Friday, February 22, 2013

Comment is free (at least here)

I'll start by apologising in advance, because the majority of you won't have a clue what this post is all about. But as a matter of principle, I object strongly to being censored, especially when others are apparently free to call me an "utter arse" and to tell me to "shut the hell up" with total impunity. So here is my PB reply to Jonathan Foy that disappeared without trace a few hours ago. For obvious reasons I've had to reconstruct it from memory, so it won't be 100% word-for-word identical to what I originally wrote.

Well done, Jonathan! Well done! You've earned your seven likes from Plato's loyal band of followers, and doubtless it will be 21 likes in a few minutes, so you can get off your high horse now.

Small hint, though - that's a symptom of the problem, not an affirmation of your moral righteousness.

Fact - Plato has a consistent track record of abusing new non-Tory posters.

Fact - You, I, and the dogs on the street know that to be true, and risibly demanding that I trawl through countless hundreds of threads from months or years ago to find the relevant quotes will not alter that reality.

Fact - These antics from Plato and her fellow travellers have led to a state of affairs in which the only left-wing posters left on this site are those with the patience of a saint, like Nick Palmer, and those who can pay back with interest what is chucked at them, like Tim.

PS. If you're as familiar with my contributions as you say, you really ought to have realised that telling me to "shut the hell up" was not the most promising of strategies. A very good afternoon to you, and I look forward to reading your generous welcome to Mandy.


* * *

Has so much attention ever been given to a half-hearted student mock vote which limped to a dismal 13% turnout? The news of Glasgow University's "referendum" on Scottish independence is - bizarrely - the third most-read story on the BBC news website at the moment. It's impossible to know how to interpret the results without any kind of baseline figures, but on the whole I'd say that a 38% Yes vote is better than might have been expected. I'm a Glasgow graduate, and certainly when I was there student politics were completely dominated by the suffocating Labour machine. It also has to be remembered that a very substantial minority of the students are English, and are only resident in Scotland on a temporary basis.

9 comments:

  1. For the uninitiated, a PB Tory has just posted a link here, hence the sudden arrival of the Eloquent Anonymous Brigade. You're always welcome, guys, and rest assured that unlike my PB post yesterday, your thoughtful and constructive contributions will not be arbitrarily deleted.

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  2. Blimey James are the PB crowd still in thrall to their Tory leader?

    It's like the Daily Mail comments section without the humour over there.

    As for the Glasgow Uni referendum it was pretty much what I expected. It was hardly fertile territory for a Yes vote stuffed to the gunnels with tomorrows rotary club bores, NUS stalwarts, people who chose a Miliband and tyro Euan McColm's.

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  3. To be fair to Euan McColm he did post that Glasgow University was not typical of Scotland as a whole. There was a debate at the West of Scotland U last night and on a show of hands it was 70% for Yes of those who attended.

    I haven't been to PB for a while but if I do go, it is the same people posting the same stuff over and over again. You, Tim, Uniondividend, MalcolmG & Mick Pork needs some sort of recognition for the abuse you all get from the Tory Herd.

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  4. Timothy (likes zebras)February 22, 2013 at 4:56 PM

    "It also has to be remembered that a very substantial minority of the students are English, and are only resident in Scotland on a temporary basis."

    When I was at University (in England, in a Halls of Residence), the University put us all on the electoral register. If this is the case then I understand that these English students temporarily in Scotland would be eligible to vote in the independence referendum (which I believe is scheduled during University term?)

    The issue of eligibility to vote in the referendum is a bit messy. I have a German-born friend who is resident in Edinburgh and who doesn't want to vote in the referendum, because she doesn't want to interfere in Scotland's choice (but she would have voted if there had been a turnout threshold).

    I also know of someone English-born who will probably vote for independence (on the basis that Salmond > Cameron or Miliband).

    Do any of the polls on Scottish independence break the results down by country of birth?

    On pb.com, I have a lot of sympathy with Mr Smithson. While I don't agree with all his moderation decisions, the threads have become more pleasant to read since HD2 was banished again - and I probably wouldn't have chosen to ban HD2 myself.

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    Replies
    1. Timothy, until a couple of days ago I would have agreed with you that the situation at PB had improved slightly. The thread-headers have seemed more balanced recently, and the moderation has seemed less heavy-handed and arbitrary. I'm feeling much more discouraged again after yesterday, but maybe it's just a blip.

      I see you've already found the answer to your question on breakdown by country of birth on the earlier post.

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  5. Isn't it time you named and shamed plato. If she can do it to that sleazebag labourbot Tim then you should do it to her.

    Anybody as thick as her should be banned from having the vote. Skipping round the room after cameron's maybe, sort of, possible EU vote?????

    Knowing, "nothing about Scottish politics and caring even less," yet always ready with an anti-Scotland attack.

    The false modesty, the massive ego, the benefit-junkie,dole thief, taxpayer funded lifestyle.

    I don't care for her and the pathetic herd are worse.

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  6. If you are not an established poster or Tory supporter, you will be blocked from posting for the slightest twitch away from the Tory consensus.

    TSE, "The Screaming Eagles", a confessed Tory and PB moderator, seems to be the man with his finger on the "Block Non Tory" Button.

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