Tuesday, August 8, 2017

Greer makes a sectarian attack - will the self-appointed Civility Police intervene?


Above is the Green MSP Ross Greer, in a cosy chat with the notorious James McEnaney of RISE, using sectarian anti-Irish language to attack Jason Michael of Butterfly Rebellion (who is not Irish himself but lives in Dublin and has worked at the Glencree Centre for Peace and Reconciliation). This seems to be Greer's revenge for a number of strong (but entirely non-abusive) criticisms that Mr Michael has made of the radical left over the last couple of weeks.  The implication seems to be that Mr Michael is some kind of unhinged militant nationalist.

Mr Greer of course penned a Sunday Herald column at the weekend, which was objectively damaging to the Yes movement in that it contained an ageist comment which deeply upset older Yes activists, and was gleefully seized upon by an array of unionist politicians, up to and including Ruth Davidson herself.  In defence of Mr Greer, the editor of the Sunday Herald argued that "any damage done to the Yes movement is down to absurd conspiracy-theory trolls screaming traitor at folk who are the real stalwarts of Indy". Well, in the above screenshot, who exactly is it that best fits the description of a screaming, absurd conspiracy-theorist troll?  Isn't it Mr Greer himself?  It sure as hell isn't Mr Michael, who has been civil and measured throughout - as you can judge for yourself by reading an example of his writing HERE.

Having been on the opposite side of the debate to the likes of Mr Greer over the last couple of weeks, I can't have been alone in noticing how the radical left feel that their 'moral righteousness' gives them an exemption from the human decency that they demand of others.  I've been on the receiving end of sweary personal abuse from them that is every bit as nasty as the stuff that is supposed to make Stuart Campbell untouchable (engaging with him in any way is now a worse crime than holocaust denial, apparently).  In particular, I had an extraordinary conversation with someone a couple of nights ago in which she patiently explained to me why it was perfectly all right that she had repeatedly called me a "pr*ck" - her defence was basically that she thinks I am a "pr*ck".  The Green party council candidate who I caught 'liking' a tweet describing me as a "f***ing fool" essentially shrugged his shoulders and said "so what?"  (Can you imagine the outrage if an SNP candidate was caught 'liking' a tweet in which Stuart Campbell called someone a "f***ing fool"?  Yeah, exactly.)

It's ironic that Mr Greer made a reference to the Irish revolutionary period, because it seems to me that it's the radical left who are actually caught up in the warped logic of revolutionary zeal.  The designated 'enemies of the revolution' (ie. those who veer by even the tiniest fraction away from approved forms of discourse on identity politics) are effectively non-people, and anything at all can be done to them for the sake of the greater good.  It's hard to see any other way in which leading figures on the radical left can dehumanise others and chuck around abuse while still honestly believing themselves to be champions of civility and decency in political debate.

74 comments:

  1. Oh, and just in case a certain member of the Twitterati is reading this blogpost and is tempted to make another snide comment, let me just gently say this. I know some of the trolls and bullies are long-term friends of yours, and that you have to find a way of rationalising your support for them. I understand, and it's OK. It's not remotely pleasant, but it's OK.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. He's ginger, no orange

    Proud father of two fine very ginger sons so GIRFUY before youse start

    ReplyDelete
  4. Leftie logic 101:

    1- Progress is inevitable, therefore

    2 - things today are automatically better than they've ever been, so

    3 - PEOPLE today are automatically better than they've ever been, and since

    4 - I (the leftie in question) am part of the greatest generation which has ever existed, accordingly

    5 - I can take my own attitudes and behaviour themselves as the standard of good, and thus

    6 - anyone who disagrees is, automatically, evil and therefore

    7 - they may be opposed by any means necessary.

    Have I missed out any steps?

    ReplyDelete
  5. Very disappointing behaviour.

    I'd imagine it can only do the movement harm.

    ReplyDelete
  6. The Irish British in NI do not want reconciliation with the ROI...The so called peace and reconciliation movement must represent only themselves..and fellow traveller's.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ach, I don't think in the context of a movement for self determination - and having seen the ( perhaps only good film he made ) Liam Neeson biopic of Michael Collins, then I would personally take it as a compliment to be compared to him. Much as I might be happy being called a Nelson Mandella or Mahatma Ghandi of the keyboard.

    I heard a first hand report from a woman who being a bit overweight, a certain green fanatic felt he needed to berate her. She was using up too much of the world's resources by overeating apparently. Rather like the lycra clad pushy cyclists I often encounter, perhaps a bit of humility and understanding of other's point of view would not go amiss in some of our ecowarriors.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is always in the mind of fanatics that they impose their will on others and take their liberty away. Good men do prevail but not always. The British have seen off the Nazis, Kaiser, Napoleon, Spanish and the Vatican.... Our free Jewish people in Israel are fighting against the Islamic fascists backed by the mad left anti semites in various countries but they have the will to survive and will. Jock Nat sis are an onerous bunch but are known for what they really are. They think us Unionists do not know them!

      Delete
    2. Better together, Slab,Torys ,Lib Dems ,Bnp ,UKIP,KKK,DUP,LOL are the good guys You Jock Nat sis are yellow fascists.
      WATP FTP GSTQ

      Delete
    3. They didn't see off the Irish though.

      Delete
    4. The scientist in me understands fully about metabolic rates, thrifty phenotypes and viral infections. BUT double labelled water studies clearly show the obese are obese because they eat far too much.

      The variance of these studies with the food diaries kept by the obese people being studied is an interesting insight into the psychology.

      My wife is a human labrador, she has no satiety mechanism, she never feels full. She has avoided obesity by intelligence and limiting her food intake. She is not svelte but also is not as podgy as she thinks, another issue.

      I'm also a lifelong distance runner who puts weight on while sedentary slowly and takes it off with exercise easily. I don't know if my plethora of uncoupled mitochondria (I'm a very warm person) is due to my lifelong penchant for exercise or is genetic, or likely some combination.

      We now know that exercised muscle releases a hormone like substance (a glycolytic and protein epitope is cleaved from a transmembrane protein) which firstly turns brown fat on to burn fat to produce only heat and secondly turns white fat beige.

      THIS is how exercise causes fat loss (weight loss is a different matter as you also add lean muscle and denser bones), use the tape measure not the scales.

      There will always be young zealots who go too far, which is not to excuse the boorish behaviour you describe. But that is all that was.

      The obese are so because they eat too much and exercise too little. The reasons why this is so are the issue, but pretending this is not true for PC reasons is an impediment to progress.

      Delete
    5. Aye, tae hell wae yoan, fur ah gemme ah soadjurrs.

      Yurr obesity in dementia, takin awe yoan glory.

      Whaurs wurr consumption, dropsy, melancholy, pleurisy, impetigo, scarlet-fever, small pox, in leprosy, whin wae waant thum. Whit happint, tae ah richt daith?

      Delete
  8. GWC2, could you make your trolling a little less blatant? There's a good chap.

    ReplyDelete
  9. I have some sympathy for Greer. When I was 23, I was a self-opinionated, obnoxious little prick who thought I knew everything.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And to paraphrase Oscar Wilde "we can't all be young enough to know everything".

      Delete
  10. God wanted a cow or 2? Just guessing Jim, I was freinds with few like that Anon, I grew up.

    ReplyDelete
  11. On the good guy/wank continuum, Ross Greer is definitely a lot nearer the W end of the scale.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It isn't a continuum but a binary choice.

      Funnily enough the one time I met Greer in person he seemed really sound.

      Delete
    2. Ah, but Ross Greer is on his 'Joe 90 Phase'.

      Delete
  12. Lest we forget the constant abuse of anybody suffering form the condition of being white and or male. They are used as terms of abuse by haggerty, boyd, moyes, small, darren(JK lapdog), and the rest.

    Remember that's not racist or sexist or ageist because of intersectionality and or privilege. All predicted by Eric back in 1948.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Not sure how berating someone for being white and/or male could be considered ageist.

      Delete
    2. In fairness, I've personally been on the receiving end of an ageist comment from one of those five people. (It wasn't Mike Small, obviously!)

      Delete
    3. The '45th' has weird hair and creepy hands, said Cat Boyd. Take a look at yourself, you red-tie labour ones.

      Scottish education, is a fine thing. And the Scottish NHS is flowing along wonderfully.

      Delete
  13. I'm a Scot of Irish parentage who travels on an Irish passport. I play harp and visit the festivals less often than I should. Ross Greer's comments were not sectarian. It's worse: he is silly. Since Cromwell we Irish have dealt with many such.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. According to the Franciscan bum bhoy priests Cromwell wiped out the Irish and yet here you are in Bonnie Scotland courtesy of the British. I like a pint of Harp only nancy bhoys play it.

      Delete
    2. This comment has been removed by the author.

      Delete
    3. hey William Purves

      It wasn't even funny or to the point, the first time, let alone the second.

      Delete
  14. According to the Franciscan liars Cromwell had the whole population of Drogheda slaughtered and yet it is a thriving town with the Boyne Battlefield site well visited.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yet another reason why we should support the union, you Nat sis are always asking for the positives of the union. It improves tourism numbers to massacre sites.
      Ride the goat.

      Delete
    2. Cromwell admitted in his sept 29, 1649 letter that he had many civilians killed.he also execute 120 Royal officers he had given quarter. he lured a friend on the other side -who had surrendered to him- THREE DAYS after the battle to be stabbed to death. So yeah, great guy.

      Delete
  15. Scottish separatist attacks the Irish? That's....confusing.

    Ross Greer, MSP. 5.4 million people in the country and we elect him as one of 129 people to represent us. That's almost an argument against Indy in itself.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Except we didn't elect him. The Scot Greens garnered enough regional votes for them to have a regional reprentative MP. Fair enough, as far is it goes.
      They had chosen him.

      Blame the Sccottish Greens not indy.

      Delete
    2. We did elect him, just by PR rather than the traditional method.

      Delete
    3. That's probably why he stated he opposed reform of the Holyrood electoral system.
      http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/reformthescottishelectoralsystem

      Delete
  16. Aldo, they are pretend representatives. We are being fleeced big style. This Scottish gravy train is a miniature EU...
    I seem to recall 72 MP'S in the old days now we have a battalion screwing the public purse.., It isnae right.. You would think the Jock nat sis wid dae sumphin aboot it but naw they are rakin in the dosh.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We should be run from england because we are the only people who know how to tame you Jock Nat sis, that way we could get rid of the jocko fash nat sis parliament and save the money for crossdressing bdsm dungeons in chelsea.

      Delete
    2. Trump friend of Kim Yung Eck.

      Delete
    3. State of this.

      Delete
  17. Meanwhile the treasury has admitted that they've been lying and suddenly Scotland has produced £15,000,000,000 more oil over the last two years.

    Lest we forget £5,000,000,000 of spirit duty is assigned based on consumption despite it being a tax on production. So Scotland only gets £500 Million and not the £4,500,000,000 we actually generate.

    See GERS see kevin hague. See a racist english liar. That's him that is.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. English hating fascist Jock Mc Bawgag without Baws with fake Goeballs propoganda.

      Delete
    2. We English love fascists thats why so many of us support EDL BNP UKIP and the royal family and vote tory.

      Delete
    3. If the European Parliament was in England intead of Strasbourg and Brussels I would have voted remain. Foreigners can't rule England , England rules O.K

      Delete
    4. Hey impersonator do you hing aboot awday waiting for me tae post? Did yer maw dae kneetremblers ootside the Barraland...Dae ye know yer faithers name?

      Delete
    5. Lest we forget £5,000,000,000 of spirit duty is assigned based on consumption despite it being a tax on production. So Scotland only gets £500 Million and not the £4,500,000,000 we actually generate.

      I'm curious. What do you think happens to every other Beer, Cider, Wine and Spirit produced all across the rest of the UK? Do you think Scotland gets a portion of those duties based on consumption as well?

      Or does your tinfoil hat cut off the circulation too much to extend the concept beyond Scottish Whisky?

      Delete
  18. Modern slavery, trafficking and crime on the increase in all cities in the UK. All due to inept politicians and costing the hard working British taxpayer a fortune.
    Brexit cannot come too soon.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Europe wants us to leave “Jersey and the Cayman’s are the access gates to criminal capital in Europe and the UK is the country that allows it. That is why it is important why it is so crucial for me to be here today and to talk to you because I want to tell you , this is about you, this is about your life, this is about your government.”
      Leaving the EU means allowing this to take place. It means allowing the Qatari societies, the Mexican cartels, the Russian Mafia to gain even more power and HSBC has paid £2 billion Euros in fines to the US government, because it confessed that it had laundered money coming from the cartels and the Iranian companies. We have proof, we have evidence.”

      UK is most corrupt country in the world, says mafia expert Roberto Saviano

      http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/roberto-saviano-britain-corrupt-mafia-hay-festival-a7054851.html

      Delete
    2. GWC2 impersonator, You will make up any story to stay in the EU to be subsidised by Herman and the Frogs. You are not Scottish, probably an Irish subsidy junkie and bum bhoy.

      Delete
    3. Stench of this.

      Delete
    4. (pats the troll on the head) There, there.

      Delete
  19. I see that the comments on this blog are politically engineered by censorship. Wow.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Nat sis converse on twitter then do their stuff.

      Delete
    2. Looks like the shitebag Nat sis are not going fur ra referendum. Pure weakness innat. All gone quiet on the Nat si front line. Bottle merchants. Rakin in the salaries innat.

      Delete
    3. Whato old chap, less of the stereotypes. Stick to Nickerless and Nat sis thats not insulting. Cheerio

      Delete
    4. 'What is this supposed to be ?''asked Biggles. from GCHQ.

      Delete
  20. Maybe N Mackay can mention GWC2 in next weeks article about Yoon mentalcases who attack and derail all pro-Yes sites?

    Possibly send P Hutcheon round the same way he did to Yessers.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Nat si fascists losing the plot. Kim Yung Eck hivvin a go at Knickerless and Kim Yung the soothsayer saying Scotland will be independent in four years. Makes yer larf.

      Delete
    2. (pats the troll on the head) There, there, dearie.

      Delete
  21. Meanwhile Mike Small takes a break from spamming Scot Goes Pop under the name GWC2 and attacks "Mid-Spectrum bloggers."

    Fairly obvious that he means you, our James K.

    So he's a racist, sexist, ageist and now mocking people with Autism. What a lovely man he is. And he supports a football club which covered up child abuse and enabled the perpetrators to escape justice.
    Don't see any real difference between him and those lovely Americans he's been attacking this weekend. Sick evil scum are sick evil scum no matter what they pretend to be.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Much as I'm loathe to block people, GWC2 adds nothing to the debate and makes it unfollowable with her/his word salad replies. For the good of my eyes, please block this sad individual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Actually more than half of those are just Mick doing his usual.

      Delete
  23. GWC has never heard of Mike Small and has no interest in the Yanks. I am interested in the Nat sis handing over control of our economy to Herman and our people becoming cherry pickers in the Black Forest.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. (pats the troll on the head) There, there, dearie.

      Delete
    2. Not the bum, kiddie fondler!

      Delete
    3. That the best you can do? Bloody amateur.

      Delete
    4. What do you do bum bhoy!

      Delete
    5. Wonder what possesses a homophobic, sectarian simpleton like you to spend all night screeching with impotent rage on pro-independence sites. Hazarding a guess, I'd say crushing loneliness?

      Delete
    6. You're a bit lonely and impotent yourself Mick.

      Delete
  24. Nuke Israel, they are the cause of most of the worlds woes the last 70 years!!!

    ReplyDelete