Monday, December 28, 2015

VOTE : What is your favourite type of dictatorship?

Some more festive fun for you, ie. I'm feeling too lazy to do a proper post.  If Britain had to abandon its democracy tomorrow (OK, semi-democracy, semi-aristocracy), what system should we replace it with?  The options are...

1) Marxist-Leninist one-party state
2) Fascist one-party state
3) Dominant-party state
4) Authoritarian presidential republic 
5) Jackie Baillie
6) Theocratic state
7) Absolute monarchy
8) Military rule
9) Anarchy

You can find the voting form at the top of the sidebar (desktop version of the site only).  Voting for multiple options is enabled, in case anyone is feeling particularly indecisive.  But for heaven's sake don't abstain because you don't like any of the options - we can't let fascism win by default, can we?  Hilary Benn will be having a stern word with you, and quite possibly dropping a bomb on your mother-in-law's cottage.

95 comments:

  1. No autonomous collective :-(

    Surely #9 should be an anarcho-syndicalist commune where we all take it in turns to be executive officer for a week.

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  2. I don't believe it - only eleven votes in, and somebody has already voted for fascism. Take a bow, GWC.

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    Replies
    1. never mind that 12 have voted for Jackie Baillie, surely even fascism is better than that. And no, I voted for neither.

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    2. Sarcastic votes, surely.

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    3. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 28, 2015 at 7:45 PM

      Nice wan James. I prefer wee Nicola with the shoulder pads. Something tae hing oan tae. I could give her a sermon on the mount. She could dictate anything she wishes tae me.

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    4. Who are you again?

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    5. If he were an honest man,he'd probably describe himself as a "sasenach" among "jocks"(his description of his ahem fellow scots.

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  3. Conservatives are the party of small government, right?

    So if we take that to it's logical, extreme conclusion, then conservatives are the party of no government, right?

    So conservatives are anarchists :)

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    1. Or maybe it's the other way around, and anarchists are conservatives?

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  4. You know number three is a democracy - just one where one party keeps on winning fairly and no one can imagine anyone else getting their act together. I'm not sure if that's the point you're trying to make...

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    1. My interpretation of dominant-party state is present-day Zimbabwe, or Mexico in the old days - ie. a system that allows other parties to stand for election, but not to win power.

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  5. I'm impressed. 42 votes in and 19 including mine have voted for Anarchy. There's hope for Scotland after all.

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    Replies
    1. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 28, 2015 at 7:52 PM

      The good thing about Anarchy is no one agrees about anything and they keep killing each other.

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    2. Sticks and stones GWC.

      I have my supply ready.

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  6. It's a front for the Judean People's, erm... Well, Jackie Baillie could be the back.

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  7. I think you may be able to vote multiple times.

    I was tempted by anarchy - an age thing cos I was a teenager at the right time. But since it was "fun" I decided to vote for Jabba. You do know if she wins it will be lead item ( suitably spun) on the MOT news?

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  8. I couldn't help voting for Jackie Baillie.

    God knows why; was just drawn to that novel concept of governance. Anarchy is old hat. Baillieism is the new anarchism.

    All hail princess Baillie, dear leader!

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  9. We used to have a dominant party state. Then people discovered that they no longer had to shurrup n vote fur the Laybur maan.

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  10. A process of elimination.
    Theocracy, Military rule and absolute Monarchy are potentially the same thing---when King Brigadier Willie become Head of the CofE, then we are there.
    Fascism/Marxism----the same tarnished coin.
    Presidential Republic,..Straun the farmer-savant---him?
    Baillie is a safe choice. When she can no longer travel by sedan chair-----her Rule is finished!
    Anarchy......Glesca council??????
    It leaves Dominant Rule, just as now!

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    Replies
    1. Yup dominant rule till we obtain Independence.

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    2. We can obviously forget wee Stuan Stevenson, El Presidenti of the EU/Iraq "follow the money brigade".

      What we DO need to beware of is ----
      Rule by Brit Nat Journalistic Oligarchs. Gardham and Co.

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  11. Voted for Jacqui.

    She deserves to get some support this year.

    Poor wee thing.

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    Replies
    1. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 28, 2015 at 9:38 PM

      She is a big wummin David with a strange accent. Sounds Scottish with a jawry in her mooth.

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    2. "Strange accent"---she sounds like a Scottish Labourite trying to sound Tory.

      Or....a Scottish Tory trying to sound Labourite.

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  12. Strange accent - like yours, English?

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  13. Trump in the US of A. Whacky Baillie here. Gideon in Englandshire.

    What could possibly go wrong?

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  14. The charisma! the positive decision making! The incisive Political debate! It's got to be Jackie.

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  15. Surely the presence of Jackie Baillie and anarchy on the same ballot paper is a tautology.

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  16. Not sure what an 'anarchic dictatorship' would look like...

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    1. I'll resist the obvious comment about the Shadow Cabinet.

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    2. Not obvious to me. How's it a dictatorship?

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    3. Ah. There's nothing quite so revealing in this world as a joke that hits a nerve...

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    4. Not really. I've only got time for about 10% of the Shadow Cabinet.

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    5. You should broaden your horizons, Niall. There's got to be more to life than Lucy Powell and Charlie Falconer.

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  17. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 12:11 AM

    gavin. You need tae qualify what Tories you are babbling on aboot. Is it the English Tories, the new nat si Tartan Tories or the Old Scottish Tories. So many to choose from. Same policies.

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    1. Glagow Working Class,

      You seem to have, inadvertently, missed out the Labour Party.

      I can see slight difference between your chums the English Tories and your true home, The Labour Party of Brigadoon.

      Y'know what that difference is? Btween us and you?

      Try a quiz.

      Bomb Iraq, = Yes / No?

      Bomb Syria, given the above = yes or no?

      Trident replacement = yes or no?

      Austerity = yes or no?


      Just for you;

      Trolley buses = yes or no?

      On the basis of the above:

      Labcrims to the Hague = yes or no?

      It is not something I want associated with. Your mileage may vary.


      Delete
    2. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 3:06 AM

      And then there is the real World. Perhaps you can convince others outwith the the UK and USA not to pursue their interests. And austerity is in the hands of the Nat sis in Scotland. And the Labour Party are not and have never been associated with the various Tories in Scotland.

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    3. Really? Explain working side by side with the blue Tories in Better Together during the indyref, if you please...

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    4. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 11:16 AM

      Even your dense brain should know the answer to your own question.

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    5. Charmless troll. Don't like being reminded of your chumming up with the blue Tories, do you? Thanks for avoiding the question.

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    6. Glasgow troll----all Tories are alike to normal people, whether Red or Blue. North or South.

      As for your nat sis meme---learn some history.
      Hess didn't come to talk to the SNP. Mosely or the Prince of Wales or Lord Halifax etc. They were more to his taste.
      It was the Anglo-German Fellowship, or the January Club or any of the other pro Nazi outfits that so attracted Princes, Lords, Earls, MP's etc. There were many Scots among their ranks, none of them SNP.
      Indeed the 8th Earl of Glasgow was one such---any relative of yours?

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    7. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 5:05 PM

      'chumming'. Sounds like English private schoolboy to me.

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    8. Shows how little you know. Besides, that's deflection from the raw nerve I obviously struck.

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    9. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 6:55 PM

      gavin. Your imagination knows no bounds.

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    10. As I said, learn some history.
      But then, education is wasted on some people.
      You are a prime example of Glasgow's education system after decades of Labour control.

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    11. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 7:39 PM

      gavin, clearly wasted on you. Insulting and verbal bile probably cost you Nat sis the referendum.
      And Hess allegedly came to Scotland to contact the Duke of Hamilton. But who really knows. So do carry on being a smug B and keep the laughter going.

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    12. Still ducking my question, then. How's that raw nerve? Would you like salt and vinegar on that?

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    13. Still waiting for an answer to my question of two days ago, GWC. Do try to answer without calling me dense or a Nazi...

      Delete
  18. James,

    Now you know your readers. Given all options, we are largely anarchists, myself included.

    What do you make of that?

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  19. Jackie Baillie is the obvious answer. She is far and away the most annoying creature in Scottish public life and the most reliable trigger of a counter-revolution.

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    Replies
    1. That's why she got my vote, Alasdair!

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  20. It might as well be unabandoned anarchy, and it sounds more equal, no?

    I happened to have lunch with a couple of friends yesterday, one who is Chinese. She was telling us about a bizarre and horrendous situation in China, where no one helps anyone in a crisis in the street for fear of litigation. I wondered how this can have come about, China having been a communist country and all. I am obviously naive or something, Anyway, how incredibly counter productive, because it applies to the very people who won't go help someone in trouble, ie been run over, had a heart attack etc. Apparently it is also expected you leave the good samaritan stuff to the paid professionals, if that is not an oxymoron. Apparently in Russia if you fall over they just walk over you as they think you are drunk, it happened to a friends aunty in Moscow. Though that was a few years back.

    I do wonder whatever happened to the whole idea of the good samaritan, was it just an idea, filling in a gap until the emergency services were set up? We may never know.

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  21. Admit it, you all love Jackie Baillie really. She's an absolute star.

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  22. I'd prefer TRUE DEMOCRACY to any other system.

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  23. I would prefer a dictatorship controlled by artificial intelligence, programmed to be beneficial to the majority rather than any self serving human. Failing that as a choice I opted for Jackie Ballie as the least human among the list!

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  24. And yet, and yet,.......its YOU who polute these threads night after night, with your smears, cheap asides and ugly trolling.
    It's YOU who gets abusive in the face of facts.
    The Anglo-German Fellowship is the true face of British Nationalism.
    Begone Troll!

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    Replies
    1. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 29, 2015 at 10:40 PM

      That is really a desperate statement filled with useless emotion.

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    2. Pot,Kettle,Black?

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    3. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 12:50 AM

      Are you on the ten tae six shift Anon whoever, whichever.

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    4. Actually,GWC,I am a retired pensioner who is comfortably off,knowing that my pension is safe in the hands of an SNP government.I have no need to work shifts nor do I need to resort to a fake Glasgow-type argot to get my point across.

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    5. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 2:02 AM

      Did not know the Nat sis had a pension scheme for the plebs. They do for themselves you muppet.

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    6. ...and we're back to the Nazi trope. Big surprise there.

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    7. Actually,GWC,I am a retired pensioner who is comfortably off,knowing that my pension is safe in the hands of an SNP government.

      Your sense of safety may be somewhat misplaced. Might want to double check on that one.

      Delete
  25. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 1:24 AM

    The 2015 Private Eye Annual, page 7 sums up the greedy Jock of the North - by Ben MullofKintyre.

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    1. Despite your previous snarking about English private schoolboys, I can't say I'm surprised at your getting your lazy, disconnected "satire" from Private Eye. They're as clueless about Scottish matters as your pals at the Daily Wail.

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    2. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 3:49 PM

      Scottish matters are UK matters.

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    3. Aw, how sweet. Who told you that?

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  26. Private Eye???

    Does anyone with a brain still read that rag - particularly in relation to anywhere outside Lunnin Tan?

    Hyslop's mob are too busy playing with each other's teddies and swapping bedtime stories about being boys better together.

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  27. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 12:19 PM

    SNP appointed Guru Naomi Eisenstadt says the rich are getting better off to the detriment of the poor. Tartan Tory/Tory Yellow/Blue whats the difference.
    And the Nat sis are considering giving public funds to loonie tune religious groups to set up Private Schools. Sounds like Tony Blair all over again. And we are supposed to be skint. You pretend silent leftie Nat sis must be boakin.

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    Replies
    1. Naomi Eisenstadt seems surprisingly right wing? Is she advocating a neoliberal means testing model instead of left-wing / social democratic universal benefits? It's all I can gather from one paywall article in the pro-union centre-right Labour backing Daily Herald.

      If so, the SNP are right to resist that. Would be playing into the hands of the neoliberal Tories/Labour/Libs.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welfare_state#Three_worlds_of_the_welfare_state

      Was Labour that, for example, introduced right-wing fees for education, 'work for your benefits' (good old socialist brown) and the bedroom tax.

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    2. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 10:31 PM

      Not like the Nat si mob tae appoint a right winger as the positions are full of them. Maybe the Nat sis
      made a mistake with this appointment and did not obtain a Yes wummin. The truth is the Nat sis have no historical association with the working classes and are lying deceitful baskets. At least the Tories are truthful about fooking the poor.

      Delete
    3. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 30, 2015 at 10:47 PM

      Skier, a simple lesson for you is if you want to help the less well of you do not subsidise the better of and deprive the less well of. Not rocket science. And no doubt you will try the throwing the mud tactic against this woman for speaking out. Other than that what happened to all those lefties allegedly that joined the Nat sis. Hoots Mon Ra Noo.

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    4. I see the alcohol is taking over once again. Ah well,why change the habits of a lifetime.

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    5. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 1:36 AM

      Your lifetime seems wasted but that is your choice. I do like a bevvy but wake up sober. Anything else tae offer Anon!

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    6. Yeah - knock off the fake Glasgow accent, you're fooling no-one. Also, you're doing yourself no favours with the constant Nazi nonsense.

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    7. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 5:03 PM

      Do get it right for once I have a Glesga East End accent and the mandatory walking stick. You really are a saddo. But do have a good New Year Nat si.

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    8. Your back did the lodge close early or did your bowler hat or flute get damaged?

      Or did the zombies get beat again?

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  28. All I'll say on the topic of means testing is the below. It is surprising how even some lefties get caught in the means testing trap. In principle, it can sound sort of fair. The better off paying for things the poor don't have to right? Yet that's you charging the better off twice. In fact more than twice; can be many times over as they are the ones filling the pot the most, yet taking the least out of it. If you keep doing this to them by taking away what little they do get back, good chance they'll start voting Tory for lower taxes. Hence the Tories just love means testing...

    http://users.ox.ac.uk/~chri3110/Details/Universalism%20McKee%20Stuckler.pdf

    The assault on universalism: how to destroy the welfare state

    ...such vilification of the undeserving poor is not new. What is
    changing in the United Kingdom is the progressive exclusion of the middle classes from the welfare state through incremental erosion of universal benefits. The logic is appealing, but highly divisive: Why should the state pay for those who can afford to pay for themselves? Why should “ordinary working people” pay for “middle class benefits”?

    The economic crisis has given the government a once in a lifetime opportunity. As Naomi Klein has described in many different situations, those opposed to the welfare state never waste a good crisis. The deficit must be reduced, and so, one by one, benefits are removed and groups are pitted against each other, as the interests of the middle class in the welfare state wither away.

    The first cut was to universal child benefit...

    ...The next thing to go was affordable university education...

    ...The direction of travel should now be clear. More and more, the middle classes will ask why they are paying into a system that gives them little back. The idea that the state is an insurance system, from which they can benefit if they are in need, is steadily eroded...

    ...Who benefits from this progressive degradation of the welfare state? Obviously not the lower classes. But nor do the middle classes, as the new, complex, and individualised systems are more expensive than what existed previously, often of poorer quality, and invariably far more complicated. The real beneficiaries are the very rich, who no longer have to pay for services they never used anyway...


    I would certainly warn Nicola Sturgeon about hurting the poor and helping the rich by going for means testing over universalism.

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    Replies
    1. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 5:29 PM

      There should not be such a thing as the welfare state. Benefits should be paid to those that need help. Scots are obsessed with welfare. It was hard wurkin Scots that built the Empire and we are the saft belly now.

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    2. No a Labour man then I see. Thatcher would be proud.

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    3. Why do you continue to use the term "WE" when talking about Scots?

      You are not Scottish.

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    4. He means we as in royal we, as the rest of his orange lodge buddies say it.

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    5. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 9:52 PM

      I always look forward tae the annual 12 July parade in Glesga. It tends to annoy some people which is a bonus.

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    6. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 9:55 PM

      Skier, is that Nicola Thatcher?

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    7. And the award for the shittiest electoral year goes to UKIP.

      https://twitter.com/britainelects/status/679942112696115200

      65% of council seats lost in by-elections takes them to the top of the failure pile. Or bottom. Och, you get what I mean.

      Carswell was right; Farage must go. Now.

      Makes my new hogmanay all the happier. Cherry on top of 58% SNP if you like (which is 58x the UKIP vote in the same poll incidentally) :-)

      Happy Hogmanay all!

      Delete
  29. I see GWC is still coming away with that faux-Glasgow accent.Wait till after midnight,he starts to slabber a bit and it gets worse.

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  30. I see GWC is still coming away with that faux-Glasgow accent.Wait till after midnight,he starts to slabber a bit and it gets worse.

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  31. Glasgow Working ClassDecember 31, 2015 at 10:07 PM

    hootsmon, you need tae get help with that stammer.

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    Replies
    1. Your issues, by contrast, are beyond help...

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  32. Anarchy but that is the total opposite to Dictatorship to me. You closed the poll before I got chance to vote - Dictator!!!!

    Happy New Year to all except Brit Nats as they don't believe in any kind of holiday except the idolatrous capitalist splurge that is Xmas.

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  33. Absolute monarchy. Some of our greatest achievements were made under absolute monarchs - Henry VIII and Elizabeth I being the most prominent.

    Aldo

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