Very Big Thinking Time

I remember being active in the SNP when I was young. The party membership is full of myths, cliches and a strange tendency to put down debate about strategy - open discussion is an attack on the leadership apparently.

Now, I like loyalty as a principle but for me my first political loyalty is to the idea of Scottish independence. That idea goes above and beyond any loyalty to the SNP. I see it as my duty as a Scot to debate the strategies that will lead Scotland to national liberation.

Salmond has my loyalty to a point. I mean who can doubt his acumen and sincerity. Like all of us though, you ready for this party apparatchiks? He has some weaknesses too. There, it's out - my crime is there for all to witness. I'm sure Alex himself would admit to mistakes - that is a strength in itself.

Alex understands how things work very well. He is a mover and shaker and the dignity of the nation is never undermined - he is the consumate diplomat. He has served his country with distinction. His vision of civic nationalism has been a blessing.

It is in the area of strategy that I see some cracks. This is a debate which is pivotal. How do we get from here to independence? That debate must be had.

In facing up to this debate we must have a clear understanding of where we are. Frankly, I haven't read very much of anything on the blogs or in the newspapers that shows me that anyone has a grip on what's happening in Britain PLC.

To me, Britain is facing moral, political and economic collapse. Yet, the SNP is positioning itself for a recovery. The party is so locked into Holyrood management that the real world is passing it by. I'm concerned about civil liberties and human rights and the party is holding a steady ship so that they will seem like competent treasurers. I see civil unrest and a threat to law and order and the party is tackling binge-drinking. I envision war and bankruptcy and the party clamps down on airguns.

So what is the world we live in really like now?

Some bullets from an article written about Wall Street from MarketWatch:

Goldman's secret moral pathology
15 symptoms of a Wall Street disease destroying democracy and capitalism

"
1. Gross denial of any moral damage caused by their rampant greed
2. Narcissistic egomaniacs with secret 'God complexes'
3. Paranoid obsessives about secrecy, guilt and non-disclosure
4. Power-hungry need to control government using Trojan Horses
5. Borderline personalities who regularly ignore conflicts of interest
6. Pathological liars incapable of honesty even with own investors
7. Sole fiduciary duty to insiders, not investors, never the public
8. Moral issues are PR glitches, violations of 'don't get caught' rule
9. Charitable donations are tax and PR opportunities, not moral issues
10. When exposed in a massive fraud, feign humility, fake an apology
11. When bankruptcy threatens, bribe friends in 'Happy Conspiracy'
12. Engage co-conspirators to cover up, distract, do your dirty work
13. As money-hungry vultures they will prey on vulnerable Americans
14. Treat everyone not in the 'Happy Conspiracy' with tough love
15. Addicts consumed by money: 'Jesus would throw them out ...' "

The banks have literally transferred the entire wealth of the US working and middle class to themselves. The amount of complicity by government involved to do this is staggering. All that new money in the system is going to explode and people will realise they've lost everything. The country has been hollowed out by the international bankers. The same is true in Britain. The regulators have been lying, the government and civil service have been lying, the rating agencies co-opted all to try and pretend that the financial system can be rescued. This is the biggest robbery in history but you only know a small percentage of that so far. When the money flood hits there'll be devaluation or hyper-inflation. Interest rates and taxes will sky-rocket and millions more jobs with them. Services will be cut to the bone.

In this context Britain's currency will likely fail and in many ways democracy with it. Standards of living are going to plunge dramatically.

With less than half the budget that it now has Britain will not be able to afford key services. Police numbers will be cut just as crime goes ballistic. The army will likely be used to keep order.

Every month in the States another 300, 000 people have their houses foreclosed. Bodies in Detroit go unclaimed as people can't afford burials. Millions live in their cars or in tunnels. It all goes unreported except for alternative media sources.

What goes unreported in the UK? Half the unemployed for a start.

There is the real threat of economic and political collapse in Britain. Some people are out there trying to tell people that but the media ain't telling the story.

The game has changed. Things are not the same anymore. The SNP needs to take a good hard look at what's really going on. The stimulus theology was garbage and there isn't going to be a recovery.

It's time, not for devolution managerialism, it's time for very big thinking!