Remembering Michael Shea
I am sure you will forgive me if I depart from partisan politics for a moment. Today I am attending Michael Shea's funeral in Edinburgh.
Michael was renowned for many things. A former senior diplomat, he served as press secretary to the Queen for a decade which included the wedding of Prince Charles and Diana Spencer.
A native Scot, he returned to live in Edinburgh where he played an active and enthusiastic role in many Scottish institutions such as the Royal Lyceum Theatre.
His was an inclusive character, inclined to look favourably where he could and to disavow cynicism.
Personable, amicable and charismatic, he had friends and associates ranging from business to the arts, from politics to diplomacy.
This much is known. Let me add a single tale.
'Never retire'
Michael was a prolific writer. His work spread from thrillers to constitutional analysis.
I recall, in particular, one more. Just three years ago, he published The Freedom Years.
I chaired the session at the Edinburgh Book Festival in which Michael expounded upon the content of his book.
With his familiar energy and drive, he explained his thesis that older folk should never "retire". They should banish the word. They should disdain the slump into slipperdom which retirement implied.
Instead, they should adopt new challenges, they should find new activities. They should be busier and more productive than ever, regardless of their revised employment status.
It is simply tragic that aggressive illness and death has prevented Michael Shea from putting his thesis into prolonged, personal practice.
Memento mori.
Still, while he could, he remained active, eager and alert. Scotland is the better for it. He will be missed.
I'm 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~14~RS~)
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I agree completely.. Although I still have a few years to go before my theoretical pension age I am determined that I will not - in the conventional sense - retire. It would bore me rigid and my wife to madness!
So we're thinking of starting a couple of new companies.... Oh hang on.. Gordon's recession and credit crunch now means getting a loan from the bank is probably impossible.
Oh well ... maybe I'll take up knitting instead.
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Where is BBC coverage of sackings, reshuffles, or even jumping in place? I can't find anything about it.
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Scots 'feeling safer from crime'
Not a bad headline but the comment by the Labour guy Richard Baker said the survey showed the Scottish government was soft on crime. He said: "Kenny MacAskill is failing to persuade the law-abiding, hard-working majority that he knows how to tackle crime.
Went on about that some. Now how do people feel safer if Kenny MacAskill is failing? Hmmmm?
And if Scottish crime rates are falling which apparently the are.
Recent figures showed recorded crime in Scotland had fallen to its lowest level in almost 30 years.
Sounds like if that's failure, Mr. MacAskill would be well served to keep up with the failure! Failure now means reducing crime. =)
Mr. Taylor I'm sorry your friend died. I see nothing wrong with a post on it but surely another one on a political subject would be appropriate. Because this is advertised world-wide as a political blog.
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So on BRIAN TAYLOR'S POLITICAL BLOG no one is allowed to mention politics???!!
Oh, BBC. What HAST thou become?
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Brian has the right to give his friend an obituary, just as we have the right to discuss politics on a 'political blog'. I'm sure Brian knows that we will respect his sorrow at the parting of a friend in the same way that he knows that his regulars on this site will continue to forward the cause for a fairer political system in Scotland.
AS many of you know I am a Scot resident in London and I was discussing Scotland with one of my tutors, in college, (mostly in a light hearted way) and I was desperately trying to think of a way in which to express the problems that we have in Scotland. One side of the Scottish national mind says we should leave while the other says we should stay. Then it hit me. The way that the Scots feel (I'm not too sure if a majority feel this way but go along for the ride anyway) is like an abusive marriage. The biggest partner in this 'marriage' is England, bigger in wealth and strength. One would have to imagine that England is the husband. He is domineering and a user and abuser of his wife, Scotland. Scotland, being the good wife for many a year is now getting fed up of her marriage to this bully (in her mind) and is telling him that she wants to end this marriage.
"Why?" says the husband, knowing that he has convinced the stupid woman to stay with him in the past.
"Because you have taken my inheritance and squandered it on your own petty projects, lording it all over the place with your mates and have ignored me and my needs." says the frustrated wife.
"How can you say that when I have looked after you all those years, even before your inheritance came to you."
"Don't give me that," says the wife. "I've contributed more than enough to this relationship and all you have ever done is do me down. I am meant to be an equal partner in this relationship and you have never shown me any respect you have taken whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted, with never a by your leave."
"You don't know what your taking about, woman!" yelled the husband. "Haven't I always given you enough to get by on?"
"I don't know if you have given me enough," retorted the wife. "You've never shown me the books and come to think of it I have only listened to your words because that is all you will allow me to listen to."
The pair stomp off in a huff. The man goes and plays with his mates in Iraq and Afghanistan while the wife sits in the kitchen tearing her heart out with one side of her saying that he loves her and the other side saying that it is time to leave.
Makes you think, doesn't it. I would have added another twist to this story of a marriage but I don't think the mods would like me referring to the intimate side of the relationship.
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What's going on here? Who is referring all these comments?
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# 17 JRMacClure
It looks like someone is referring all of the postings in a fit of anger and the mods, probably rightly (according to the strict interpretation of the rules) deem them to be off topic. Personally, I have never referred anyone as I happen to agree to the principal of free speech. Expect more posting to be referred. If that happens then we will have to find a way around the rules to enable us to discuss politics on a political blog.
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Perhaps this is not the place or time to be debating whether it was right or not to post this blog. If you need to debate the shadow cabinet reshuffle then do it here if you so wish http://debateisfree.blogspot.com/.
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Online Ed Here
One of my referred comments contained the news that Iain Gray had 'shuffled' his cabinet.
I wondered if we would see the BBC be consistent and use the term 'sacked' for those who are no longer part of the Shadow Cabinet, perhaps even demoted for those who clearly have been.
One of the most eyebrow raising inclusions id Jackie Bailie for Cathie Jamieson - a grave error I think.
The old habit of Labour re-introducing former ministers removed for wrongdoing might once again be employed. Incredibly the name in the frame is Wendy Alexander.
What a triumverate - Gray, Murphy and possibly Alexander - a godsend to any comedians.
Meanwhile, in Springburn ..............
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I think a lot of the discussion has simply moved to the previous thread.
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#22. Ed where the HECK is BBC coverage of this shuffle? Darn if I can find it.
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The BBC can go Kiss my...
Absolutely sickened by you waste of space union loving (expletive)!
I remember only too well the 'Sacking' term shoved at the SNP...
...Mon' BBC... Mon' Brian Taylor, bring it on?
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Posts 2 to 14 have all been referred.... strange!
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I love the delicious irony of Rhona Brankin going to spend more time somewhere - wasn't she the one calling for Fiona Hyslop to go ? HoooHaar!
Listening to BBC (Labour)Scotland the main items of news were a fat dog, a rocket that didn't take off and folk in Scotland are less feart of crime (this last bit had a rider of 20% had experienced crime; less anyone thought they were bringing good news about the Scottish Government). Not a word about Holyrood labour fighting like rats in a sack - Still the SNP march on.
I want a refund of my licence fee - the glencampbelly BBC are repeatedly failing to be impartial. How do I go about it? The BBC have my e-mail address I expect a reply.
I humbly apologise to those who knew Mr Shea that I am forced to post under his eulogy. I do hope they understand the reasons.
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Who has referred 2-14 and WHY ? Anybody got the cojones to own up ? I know that as usual I won't be getting an answer from the Moderators that the BBC have employed as to why my post has been removed.
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Aha. The "coverage" appeared and is nothing more than a Labour press release. *shakes head*
Pitiful.
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Well it certainly wasn't me. I read the comments earlier today and didn't see anything wrong, bar the odd comment that may have been off topic. But then this blog is famous for doing that anyway.
But if one person has done this then it is simply spite.
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Online Ed Here
Here, for those who have yet to see clear evidence of 'inconsistency' in BBC Scotland's reporting of all things political, is the headline that followed the replacement of three junior SNP ministers earlier this year.
Ministers sacked in SNP reshuffle
It followed the longest period ever that a Holyrood cabinet had remained unchanged.
Here is the BBC Scotland headline following the Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle today that saw Rhona Brankin replaced and two senior shadow ministers demoted by both having their respective briefs reduced. [ahem]:
Gray: Alexander has 'big future'
Note two things in the SNP story; A string of negative quotes from spokespeople from the Unionist parties [ironic that one of them is Cathie Jamieson] plus a wonderfully negative broadcast from one Glenn Campbell where he uses a selection of old Scots words in order to mock the outgoing junior ministers.
Note [thus far] the complete lack of any negative analysis of Gray's reshuffle, it even has a nice positive headline. The reshuffled tem is very kindly described by the ever reliable BBC as 'revamped'.
No input from Glenn 'Outrage' though ..... yet.
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Online Ed Here
Labour's grassroots admit "18 and 19 year olds despise Labour".
Click Here
They can probably expand that age range quite a bit.
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Wendy Alexander back in the Labour front line?
No doubt she would be as hubristic as she ever was.
BRING IT ON!
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Cathy come home. If Labour don't want you we surely do. Cathy Jamieson was the grass roots choice for leader of Labour in the Scottish Parliament. She relates well to people, talks in language they can understand and sounds like she means and believes what she says. The grassroots were right and Scottish Labour has a death wish.
Is that why she has been removed? Was she a constant threat to Gray and co? Was there an embryo rebellion going on inside Labour and we have just seen a clumsy attempt to nip it in the bud.
I don't suppose we will see any speculation in our "free" press. They have other things on their mind like trying to distort good news on crime into a bad news story.
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I'm not so much annoyed at Nos. 2 to 14 above being referred - possibly by an irate fellow poster or possibly by a godlike mod - as the fact that four hours later not a single one of them has been either removed or restored. This seems to be a growing problem in moderation, with some posts now in mod purgatory for more than a year for no good reason, as remarked yesterday.
It's not as though they were all complex posts with multiple meanings and none to the best of my knowledge contained any possibly offensive words.
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sneckedagain, #34
and she was the funniest thing on Watson's Windup.
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I note that Cathy Jmaieson has not been completely removed. She has just lost half her portfolio to Jackie Baillie who has taken over at Health due no doubt her healthy lifestyle and the years of total silence with which she dealt with the last Labour administration's incremental destruction of the Vale of Leven hospital in her constituency.
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Good blog: Were one to analyse Nick Griffin's demeanour and opinions, one would conclude that he is the result of some sort of genetic splicing experiment involving the DNA of Adolf Hitler and Richard Nixon. With maybe some Richard Littlejohn and Jeremy Clarkson thrown in just for the hell of it.
http://macnumpty.blogspot.com/
This usually a good one to peruse.
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Online Ed @31
Perhaps the difference in coverage reflects the fact that the SNP reshuffle was of ministers whose decisions could affect the lives of everyone in this country of ours, whilst the Labour reshuffle is of a shadow cabinet whose decisions have absolutely no affect on the lives of anyone in this country?
i.e. Labour are currently irrelevant as they are not in power, and as we are not in an general election campaign the have no opportunity to get in power either.
The poor state of Labour party may be of great interest to those who read this blog, but I honestly think it's irrelevant to most Scots, and as such deserves little coverage.
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Online Ed Here
My feeling on the referred comments is that it is the mods and not a complainer.
Someone has been irked at the criticism aimed at Taylor for both the nature of this latest 'blog' and the fact that he along with the entire Scottish media are pretty much ignoring the by-election campaign.
Labour have had three main campaign themes; local man, automatic jail for knife carriers and Glasgow rip off.
SNP have two main themes; 74 years of Labour failure and a strong Scottish voice to fight cuts.
On the periphery there has been the continuing recession, swine flu, drink minimum pricing, Orange Order, expenses, BNP and crime. Now we have a reshuffle of Scottish Labour MP's - strange timing to say the least.
We have also what appears to be a dearth of any analysis of the by-election issues. A look at them in turn could provide a clue as to why the media are reluctant to focus on them too much.
The local man lives three days a week in Hammersmith, jail for knife carriers was destroyed by Strathclydes Chief Constable whilst ripping off Glasgow is a meaningless slogan - it really is a meaningless slogan and one that is pretty much unanswerable should anyone ask 'Oor Wullie' to define it.
Few would argue that the area is not in a good state, ghetto may or may not be accurate but the fact remains that under Labour stewardship Springburn hasn't really flourished.
A strong voice at Westminster could of course be claimed by any of the parties, however again Labour's past record is not good.
Most of the peripheral issues appear to favour the SNP, minimum pricing is perhaps the one that is still unproven.
So, in my humble opinion the Scottish media are deliberately refusing to give this by-election a high profile. The political climate is just too harmfull to Labour right now.
How long can they go on ignoring the by-election? I suppose as long as they want, the reshuffle will allow them to ignore it for another few days at least.
Then expect to see reports from organisations criticising one or other SNP policies, perhaps a story on GARL, minimum pricing, Megrahi or Murphy reading out the latest note from London.
The jackpot will be if Mike Dailly or our old friend Mr Midwinter makes an appearance - that would be awesome.
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I've just read Jim Sillars latest column in the Holyrood Magazine about what would happen if the SNP held the balance of power in a hung parliament at Westminster.A very shrewd piece indeed.
I hope Salmond reads it.It might make him less inclined to come out with trite lines about Westminster dancing to a Scottish tune etc.
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It's highly amusing to see Gray ordering a reshuffle in order to increase the effectiveness of the Labour party in opposition when every one knows that he is the main problem, not the supporting cast. Ditto Brown.
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39. At 8:49pm on 27 Oct 2009, IMcKenzie wrote:
Online Ed @31
Perhaps the difference in coverage reflects the fact that the SNP reshuffle was of ministers whose decisions could affect the lives of everyone in this country of ours, whilst the Labour reshuffle is of a shadow cabinet whose decisions have absolutely no affect on the lives of anyone in this country?
i.e. Labour are currently irrelevant as they are not in power, and as we are not in an general election campaign the have no opportunity to get in power either.
The poor state of Labour party may be of great interest to those who read this blog, but I honestly think it's irrelevant to most Scots, and as such deserves little coverage.
I disagree.
Online Ed has a valid point. The term "sacked" should only be used where a minister has failed and is replaced. No minister to my knowledge has yet failed completely. Some have been less effective but I cannot recall any clangers to date.
The BBC should use language that is relevant, otherwise they are simply diluting the headlines.
As to Labour, bringing Wendy back is a huge error. Far too soon to bring her back. Perhaps Gray does not understand the term "effective opposition".
He needs to realise his duty his to Scotland, not Labour.
On the mail strike, anyone else noticed how quiet a certain Mr Johnson has been? If you are wondering what I am hinting at, read up on his union background.
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#41. It's an interesting column but only one analysis and hardly the only one possible. He says that the unionist parties would never work with the SNP for example.
Would you, then, care to explain Holyrood and the Tories working WITH the SNP?
They'll work with the SNP if it is to their benefit.
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Can anyone manage to get onto News Sniffer? I'm having problems getting it to load.
The words "major reshuffle" seem to me to have been added to the first paragraph of that story. I'm pretty sure they weren't ther before, but they haven't changed that ABSURD headline.
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He told BBC Scotland he was "certain" she would return to the party's front bench team, although she was not named in Mr Gray's first major reshuffle.
Does this mean that Gray is already planning his next re-shuffle even before the dust on this one dies down?
Alexander always was a Brown favourite but she was the first to discover that the post of Labour leader of the MSP's in Holyrood meant nothing in the the Labour hierarchy without the incumbent also being in post as First Minister.
However she was lucky and narrowly missed out on being the most overestimated by Fido Labour politician. That honour went to Brown. She only came second with her inability to follow basic accounting rules in her campaign to become the Labour MSP group leader in Holyrood.
I think she should have been brought back in this re-shuffle. I haven't had a good laugh for ages.
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Online Ed Here
Seems Kelly has ignored Brown's plea to leave second homes alone:
Click Here
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I blame Labour for our society thesedays.
Labour have demonstrated that failure can bring success. How many Ex Labour MP's have became been entered into the House of Lords after doing something wrong?
Wendy Alexander broke rules, after denying it and playing the, "It was not my fault..." line for many months, it was proven that Wendy Alexander did break the rules and therefore Wendy Alexander should forever be shamed from entering front line politics.
The individuals who lead this country should be seen to never be in the wrong, how can we allow failure to be seen to be rewarded?
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#44 JRMacClure
The Tories would never give concessions to the SNP that would substantially weaken the Union.They are the arch unionists despite Annabel & Co adopting a pragmatic approach at Holyrood.Conservative backbenchers would know that if their party was seen as being careless with the Union then UKIP and the BNP would gain huge electoral dividends at their expense.So on this,Tory ideology and self-interest coincide.
Sillars has recognized this and his former experience as a Westminster insider(he used to be a Labour whip if I remember correctly)has allowed him to delineate the process by which the Nationalists can be sidelined in the Commons.
Gradualism has worked spectacularly for Salmond in the last few years.He shouldn't assume that it will continue to work.
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I'm still unhappy about posting on an obituary thread but ....
EU Presidency
Why all the talk of Blair? A really good President would be Mary Robinson from Ireland.
http://blog.spinellisfootsteps.info/post/2009/10/14/Mary-Robinson-for-the-EU-Presidency
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#50 oldnat
I'm with you so I've posted on the previous thread.
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Online Ed Here
BBC news item on the crime reort managed to turn the findings on their head - it's all bad news apparently.
One-to-one by-election interviews on Newsnight Scotland, I won't hold my breath for any awkward questions for 'Oor Wullie', that is if he's on first.
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# 41
Yes. Despite the high regard in which I hold Jim Sillars (and much of the article I can agree with)I have to say that there are a number of lines of advance which can all be pursued at the same time and Jim has never really accepted that.
I still believe that we should argue that the SNP winning 30 Westminster seats should automatically trigger an Independence Referendum. I formerly held the view that a majority of Scottish Westminster seats falling to the SNP would be a platform for independence negotiations but concede that a majority vote on the actual question of independence is probably the only clean way to proceed.
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#49. mistydougie
The Tories would never give concessions to the SNP that would substantially weaken the Union.
I'm not arguing that nor did Salmond say those were the concessions he would look for--not even concessions on Trident.
Salmond made it very clear that the concessions he would look for were budgetary ones. And those are the kind that Tories might make.
While they will no doubt TRY to sideline the SNP, Salmond has listed several examples where in the past even in a majority government even a few votes either way could make a difference. A solid block of SNP votes COULD be a potent weapon, which Sillars was trying to deny.
Do you really think that if the NEED the SNP votes that they wouldn't give way on a few financial considerations? I don't.
While Sillars made some valid points, I think his overall conclusion was not valid because it left out consideration of that.
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"....Mr Gray attempted to beef up his front-bench team by promoting Jackie Baillie to shadow health secretary.........."
Not my quote.
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Oldnat 50# Mrs Robinson
This is from her official statement to a symposium organized by the Organization of the Islamic Conference on March 15, 2002:
''No one can deny that at its core Islam is entirely consonant with the principles of fundamental human rights, including human dignity, tolerance, solidarity and quality. Numerous passages from the Qur'an and sayings of the Prophet Muhammad will testify to this. No one can deny, from a historic perspective, the revolutionary force that is Islam, which bestowed rights upon women and children long before similar recognition was afforded in other civilisations. Custom and tradition have tended to limit these rights, but as more Islamic States ratify the Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, ways forward for women are being found and women are leading the debate. And no one can deny the acceptance of the universality of human rights by Islamic States.''
Surely not this Mrs Robinson for the EU presidency?
Wansanshoo.
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Online Ed Here
Interesting quote from Milliband that he "agrees with Thatcher" on Europe. I wonder how the SNP will play this given that Thatcher used the Scottish fishing industry as a negotiating chip.
I also wonder if 'Oor Wullie' Bain will be asked to endorse the view in his forthcoming Newsnight Scotland interview.
Does anyone know when the 'local' hero is to be quizzed?
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# 56 Wansanshoo
Have you ever read the Koran? If not, it is worth reading. Come to think of it, so is the Bible. She (Mrs. Robinson) was correct when she mentioned about women's rights in the Koran. Under Islam women had rights that Christian women had to wait centuries for. If I remember right, and I am open to correction on this, wasn't women under English law up until the 1960s, regarded as the property of the husband under certain sections of the law. Not so under the Koran. The Koran allowed women to hold property and wealth even though they were married. I see nothing wrong with Mrs. Robinson's article.
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#56. It is interesting to read what a certain John Knox had to say about women, for example in his The First Blast of the Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women.
You might have heard of him. I've heard rumors he has followers in Scotland. =)
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#53 sneckedagain & #54 JRMacClure
I'm not sure sneckedagain about your 'number of lines of advance'.For the SNP to spend the next seven months talking about hung parliament scenarios would only take the focus from the push for independence and the referendum required.I reckon there will be a working Tory majority anyway.
I'm not saying JR that the Tories would never accept SNP MP votes in return for a concession.But I don't see them making any major concession and therefore don't see the point in Salmond focusing on a hung parliament scenario that probably won't happen.
The SNP should not be too focused on winning a few prizes for Scotland.
They should be focused now on winning Scotland over to independence.
If not now when?
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#49 mistydougie,
Don't the tories have some kind of agreement with the Northern Irish unionist parties? Won't they be the ones to benefit from hung parliament?
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#61 snowthistle
Yes, with the Ulster Unionist Party.The UUP has only got 1 seat in the Commons though and I don't think they are expected to improve much on that in the GE.
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58 Ged.
''No one can deny that at its core Islam is entirely consonant with the principles of fundamental human rights, including human dignity, tolerance, solidarity and quality.
It doesn't do what it says on the tin.........?
Wansanshoo.
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Not much discussion here about Blair's possible ascent to the European Presidency, but it can't be good for the SNP if he does get the job. He will have other more important things on his agenda, but behind the scenes, machinations from him will try to stop the march of independence by whatever means, just like Brown has done.
In this case, it seems, for Scotland it would be better that the devil we don't know gets the job.
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#64 hamish42
On the other hand, I think that a Bliar ascendancy to the EU "Presidency" will prove to be a great boost for the SNP, especially if Broon has been seen to direct the diplomatic force of the "UK" Government behind it.
UK Prime Ministers, once they go, step aside; They may ocasionally chip their two bob's worth in from the sidelines "In the best interests of the country" but that's about it.
Bliar was, and continues to be a divisive figure. The greatest recruiting sergeant that the SNP and the cause of Independence would have would be Him and Mandy spouting forth on the issue from unelected posts in Brussels.
It may queer the view of an Independent Scotland towards the EU, but European Governments come and go, and tend to swing more easily in the "new" democracies between Left and Right. Bliar is inevitably tainted by association with Bush and the Iraq War and even if the "big" European powers vote for him, his tenure in that job will be limited.
His unelected, imposed appointment would do more to force reform of the democratic institutions of the EU by demand from within than anything else I could think of.
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# 63 Wansanshoo
Lol, nice way of putting it. However, to be fair to the followers of Islam the vast majority of them are decent people whose only goal in life is to get by as best as they can. The same would apply to most people with religious convictions. The sad thing is that there are extremists in every religion but thy are few and far between but tend to have a loud voice.
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"With his familiar energy and drive, he explained his thesis that older folk should never "retire". They should banish the word. They should disdain the slump into slipperdom which retirement implied."
Don't think he was refering to Bungler Brown when he penned these words.
D McN
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#63+66 I think the problem has nothing to do with Islam as such, but with the grafting of some fairly unpleasant cultural practices and a consequent blurring of religion and culture.
An comparable example of course is the absorption of the pagan winter festival into Christianity and in Roman Catholicism the substitution of the calendar of saints for the Graeco-Roman pantheon.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
Online Ed Here
Poor Gordon Brown, tripping over his own tongue again at PMQ's.
"[The Tories] have no ideas for getting us out of growth."
The press, [the real press that is] will probably riducule 'Global' over this latest verbal blunder.
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68 Caledonian
Yes, a mixture of cultural and religious beliefs have distorted certain original meanings, however, I am struggling/refuse to accept the wife beating and homophobia which is prominent regardless of translation or time.
Wansanshoo
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Online Ed Here
The following is from an article in The Wall Street Journal:
To point out that this network is different, that it is intensely politicized, that it inhabits an alternate reality defined by an imaginary conflict between noble heartland patriots and devious liberals—to be aware of these things is not the act of a scheming dictatorial personality. It is the obvious conclusion drawn by anybody with eyes and ears.
The network in question is of course Fox News.
Substitute the 'nationalists' for 'devious liberals' and you have the BBC in Scotland.
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What sad news. Michael Shea allowed the use of his home in Ramasay Garden for a series of seminars over many years and his generosity as a host is just one role in which he'll be remembered by many people with affection.
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#72 Online Ed
Like it. 8-)
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# 68 Caledonian54
Agreed
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# 71 Wansanshoo
I would tend to agree with you over the wife beating but I suppose that is better than 'an eye for an eye'. All the holy books of the middle east have passages in them which can be construed in today's terms as being wrong.
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# 71 Wansanshoo
Five Pillars of Islam
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic: أركان الإسلام) is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. These duties are Shahada (Profession of Faith), Salah (prayers), Zakah (Giving of Alms), Saum (Fasting during Ramadan) and Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca).
Like most religions, if it stuck to its core principals, it would be a good thing. However, we live in a world where religion has been so perverted that hard-line Buddhists in Sri Lanka want to pursue endless war against the Hindu Tamils. Find a justification for that in Buddhist thought if you can.
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Is wife beating worse than forcing a woman to marry her rapist as the Bible states? I'm no fan (to put it mildly) of horrors like honor killing and denying women fundamental rights, but much of that is cultural add-on and not intrinsic to Islam.
60. The thing about making Independence the issue in the GE is that--it just isn't the issue. There is no way that it can be the issue or really even an issue for that election. It almost certainly will be in the Holyrood election and when it comes to a referendum, certainly it will be the issue. I just don't see any effective way to campaign on that issue in a GE. And it is important for a number of reasons for the SNP to make a decent showing in the GE. If they don't, it will be used as a weapon against independence, for one thing. Besides, no one knows how long it will be until independence happens and SOME party should do its best to protect Scottish interests. That sure won't be Labour and definitely not the Tories.
While the SNP can't get concessions on some issues such as Trident, there is the possibility they can get other concessions even if the parliament isn't hung. Look at the history of parliamentary voting. Even a majority government sometimes struggles for a majority on particular issues. That's where a block of votes can be a powerful negotiating tool.
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Completely OT but I note the absence of a young Tory.
Could the chap from Stirling Uni please reassure this concerned blogger , that he is still in one piece??
Not hospitalised for spreading rumours?!
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It really is shameful that partisan political points are being posted under this blog topic.
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This comment has been referred to the moderators. Explain.
#80. Then why hasn't Brian Taylor posted a new blog for POLITICAL points?
Let me remind you of what he states: I'll be blogging here regularly on Scottish politics.
This is not a personal blog. It is a BBC POLITICAL blog.
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Online Ed Here
80. At 5:17pm on 28 Oct 2009, salmondella wrote:
It really is shameful that partisan political points are being posted under this blog topic.
I'm not so sure that shamefull is an appropriate term, perhaps unfortunate is more apt, though the blog is specifically designed for people to make partisan political points.
What is shamefull though is for someone to use this particular blog in order to make derogatory comments about other posters, that someone was you and I referred the comment at #69.
Meanwhile it looks like back to the future for Labour at Holyrood with Charlie Gordon back in the fold. It shows the dearth of talent within Labour that they are forced to bring back miscreants like this.
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83. U14094468 I have noted this "salmondella" moniker on other blogs. In common with many of derek's incarnations it has little of any substance to say but merely makes derogatory remarks.
Salmondella, better beware that this is not the Hootsmon and that similar tactics on here will get your posts referred for moderation very quickly indeed.
OTOH if you want to come and make some cogent points on behalf of the Union or generally join the discussion in a rational manner then I am sure you will be more than welcome. As with Holyrood itself, we are badly in need of some well-led opposition with positive ideas.
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Online Ed Here
Watch out for another useless Murphy headline tomorrow, aparently the Labour press officer in Scotland spoke to the Pope today and is using it as a means to suggest that, he, Murphy has increased the chances of the pontif visiting Scotland.
I'm not so sure that the Pope will be happy to be used as fodder for one of 'honest' Jim's statements - but there you go, it will be in tomorrows editions.
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Brian
IMO it would be worthwhile to establish a convention for your blog that:-
When the thread is about the death of some person of worth, that the posts should be memorials of or condolences for that person, and, if not, should be treated by the mods as off topic and removed,
meanwhile, normal service, where posters bash their gums on every other subject, should continue on the previous thread until such time as you, Brian, post a further new thread.
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#78 JRMacClure
If the SNP don't continually put forward the case for independence then I think it gives out confusing signals to the voters.
We will be bombarded with London based media coverage of the GE encouraging Scots to think in English Lab/Con/Lib Dem system terms.If the SNP doesn't try to counteract that and instead comes out with the predictable 'hang by a Scottish rope'/'dance to a Scottish tune' trite slogans then it will be playing London's game.
After a general election people don't want to be bothered with politics for 3 or 4 months over the summer.Which means the Nationalists will have to kick start the Independence issue around early autumn.This will leave only 7 or 8 months to push the Independence idea before the Holyrood vote.
Any party or movement that has a historic mission to fulfil only succeeds by constantly pushing for it to happen.That's not to say the SNP should revert to being a single issue party.Far from it.But this stop/start attitude to proselytizing about Independence is a barrier to achieving it.
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86. handclapping
I totally support this convention. Unlike NR whose threads are regularly choked off, Brian keeps previous threads open, where battle can continue.
However, it would be useful if Brian could continue to tell us about those worth remembering, but rapidly post another thread thereafter.
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<RICHPOST># 88 oldnat<BR /><BR />I would agree with that sentiment but as Brian has not done so then I would assume that he would wish the postings to continue as normal. If this is not what Brian wishes then he should say so and allow the regulars to continue their discussions on the previous thread.<BR />I do support Brian in his <b>own blog</b> to write whatever he wants as he has the decency to allow us to do the same. I am sure that he is big enough (no pun intended Brian) to take the flak when he writes his pieces which do not come up to the standards that we expect or the subject that we wish to discuss. So why should we complain when he wants to remember a friend who has passed away. Just in case nobody here knew the man, and I hold my hand up to this, here is a <a [Unsuitable/Broken URL removed by Moderator] to him. </RICHPOST>
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I wonder what happened there on my last post.
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It was notable that Murphy put a lot of qualification into his soundbyte about the Pope visiting Scotland. He obviously hasn't got the definitive answer he wants! He seems to be using the situation for his own political ends so it might come back to bite (byte) him. What will be his tack if it doesn't happen I wonder?
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#87. I do see your point, but I don't think it will work if they're going to win seats in the GE. People aren't going to vote for Westminster on the subject of independence knowing perfectly well that it will not be fought out there at least initially. (After a referendum, I'm honestly not SURE how the UK will handle it)
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#87
The single biggest impediment to the SNP's climb to power was the accusation that it was a "single issue" party and we were attacked incessantly as starry eyed fantasists with no plans for the Scotland we wanted to make independent. We corrctly judged that a period in government in the Scottish Parliament putting forward a full programme during which the sky did not fall in would be the best way to combat that. This has worked to a considerable extent.
Much as I would like to go about shouting about independence and nothing else all the time (because I believe we are as able as anybody else and that's enough for me)that is not enough for many of our people who, whether we like it or not, we have to persuade to vote for us. In my fifty years in the SNP I have been involved almost continuously writing leaflets, designing campaigns and writing SNP newspapers. The independence message has at all times been central to all of it but running other lines at the same time in no way detracts from that central message.
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#85 U14094468
Murphy flapping around. Something must be in the air in weegieland.
The thin one of that "joke" doubleact at Labour Party Conference
has an action list for Glasgow North East:-
-Scare the LOL's to vote for "unionist" Labour,and not the Nats.
-Phones Lloyds Group to ask after the financial health of Rangers.
-Questions the SNP's guy beliefs.
-Want's the Pope to come to Glasgow.To campaign?
Three more items for tomorrow,Jim.I keep trying to help!
-Why don't you ask Bliar,who want's to be 2nd to the pope.
-Phone John Reid to ask after the footballing health of Celtic.
-Get 12% grey Gray on the trail.That should make Bain interesting.
Ps. Jim don't use up all the saddo tricks before the big day!
Don't want you to be as embarassing again,as in Brighton!
Jim,are you in charge of the campaign?
Don't see the fingerprint of an Alexander here!
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Online Ed Here
First:
Look out tomorrow for a massive 'U' turn by Iain Gray who has decided to ack SNP calls for accelerated funds due to the recession - Brown has already reluctantly accepted that the measure is needed.
Second:
I have to commend George Lairds very funny blog where he is systematically dismantling Willie Bain and being funny at the same time.
I wonder how the SNP 'victory' over calls for accelerated funds will play in Springburn, I mean the BBC will report this ..... won't they?
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Does it seem strange getting the anti-Catholic Orange Order to campaign for Labour and the Labour sleekit (my new favorite word) then go to ask, none too effectively, for the Pope to come to Scotland?
Weird politics!
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#92 & #93. I understand the need for the flexibility you both advocate.What's probably been putting me in a fundamentalist mood(apart from Sillars' article)is the thought that the SNP might get bogged down in the role of natural party of devolved government and not much else.
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my computer decided not to play, but finally fixed thanks to a friend.
there are rumblings that labour will use the accusation that a vote for the snp is a vote for the conservatives, basing their argument on two things:
1979 and alex's alleged desire for a tory victory.
i read this somewhere and for the life of me i can't remember where!
can anyone shed any light on this?
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98. barbarian9
Following handclapping's suggestion of a convention for obituary sites, I've answered on the previous thread.
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#96 sleekit is an adjective, ie; you can describe Mr Murphy as sleekit, or his behaviour as sleekit, but he himself is not "a sleekit"
Remember Burns' mouse; the "sleekit timorous beastie"... :-)
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100. Caledonian54
Oops. I see I need to work on my grammar.
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77. obviousalias
Post 63 explains my position on religion.....yes, all of them.
Wansanshoo.
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I see another small and independent country is having problems.. Mind you, these are problems I think the Scottish Govt would give their right arm for.....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8330110.stm
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Online Ed here
The BBC simply canot bring itself to say that Labour at Holyrood now support the SNP's long standing calls for accelerated capital funding for next year.
BBC Scotland using words such as 'echoes' and even going so far as describing the calls as 'labour calls' is symptomatic of the BBC's refusal to report honestly.
The truth is that Labour are now supporting an SNP initiative where previously they were demanding that the SNP use the budget they have and of course, let's not forget the attacks on the SNP over shortfalls caused by bringing forward capital spending.
I'll watch this issue with interest.
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Online Ed.......
Gotta link for this chap Laird?
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I doubt that the Pope will visit England or Scotland NEXT year.
He has just caused a major furore in the Church of England with his offer to generously "take over" the furious right-wing Anglo-Catholic Anti-women-bishops constituency...
Talk about papal diplomacy.....
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No doubt Jim Murphy will agree with the Catholic hierarchy on the subject of Scottish independence. Or not.
"In an interview with the University of St Andrews philosopher Professor John Haldane, published in the Catholic Herald in October 2006, Cardinal O'Brien stated that he would be "happy" if Scots voted for independence, and predicted that independence is coming "before too long". He drew parallels with the independence of the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland: "it is difficult to argue that ecclesiastical independence is acceptable but political independence is not".[5]
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104. Online Ed
Or as a certain Mr G Campbell irritatingly pronounces it "agzelerated".
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#97
There are some in the SNP still you would be right to be worried about but I believe the party has largely accepted that campaigning for full, normal independence is the only productive way forward.
Because our progress is gradual and because we understand that is the way it is going to be (until we reach the fabled "tipping point")does not mean that we adopt gradualism as a strategy. Gradualism is merely a description of our progress and a realisation that incremental advance laying down firm foundations goes on in a parallel process with keeping up the battle to inform our people of the advantages of independence. There is nothing simple about the task we are engaged in.
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#107 sneckedagain
... but it is not difficult to argue that religion has no place in politics given that those who "believe" are delusional.
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Online Ed here
Gotta link for this chap Laird?
Find him here
Scroll down to the third article, it's really very funny. Labour simply don't have this kind of activist - Unionists typically don't do humour.
I saw the Tory by-election candidate on Newsnight Scotland last night - she was given a tough time, Looks like Bain will be kept till last.
I am going to stick my neck out and predict that Bain will have been coached to speak over the interviewer in order to avoid some very difficult questions.
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#109. OK,I accept your argument.
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Online Ed here
From the BBC:
Labour issues a plea for funding to beat recession
I'm not making it up, this is the intro beneath a link to the accelerated funds story.
But party leader Iain Gray warned the SNP must promise to use any accelerated cash to create jobs.
Yes, that's right - Gray initially refused to back the calls in order to reotect jobs and now on realising that the SNP were correct he demanding the SNP do exactly what they wanted the money to do.
Mr Gray, who has written to the chancellor on the issue, said he wanted any further acceleration used for a major house building programme, rather than "pet" SNP projects such as the proposed independence referendum or the Scottish Futures Trust alternative to PPP/PFI schemes.
darling has no power over what the Scottish Government fund, Gray has little. The Scottish government are already addressing the housing shortage in the social sector through removing the right to buy and by initiating a council house building programme that exceeds Labour's previous record of six homes by a magnitude of hundreds.
It was Scottish Labour who called for the Treasury to allow the Scottish government to accelerate capital last year and I am calling on the chancellor to do so again.
Gray clearly is deluded, there can be no explanation for this last comment that he instructed the treasury to 'allow' the accelerated spending this year.
Or is Gray saying that a London Labour Government will ignore the democratically elected Government of Scotland and instead conduct constitutional affairs through Labour opposition MSP's?.
This last remark from Iain ray requires further investigation if he is telling the truth.
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Ooops... The US economy is growing again.
That's another country that's leaving the UK behind. Thanks Gordon.
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"forgive me if I depart from partisan politics for a moment..."
ah c'moan Brian, that was 11am Tuesday and if a week is a long time in politics two days must be more than a "moment"
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So ... Mr Brown ... you made the claim that Britain was "best placed to weather the economic storm",
Pray tell why is it that France, Germany and now the United States - the sole root of all these problems if you are to be believed - are out of recession and in to positive growth months before the United Kingdom, whose economy continues to contract at an alarming rate?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8331497.stm
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On top of that, how is it that the British economy is now smaller than that of Italy ... a country almost as famous for corruption among the political class?
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Its been a couple of days since the majoirty of the Labour shadow cabinet reshuffle was announced but as of 1400 an article on it is still AWOL. A brief mention of Charlie Gordon but thats it.
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103 wee Scamp
We are not allowed to mention small independent countries that are successful only those that are not, keeps us in our place you know!!!!!!!
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Did anyone think that the Lib Dem (I Thought she was very poor in answering what questions were put stumbled along) and Tory (sad that she is representing that party a bit more pride in her country she could stand as an independent no pun intended) candidate interviewed on Newsnight Scotland, acted as defeat for them was inevitable??
Economy we're doomed!! (Sergeant Fraser knew well in advance!)
Why has Brian's Blog stopped has nothing political happened over the last 2 days??
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So long as comments 2 to 14, which discussed the propriety of posting political comment on an in memoriam thread, remain in mod purgatory, it really would be more appropriate to post on the previous, still open, thread.
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#117
Don't knock Italy.. Any country that owns Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Fiat and Alfa Romeo can't be half bad....Imagine what owning just one of those companies would do for Scotland's moral!!
But it's not only fast cars the Italians own... Don't forget they now own our helicopter industry (Westlands) and a large part of our defence electronics business. They're also doing very well at civil and military shipbuilding, have their own partially Govt owned oil and gas and other energy companies and own Saipem and Snamprojetti who are a couple of the biggest and best offshore engineering companies on the planet.
We may laugh at them and not quite approve of their mad politics but the Italians have done an astonishing job at building and maintaining a diversified industrial sector which we can't hold a candle to..
#119
Ssssshhh!! I don't think anyone has noticed yet..
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