Monday, April 21, 2014

Devo nowt

Labour's devo-nano proposals are, to be fair, an advance on the kind of thing envisaged by the Michael Kelly faction. But the claim made by Better Together that they amount to a "guarantee" of "more" "powers" for the Scottish Parliament is simply untrue in any real sense and within any meaning of the word "power" that I know of.

Leave aside the impossibility of the "guarantee". We're not being offered any more power. We are just essentially to be allowed to collect our money from ourselves in a pointlessly complicated, more costly, inefficient way (by a new kind of tax) in order that things are more "transparent". Fair enough, perhaps. Nothing wrong with responsibility. Except, as I say, for the otherwise pointless cost and complexity. It adds nothing material to anything at all.

Don't, of course, take my word for it. Read what Johann Lamont told Durham's Northern Echo newspaper:

"Ms Lamont urged people in the North-East not to believe 'propaganda' about extra powers and riches heading to Edinburgh.
...
[She said] 'Scotland has a fixed budget. Our choice is about how we spend it. I can understand people in the North-East hearing about the fantastic things going on in Scotland, but that other side of it is never spoken about.

Scotland will not be getting more money, it will simply be accountable for raising more of its money. I hope that dispels some myths.'"

Doesn't it just?

Friday, April 18, 2014

It doesn't take a weatherman


A petty, small-minded Scot, on holiday in France, watching their TV and noticing that they do things differently, just like we used to do, writes: "No. HERE'S the bloody weather":

Thursday, April 17, 2014

YouYesYet?



"YOU YES YET?™" asked Greg Hemphill a few weeks back. Far, far too fantastic a rallying cry not to be on posters in windows the length and breadth of the country.

So, you can download here a single pdf file comprising eight A4, high resolution versions of the above in a variety of colours to appeal across the political spectrum. You can choose which ones to print off and display or distribute. For sharing online or otherwise, you can download the following jpegs:

Monday, April 7, 2014

A question of morals

Module: Ethics and Society
Paper 1

Please answer all questions, giving reasons for your answers.

Question 1 (a)
You are asked by your elderly, housebound neighbour if you will get some messages for him and you agree. He hands you his shopping list. On it, you see that he has asked you, amongst other things, to go to the newsagent to collect a pornographic magazine for him. Do you agree to do so?

Question 1 (b)
On the way, he texts you and asks you also to get him a copy of the Scotsman. Do you agree to do so?

Question 1 (c)
On leaving the newsagent, which publication do you hide inside which?