As regular readers will be aware, I am not behind the door where it comes to criticising the mainstream media in Fair Caledonia.
However, I am always careful to point out that my observations are almost always focused on the chaps on the sports desks.
The failures of the Fitba Fourth Estate on the Ibrox saga has been well documented here.
Therefore, when I see someone in the SMSM that is worthy of praise it is incumbent upon me to bring it to your attention.
This piece by Rebecca McQuillan in the Herald is worth reading.
It posits the view that the marketing campaign of the SNP government apropos nice fluffy welcoming Scotland might not be entirely based in fact.
Gasp!
There is undoubtedly a smug self-righteousness in the SNP hierarchy that racism is something that is extant in Brexiteer England, but Fair Caledonia is somehow better.
This is would be very interesting if it was true.
Of course, it is pish.
The SNP folk want to bin the 1707 Act of Union thingy.
For the avoidance of doubt, that is a perfectly laudable aspiration.
As ever with momentous historical events, it is always a good idea to look at what happened just before.
I am currently reading this fine piece of work.
As the 18th century was born the Scottish political elite were failed imperialists.
However, that does not mean that they had suddenly become morally appalled at the idea of building an empire and ipso facto subjugating others.
They wanted to have an empire but they simply didn’t have the resources to pull it off.
Therefore, hitching their expansionist wagon to London’s embryonic imperium made perfect sense.
A lot of the groundwork was already in place.
The first British monarch was a Scot and the religious schisms on the continent had pushed both countries together.
In his excellent work on what the British did to India Shashi Tharoor has a special mention for the Scots.
Scotland provided the middle management of the empire that looted India and engineered An Gorta Mór in Ireland.
It is to THAT Scotland that the Irish came and were socially constructed as the Xarnegos of North Britain.
If you think those attitudes are extinct then I would suggest that the curious reader takes in the matchday experience at the stadium that John Brown played for.
Moreover, these anti-Irish attitudes are not just within the confines of football stadiums.
This from 2014:
Consequently, I would take issue with one of the assumptions contained within Ms McQuillan’s piece.
Specifically, in this paragraph:
Sociologists investigating racism in Scotland recently called the notion of Scotland’s more welcoming nature “a misleading fantasy”. Scotland has a history of hostility to migrants that started with Irish Catholics and persists today in attitudes towards Muslims, gypsy/travellers, eastern Europeans and others. The academics highlighted that black and minority ethnic candidates to public sector organisations in Scotland had a 1.1 per cent chance of getting the job, compared to an 8.1 per cent chance for white candidates.
Look at this sentence in particular:
Scotland has a history of hostility to migrants that started with Irish Catholics and persists today in attitudes towards Muslims, gypsy/travellers, eastern Europeans and others.
Any reasonable person would conclude that hostility in Scotland towards Irish Catholics is gone, done with, a thing of the past and of only interest to professional historians.
Really Ms McQuillan?
The country that gave the world the Famine Song in 2008 doesn’t have an issue with anti-Irish racism?
So, two cheers for the piece.
It’s a start…
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As you mention the famine, this a good listen as IOT invariably is.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0003rj1
To Rebecca,
An eye opener for me, reinforcing my regret of not giving up UK nationality when I took Swiss.
Scotland – COS, media, police, courts, all of it, is an unspeakable insular quagmire.
I despise and am ashamed of this,
To Phil: appreciate your inclusiveness.
I’d have thought a professional journalist would have a better grasp of linguistic semantics.
The term “a history of” does not suggest whatever is being described is consigned to history, in fact is is implicit in the term that it is to be considered that the behaviour being described is continuing behaviour.
As a case in point, the most frequent use of the term is “a history of violence” in legal cases. In such cases it is used as evidence that the person being described can be considered to still be violent.
I’d say the same context applies in McQuillan’s piece, even before you throw in the word persists.
I’d also add that in the same way the ruling classes who signed the act of union are not representative of Scots as a whole, not are the fans of the dead club. I appreciate for you fanning the flames of division probably help you shift books, however in spite of Black’s preposterous comments the majority of those displaying racism towards Irish catholics and their Scots born descendants consider themselves quintessentially british and are vehemently opposed to the independence movement. Yes Black is a bam who spouted racist shite, but as a descendent of both Irish catholics and Romany, and one who’s grandfather was Essentially blacklisted out of Glasgow because the fact his politics meant he spurned religion and thus couldn’t find work I’d have to say the racism and hatred you appear to tar all Scots with is far less of an issue than you like to portray.
It’s far worse in Glasgow and certainly not non existent in Scotland, but where it does rear it’s head most is attached to footballing loyalties and as such, not of the scale you portray.
Fostering further division by wild generalisation does little to help the situation.
Thankyou for succinctly putting in writing, my thoughts exactly. This Scotland-bashing really is getting boring, Phil….
I disagree with your trolling characterisation of the piece.
If you are bored then no one forces you to read this free content.
Completely agree with your interpretation of the wording in the piece although I can see why it might be misconstrued.
i believe Socilaism to be impractical due to human nature which is something we have to change at an individual level for humanity to progress as a whole. There have been enough examples of total social control from Pot Pot, Stalin, Hitler. Mhairi Black and the SNP. It just doesn’t work, hasn’t, doesn’t and wont.
However everyone should listen to Lenin’s take on anti-semitism (Google Lenin and anti-semitism) which is so on the nail I am wondering if the Soviet experience might have been different had he survived.
There is a philosophy above all else used by the ruling elite i.e. Divide and conquer and applies to every corner of the world.We tend to see the bias against our own particular minority and fail to appreciate we are part of a larger much more powerful group, a realisation which terrifies the hell out of the powers that be.
Humans are fighting back. Greta is a start.
I need a proof reader! Anyway, tonight’s result? Sevco to the brink of madness once more.
Booted Anthony Blair out of his cab? I hope it was still moving.
So Scotland, the “Country” gave the world the famine song. This is a dangerous categorization, and typical of your stereotypical agenda based offering’s on this ongoing crusade by you. Interesting that the modern Irish who live and work here, do not on the whole, hold your views. I have rarely heard you being positive in any way shape or form around anything positive among us Scots and our Irish cousins. Of course you would rather look the other way, sadly, as that would dilute and distract from, your stubborn, overly subjective thesis, and your book of course.
There are loads of positives in our country, the independence movement for one is a start along the lines to challenge the juxtaposition. There were massive orange order parades etc to stand firm against our country breaking away from the elitist, xenophobic, racist, pseudo imperial backwater that is virtually in control of our destiny.
I was sitting with a friend discussing this site the other night, he is a generation nearer to Ireland than I am he’s born and bred in Glasgow with a fierce Irish heritage and like me he has seen and suffered discrimination and hatred because of this. My own surname was changed by my ancestors to allow us freedom that his family did not have, we lost a little piece of our identity because of this.
It’s a sad indictment that progressive political parties and their ilk have not stood up and taken notice where we have shortcomings. To admit our shortcomings we have to embrace them like a long lost friend, we learn how their impact has wider consequences to our blinkered view, then we humbly apologise. We mend bridges by taking part in the rebuilding process which means we are less likely to burn them down.
Scotland hasn’t even bought a nail in that process, we are still flicking through Google trying to find a supplier full of good intentions. I’ve got my hammer and nails and will always reach out to start the process, unfortunately our fellows on the other side of the bridge can’t or won’t.
Absolutely Fantastic post . Well said, bravo.
I don’t read it that way Phil, due to her use of the word “persists”. Although, perhaps she could have said “persists along with attitudes towards Muslims” etc. rather than “in”.
The wording is crucial.
Something that a journalist should be mindful of at all times…
Phil, Re: Scotland has a history of hostility to migrants that started… and persists.
‘wording is crucial’ but perception of wording is inevitably individual and I hope discussable.
So – the virus started in China and persists across Europe. My own take on this one is fairly much with Rich, paragraphs 2,3,4. I don’t agree with his more accusatory tone in the following paragraphs.
But then I do take real offence at the conflation that Scotland is the land that gave us the famine song. As a Celtic fan who happened to be brought up in a Protestant family/ village I take real offence at the vomit that pours from the terracings of Ibrox. Just as UK Muslims have been at pains to disown the actions of ISIS, I have always been at pains to disown the sectarian rants.
What do we do with History Phil? What is needed to come to terms with it and move on? I’ve challenged the verbal shite – at work, with friends, in pubs, on the terracings. Its hair-raising, dangerous work. There are places where I am not well-liked.
There are moments when I perceive a well-contained anger in your writing, it may explicable even justifiable but in the end does anger move the situation forward in a progressive way? Can’t be doing you any good and when as a Scot in receipt of the accusation, I have to tell you comrade, it doesn’t bring resolution any nearer. I just feel despairing.
Another history question? Scots? What is that word anyway? I thought the Scots were just a branch of the Irish. Listen to the music, read the poetry. I recommend ‘An Leabhar Mor’.
I also agree with Charlie Green – I probably need a proof reader, but anyway, HH