1/27/2006

From Disillusionment To Hatred



Hello,

As readers from the 'tripod year' will be aware I was once a member of the Scottish Socialist Party. Imagine for a moment, Clairwil keen as mustard attending the odd meeting every time I remembered. You don't know just how close this country came to revolution!

Anyway the first few meetings I attended were fantastic. There were debates, questions and interesting speakers. With hindsight it was all going too well. I can't say I wasn't warned, everyone seemed to take the view that they admired Tommy Sheridan but thought his party were complete and utter nutjobs. I would look at them, my eyes full of missionary zeal saying 'oh but you're wrong'.

Then I went to a meeting where a man asked me the following in front of a room full of startled onlookers 'what are you going to do to bring about a socialist Scotland? Well I had no idea what to say. My education has been sadly deficient in many areas and I'm afraid it hadn't even touched on the means by which I personally would bring about a socialist republic. I tried laughing in a manner which suggested the answer should be obvious, unfortunately that came out as a giggle. All eyes were on me, the seconds that felt like hours ticked onwards. I could not think of a single word to say. Eventually a gentleman and I mean a real gentleman intervened, explained that none of us had joined the moonies and that it was a stupid question.

I shall not go into great detail about the women's meeting mainly because it was the most traumatic politics related event of my entire life. I merely made the point that cracking down on prostitution would only drive it further underground and make things worse for prostitutes. For that heinous crime I was patronised, then abused and finally told that I was 'right-wing' and 'anti- feminist'. At no point did anyone put forward a reasonable argument in a reasonable way. I did not hate women before that meeting and I did not hate women afterwards. I do, however hate that repellent, dogmatic, hysterical gaggle of thick feminist bitches. I hope every last one of them expires painfully from womb cancer and has their corpse gang banged by wolves. I am not bitter.

I stuck with them for a bit longer and kept paying my subscription until they sacked Tommy Sheridan for being accused of having had sex. At that point I left. I thought I might still vote for them in the future but no longer wished to be actively involved. I cringed at the sight of new leader Colin Fox as he strutted up and down Argyle St dressed as Robin Hood campaigning during the May general election. And you thought George Galloway on Big Brother was embarrassing.

If you are or have ever been left-wing you will probably have been accused of being 'loony left' or a silly idealistic fool at some point. For example my brother used to call me a 'free the bum and ban the bomb merchant' before locking himself in the bathroom and singing 'Rule Britannia'. My brother is a Liberal Democrat. There is a long history of eccentricity in my family. Naturally as a black clad fifteen year old Marxist I did not see the funny side of this behaviour at all. Now I think it's hilarious, apart from Rule Britannia. That is a red rag to the Clairwil bull. Though I concede someone sitting on the toilet singing it is funny.

There is a point to all this. The SSP have decided for reasons that utterly infuriate me that Scotland requires a new flag. Not for any sensible reason, like another country has turned up with the same flag or a wee change. No, nothing so sensible. Apparently it's a 'dated relic'. I concede that it's older than last week however this is an insufficient reason to change it. It is also a 'Christian symbol' which does not reflect the beliefs of the secular majority. Oh yes and we also have a sizeable Asian population who are not Christian.

Like Colin Fox, Ayub Khan is also very concerned about this issue, stating 'Whenever I change my car I stick the Saltire badge on the back. I also wear the Saltire on my T-shirt when I go to Pakistan. 'I have two identities, my first is as a Muslim, and my second as a Scot. I’m proud of the Saltire and don’t think it should be changed.' Gosh! poor Colin must be furious, He's just spent all that time and energy talking to Scotland's Asians, finding out they're hopping mad about the flag and Ayub Khan of the Multi-Faith Coalition goes and spoils it.

I realise that the Saltire has it's roots in Christianity, however it is more widely associated with the legends surrounding the battle at Athelstaneford. Or here's a theory most people just think of it as Scotland's flag and don't give it's origins much thought. As a flag I like it, it is both simple and memorable, which is all one can ask of a flag really. The proposal is that it should be scrapped and replaced with a rainbow flag to reflect our cultural and ethnic diversity. What the fuck for? For a start the ethnic make up of a country changes over time, how will the rainbow flag remain relevant to future immigrant groups? Secondly there are other counties far more ethnically diverse than Scotland, what if they want a rainbow flag as well?

The whole suggestion is nonsensical. Fox is a fuckwit. Come the next Scottish elections I urge the electorate of Scotland to ensure he gets the boot.

Cheerio

17 comments:

iLL Man said...

When Sheridan stood down, he took with him any credibility the party might have had. I'm almost certain Tommy could start again and leave muppets like Kane and Fox to do their 'merry prankster' bit so that hate faced old shit Joan Burnie has something to write about. Where would that old hag be without George Galloway?

Clairwil said...

You're right. By the way if you hate Joan Burnie you'll like this sadly defunct website,
http://www.scottishmediamonitor.com/index.cfm

Old Mother Burnie! Tee hee!

iLL Man said...

Thanks Clairwil. It's been bookmarked.

Anonymous said...

by the way u guys know when Tariq Ali coming to scotland, he is a well known guy, a should know but a don`t so thought ask you "Clairwil" as you have some interset in politics.

Boring Dude

Clairwil said...

I've no idea sadly, however I'd like to see him, so if I find out I shall update you.

Anonymous said...

Why dont you just fuck offf and die you idiotic scotch birch. you take ober ENGLAND and refuse BRITAIN. you just wine wine wine and just take how long will we have to taje this stealing.

Anonymous said...

At least she can spell. And write coherently in an interesting and witty manner.

Anonymous said...

"[A]nd finally [I was] told that I was 'right-wing' and 'anti- feminist'".

Don't worry, you get used to it after a while.

Anonymous said...

If you are or have ever been left-wing you will probably have been accused of being 'loony left' or a silly idealistic fool at some point."

Can I presume you now see that there is usually justice in that accusation?

To be honest I have never understood how anybody with a working brain could possibly be taken in by clowns like the SSP, I mean isn't their stupidity so obvious?

Tommy Sheridan is also a nutjob, it is just the other nutjobs in his party make him look better than he actually is. I remember watching Sheridan on BBC's Newsnight program being interviewd by Gordon Brewer where Armani man was saying - after it was announced Mottarolla were closing their factory - that the mobile phone industry in Scotland should be nationalized. The ease with which Brewer made a fool of Sheridan was staggering; he just looked a total tit.

The SSP is for political adolescents of any age, if you don’t like the adult world then their brand of infantile politics is for you. Myself, I prefer to stick with the grown ups regardless of how badly they are currently faring.

alan said...

I enjoy a nice cup of tea with a digestive biscuit sometimes.

iLL Man said...

I don't see how having left wing beliefs is tantamount to being an idiot. I'm sure that isn't quite what Clairwil was getting at. The SSP are a bunch of fools, but they needn't be.

You sound terribly grown up to me. Maybe I can be like you when I grow up.

Anonymous said...

"I don't see how having left wing beliefs is tantamount to being an idiot. I'm sure that isn't quite what Clairwil was getting at."

Well I didn't say "having left wing beliefs is tantamount to being an idiot", merely that the brand of infantile politics that the SSP espouses is something only idiots could buy into. Clairwil's account of the meetings she attended tells you all you need to know about the kind of people that the SSP attracts.

"You sound terribly grown up to me. Maybe I can be like you when I grow up."

Well maybe, but you will have to learn to read things a bit more carefully first.

west coaster said...

Flags! You know what we should do with flags? We should burn every last fucking one. Flags are for politicians, cowards, and nitwits to stand behind. Fuck flags.

iLL Man said...

Sorry, thought you were having a pop at lefties in general rather than the SSP goon squad.........We're a sensitive bunch you know.

Clairwil said...

Good heavens! I turn my back for a day and come back to an array of comments. Thank-you everyone.

Anonymous
"Can I presume you now see that there is usually justice in that accusation?"



I can see why people make the accusation, however what saddened me about my time in the SSP was that there were a number of perfectly reasonable, intelligent people in the party whose voices were drowned out by the 'Broadmoor' wing.

"To be honest I have never understood how anybody with a working brain could possibly be taken in by clowns like the SSP, I mean isn't their stupidity so obvious?"


Well it is now. I was drawn to them because I felt that some though by no means all of the policies they were putting forward were reasonable and likely to benefit people were they to be implemented. With hindsight I should have done a bit more research, however I have no regrets. Some lessons are best learned the hard way.



Calm down West Coaster! They're only flags for heaven sake. I don't see the harm in them.

west coaster said...

my apologies, Clairwil. I realise now that it is bad manners to rant on someone else's comments. i promise only to rant in my own space in the future.

Clairwil said...

No need to apologise, Westcoaster. What's a blog without the odd rumpas in the comments box?