The Lesley Riddoch Podcast – on Disinformation
We regularly feature podcasts that are not our own. A random, if hopefully well chosen selection. Here’s the blurb …
“This episode is devoted almost in its entirety to the far right, Islamophobic, anti-migrant riots taking place across England and in Northern Ireland.
Much blame has been laid at the foot of social media but how much responsibility does the press and broadcast media bear for platforming and forwarding far right commentators and views?
We also examine the culpability of both the Tories and Labour for allowing the immigration is bad and the root cause of social deprivation narrative to dominate political discourse.
Scotland has not seen any of these racist riots but with a “Pro UK” rally planned for George Square in Glasgow on September the 7th what should the response of anti-fascists be?
No matter what happens has the majority of the media already written its negative headlines?
We also give our thoughts on the Olympics and Lesley has a book recommendation and news of a rally on the 10th anniversary of the independence referendum.”
https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-… ( https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-… )
https://www.believeinscotland.org/ral… ( https://www.believeinscotland.org/ral… )
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Excellent podcast.
Brings to mind a quote which perhaps encapulates the mood by american
writer H. L. Mencken:
‘The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary.’
I think it is time we made use of the military hardware & personnel available here in Scotland to demonstrate to the fascists that our intolerance of such rhetoric did not disappear in the mid to late 1940s. Surely it would not be a big ask for a substantial representation of military might to make its way from the various outposts in Grampian & the Highlands down the A9 to George Square in Glasgow & show the fascists what they would face should they attempt any further unpalatable behaviours.
I think the anti racists who took to the streets to protect their communities from far right yesterday evening showed the best way to defeat the bullies. This worked in the 1930’s and again in 1980’s.
If the far right attempt any racist protests/ riots they will be met by overwhelming numbers of peaceful anti racist protestors in Scotland.
A massive public display of opposition to what the far right stand for is most effective method of defeating them.
Agreed John, it also brings everything out of the shadows of the algorithm and tabloid lies and into your community and you can see your friends and neighbours standing together. Its powerful.
Boycott Twitter/X now. This includes Bella Caledonia. It’s no longer possible to justify use of this social media platform, which is being deliberately used by its owner to spread hatred and bigotry.
You cannot have it both ways, claiming that the English public/media generally assume that Scotland will culturally follow England without being interested enough to check, *and* that they are generally watching Scotland to see how we handle things differently.
One might think that treating those considering going to the far-right action in Glasgow as a monolithic bloc is at least unhelpful stereotyping, and ignores the questions of how you peel people away from such ideologies/beliefs/behaviours or educate them. The question of their psychology remains open (note: anti-social is still political). Maybe working through personal histories is as important as working through national histories (think Twelve Angry Men).
It is important to understand the nature of the Internet and its foundation of idea communism. That many people associate the Internet with tech corporations has a long history going back to walled gardens, but it is structurally false. If you use the likes of Twitter/X you are contributing to the privatisation of political discussion; there are open alternatives. Responsible citizens will seek those out. Tim Berners-Lee makes some reasonable points. https://webfoundation.org/2024/03/marking-the-webs-35th-birthday-an-open-letter/
I agree with Riddoch’s point about the ridiculously nostalgic (at best) veneration of appalling cultures of intolerance, bigotry and violent cruelty. But how to link that with the egregious migrations and colonial atrocities of the British Empire which tension with pleasingly fslse national myths may be the source of #karmaphobia ?
The elite British system of Olympic sport is a dreadful model to hold up as an example. Verso has a free offer on an e-book political history of the Olympics. Ever heard of bread and circuses?
I also agree with Riddoch’s comments on English centralisation and rotten (British) institutions.
“You cannot have it both ways, claiming that the English public/media generally assume that Scotland will culturally follow England without being interested enough to check, *and* that they are generally watching Scotland to see how we handle things differently.”
Definitely the former
I beg to differ, I think it is Highland/Gaelic culture that has always been & continues to be commodified, commercialised, rendered comical, patronising & offensive in its supposedly more marketable & palatable Lowland Scots rendition. This in turn has a great deal of influence o’er the border, to naybdy’s benefit. Take a look at the number of places in Northrn England with Gaelic or Pictish sounding names or the surnames or even just the physical appearance of all these politicians/media people, sporting personalities born in places in England with Scottish, Irish, Norse, (so on & so forth) ancestry. Every time in the history of these islands there has been a major disruption i.e., war, there has followed a great deal of displacement, anyhoo, coffee time, all the best,
M.
Having lived and worked in Scotland, England and Wales I would definitely agree with the former being the case.
People living in Wales & Scotland tend to know more about what is happening in England primarily due to media attention.
There is therefore a lot of ignorance of life in Scotland and Wales amongst a substantial portion of population in England. This ignorance can lead to the assumption life in Scotland & Wales is the same as life in England.
It is interesting how some commentators in Scotland (McKenna, McWhirter etc) are quick to point out how the riots have not effected Scotland due to our differences in immigration levels and nothing to do with any differences in culture. While I do not completely disagree with this contention they completely fail to comprehend that as there are difference in circumstances in many aspects of life in Scotland that this requires a different political response. In short it is in essence why many people in Scotland now support independence!