Forget about the 45, let's focus on the 85

I’ve spent the past few weeks very much looking forward to this weekend. Throughout history one of the biggest problems faced by the left is our tendency to split, argue with each other and our complete inability to put aside differences and focus on the common good. The past two years has seen this occur in Scotland. We’ve been split amongst Yes voters and No voters, between those who believe Independence was the best way to enact social change, and those who believe that change through the Union is the better course. Whatever your views are on this issue (and mine, I fully admit, are strong), the referendum has happened and the decision has effectively been made for us. Any change that is going to come will have to take place in the Union. I looked forward to this weekend because I, perhaps naively, believed that whatever the outcome, that those of us on the left would reunite and fight for social justice. I believed we would have done so in a newly independent Scotland, and I believed we would do so if we remained in the Union.

I’m starting to wonder if I was incorrect. Facebook and twitter are now focusing on ‘The 45’ (whether this is a deliberate reference to the Jacobites I’m not yet sure of), referring to the 45% of people who voted Yes on Thursday. The aims seem to be basically that we should use the voice people believe the Yes campaign gave them, and turn it into a long-term movement. But this is focusing on division, on difference, on what has separated us for the past two years. I don’t think this is wise, like it or not, we democratically rejected independence, but that does not mean we have rejected change or social justice. I want to fight alongside my comrades again, no matter what their views on constitutional change is. 

I was flicking through my photos last week, and found this one below:

It is of me during the student protests against the raise in tuition fees. I fought alongside my comrades, and whilst we may not have succeeded in our aims, our voices were heard and I felt heartened that so many people could come together to fight for something. Now I worry, however, as I realise how split we all seem to be now. People I fought alongside with are on the other ‘side’ of the independence referendum, but when we agree on so much why should our views on which parliament governs us matter? We should fight together again.

This is a plea. Throw out your referendum badges, be they ‘Yes’ or ‘No Thanks’, and reject this horrid, divisiveness that we have had over the past two years, reject ‘The 45’, and embrace the 85%, the fantastic, wonderful 85% of us who voted and have been engaged in political debate. Let us work together to enact change, and let this debate about independence be settled for the time being. 

The GUU Misogyny Row: Why the Leftists Must Take a Back Seat

In the final of the Glasgow Ancients debate, held at the GUU, two female debaters were allegedly subject to sexist abuse by some board members of the Glasgow University Union. You can read about the abuse Rebecca Meredith and Marlena Velles were subject to here.

Much of the student body at Glasgow University have reacted angrily to the stories of misogyny and petitions and facebook pages condemning the actions of these GUU board members sprung up quickly. Many societies have dissafiliated with the GUU in the wake of the allegations, including the Feminist Society, Labour Club and Scottish Nationalists. Anger has spread across the political spectrum and the comments have been widely condemned by most in the student body. Even those who are generally apolitical have found a voice and have reacted to these allegations.

Glasgow University has a problem, however. That is the extreme leftists. There are large swathes of far-left groups, and people affiliated with the extremist UK Anti-Cut group (who claim to be opposed to all forms of government cuts). Recently they have been very active in ensuring far left candidates have prevailed at SRC (Student Representative Council) elections, similar to the leftist control over the University of Edinburgh's EUSA.

Unfortunately these leftists destroy any chance of reasonable political discourse at the university. Nationalist far-leftists heckled and booed Jackie Baille of the Better Together campaign during the recent mock referendum held at the Uni, causing anger from both Nationalists and Unionists. Anything resembling a protest at Glasgow University has turned into an easily targetted farce as soon as the leftists take control. These leftists took direct action to illegally occupy the Hetherington building only two years ago. Having a wide range of political opinions and groups is healthy for a university, but the far-left craving for absolute power over political proceedings has been detrimental to student politics, and more aptly, to genuinely important protests and political issues.

Students across the UK took part in protests against the rise in tuition fees, myself included. However in Glasgow, as was the case in Edinburgh, the leftists took control and forced their anti-cut agenda upon the protest. As someone who is not on the extreme left, I felt angry that the protest had been hijacked by the far-left and that those of us who are moderate, but still felt we wanted to protest against raising tuition fees, were suddenly associated and involved in those with extremist politics.

We cannot let this happen in the protest against misogyny at the GUU.

If the leftists take control I believe nothing will be acheived in our fight to reform the student union. The GUU board will be able to dismiss the campaign as being another one perpetuated by the loony left brigade, and not one which has support of us moderates, and even those who take little interest in student politics.

So far the campaign is reasoned, and a single issue campaign. I applaud this, but it must remain the same.

Reading a blog this morning by Tarzan Girl I worry that the far left are already trying to stamp their agenda on proceedings. The GUU is largely a traditional, conservative union frequented by the middle classes, as opposed to the more liberal Queen Margaret Union. This makes the GUU the antithesis to the ideals of the leftists on campus. Tarzan Girl's blog is a call to arms amongst the far-left against the GUU as a whole, not simply a call for something to be done about the recent case of misogyny. I am concerned that people who have an agenda against the GUU are using this as an excuse, and aim to use this scandal to further their own, biased, agenda.

Tarzan Girl's criticisms of the GUU are enlightening. She dislikes Chris Sibbald for going on a 'Zionist Rant'. This implies that there is some sort of problem with Zionism, or perhaps a belief that pro-Israeli views are somehow associated with misogyny. This is nothing short of a rallying cry for leftists, who are passionately anti-Israel. It emphasises the true problem the far-left have with the GUU. Tarzan Girl complains about the GUU stealing a banner from the illegal occupation of the Hetherington Building, before displaying their trophy on the turret of the GUU. She is carrying bitterness over a student joke and using this as ammunition against the Union as a whole. To really get the leftists angry she has posted a picture of Chris Sibbald wearing a dinner jacket, smoking a cigar. Evidently she believes class prejudice is a valid reason to dislike an institution.

Misogyny is wrong. The misogyny that occured at the GUU is wrong. The GUU as a whole is not. It is a proud institution which needs aspects of it, reformed. This will not occur if the far-left control the protest. We in the student body, whether left-wing, right-wing or apolitical, need to unite to ensure this remains a single issue campaign. That is the only way we can reform the misogynistic nature of some in the GUU board. 

The Problem With Shopping

I hate shopping. I really hate shopping.

To clarify that statement, I don't hate all shopping. I quite enjoy browsing books and looking at CDs and the occasional foray into a tacky tourist shop can be amusing and illuminating (so that is what other countries think Scottish people are like). It is clothes shopping I cannot stand. The whole experience is utterly humiliating and boring. You have to drag yourself from one stuffy shop to another, avoiding the crowds of people who seem to move at an extraordinarily slow pace in order to buy things which are essential, not entertaining.

This is particularly true of jeans shopping. Jeans are essential items but they are a nightmare to buy. Getting a pair which fits perfectly feels pretty much impossible. Either they fit your waist but are too long, or too short. Maybe the length is right but they are clearly too tight around your thighs, which up until now you hadn't realised were bigger than the 'average' person. Once in a while you will think you have struck gold, a pair of jeans which fit your waist, fit your legs and are even the right length. Then you look down and see a pronounced bulge coming from your pelvis and you realise that these jeans definitely expose too much to wear in public.

And that is just the jeans themselves. Before you have even got to the 'trying them on' stage you have to find a shop and deal with shop people. Walking into Topman is daunting, the ludicrously good looking sales staff give you that look, that one which says 'you don't belong here'. Everyone else in the shop appears to be skinny and pulling off a sort of indy chic that belongs in an episode of Skins, not a shopping department.

Eventually you will find a pair of jeans which aren't perfect, but are good enough. After two hours of searching for the holy grail you will try on one pair of jeans which are a little tight, and a little long but you will utter the best five words known to man 'Fuck it, that will do'. You then find out the one piece of good news you've had all day, the jeans you have selected are in the 5% off section. Brilliant, you are saving a couple of pounds which can be spent on a coffee or hot dog. Brilliant.

You take the jeans up to the counter, tired, frustrated and desperate to get home. You hand over the jeans and show your student card to get your 15% student discount only to be told by an uppity member of the sales staff that 'Student discount doesn't apply on sale items', in a voice which makes this little piece of information seem so obvious you are an idiot for not knowing that student discount doesn't apply on sale items.

You walk out of the shop, dejected, unhappy and with some new jeans which don't even fit right.

Long story short, I hate shopping.

Scandinavian Drama

Over the last couple of years there has been an onslaught of drama series and films coming from Scandinavia. Denmark have provided the exceedingly popular series 'The Killing', and have had us all hooked on the political career of Brigitte Nyborg in Borgen. Across the Øresund strait Sweden have provided us with the brooding detective series 'Wallander' and the popular 'Millenium' film and novel series. Now BBC 4 have picked up a joint venture between Sweden and Denmark which involves the police forces of both countries working together after a severed body is discovered half in Sweden, half in Copenhagen on the Øresund Bridge. Jointly funded by Swedish and Danish producers 'The Bridge' (Or 'Bron'/'Broen' to our Scandinavian neighbours, depending on which side of the Strait you reside) is continuing in the same vein as previous Scandinavian dramas and once again has a British audience hooked. But what is it about these Scandinavian dramas that is so popular?

A cynic may wonder if Danish people wait with excitement at the chance to watch the latest subtitled episode of Silent Witness, perhaps we love these dramas simply because they are other. Scandinavia is close enough to the UK to share similar cultures, but far enough away to be different and have certain nuances that are alien and exciting to us. Something bland and boring in English sounds positively fascinating in Danish or Swedish.

I don't think this fully explains our fascination with Scandinavian dramas though, I think we love them because they are good. There is something haunting and eerie about the slow pace with which they develop. It combines all that made 'The Wire' such a great series with a bleakness that exists in Scandinavian countries. When watching 'The Bridge' it is difficult not to recall Anders Breivik. Whoever the killer is in 'The Bridge' is murdering people to highlight a perceived problem he or she has. The killer clearly feels that the murders are justified in doing this, and although I don't know yet who it is, it is clear that there is morality and careful consideration behind the cold and calculating killer. This is eerily similar to the reasons Breivik has given for the atrocities that occurred last year on Utøya. Breivik has tried to justify his actions by claiming he did them for the greater good, to spread a moral message and to prevent Muslims immigration to Norway. Much like the killer in 'The Bridge', Breivik is motivated by political beliefs.

Recalling Breivik whilst watching 'The Bridge' creates an added eeriness and sinister feeling to the series. It becomes difficult not to view certain people in Scandinavia as having a dark and brooding, yet quiet and calculating evilness whilst they operate in a bleak land. Something about Scandinavian drama is captivating us and I hope that the combination of good writing, slow build up and the Swedish, Danish and Norwegian atmosphere continues.

Top Five Favourite Conspiracy Theories

With the tenth anniversary of 9/11 fast approaching already hours on television and pages of print are being dedicated in memory of those lost in the atrocity. Whenever those attacks on September the 11th are mentioned the popular conspiracy theories are quick to follow. The BBC have even dedicated an entire documentary series to the conspiracy theories where due to neutrality they end each episode open ended, as if these theories are anything more than complete fucking bullshit. Conspiracy theories though I find fascinating. I love the idea that there is a secret Jewish cabal of bankers controlling the world and the Ku Klux Klan are our only hope of saviour, or that the moon landings where faked by a secret Jewish cabal of bankers so that the USA would beat the soviets in the space war or even the one where they put fluoride in the water to give people cavities so you go to the Jewish dentists and pay them more money. Conspiracy theorists love them Jewish Cabals. Anyway, here is my list of my top five favourite conspiracy theories, in descending order:

5. Aids Was Created To Kill off The Gays/Blacks

Left-wing conspiracy theories are quite rare. Generally there are communists, or socialists or Jews who are responsible for trying to destroy the freedoms of good, honest, Christian Americans. This one is different. According to this theory the right-wing white government decided to create a disease to kill off the gays or the blacks (depends which left-wing hippie nutter you believe) through an easily spreadable and incurable disease. Unfortunately for the conspirators they forgot that white straight people enjoy sex and heroin too.

4. Paul Is Dead

In 1966 Paul McCartney died in a car crash and was replaced by a look-a-like. Yep, that happened. According to the theory not only did McCartney die, but The Beatles covered it up, but put secret clues in their music and album artwork. These include an apparent hidden message included in the song 'Revolution 9' and that the image of the Beatles walking on the front of their 'Abby Road' album is supposed to signify a funeral procession. My only concern is, if the current Paul McCartney is a fake, why did they get such a wanker to play him?

3. Bob Marley Was Assassinated

I like this one just due to the sheer complexity of the theory. Often when celebrities who die are the focus of conspiracy theories the actual method of death is questioned, not so with Marley. According to this theory the CIA gave him the melanoma which would eventually kill him. Not only this, but the way they did it was by inserting copper into a pair of football boots which they then gave to the reggae artist as a gift. Marley used the boots, kicked a post, cut his foot, hit the copper, got melanoma, recorded the greatest live album of any reggae artist ever and then died. If that is true then the CIA should be congratulated for the most needlessly complex assassination ever carried out, ever.

2. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion

This one is quite frankly scary. I made a joke about how Jewish Cabals seem to be involved somehow in every single conspiracy theory ever made, but this one is no laughing matter. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion where a fake document made to make it look as if there was a great Jewish conspiracy. Essentially the document is a conspiracy within a conspiracy. This document was used as justification for anti-semetic laws and prejudice across the world, including in Nazi Germany where it was used by Hitler to justify hatred of the Jews and ultimately for the atrocities that occurred during the Holocaust. The document portray Jews as being Machiavellian and quite frankly evil. It is quite shocking and scary how this forged piece of literature was used.

1. Lizard Man Cometh!

Former BBC Sports pundit David Icke believes that the world is ruled by a secret cabal of Jews...wait, what? Not Jews but giant lizards!? Icke has forged a successful career where he claims that celebrities and rulers ranging from George W. Bush to the British Royal Family are secretly twelve foot lizards who, erm, control us. These Lizards come in all sorts of varieties but have disguised themselves as human beings. The Anti-racism organisation the ADL claim that these lizards are a code-word for Jews, but according to many, Icke genuinely believes that these lizards exist among us and are controlling our society. Scary eh? Here is Icke before the lizard phase on the Terry Wogan show:

Icke on Wogan

I think you know why that is my favourite!

The Strange Case of Digby Bamford

15th of March 1964 a school boy in New South Wales, Australia, committed suicide, shortly after being expelled from school. His name was Digby Bamford, he was 13 years old. Bamford was expelled from school after it emerged he had been involved in 'promiscuity' with another pupil, there was an uproar in the local community and both Bamford and his girlfriend were expelled. Digby Bamford was found dead the following morning.

19th July 2011 was the day Rupert Murdoch claimed was the most humbling of his life. He was sitting before a parliamentary committee who where asking him questions with regards to the phone hacking scandal that shocked much of the nation. Murdoch claimed he was shocked that his publications and people in his employ were guilty of such a heinous crime. Both he and his son, James, claimed to disapprove of the phone hacking scandal.

The revelations concerning Digby Bamford emerged on the 12th of March 1964 on the front page of the Sydney Daily Mirror, a paper that was acquired by Murdoch earlier that year. Bamford and his girlfriend where subject to a local scandal when the information emerged, information that was acquired from the secret diary of Bamford's girlfriend. Journalists under Murdoch's direct employ had discovered the information about these school children which not only led to the expulsion of the two children, but ultimately to the suicide of a 13 year old boy.

Rupert Murdoch has been embroiled fully in the phone hacking scandal and has seen politicians which once went to great lengths to court his favour, now reject him. He went from being as popular as Gary Glitter in 1977 to being as popular as Gary Glitter in 2007. Murdoch claimed to have made mistakes, ones in which he had no direct involvement, ones which where the fault of employees he had no contact with, ones which he disapproved of, ones which he would never have done.

It would be trite of me to claim that Murdoch's involvement in the suicide of Digby Bamford was anything more than an unfortunate mistake. Rupert did not know that Bamford would commit suicide over the scandal and perhaps it was due to his memories of the Bamford situation that he felt so appalled with the phone hacking. One suicide, at the very start of his media career, is not reason enough to suspect him of wrongdoing. No, in all likelihood Murdoch felt deeply about Bamford's suicide, and (after an extensive cover up which lasted until the mid-seventies) vowed never to make such a mistake again.

Samantha MacAlpine may disagree with me. Well perhaps she would do if she where still alive. In 1977 MacAlpine was embroiled in a sex scandal involving BBC employees which was revealed by our favourite paper; The News of the World. Samantha was 15 years old. The News of the World revealed details of Top of the Pops presenters having sex with the young music fans, revelations which emerged from the secret diary of Samantha MacAlpine. The very next day Samantha committed suicide. A post-mortem revealed MacAlpine, who's name had been dragged through the mud, to be a virgin. A police enquiry lay the full blame for the suicide on Murdoch's News of the World. Both of these pieces of information where hidden by Murdoch after he curried favour with rival papers to prevent these revelations from emerging. Let us learn from our mistakes.

The Naked Truth: A Clothes Optional Blog

Steven Gough, better known as 'The Naked Rambler', was today jailed for almost two more years for once again being naked in public here in Scotland. You can read the BBC article here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-14649394

Here is some background on Steven Gough. He set off from Lands End in 2005 in an attempt to walk from there, across the country, until he would finally reach John O'Groats. It took him two short months to get to Scotland, still in 2005, and that is when his attempt stalled. Scottish law is very strict on public nudity and he has been arrested, re-arrested and sentenced to months on end in prison. Each time he has been released, each time he has stripped off to continue his journey and each time our finest boys in blue have re-arrested him and charged him. Today's sentence is only the latest in the past six years which has seen Mr. Gough in Scottish prison for the majority of the past decade.

I have a few problems with this, but most importantly, how is it in the public interest to keep Steven Gough in prison? Looking at a wrinkly naked body may not be the nicest thing to do in the world, but does that justify him spending seven years in prison? I generally dislike comparing prison sentences, but any Daily Mail reader will tell you that murders and rapists are getting lighter sentences. The crime that Mr. Gough is perpetually guilty of is 'breach of the peace' and 'contempt of court'. To be honest, putting someone in jail for so long for such minuscule crimes seems ridiculous.

There have been remarkably few complaints about Mr. Gough's nudity and far more messages sent to the Scottish authorities in support of him. I do not understand why this man should have to spend so much time locked up for being in the most natural state of dress there is. It is not as if he is breaking any sexual law or frightening or hurting anyone. He is a man who is sticking to his principles, and good on him. If someone wants to walk from Lands End to John O'Groats then good on them! This highlights how petty aspects of our legal system can be, and how little common sense the Scottish authorities seem to have.

It is common sense that the English authorities retained, never arresting him and never charging him when he walked the longest distance in his journey. I support Steven Gough, the Naked Rambler, and hope that eventually our authorities realise how pathetic and silly they are being. Nudity is not considered to be a serious problem amongst most of the public, yet it seems to be a huge problem in our legal system. Next time you are naked, whether it is in the shower tomorrow morning, or if you are about to start your own walk from Lands End to John O'Groats, spare a thought for a man who will eventually spend at least seven years in prison for daring to be natural. Free the Naked Rambler!