" organisations that can be activated quickly to deal with these things in the event of a pro-independence vote in our own (not WM) referendum on the matter; my impression is that there's been zero preparation for the logistics and infrastructure needs of such a move, given a hostile neighbour who has the valves, switches and supply routes in hand. Best wishes.
Quite a lot of that infrastructure already exists. We have a parliament, a government, and an exchequer. We have the tax/benefit machinery. We have numerous regulatory authorities. Anything we don't have can be put together readily enough using the experience of others. None of this is new. It has all been done before, many, many times.
I would draw to your attention UN Resolution 1514 (3)
3. Inadequacy of political, economic, social or educational preparedness should never serve as a pretext for delaying independence.
We are no longer following a mirage or a will o' the wisp....we are following the NEW yellow brick road.....follow..follow ..follow..follow the yellow brick road...hoppity skippity in oor wee tartan skirts.. ( ref Wizard of Oz..same tune) and that road leads to the wizard ..hiding behind his tartan curtain at Holyrood making loud noises aboot independence while the wicked witch of the South is threatening and calling him a liar.
The wicked witch seems tae have some problems himself...so this is just the time tae throw water over him and declare...we are off!...fight amang yerselves sassenachs.....Scotland is FREE!..She has a heart ,brain ,courage and lots of resources and disnae need you b*st*rds anymore..not that she ever did..tongs ya bass!.....( auld Glesga warcry......we're comin tae kill ye!)
I read the latest Believe in Scotland newsletter....in a choice word.... crap.
I had a flash of inspiration last night..sort of what happened on the road tae Damascus....the Scots electorate voted for the party representing independence in large numbers... agreed?..so done ..we are independent..nae section 3 and half insanity that the demented foreign english thought up..what nation on the planet would accept having to jump thro hoops and over hurdles to prove they want to be free....exactly you've got ..nobody. So we are free...the sunlit slopes of Success beckon us to the Celestial City called INDEPENDENCE. Ignore the devious and shi**y polls...another mirage thought up by the demented foreign english and if you believe them you are suffering from dementiacolonisation..there is a cure ..you shout f*ck the foreign english add ...I believe! I believe ! in UDI and you are cured......
.....and the pantomime goes on.....
For OUR Scotland and there's no place like home weans....
The integrity and good-health of any given organisational-construct supersedes everything else in the managerial universe. It can be argued that the integrity of the organisation is essential in order to carry-out its stated aims, not to mention its continued existence. The problem surely arises when the integrity and good health of the organisation is given centre-stage to the detriment of the organisation's stated aims and policies. I give you the trade-unions as an example.
The first question that should be put to anybody (such as BiS representatives / Gordon Macintyre-Kemp and SNP representatives / John Swinney) claiming to have a plan or process or methodology or scheme to enable the exercise of Scotland's right of self-determination and/or restore Scotland's full self-government is:
Who holds sovereignty in Scotland?
a) Westminster Parliament
b) Scottish People
If the answer given is not b) then you know that the respondent(s) either i) don't understand the concept or ii) are charlatans.
My ex used to say 'ask yourself what this task or activity that you're about to do, does to take you nearer to achieving your desired goal'? Her point being that if it doesn't take you closer, then it's a distraction and often a pointless waste of time and energy. I've often thought that many of the initiatives and activities of the independence movement is just running on the spot and preaching to the converted. This might go some way to explain the slow growth in numbers of those favouring independence ( and possibly the decline in support for the SNP). How many people have been convinced that independence is necessary because they've driven under a flyover and seen a bunch of nice people waving saltires up top or seen their high street full of marching people chanting 'what do we want?.... Independence....when do we want it?.... now!!'?
To my mind it would be much more productive using every means at our disposal to persuade the undecided, to rebut and challenge like Rottweilers, every unionist lie and faux reason they spread that fools people into thinking we're 'better together' and to vigorously defy every infringement or undermining of our rights and resources. Raising awareness of our colonial exploited status should also be part of that mix
To play with the 'road' analogy...I think we need noisier, faster cars and decent drivers that know the shortcuts and rat runs and ...a canny plan to get around the precarious hairpin bends! Like the 'Italian Job'...but much more 'The Scotland Job! 😄 🏴)
The thing is, your "more productive" strategy is exactly what the independence industry claims it has been doing all these years when there has been no sustained increase in support for independence. Look at the claims Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp makes for BiS! Aording to him, BiS is massive and very active. Yet there is nothing to show for all this effort.
What is missing is not the desire for independence but belief that it can happen. That is why a credible plan is crucial. I have likened the present situation to the independence industry selling independence as if it were a glorious holiday destination. They have the glossy brochures with the vivid images and even celebrity endorsements. All of which makes people want to go there.
The problem is that there is no information about travel arrangements. No departure date or flight details. Nothing! No wonder people aren't signing up!
I have seen through MacIntyre-Kemp for a long time. Business for Scotland, Believe in Scotland are both the same. They don't even hide it now. In my mind they are both SNP Quangos, they have denied it to me trying to put me down, so I replied with wrong word then tell me the right one. End of conversation.
I think you make some important points here and your impressions of both JS and GM-K fit with what I've seen, am learning and have heard from others who know them from either party membership or personal meetings at events. I'm reminded of moths flying around a lamp, entranced by the light and unable to wrench their gaze away to see the real moonlight that they should be flying towards.
In the meantime, I really think the SNP (and hopefully the Greens if they don't lose the plot as previously) need to start doing some serious preparations on the ground for Scotland to be able to launch as an independent, self-determining nation, at least in the fields of currency, payment systems and energy, at very least in setting up or facilitating "shadow" organisations that can be activated quickly to deal with these things in the event of a pro-independence vote in our own (not WM) referendum on the matter; my impression is that there's been zero preparation for the logistics and infrastructure needs of such a move, given a hostile neighbour who has the valves, switches and supply routes in hand. Best wishes.
Quite a lot of that infrastructure already exists. We have a parliament, a government, and an exchequer. We have the tax/benefit machinery. We have numerous regulatory authorities. Anything we don't have can be put together readily enough using the experience of others. None of this is new. It has all been done before, many, many times.
I would draw to your attention UN Resolution 1514 (3)
3. Inadequacy of political, economic, social or educational preparedness should never serve as a pretext for delaying independence.
https://resolution1514.yale.edu/resolution-1514-0
We are no longer following a mirage or a will o' the wisp....we are following the NEW yellow brick road.....follow..follow ..follow..follow the yellow brick road...hoppity skippity in oor wee tartan skirts.. ( ref Wizard of Oz..same tune) and that road leads to the wizard ..hiding behind his tartan curtain at Holyrood making loud noises aboot independence while the wicked witch of the South is threatening and calling him a liar.
The wicked witch seems tae have some problems himself...so this is just the time tae throw water over him and declare...we are off!...fight amang yerselves sassenachs.....Scotland is FREE!..She has a heart ,brain ,courage and lots of resources and disnae need you b*st*rds anymore..not that she ever did..tongs ya bass!.....( auld Glesga warcry......we're comin tae kill ye!)
I read the latest Believe in Scotland newsletter....in a choice word.... crap.
I had a flash of inspiration last night..sort of what happened on the road tae Damascus....the Scots electorate voted for the party representing independence in large numbers... agreed?..so done ..we are independent..nae section 3 and half insanity that the demented foreign english thought up..what nation on the planet would accept having to jump thro hoops and over hurdles to prove they want to be free....exactly you've got ..nobody. So we are free...the sunlit slopes of Success beckon us to the Celestial City called INDEPENDENCE. Ignore the devious and shi**y polls...another mirage thought up by the demented foreign english and if you believe them you are suffering from dementiacolonisation..there is a cure ..you shout f*ck the foreign english add ...I believe! I believe ! in UDI and you are cured......
.....and the pantomime goes on.....
For OUR Scotland and there's no place like home weans....
The integrity and good-health of any given organisational-construct supersedes everything else in the managerial universe. It can be argued that the integrity of the organisation is essential in order to carry-out its stated aims, not to mention its continued existence. The problem surely arises when the integrity and good health of the organisation is given centre-stage to the detriment of the organisation's stated aims and policies. I give you the trade-unions as an example.
Trade unions are a very good example of this phenomenon. But it happens in all organisation - unless management takes steps to prevent it,
The first question that should be put to anybody (such as BiS representatives / Gordon Macintyre-Kemp and SNP representatives / John Swinney) claiming to have a plan or process or methodology or scheme to enable the exercise of Scotland's right of self-determination and/or restore Scotland's full self-government is:
Who holds sovereignty in Scotland?
a) Westminster Parliament
b) Scottish People
If the answer given is not b) then you know that the respondent(s) either i) don't understand the concept or ii) are charlatans.
My ex used to say 'ask yourself what this task or activity that you're about to do, does to take you nearer to achieving your desired goal'? Her point being that if it doesn't take you closer, then it's a distraction and often a pointless waste of time and energy. I've often thought that many of the initiatives and activities of the independence movement is just running on the spot and preaching to the converted. This might go some way to explain the slow growth in numbers of those favouring independence ( and possibly the decline in support for the SNP). How many people have been convinced that independence is necessary because they've driven under a flyover and seen a bunch of nice people waving saltires up top or seen their high street full of marching people chanting 'what do we want?.... Independence....when do we want it?.... now!!'?
To my mind it would be much more productive using every means at our disposal to persuade the undecided, to rebut and challenge like Rottweilers, every unionist lie and faux reason they spread that fools people into thinking we're 'better together' and to vigorously defy every infringement or undermining of our rights and resources. Raising awareness of our colonial exploited status should also be part of that mix
To play with the 'road' analogy...I think we need noisier, faster cars and decent drivers that know the shortcuts and rat runs and ...a canny plan to get around the precarious hairpin bends! Like the 'Italian Job'...but much more 'The Scotland Job! 😄 🏴)
The thing is, your "more productive" strategy is exactly what the independence industry claims it has been doing all these years when there has been no sustained increase in support for independence. Look at the claims Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp makes for BiS! Aording to him, BiS is massive and very active. Yet there is nothing to show for all this effort.
What is missing is not the desire for independence but belief that it can happen. That is why a credible plan is crucial. I have likened the present situation to the independence industry selling independence as if it were a glorious holiday destination. They have the glossy brochures with the vivid images and even celebrity endorsements. All of which makes people want to go there.
The problem is that there is no information about travel arrangements. No departure date or flight details. Nothing! No wonder people aren't signing up!
I have seen through MacIntyre-Kemp for a long time. Business for Scotland, Believe in Scotland are both the same. They don't even hide it now. In my mind they are both SNP Quangos, they have denied it to me trying to put me down, so I replied with wrong word then tell me the right one. End of conversation.