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| Poor Wee Scared Baby Scotland. |
(I hope you don't mind me using and spreading this....)
Ever since the independence referendum was announced, Scotland has witnessed an outpouring of bile, negativity, scare mongering and bitterness from the anti-independence parties. The positive case for the Union and Cameron's repect agenda have cleared off as quick as a Catholic bishop who's blundered into a Gay Pride march.
The Unionist tactic is clear enough, throw enough mud and hopefully some will stick. This wee list of scare stories and myths is not comprehensive, there's not enough time in the day for that. Feel free to suggest others in the comments along with a rebuttal. I'll keep adding myths and scare stories to this list.
Non-commercial use of this article is positively encouraged. Feel free to copy, quote or share. You can also download a print ready PDF - click here to download. Thanks to BigRedRock for the PDF and download link.
Abandoning the English: We'd abandon the English to decades of Tory rule.
The Stewart Lee argument, the rightful role of Scotland is to act as an airbag to help protect non-Tory voters in England from the car crash of the Conservatives. For Scotland it's a bit like being asked to be a fireman who's constantly called upon to put out the flames in an arsonist's house. Even if every single Scot voted Labour, we still couldn't prevent people in Buckinghamshire from playing with matches. We tried that all the way through the 80s, and a fat lot of good it did anyone then, it was arson a go-go with Maggie Thatcher.
Under the FPTP system beloved by Westminster, Labour, the supposed alternative which is meant to protect us against the Tories, finds that the only way it can get elected is to offer Daily Mail readers free matches and a bonus can of petrol. After 18 years of Thatcher and Major, we got Tony Blair with his American zippo lighter that left Iraq in flames. Tories whatever way you look at it.
However Scotland votes, the electorate in England will still have their Tory car-crashes and a pyromaniac Labour party. Scotland's chances of getting the government we want get exploded like an airbag across Stewart Lee's mug. The best way for Scots to help our anti-Tory English friends is to offer them a concrete example of social-democratic government in action. We can only do that with independence.
Alex Salmond: Alex Salmond stirs up divisions.
I'm sure he has his moments, it's only human to occasionally imagine seeing those who annoy you deep-fried in lard and served up on a platter along with a Mars Bar, and His Eckness has been the object of a concerted campaign of vilification in the Unionist media. But Alex Salmond is not personally responsible for the desire for Scottish independence. This isn't his show, this show belongs to 5 million of us. Alex Salmond didn't get to become First Minister of a majority administration because he voted for himself.
The focus on Alex Salmond is insulting to the intelligence of the Scottish electorate. The implication is that we're too stupid to realise we're being taken in by a snake-oil salesman. However Scots have already realised we've been taken in by snake-oil salesmen - the problem for the Unionist case is that they're all in the Westminster parties.
Read the rest at NewsnetScotland >>
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