I had hoped after last weekend's hate fest in Edinburgh both in and outside the Tory Conference, the media and bloggers might give it a rest when Labour hit Perth - stupid really, but with out hope for change, there is no hope for a better future.
Yet what I have seen from the Scottish media and the bloggosphere over the last few days is the usual conflation between the SNP and the Yes Campaign, lead by the Labour Party's usual cheer leaders. The myth the 'Yes campaign' is not about equality, its is a hidden Tory plot, the Labour Party is to the left of the SNP - all the standard cries of denial we have heard from Labour, ever since they lost their hegemony over Scotland in 2007.
On the 'Yes side' there are equal cries of anger and hatred around 'Labour lies'. A problematical engagement with Labour's narrative, when even with the the full weight of the British Establishment media propaganda the polls are showing they are losing the war, even if they consider the are winning the media battle.
To use a historical analogy the 'Yes Campaign' is fighting its key battle over prepared ground, drawing Labour and the No Campaign it fronts into prepared ambushes, getting them to fall into prepared staked pits, overall denting what should be an all powerful enemy's ability to fight the battle they want. There are occasional head on, disrupting attacks from the Yes Campaign but, like Bruce, it is clear the real need is one where the 'No Campaign' is ground down by its own efforts, increasingly frustrated, demoralised, so it turns in on itself, as it has no one else left to blame.
Tactically the comparisons between Edward the Second's march on Bannockburn - full of arrogance, sense of superiority, angry at being challenged, their right to rule being questioned, the certainty of crushing the Scots is seen in the method of David Cameron and his, Labour lead, No Campaign compared to quiet certainty of people actually behind the Yes Campaign and their use of Alex Salmond as cover to deflect the attention from what is actually going on - bears a small comparison. Like Edward the Second, the fascination of the No Campaign and its aim is focused on the narrow front of destroying Salmond in some De Bohun like attack. The rest of the 'Yes campaign' is to be ignored, what use is the ordinary, independence supporting Scot, party less, excommunicated from Westminster, without this 'extraordinary leader' seems to be their angle. In this they misjudge what is happening in Scotland on the ground, amongst the electorate, as the polls show the No campaign sliding towards defeat in September.
This brings me back to the anger and hatred being shown by supporters of Yes to Labour.
What part of we are winning, keep the heid, lay off ad hominen attacks on the No side, keep your sense of humour and positive mind set as by letting yourself be sucked into the anger and hate game you are engaging the opposition in a battle only they can win, are you not seeing. Get annoyed by all means but reply in a way which highlights the No Campaign's hypocrisy, inability to address the issues they raise, the emptiness of their threats, mock them and damn them with faint praise but let us not fail and fall short by indulging in anger and hatred.
Labour is facing a dystopian nightmare of their own construction in Scotland - a fundamental reality: they have lost and are continuing to lose the support of the people of Scotland by their unwillingness to address the real concerns, needs and expectations of the Scottish Electorate. The failure to listen to the likes of Henry McLeish, let alone the comments made by Alan Grogan in today's packed fringe meeting can have only one end result, the destruction of Labour's remaining hegemony in Scottish Councils.
So let go the anger and hatred over hurts you believe the Labour machine has inflicted on the Yes support this weekend - that road allows the whole Cybernat nonsense to be revisited and us to be deflected from what we need to concentrate on - getting the positive message about Scottish Independence and a why a Yes vote is essential for the good of all Scots, no matter their political persuasion, age or ethnic origin.
Yet what I have seen from the Scottish media and the bloggosphere over the last few days is the usual conflation between the SNP and the Yes Campaign, lead by the Labour Party's usual cheer leaders. The myth the 'Yes campaign' is not about equality, its is a hidden Tory plot, the Labour Party is to the left of the SNP - all the standard cries of denial we have heard from Labour, ever since they lost their hegemony over Scotland in 2007.
On the 'Yes side' there are equal cries of anger and hatred around 'Labour lies'. A problematical engagement with Labour's narrative, when even with the the full weight of the British Establishment media propaganda the polls are showing they are losing the war, even if they consider the are winning the media battle.
To use a historical analogy the 'Yes Campaign' is fighting its key battle over prepared ground, drawing Labour and the No Campaign it fronts into prepared ambushes, getting them to fall into prepared staked pits, overall denting what should be an all powerful enemy's ability to fight the battle they want. There are occasional head on, disrupting attacks from the Yes Campaign but, like Bruce, it is clear the real need is one where the 'No Campaign' is ground down by its own efforts, increasingly frustrated, demoralised, so it turns in on itself, as it has no one else left to blame.
Tactically the comparisons between Edward the Second's march on Bannockburn - full of arrogance, sense of superiority, angry at being challenged, their right to rule being questioned, the certainty of crushing the Scots is seen in the method of David Cameron and his, Labour lead, No Campaign compared to quiet certainty of people actually behind the Yes Campaign and their use of Alex Salmond as cover to deflect the attention from what is actually going on - bears a small comparison. Like Edward the Second, the fascination of the No Campaign and its aim is focused on the narrow front of destroying Salmond in some De Bohun like attack. The rest of the 'Yes campaign' is to be ignored, what use is the ordinary, independence supporting Scot, party less, excommunicated from Westminster, without this 'extraordinary leader' seems to be their angle. In this they misjudge what is happening in Scotland on the ground, amongst the electorate, as the polls show the No campaign sliding towards defeat in September.
This brings me back to the anger and hatred being shown by supporters of Yes to Labour.
What part of we are winning, keep the heid, lay off ad hominen attacks on the No side, keep your sense of humour and positive mind set as by letting yourself be sucked into the anger and hate game you are engaging the opposition in a battle only they can win, are you not seeing. Get annoyed by all means but reply in a way which highlights the No Campaign's hypocrisy, inability to address the issues they raise, the emptiness of their threats, mock them and damn them with faint praise but let us not fail and fall short by indulging in anger and hatred.
Labour is facing a dystopian nightmare of their own construction in Scotland - a fundamental reality: they have lost and are continuing to lose the support of the people of Scotland by their unwillingness to address the real concerns, needs and expectations of the Scottish Electorate. The failure to listen to the likes of Henry McLeish, let alone the comments made by Alan Grogan in today's packed fringe meeting can have only one end result, the destruction of Labour's remaining hegemony in Scottish Councils.
So let go the anger and hatred over hurts you believe the Labour machine has inflicted on the Yes support this weekend - that road allows the whole Cybernat nonsense to be revisited and us to be deflected from what we need to concentrate on - getting the positive message about Scottish Independence and a why a Yes vote is essential for the good of all Scots, no matter their political persuasion, age or ethnic origin.
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