Numpty Trumpty

Numpty Trumpty talked a good wall.
Numpty Trumpty lied to us all.
All the kiss-asses and all the deep-south,
Couldn't get Numpty to shut-up his mouth.

Your President Needs all the help he can get

President Trump is like a child. President Trump wants to build a big wall. when President Trump can't get his own way he starts to fiddle with the big-red-button.
You can help to make the world a better place. Take positive action! Just place one Lego™ brick in an envelope and mail it to:
President Trump
The White House
Washington D.C.
U.S. of A.
All Lego™ bricks are created equal but President Trump likes the white ones best.

With thanks to Pinterest

The Summer of Love seen from afar

The summer of 1967 was also-known-as the Summer of Love. I was at school in the deep sooth; a school that helped shape a few notable individuals. Daniel Kohn-Bendit, also-known-as Danny the Red, had attended briefly around 1964. His moment of youthful activism produced memorable photographs in the Paris Match of June 1968. I remember studying them in the library.

An iconic image from long ago and far away.

Another pupil was incensed by the closure of the pirate radio stations. In September 1967 they persuaded me to make my first political protest; I signed a petition which was duly ignored by the powers-that-be. I did not know then that this young person would go on to spend much of their life in jail. It takes all sorts to make a world.
On a return to the school some years ago I was told that another old-scholar had changed their name. This was, according to the story, to evade the consequences of being involved in one of the small groups that occasionally became news stories in the seventies.
The Jimi Hendrix years began in October 1966 in Evreux, France. They ended with his tragic death in September 1970. Many young people believe that those four years were 'The Sixties'. But the sixties was longer and it had its share of tragic deaths. I don't know if it was grief at the tragedies or disappointment as youthful dreams turned to ash in my mouth but I blame the sixties for all my wrinkles and the uneasy feeling that a better world was possible.
Fifty years ago, in September 1967, Che Guevara was in Bolivia; fighting for his vision of human dignity. "One, two, three ... Lots of Vietnams!".
What went wrong?

An MZ motorcycle smells the flowers, Port Elphinstone, Scotland, August 2017.

Louis Mair

The New Flavour Song

New Flavour's ball is brightest blue,
It spins a lie until it's true.
Though voters laugh and commies greet,
We'll keep the blue ball spinning sweet.

Up in the sky, up in the sky,
You'll see the blue ball spinning by.

The filthy-rich can keep it all,
There's more for them if they call.
Tame unions that will cause no grief,
Big-business sighing with relief.

Up in the sky, up in the sky,
You'll see the blue ball spinning by.

The people's debts are their affair,
New Flavour shrugs and doesn't care.
The Faslane Base is more than cool,
If you went to the right school.

Up in the sky, up in the sky,
You'll see the blue ball spinning by.

May-be Baby

Maybe baby we've got you
Maybe baby you're true blue
Maybe baby we've got you, ev noo

David Whatshisname wiz on glue
Tory Blain hidnae got a clue
Maybe baby will you fail us too?

Maybe baby we've got you
Maybe baby you're true blue
Maybe baby we've got you, ev noo

Maggie was the one that gave away
All the things that we could use today
Our leaders have been a sorry crew
Another waster just will not do

Maybe baby we've got you
Maybe baby you're true blue
Maybe baby we've got you, ev noo

Inspired by the Hardin/Petty song Maybe Baby

21/3/2017
May-belline
Maybelline why can't you be true?
Maybelline why can't you be true?
You done started doin the things Maggie used to do.

With apologies to

the late, great,

Chuck Berry

Debt-Palaces built on Sand

The phrase “full-fiscal-autonomy” has been introduced to the debate about whether the smoke or the mirrors are the best-looking part of fantasy independence. Back on the planet of harsh realities, phrases of that type can be granted just about any meaning that Wastemonster-on-Thames chooses to give them.

It is vaguely assumed by many Scots that the oilfields off our coast are obviously and inalienably Scottish. This idea is logically supported by the 1707 Act of Union. It is not so, according to United-Kingdomland-of-London.

Without the mineral resources that lie beyond our 12-mile-limit, full-fiscal-autonomy becomes fool-fiscal-autonomy. It is wrong to even discuss something that clearly implies English (as in United-Kingdomland is England) ownership of the oilfields. To accept any such deal would set us up to be (even more of) an Albania of Western Europe.

It is long past time for the SNP to come to terms with the need to extend our maritime limits. It makes legal and constitutional sense to divide the United Kingdom Continental Shelf between the two parties who signed up for the 1707 Union. Within that Union there is Scots’ Law and English Law, there should be no more room for big-bone-us-piracy. The oilfields and our territorial integrity are the rock on which we could build a federal, confederal or independent state. Anything less fails the1320-test and is not fit to be called Scotland.

We have successively sent Liberal, Tory and Socialist-lite representatives to Westminster. Every time things got worse, we felt betrayed – people voted with their feet. This time, it is to be hoped that one of our 56 representatives will turn out to be a talented (and fearless) diplomat, with steel in their teeth.

It is also to be hoped that we would see through the smoke and mirrors of the imperial media and support such an individual, should they emerge:

good Scots leader = vicious press smears

(à la Neil Kinnock, Arthur Scargill, et al)

The Norwegians wisely chose to vote for the Norwegian Constitution before they discovered their oil. Despite having a very clear democratic mandate for independence, they still had to face-down the might of the Swedish Imperial Army on their border.

Louis Mair

Mony a slip

Sir

Many nations have gained the position where they could negotiate an exit from the London Empire.

Such negotiations have proved difficult in the past. Tim pat Coogan in his biography of Micheal Collins gave an excellent and accessible account of the negotiations and machinations which led to the Irish Free State- and a civil war.

Albania and Zimbabwe are among a long list of those who have discovered the true meaning of perfidious- in London.

It would, in my humble opinion, be a mistake for the representatives of the Scottish People to agree to negotiate the detail of our future in York.

It would be a mistake to negotiate in Carlisle. Gretna lacks sufficient gravitas and that leaves only one candidate: Berwick-upon-Tweed.

It is difficult to put aside the thought patterns that come with a long period of colonial servitude.

There are perfectly reasonable, lawful and diplomatic steps that we, as a democratic nation, can take to discourage the neighbours from undue procrastination, bellicosity and mean-mindedness.

I feel sure that the team around Alex Salmond will have drawn up comprehensive plans for negotiating our reasonable share of the assets and liabilities- if we vote Yes for independence.

Louis Mair

Previously published in the Scots Independent October 2014

The Fat Controller

1. Silence is Golden

The Duke of Hamilton is a noble man who inspires confidence in his ability to fulfill his constitutional role. The Duke of Hamilton is a wise man who fully understands that his privileged position carries with it a heavy burden of responsibility. The Duke of Hamilton is an honourable man who lives and breathes the Declaration of Arbroath; which describes the constitutional checks and balances that he is bound by.

His continued silence over the rabble-rousing of a man from the lower orders of pond-life is something we must interpret for ourselves. The Duke's position is clearly above mere politics. It is equally clear that a mere-politician cannot effect constitutional change.

If we are to maintain our confidence in our constitution and those who represent it, then it logically follows that the Man of Lard is posturing; in the hope of retiring with a gold-plated pension and the gratitude of those whom he has betrayed.

As ye sew so shall ye reap. September will be an interesting month.

2. Coming Soon

3. Wolfe Tone v The Fat Controller