An Appeal to the SSP

Dear friends it is good to know that those of us who regret the antics of Tommy Sheridan and his ilk during the plasy year are not alone. An occasional bloger, McHugh, posted the following email to a certain member of the Highland SSP as a plea for them to return to the fold of the SSP and abandon Tommy to his 'soap opera'. I post this with McHugh's permission in the hope that i can draw out some response from SW and to see if there are any regrets at the ill-judged support for Tommy.
I would like to assure any potential correspondents that I am not a member of the special branch - I am a lowly alien in the region. I also know that there are numerous people who read this blog - throw in your line please (unfortunately some are tories or tartan tories - fergie - and they can just crawl away. Let's hear something from those, like McHugh, who are completely hacked off at the work that has been wasted in working for an SSP victory).

To SW (McHugh had called them stalinists)
'Grabbing' isn't Stalinist, but trying to sustain a polical movement that refuses to accept that things have moved on from the 'olden days', a movement that continues to sound virtually barking mad when it screams out the cliched slogans of the old left, is Stalinist. It is especially so when it is controlled by the SWP, a party that has had a disgraceful policy on Ireland and paramilitarism, an economic policy that fits the 1920s not the 21st century, and all the rest of the unreconstructed macho baggage that marks out your new movement as a vessel for ludicrous workerist social reactionaries. The tag, 'beurocratic personality disorder' fits the SWP exactly as they have always used the old fashioned Stalinist means of controlling dissent. We didn't start to place our hopes in the SSP so the SWP authoritarians could start to push us about. Elitism, sexism, political chauvanism and the refusal to accept as equals the non-aligned members of the movement, all the women's groupings, the community workers, sectional interests, etc, all stymied because of the control freakery of the so-called marxists of the movement. I say so-called because they seem to have little that is positive to offer and their claims to a final marxist analysis seems to be rejected by most intellectual marxists on the planet, including most serious marxist thinkers in Ireland.
Sean, you can't imagine how deeply disapponted many of us are at these recent party soap operas. Surely with recent revelations in the press, and apparently more to come, you and Steve must be seriously worried that you have made an error of judgement in backing Tommy on this occasion.
Have a rethink! If you think 'politics is your business' you should declare your mistake and get back to the SSP where you are really needed. We need a productive left up here!

McHugh

Well said McHugh. By the way, the link I put in to the blog on my past post was indeed interesting, but unfortunately I have discovered that the indidvidual who wrote the item is also preoccuppied with 'religion', especially the 'got some magic stones and crystals to sell' variety.. On my red planet we green people threw off the chains of religion a long time ago.
Brzzz!

Is there any hope for the SSP?

Friends
There are some signs that the great ego maniac, Sheridan, is fading fast, or at least his movement is (he may still win the support of his local community and appear in future as an 'independent' in the Scottish parliament - but rest of his gang are out - not even George Galloway can save them). This means that the party will need to reassemble and attempt to renew itself now that it is shot of the macho fools of the SWP. There are many signs of movement away from the dull dinosaurs of the 'workerist' left and towards an inclusive and progressive approach to modern society.
I just wish someone had warned Steve Arnott (Highland ex-ssp convener) that he was backing the wrong horse by sticking with Tommy. He has rushed off, taken all the membership sheep (for that they must be) of the Highland SSP with him, taken £4000 of SSP funds and has condemmned the Highlander population to a left-less future for some time to come.
However, not all seems lost! Here, for instance, is a piece of very thoughtful writing by a dissident within the party.

http://scottishdissidentvoice.blogspot.com/2006/06/ssp-last-18-months-and-rapidly.html


I'm an alien so i don't have a say, and to be honest, if I did I probably wouldn't vote for any of them, SSP or Solidarity. But i do realise from our own dear planet that it is vital that strong, radical voices articulate the needs of the downtrodden, community activists and sectional interests that make up the unrepresented left in Scottish society. If these voices are not heard the working class will drift to fascism and society will continue to exist only to serve the interests of the rich and their lackies, the vile Daily Mail reading middle-class.

Brzzz!

Fergus Ewing - the destroyer of Scottish Independence

Dear Earthlings and Aliens

To conclude this sequence of exposures of the fool Ewing, it is vital that you also know that this right-wing maniac also claims to have more knowledge about the environment than nearly every scientist on the planet (except for a few oddball exceptions such as Lomburg, who denies that there is a global warming problem). Once again, in order to buy votes he is prepared to defy all democratic institutions and the whole scientific world to claim that there are plenty of fish in the North Sea and that his constituents are under threat by a whole planetary conspiracy to fool them into environmentally sound ways of life (basically in fishing there are not many jobs left anyway, only a few rich guys with big boats). Can't he show any qualities as a community leader and prepare his electorate for 'change'? No, the fact is that, far from everyone who disagrees with him being what he calls Luddites, it is, in fact, he who displays all the opportunism, populism and conservatism of the average Daily Telgraph/Daily Mail reader.

He is simply not to be trusted. I would recommend that following the SNP's outrageous drift to the right the Green Party should no longer consider an electoral pact with Ewing's party. The main worry at the minute is that every time he opens his stupid mouth thousands of left of centre voters who may have recently considered voting for independence in a referendum will have been lost to that cause. All I can say to them is that they should stick with their instincts: the Scottish people will realise the folly of voting for Ewing when, in an independent Scotland, the SNP splits in to its proper compents and Ewing and his ilk join what will doubtless be simply called the Scottish Conservative Party - with the 'unionist' label gone forever - oh, it's true - they are already considering it.

Keep left!

Brzzz!

Why you shouldn't vote for the SNP (part 5)

More homophibic bigotry from Fergie. He supports public-sector workers who refuse to do their jobs at a Gay Pride march in class because of their 'consciences'. Now let's see. A worker is employed under legal statutes, statutes which are subscribed to by all the main, non-fascist parties of Eurpope, including the SNP. The constitutions of all these parties, including the SNP, insist on equal rights for all section of society, regardless of sex, religion, race and ... sexuality! This is in the SNP's constitution. These people pay their rates just like the rest of us - in fact they are known to be more economically active than nearly any other part of Scottish society, so why should they be excluded from public services supplied by workers who have accepted contracts - written by councils - run by parties that all subscribe to democratic agendas - but Fergie doesn't agree - again! Again, he knows more than everyone else!

So, if a public sector worker decides s/he doesn't like Asians, blacks, Catholics, or whatever section of the community s/he can simply withdraw his or her labour - and not face any legal or employee accountability processes? What's the difference Fergie? Absolutely none and you know it.

People of Inverness, don't listen to the bigot. Move on, grow up, get over it! Try to be positive about the future, don't kill it with such trivia. I'm not gay, but homophobia is one of the cheapest shots around - shallow, immoral, and utimately fuelled by self-loathing. Why do you homophobes hate yourselves so much? Try dealing with the serious matters, unemployment, privatisation of the NHS, homelessness, inequeality and injustice in the provision of the good things in life. Don't listen to a man who has now taken on the mantle of high priest of the morality of the community. Get on with it before you are swamped by hatred.

Brzzz!

Why you should not vote SNP (part 4)

Let’s kill some animals – for fun!

Fergie Ewing seems to be intent on garnering the votes of a small group of people who enjoy the privilege of terrorising small animals. There is clearly a case for pest management, but Fergus is deeply flawed in his support for the nauseating spectacle of toffs and/or screwed up men chasing after a small defenceless animal and enjoying killing them. Of course, the slaughter of animals with guns is a much more sanitised form of hunting than in those parts of the world where one must get up close to the animal. It is interesting to note that in those societies when an animal is killed there is a ceremony of respect for the animal, and a sense of sadness at having had to kill. Not so here when the vacuos and usually depressed 'men' who hunt for fun draw out their flasks and drink to their own tragic 'success'.

Let's face it, Fergus Ewing is a major status chancer. A man of little intellectual capacity, and less moral standards. If only we aliens were allowed to debate openly and publicly - I would love to just expose him for the idiot that he is.

Brzzz!

Why you should not vote SNP (part 3)

Fergus Bangs ‘em all up!

And after some research it turns out the Fergie has a long history of gross stupidity.
"The problem for society as a whole is what can be done with rapists and paedophiles," he said. "One solution is for them to be held in secure accommodation, such as a hostel. This would make it easier for police, and is a debatable option."

More populist crap from Ewing – he always seems to know more than everyone who has to work in any field. Megan’s law has been a disaster in the USA where offenders have done as the police predicted, gone underground, changed identities, and fallen under the radar of the authorities. And of course, where Fergie is talking of paedophiles he also confuses things in the minds of his voters by making an inferred link between homesexuality and child-molesting - which is a downright lie and deception. If anything, the brainless macho culture he adheres to is potentially more to blaim in the creation of paedophiles, where individuals are reared in an atmosphere of fear and ignorance of sex and sexualuity (and of women), and are not taught that the deepest and most valid moral stance is the principle of consent. Clearly, there are no circumstances where children are mature enough to consent, but when adults are mature enough to consent, whose damned business is it what they get up to in the bedroom?

It is homophobics who are psychologically and morally flawed, not homosexuals. It is bigots like Fergie who are damaging the fabric and values of Scottish society by not challenging macho stereotypes and/or those men in Scottish society who do not understand or subscribe to the principle of 'consent', and are quite happy to knock their wives and kids about because .... that's what men do - isn't it? I don't hear Fergie challenging the men of his community to 'grow up' and stop indulging in the epidemic of domestic violence that scars this society.

Just what is Fergie’s problem? On my home planet we reckon that people who are so indisposed to homosexuality and are actively ‘against’ it, have something to hide. Maybe Fergie should try a men’s group where he can discuss with other educated, intelligent and interesting men how he can get over his fears.

Brzzz!

Why you Should not vote SNP (part 2)

Dear Friends from the Green Planet
It will be clear to you by now that I am breaking the code of non-interference in human affairs by addressing the human population directly, and I accept that this may lead to my being recalled. However, I must intervene as there are so many bigots and morons in leading positions of society in the Highlands that the human polulation is at risk of suffocating in the great, vile smelling ethos of crap that is enveloping them.

My main concern is the SNP bigot, Fergus Ewing, part of a sort of SNP Royal Family who expect a career in politics as a right. Ewing's statement in the Courier in recent days, about the right of gay men and women to adopt children, was one of the most disgraceful pieces of populism I have witnessed sinceI arrived in the Higlands a few months ago. Loving couples, respectable professionals, people with careers and decent human standards should not to be allowed to adopt children, despite the supervision and monitoring systems being the most rigorous in the world. Get over it Fergie! So, you are right but the rest of the Scottish parliament is wrong, and the European Parliament? I think you should resign from the SNP because you are not in accord with the fundamental statements of equal rights that are enshrined in the party's constitution.

It was very disapponting to read that Rosanna Cunningham also was party to paranoid bigotry against the gay community. Is it any wonder with fools like Ewing that the only sign of the gay community in Inverness is an emergency help line, and that there is an epidemic of youth suicide in the area as a result of an overdose of macho hetrosexual attitudes?

As they say on my planet, we don't mind homophobes as long as they don't hurt anyone and do it in the privacy of their own homes.

The people of the Highlands need to move on and Fergus Ewing needs to show leadership, not ingratiate himself with the electorate by playing on their irrational fears.

Brzzz!