Billy Connelly has got it exactly right about nationalism and Scottish independence

The Big Yin is quoted in today's Times as saying that nationalism is "the history of war and horror", adding "it is all based on the belief that, because you were born on that bit of planet, you are imbued with certain talents and gifts. It is nonsense. I am a citizen of the world and I like it that way."

I couldn't have put it better...

The full article can be viewed here (paywall)

Alan Macro

Fuss over UKIP's posters has played into their hands

UKIP unveiled its £1M worth of billboard posters yesterday. They were immediately branded as "racist" by Labour politicians and questioned about this by the media. This played into UKIP's hands - they got far more media coverage than if they hadn't been criticised.

I would not have called the posters that I have seen, like this one:

racist.

They are unfairly anti-immigrant and in very poor taste, but I don't think they are racist in the normal sense of the word.

Alan Macro

Blair wrong to urge the west to "reach out" to Putin in fight against Islamic extremists

Tony Blair is reported to be calling on the West to make "common cause with Putin" in the fight against radical Islam.

However, Blair has done more than anyone in Europe to encourage radical Islam by involving Britain in the second Gulf War. This was represented by radical Muslims as an attack on Islam, especially since the accusations that Iraq possessed "weapons of mass destruction" proved to be completely unfounded.

Putin's Russia has treated separatists in Islamic Chechnya very brutally. He is the very last person that we should be co-operating with.

I'm not sure that targeting "radical Islam", rather than Islamic extremists, is going to help win friends in the Muslim community either.

Alan Macro
Lib-Dem Councillor for Theale
West Berkshire Council

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