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12 hours ago, bazil85 said:

My tuppence worth on the Alex Salmond party and overarching situation. 

- I feel he is likely right in this new party will garnish a larger pro-yes majority of MSP's in May, rightly or wrongly depending on your view, there will be a percentage of SNP voters and possibly others in favour of Indy that will select them for the list & I can see that returning overall more pro-indy MSP's. 

- I can't call an SNP majority either way, my gut does say they'll likely fall a wee bit short but I certainly wouldn't bet on it

- Overall, it may appear favourable for our next Scottish government regarding views on independence (super-majority might be pushing it) but I feel regarding any following referendum it would do more harm than good having Salmond back in front-line politics. 

Don't you think they are both tainted?

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8 hours ago, Bud the Baker said:

Just to make things clear I do not regard myself as being exclusively an SNP supporter, I am also a Zapatista and currently at war with Mexico. :fire

Once I have achieved Independence for Scotland I intend to sail to Hawaii with my harem :wub: and join the fight to achieve independence from the USA. From there we will sail to mainland USA and liberate the Spanish speaking regions and form an Anarcho-Socialist-Green state dedicated to free love.

That's my bucket list...🎁

need to be dun by saturday remember................... theres a gammie oan.

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9 hours ago, jaybee said:

Don't you think they are both tainted?

I don't think the SNP are tainted, I think a lot of what's happened really is political bluster which isn't uncommon (sadly). Are they perfect and blameless? Absolutely not. Is any political party? Also no. 

Best of a bad bunch up here would be my summary. I hope for the days of a stronger Greens for my 1st and 2nd vote. 

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3 hours ago, bazil85 said:

I don't think the SNP are tainted, I think a lot of what's happened really is political bluster which isn't uncommon (sadly). Are they perfect and blameless? Absolutely not. Is any political party? Also no. 

Best of a bad bunch up here would be my summary. I hope for the days of a stronger Greens for my 1st and 2nd vote. 

Actually that's where I'm leaning too but they need to get a bit less mental first.

For example, the 60% upper tax level is ridiculous, the insistence on having two leaders, one of each gender is deeply patronising and looks fake, the insistence on keeping the old Forth Road Bridge shut when there are traffic jams each day on the other bridge (long term I want to see car levels reduced but for now both bridges are needed) and then you have the whole wokism and vegetarian/vegan thing.

They've got a wee bit to go for me but the whole environmental thing and public transport push is appealing. I also do support the idea of full equality of treatment for everyone. Other parties are just not focussed on this stuff enough but the Greens are a wee bit too extreme right now for my votes to go to them but I am very open to switching to them if and when they calm down a bit. I'd love to give them both of my votes at some point. I really love the idea of a Scandinavian culture here in Scotland and the Greens might be the party to deliver it.

Edited by oaksoft
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5 minutes ago, oaksoft said:

Actually that's where I'm leaning too but they need to get a bit less mental first.

For example, the 60% upper tax level is ridiculous, the insistence on having two leaders, one of each gender is deeply patronising and looks fake, the insistence on keeping the old Forth Road Bridge shut when there are traffic jams each day on the other bridge (long term I want to see car levels reduced but for now both bridges are needed) and then you have the whole wokism and vegetarian/vegan thing.

They've got a wee bit to go for me but the whole environmental thing and public transport push is appealing. I also do support the idea of full equality of treatment for everyone. Other parties are just not focussed on this stuff enough but the Greens are a wee bit too extreme right now for my votes to go to them but I am very open to switching to them if and when they calm down a bit. I'd love to give them both of my votes at some point. I really love the idea of a Scandinavian culture here in Scotland and the Greens might be the party to deliver it.

Yeah I agree with all of that. I would love a strong, sensible Green party in Scotland with practical and reasonable policy but more importantly, reflective policy of where we are right now, they can't solve all the environmental issues overnight, magic wand style. What we need is a progressive, innovative and patient Green party.

My fond hope is within two decades we will have a Green party that I'd be happy to give both votes to and Green politics becomes a leading force globally... Maybe a bit ambitious TBF but I do feel a country like Scotland could partly lead the way in future cohorts of nations moving to Green. 

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Interesting to see NS suggesting the Tories were looking to cut funding to Scotland and BJ claiming there are no such plans two hours later - the Barnett Formula has been under scrutiny by the right wing of the Tory party since 2014 (the day after the referendum IIRC :rolleyes:) if not before.

*********************

As an aside the Scandinavian model relies on much heavier overall taxation than here in the UK and if their higher Income Tax rates remain below 60% the relative income levels at which higher rates kick in are a lot lower than the UK, it's also interesting to note the income spread of the Scandinavian countries riches → poorest is a lot less in these countries too in comparison with the UK.

Green policies have to go alongside higher taxation and radical societal change or else it's just fuzzy NIMBYism!

Edited by Bud the Baker
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1 hour ago, bazil85 said:

Yeah I agree with all of that. I would love a strong, sensible Green party in Scotland with practical and reasonable policy but more importantly, reflective policy of where we are right now, they can't solve all the environmental issues overnight, magic wand style. What we need is a progressive, innovative and patient Green party.

My fond hope is within two decades we will have a Green party that I'd be happy to give both votes to and Green politics becomes a leading force globally... Maybe a bit ambitious TBF but I do feel a country like Scotland could partly lead the way in future cohorts of nations moving to Green. 

Yes and there's huge potential for big business in it as well if we can aim to become a global renewables and recycling innovation hub (both research and development with potential for some manufacturing as well). I'd definitely like to see Scotland more involved in driving innovative environmental solutions worldwide.

IMO this is the sort of vision for Scotland I'd like to see Sturgeon promoting for IndyRef2. All this nonsense about EU membership, currency, pensions and borders at Gretna are all either total distractions or short term problems easily fixed. None of them are exciting to talk about. We need a better vision of what she sees for the country in 20-50 years time which can only be achieved or best achieved through independence. There's just a total lack of an exciting vision from the mainstream parties IMO.

There's also scope for pharmaceuticals manufacturing too BTW. And software development of all kinds - not just games development in Dundee.

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On 3/28/2021 at 10:28 PM, faraway saint said:

Bribery, the new tactics from the SNP.

A "free" laptop or device, including free broadband for every child. 

If they change it to a free holiday abroad I'm in. 😂😂😂

Aye just when the schools are going back, you couldn't make it up.

Maybe they could channel the resources into fixing the shambles they have made of education in Scotland.

Its such a political decision its embarrassing

Edited by lenziebud
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10 hours ago, bazil85 said:

I don't think the SNP are tainted, I think a lot of what's happened really is political bluster which isn't uncommon (sadly). Are they perfect and blameless? Absolutely not. Is any political party? Also no. 

Best of a bad bunch up here would be my summary. I hope for the days of a stronger Greens for my 1st and 2nd vote. 

I have nothing against a party such as the SNP utilising peoples  pride of  being Scottish; although I don't (personally) think separating from a union  you are physically part of to become an even smaller part of a larger union such as  the EEC makes any sense. I think I might also prefer the Greens in charge. 

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25 minutes ago, jaybee said:

I have nothing against a party such as the SNP utilising peoples  pride of  being Scottish; although I don't (personally) think separating from a union  you are physically part of to become an even smaller part of a larger union such as  the EEC makes any sense. I think I might also prefer the Greens in charge. 

The Greens are as much for independence and the EU as the SNP.  

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3 hours ago, portmahomack saint said:

The Greens are as much for independence and the EU as the SNP.  

Perhaps you misunderstand my view which is if the people of Scotland truly want independence from the UK then go for it, I think it is NOT a good idea and to my mind the way Salmond and Sturgeon propose it it; is especially NOT a good idea. Europe has about as much chance of succeeding as a kibbutz has in a brothel. What Scotland needs as a leader is someone of the ilk of John Smith, Gordon Brown or even Jackie Baillie, not for their political views but for their innate love of their home land.

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6 hours ago, jaybee said:

Perhaps you misunderstand my view which is if the people of Scotland truly want independence from the UK then go for it, I think it is NOT a good idea and to my mind the way Salmond and Sturgeon propose it it; is especially NOT a good idea. Europe has about as much chance of succeeding as a kibbutz has in a brothel. What Scotland needs as a leader is someone of the ilk of John Smith, Gordon Brown or even Jackie Baillie, not for their political views but for their innate love of their home land.

Ha ha. Aye. Their homeland being the United Great British Isles of Great Britain Sod Johnny Foreigner where’s my fried breakfast and roast dinner in Spain Kingdom. 

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We live in an interesting, entertaining political period.

I look forward to hearing more from...

...The People's Front of Scotland, the Scottish People's Front, the Campaign for a Free Scotland , and the Scottish Popular Front...   among a multitude of other schisms...
...and I wonder how each of their leaders will pronounce their alternate names, in the Gaelic.

 

:)

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On 3/28/2021 at 10:28 PM, faraway saint said:

Bribery, the new tactics from the SNP.

A "free" laptop or device, including free broadband for every child. 

If they change it to a free holiday abroad I'm in. 😂😂😂

It's part of the ScotGov's Digital Strategy for Scotland that has been going on for nearly a decade.  The laptop and broadband bit has been known about for quite a while, for those who are interested enough to look, and has been on the ScotGov's website.

 

Will political parties time announcements to suit their own agenda?  Of course they will, nothing new there and no more of a "bribe" than any other party's "promises".  ALL politicians are basically the same as "used car salesmen".

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17 minutes ago, antrin said:

We live in an interesting, entertaining political period.

I look forward to hearing more from...

...The People's Front of Scotland, the Scottish People's Front, the Campaign for a Free Scotland , and the Scottish Popular Front...   among a multitude of other schisms...
...and I wonder how each of their leaders will pronounce their alternate names, in the Gaelic.

 

:)

I think they are all pronounced "FREEDOM!!!" in Gaelic. :whistle

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11 hours ago, jaybee said:

I have nothing against a party such as the SNP utilising peoples  pride of  being Scottish; although I don't (personally) think separating from a union  you are physically part of to become an even smaller part of a larger union such as  the EEC makes any sense. I think I might also prefer the Greens in charge. 

It's such an emotive subject for many and I think half the battle (for me anyway) is removing that emotion, we could talk on the subject for pages but for now I will give you a really important point for me on the size of Scotland globally, in the EU/ UK/ anything else.

I often think people look at an independent Scotland and think it would be much weaker as a world power than the UK & that's a bad thing. For me it's not at all, Scotland doesn't need to emulate the world force the UK is (was to an extent, for me there is a slight sense of hanging onto an ever shrinking relevance in a changing world). We don't need a chair at the top table, a big army and a big say on global politics and issues IMO. What we should be aiming for is a small, green, progressive, innovative and inclusive nation. Oaks mentioned the Scandinavian countries and that's exactly it for me. 

If in 20-40 years time Scotland were a largely energy self-sufficient nation with a comparable quality of life to a Norway of a Sweden (pandemic excluded) I would be delighted at what we were leaving future generations. I don't need Scotland to have a major say in EU policy or to be a leading force in global stability or security, it's just not practical for a nation our size and dare I say it, the UK going forward either. What I do need from Scotland is trailblazing in environmental stability, a return to what we once were in education, innovation and progressive thinking as well as a nation with inclusive governance and an ever improving quality of life for it's people. 

I personally think that's probably only possible as an independent nation but is a long way off and will require the right governments and options going forward. I am largely undecided on the overarching question of independence because of the governance as previously mentioned but I don't think all of this could not become a reality in a generation or two as an independent nation, I think it would be far harder remaining in the UK under pretty much two party politics that right now, I can't put a fag paper between. 

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1 hour ago, antrin said:

We live in an interesting, entertaining political period.

I look forward to hearing more from...

...The People's Front of Scotland, the Scottish People's Front, the Campaign for a Free Scotland , and the Scottish Popular Front...   among a multitude of other schisms...
...and I wonder how each of their leaders will pronounce their alternate names, in the Gaelic.

 

:)

Just as well you didn't include The Popular front of Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿.... We hate they B%$%%%%'$ more than the Tories :argue:

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1 hour ago, antrin said:

We live in an interesting, entertaining political period.

I look forward to hearing more from...

...The People's Front of Scotland, the Scottish People's Front, the Campaign for a Free Scotland , and the Scottish Popular Front...   among a multitude of other schisms...
...and I wonder how each of their leaders will pronounce their alternate names, in the Gaelic.

 

:)

I’ll send you a bag of wolf nipple chips and a couple of ocelot spleens. 

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