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Rab_oRuglen

Listed below are comments made by Rab_oRuglen between Monday, 28th April 2008 and Friday, 25th July 2008.

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Will they, won't they? 4:13pm on 25 Jul 2008 Off topic I know, but is it not time that one of the many circulation-falling "national" newspapers in Scotland adopted the SNP as their cause. With so much of the print medium going down the pan you would think at least one of them would give it a try.

I haven't bought a newspaper regularly for years as I am sick of their anti-SNP political coverage. Would buy a pro-SNP one though.

Just a thought.
Duly elected 07:21am on 25 Jul 2008 This victory is worth so much more than the one-offs in the west central belt previously, great though they were. This represents a breakthrough built on a substantial foundation of experience, experience that can only come with time.

No other party leader would have had Alex. Salmond's courage in predicting a win in such a seemingly safe Labour seat. The man is both inspired and inspiring.

Surely this must herald the beginning of the end of Labour's stranglehold on Glasgow and the west. It is much deserved and long overdue.

Never mind Labour, Brian, the BBC is going to have to up its game too. Again, long overdue.
Think the unthinkable 4:39pm on 09 Jun 2008 Thank goodness. A search for a "solution" to the problem has begun rather than just repeating the old mistakes.

The current "prohibition" situation is doing nothing other than providing the circumstances for organised crime to establish itself, just as it did in America in the 1920's with alcohol. Think I'm off-beam - consider last year's gun battles in Main Street Cambuslang - Cambuslang for God's sake - what else do you think that was about?

Surely we should all be allowed to go to Hell by the means of our own devising?

And yet, oh yes and it's a big AND YET - I've seen (at second hand) the damage hard drugs can do to a friend, just about anything should be done to avoid that.

This committee has a grave responsibility on its hands. I do not envy them. But maybe, just maybe, it would be worth giving some of their more "adventurous" ideas a try.
Substantive respect 6:17pm on 27 May 2008 Yes, the Dewar philosophy on the constitution rested on a paradox. How can Scotland have effective Devolution without the West Lothian Question leading to a dilution of Labour's ability, when in power nationally through its Scottish vote, to exert control in a predominantly Tory England?

The answer is it can't, without breeding resentment in England.

The present devolution settlement is also deficient in that the Scottish Parliament does not have sufficient powers to protect itelf from a hostile Westminster. (Note the current witholding of funds due to it caused through differences in the policy of "personal care" and the threat of large-scale witholding of the block grant if local income tax is introduced here. These are but two current issues of Westminster's bullying of the Scottish parliament.)

I have never herard any reasonable argument from Labour supporters justifying the imposition of a Labour Government on Tory England through its Scottish elected MP's, but they seem to think it a reasonable price to pay for this privilege for Scotland getting shafted every time the English working class reject them in favour of the Tories. Which the English working class appears to be about to do to a near unprecedented level.

If Scottish Labour think that they will somehow eventually convert the English to "socialism", they are sorely misguided and I for one do not think the price the Scots have paid for the experiment is worth it.

No, to my mind there is absolutely no justification for a continuation of this unequal Union with all its contradictions. I am fully for the English people regaining their sovereignty and allowing them to govern themselves as they see fit. As a bonus I am convinced that the Scots will benefit immesurably from regaining theirs.
Burns an' a' that 06:03am on 24 May 2008 "Cuddly" Dave Cameron, in reality yet another right wing Tory yob, is being presented as a traditional "one nation" Tory.

As the Scots will undoubtedly experience to their disafvour, that nation will be as in all previous cases - England.
Look to the future 09:42am on 20 May 2008 Dear Site Moderator,

Would you please give brigadierjohn's and Thomas_Porter's email addresses to each other such that they could correspond directly, rather than having to use the medium of this blog.

I am sure there would be others besides myself who would be very grateful.

Thanking you in anticipation.

Rab_oRuglen
Look to the future 09:30am on 20 May 2008 I think the reaction from Westminster on the control of elections in Scotland is just another indication of the mean-mindedness of that administration, which seems to seek to frustrate the Scottish parliament and the aspirations of the Scottish people at every opportunity.

We have seen an unwarranted deduction from the Scottish block grant due to the free care for the elderly policy in Holyrood, they have threatened to remove further money if Holyrood pursues its local income tax policy, there have been apalling comments about the "McChattering Classes" and "parallel universes", Westminster has hijacked the Constitutional Review and now an arbitrary decision that Westminster retain control of the election procedures - after the debacle of the last Westminster-controlled elections. And this from the party that instituted devolution in the first place.

My fear is that we have seen nothing yet. Just wait till the tories are in power in England after the next election.
Fuelling talks 4:02pm on 28 Apr 2008 Well, well, well. From number 4 item in the news to "Westminster politicians falling over themselves to help". Would it have happened if the SNP were not in power?

Perhaps, but not nearly so quickly methinks. Oh, that and suddenly North Sea oil does have a value after all.

Damn, if the English Treasuary gets to hear of this they will want it all for themselves.

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