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| Rinty |
Solidarity Statement on the UnionThe Act of Union joining the Scottish and English parliaments was signed 300 years ago on this day. In two days time the people of Scotland go to the polls to vote in elections in which the SNP look set to emerge as the majority party in Scotland for the first time in their history. That the Union may come under threat as a result has produced newspapers headlines and statements from the likes of Jack McConnell, Tony Blair and Gordon Brown which have attempted to paint a picture of independence as nothing less than a doomsday scenario for the Scottish people.Their description of the British state as this benign force for good in the world is one that Solidarity neither recognises or accepts. Our view, supported by history, is that the British state was formed in the interests of a rising mercantile class in order to better plunder the globe. A history of rape, murder and theft is the true legacy of this mercantilist state, one which continues to the present day in Iraq and Afghanistan. Every statue and monument, every grand edifice in every town and city the length and breadth of these islands, was paid for in the blood of innocent men, women and children from the Caribbean to the continents of Africa and Asia, as well as closer to home in Ireland. Solidarity supports the break-up of the British state. We do so as internationalists, understanding Britain's role in the world as a junior partner in the cause of US imperialism to be a pernicious one, responsible for the suffering and exploitation of people in the Middle East, Africa, and throughout the developing world. As socialists we know that political sovereignty without economic sovereignty is no sovereignty at all, which is why our vision of an independent Scotland is different from that of the SNP. We want a Scotland that is a beacon of social and economic justice, of equality and peace, a country in which those who seek sanctuary from political, economic or religious persecution are welcomed instead of locked up and vilified. Global corporations that wander the planet looking to make ever increasing profits on the back of cheap labour and natural resources would find no home here; neither would nuclear weapons or US military bases. We have a vision of a society in which the rich are taxed equitably, in which Scotland's vast wealth is redistributed fairly, and in which her resources are controlled by the people instead of a few millionaires and billionaires. On this the 300th anniversary of the Union between Scotland and England, in solidarity with the working class and the oppressed around the world on this May Day, Solidarity clearly and unequivocally calls for the break up of the British state. |
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| Holebender |
It's nice to see Solidarity supporting a flat tax system, as that is the only way to tax everybody (including "the rich") equitably. | ||||||
| Maol.Chaluim |
Re: Solidarity Statement on the Union
?? |
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| agentmancuso |
And a very wise move it would be too. |
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| Jimbo |
Good post Rinty. I intend to vote for all pro independence parties. SNP 1st of course. | ||||||
| Anthropos |
Really? Flat Tax systems are generally favoured by the political right. I would have thought a party like Solidarity would advocate Progressive taxation. Would that mean those currently in the 40% bracket would have their taxes reduced, or would everyone start paying 40% on everything? |
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| agentmancuso |
Some sensible comment on Comrade Sheridan's latest gibberish from Shuggy. Follow his link to Hak for further entertaining inter-Menshevik wrangling. | ||||||
| Babygael |
Rinty said
http://www.irishholocaust.org/ I simply cannot understand why Scots would vote for people who are capable of this? Read and weep! I tell myself that the Unionist front line whom opposes Independence,comprise mainly of the many engerlish and their offspring who settled in Scotland since Culloden,the "White Foreigners' as some refer to them, I am not so harsh myself but still, anyone settling in Scotland should take up the scottish way of life, and not try to change the ways of the Clann. This is our Roots and ID that is being messed with! Fek!! 
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| agentmancuso |
Or in other words, shove your 'civic nationalism' up your @rse. Thanks, Babygael, for letting the cat leap out of the bag once again. You really are a gem. 
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| parkhead_rfb |
good statement. also nice to see a party have some balls and put ireland in there as well its an issue too many leftist parties shirk.
also rinty i seen solidarity out in force at the game v hearts. any such events planned for ibrox? 
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| Babygael |
Ahm happy you know it babes!!  But don't try to twist things around that are not meant in future. 
f you have nothing else to say....shut the fek up!!
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| doug 1745 |
great statement rinty, I enjoyed reading it. | ||||||
| Rinty |
rfb wrote - "its an issue too many leftist parties shirk."
Including the one that you are voting for rfb. |
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| agentmancuso |
I trust you are not labouring under the delusion that responsibility for Northern Irish affairs has been devolved to Holyrood? Hard to see why Ireland would be in any way relevant for an internal Scottish election, even for tankies. |
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| parkhead_rfb |
read the statement and the relevance should be quite obvious. |
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| agentmancuso |
I did read the statement. It is hysterical, childish, messianic and utopian nonsense. And Ireland has no relevance whatsoever to tomorrow's elections. |
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| Rinty |
g
No it isn't 
But it does have relevance to the points made in the statement re Britains role in the world. Just as relevant as the references to africa, asia, iraq and afghanistan. |
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| agentmancuso |
Re: g
"Every statue and monument, every grand edifice in every town and city the length and breadth of these islands, was paid for in the blood of innocent men, women and children" Seriously, every statue? Every monument? Every grand edifice? In every town and city? Paid for in blood? Really? No if that isn't hysterical tripe, I don't know what is. |
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| parkhead_rfb |
before you left you argued different when i criticised the ssp on it, your being a little wise after the event there because you have now fallen out with them. |
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| callie |
Re: g"Every statue and monument, every grand edifice in every town and city the length and breadth of these islands, was paid for in the blood of innocent men, women and children"i would say that that is acceptable poetic licence and you would have to be biased to call it hysterical. |
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| agentmancuso |
Re: g
I maintain there is a difference between poetic licence and neurotic ranting. But you're right, I am biased: socialism is ludicrous. Socialists are ludicrous. Happily, their utterly embarrassing presence in parliament has been extinguished. |
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| VLK |
I was a bit surprised as that anniversary did not get a lot of attention in the media. Perhaps, it was considered that bringing up the subject would play into the hands of those who want the union to be ended. | ||||||
| SLG |
Nice comment on Hibs.net on this using the divorce analogy...
If year in year out, I completely forgot to mark my wedding anniversary, including a really significant anniversary, then my wife would be filing for divorce. |
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