Tag Archives: Scotland

Scots TV Presenter On Covid-Generation: “What’s The Point?” Future Bleak…

January 21, 2021 By in Broadcasting media, china, communism, Health, Politicians, Politics, Russia, Scotland, Scottish Goverment, Uncategorized, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , , , , , 44 Comments

Comment: 

It is my considered opinion that there is no point any more in writing to politicians at any level. Things are too far gone now – lockdowns have become an accepted method of controlling the population. Generating fear really does work, and it makes no difference if we remind folk that the Government’s own alleged experts said at the outset that there is a 99.98% recovery rate in those who become infected with this virus.  In other words, most people recover. At least two people in England, who were aged over 100 recovered way back at the beginning – wheeled out of hospital to a parade of staff cheerfully applauding. Doesn’t matter. There is a tiny risk of becoming infected, so best to stay at  home, close schools and businesses, ban church-going, insist on mask-wearing and (anti) social distancing, with heavy handed police tactics, including hefty fines, imposed on anyone who dares to disobey.  Too bad about those suffering with other illnesses;  last time I checked Covid was #24 on the list of causes of death in the UK – or was that England, can’t be sure, but you’ll get my drift…it’s certainly not #1 cause of death in Scotland, or anything like it, that’s for sure.

In that context, I have every sympathy with Neil Oliver’s views, and I’m not at all surprised at the perfectly understandable attitude of his 17 year old daughter and her friends who ask “what’s the point” of studying and working to succeed in education in preparation for the world of work, when, on the whim of a Government our personal and religious freedoms may be removed, with education and work brought to an unceremonious halt. 

What I find hard to fathom, though, is why someone with Neil Oliver’s obvious  intelligence (and ditto Mike Graham) hasn’t apparently realised why we are in lockdown for the foreseeable future; that this is not about a virus at all, never was about a virus – that we are actually living under a system of totalitarian governance, stealthily established with the willing, if naïve, co-operation of the majority of the population; that, almost overnight, Communism has arrived.  They don’t appear to be joining up the dots to reach that conclusion. Too busy, I suppose, rightly focused on encouraging the teenagers in their circle not to lose hope, but to keep planning ahead…

In any event, Neil Oliver hits a number of nails on the head in the above interview, and I fully sympathise with his response to this ongoing and apparently never-ending series of lockdowns.  Do you?    

Scotland – One of the Authoritarian Outriders in the Western World? 

January 14, 2021 By in china, Politicians, Politics, Scotland, Socialism, The Catholic Church, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, Westminster Parliament Tags: , , , , , , , 25 Comments

Extracts below from article published on ThinkScotland.org

Will Sturgeon’s totalitarian waltz speed up in 2021?

by Tom Gallagher

THE NICOLA STURGEON of 2021 is no Adolf Hitler.

But she is in the vanguard of an attempt to weaken and discredit democracy that is being rolled out across the  world.  Democracy has arguably never been weaker since the German Fuhrer took his own life in May 1945 after almost beating Europe into insensibility…  

There is mounting evidence that (in the words of Craig Murray) Sturgeon went to great lengths to try and ‘fit up’ her predecessor Alex Salmond. At least one powerful person at the top of the civil service seems to have been amongst accessories in this seeming act of personal vengeance, the police were less willing participants, and lately senior law officials have appeared ready to cast aside their neutrality to try and protect the First Minister’s flank after her operation effectively backfires.

Due to its position within the democratic United Kingdom, Scotland is constrained from gravitating towards outright authoritarian rule. But the standardisation and synchronisation of political control – resembling the gleichshaltung which emerged in Nazi Germany – has made fearful advances. Party and state are increasingly fused, the opposition fears to oppose, much of civil society has been absorbed into the ruling power structure, local government is suborned, and private institutions are coerced into hailing the new political order.

The pandemic has been used to impose sweeping restrictions on public life that make Scotland one of the authoritarian outriders in the Western world. At the moment churches are closed, outdoor activities by citizens are subject to police swoops, and increasingly the life is being choked out of thousands of small businesses by ever-tightening restrictions on what they are permitted to do.

The impact of the pandemic on the normal workings of society has been felt far and wide.  But in Scotland it has given a mighty push to normalise the abnormal in both daily life and politics. Hitler was able to do this thanks to the violent shocks Germany had endured in the twenty years before he came to power. Mobilisation of society for war, defeat and loss of territory, the rise of communism, endless economic troubles from runaway inflation to mass unemployment, weakened the hold of those old institutions promoting civility and restraint.

An ‘anything goes mentality’ increasingly took hold because given what it seemed the nation had already suffered, there wasn’t much else to lose. It all meant Hitler could be portrayed as a providential figure; his ways were harsh and often extreme but many were persuaded that the times warranted them.  A cult of resentment and grievance was spread through society by the latest mediums of communications even when Germany’s traditional rivals were proving accommodating to the new order…

I hope I will be proven wrong but I am increasingly convinced that Nicola Sturgeon is creating a pre-insurrectionary mood by brazenly exceeding her powers, encouraging MPs to act as ruffians at Westminster, and above all diverting large amounts of UK pandemic business relief funding.

How keen the British government is to face up to the challenge of the separatists who have used the devolved institutions to entrench themselves in power, will probably determine whether Scotland can avoid  becoming a new European trouble-spot in which political fanatics use old hatreds and gangster methods to get their way. 

Most of the British governing classes eventually saw through Hitler and prepared Britain to resist his onslaught.  There is insufficient evidence that decision-makers in London properly appreciate the gravity of the situation in Scotland. Unless this changes, Britain could face upheaval and tragedy as a result of territorial politics being cold-bloodedly harnessed behind an extremist purpose. Click here to read entire article.

Tom Gallagher is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bradford. He is the author of Scotland Now, a Warning to the World (2016). His latest book is Salazar, the Dictator Who Refused to Die, Hurst Publishers 2020 (available here) and his twitter account is @cultfree54 

Comment: 

There is plenty of food for thought in the above article.  However, the idea that the opposition is afraid to oppose, puzzles me.  It seems clear, all the way from the beginning of the ongoing totalitarian drive to rule by diktat, that all politicians are aiding and abetting the removal of our liberties, with the exception of an occasional intervention in London by – for example – Sir Desmond Swayne MP.  The majority of parliamentarians, however, have supported the Government’s restrictions on our personal and religious freedoms. To their eternal (not kidding) shame. 

The leaders in Westminster and in the devolved institutions seem, self-evidently, to be of one mind – that we have a deadly virus which must be suppressed and until that (impossible) day, we must sacrifice our liberty, even to the point where God is counted among the “non-essential items”.  At least, that’s been the cover story. 

Personally, I believe that the virus is a means of introducing us to permanent totalitarian Communist rule – and God is always “non-essential” in Communist countries; just ask the underground Catholics in China. So, share your thoughts – are we blessed to have Nicola Sturgeon, such a caring leader who is simply trying to make sure we “stay safe” (she said sarcastically), or IS Scotland “one of the authoritarian outriders in the Western world” as Tom Gallagher suggests?   

Catholics Must Withdraw From Facebook, Twitter etc – Immediately! 

January 10, 2021 By in Bishops, communism, Conscience, hierarchy, Marxism, Morals, Politicians, Politics, Priesthood, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, United States of America Tags: , , , , , , , 32 Comments

Comment: 

It is self-evident that these Big Tech giants as they’re known, (“monsters” is more accurate), are hand in glove with those intent on embedding totalitarian governance across the world.  The censorship is utterly brazen.   Thus, knowing how these evil-doers have used their power and influence to get rid of President Trump and put the puppet Biden into the White House by manifestly foul means, it’s interesting to read the following from blogger, Athanasius… an email sent to the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) Prior in Scotland & District Superior in London. It is worth each of us giving serious thought to removing ourselves from these platforms.  Ditto every parish – they’re all into Facebook and Twitter.  No Catholic should be supporting these evil-doers. We should withdraw our business immediately, if not sooner. Read on and see if you agree…  

[Dear Fathers…]  

I received a phone call today from a fellow Glasgow parishioner asking if I knew anything about the SSPX Mass schedule for Scotland given the new lockdown rules. 

Like me, this person had searched through the SSPX websites for England and Scotland looking for current information but was unable to find any clarification on the Masses for the foreseeable future. I had also emailed St. Andrew’s House many days ago seeking clarification but received no response.

Fortunately, I was able to tell the person in question that I had discovered from other sources that Sunday Mass is, as we suspected, cancelled, probably for the next four weeks at least.

As the conversation developed he told me that his information is that the SSPX only makes formal announcements and updates now via its Facebook account. I have heard this said before but didn’t actually believe it given that Facebook is presently engaged in suppressing truth and justice with regard to both the U.S. election and Covid-19 frauds. Indeed, Facebook owner Mark Zuckerberg played a particularly nefarious role in the election fraud through fund distribution to subversive groups in the key swing States.

As a result of his actions and those of other “Big Tech” organisations many Catholics, myself included, have been forced in conscience to terminate our Facebook, Twitter and Google accounts, lest by our continued patronage we approve the diabolic actions of these Marxist social media outlets.

I think the SSPX should lead the way in this matter by publicly disavowing the aforementioned outlets, encouraging the faithful to switch instead to alternative platforms such as Parler for chat and DuckDuckGo for web searching. To continue to use Facebook in light of what we now know about Zuckerberg would be unconscionable and reprehensible before God. For general SSPX news and updates, I hope to see a return to posting these on the SSPX website.

I hope you see the moral imperative for the SSPX to be seen to act in this matter, not just in the UK but all around the world. Strong in faith and resolute in the moral teaching of the Church, I think all Traditional Catholics must be urgently advised to reject any perceived benefits from continued use of these evil platforms, for we are simply not at liberty to profit from evil. Ends. 

 

 

 

 

 

UK: Second Lockdown Inevitable – Will The Public Continue To Obey, Or Rebel? 

September 18, 2020 By in communism, england, Health, Marxism, Politicians, Politics, United Kingdom Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , 62 Comments

Comment: 

In the highly likely event of another full-scale national lockdown (which is sure to include Scotland), will the people continue to comply unquestioningly?  Will it dawn on anyone that no Government can eradicate a virus – otherwise, thousands would not die from the flu every winter… Will it dawn on anyone?

But here’s the key point for consideration.  The previous lockdown was sold to us as being of very short duration – and look at us now.  Is this second, highly likely lockdown (despite the thin protestations that this is not what anyone in Government wants to happen) likely to only last for the proposed two weeks?  Really?  Or is that as likely as the Government handing back its “emergency” powers when the “emergency” has passed.  No question mark there, because that’s a rhetorical question.  Share your thoughts.

USA: Use of Executive Power to Declare Health Emergency has its Limits – Lawyer

September 11, 2020 By in Bishops, Crime and Punishment, Health, Politicians, Politics, Scotland, SSPX, Tradition, Traditional Latin Mass, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 33 Comments

Comment:  

The lawyer in the above video won, impressively, when he represented priests and rabbis in court, challenging the lockdown rules in New York which militated against places of worship…

As for Scotland – do we have any lawyers who are concerned at the way our personal and religious liberty is being eroded?  As we face the continual introduction of fresh rules and regulations, with a further lockdown always hanging over our heads, do we have any legal recourse to challenge the removal of our personal freedom?  Should we simply accept the fact that we cannot invite people into our home or visit the homes of our relatives and friends? Should the Government really be able to issue such orders?  Restrict the number of people who may gather for a chat?

And what about our religious liberty… In the event of another full-blown lockdown, with a repeated ban on attending church, do we have any clergy who might pursue a case to challenge the State’s interference in Church matters?  

The New York case, as Chris Ferrara points out, was not brought by diocesan clergy/bishops, but by traditional priests, so that means, in Scotland, that either the priests of the Society of St Peter (FSSP) or the priests of the Society of St Pius X (FSSPX) are in the frame.  There are not a lot of them, to be fair, so it seems unlikely that either of those groups will be plaintiffs in court any time soon.  And, of course, as we know, the diocesan bishops are very keen to keep the churches under the thumb of the Government.  So, they’re never going to institute a legal challenge.  In any case, is it desirable?  Or should we all just accept our lot, and offer up the injustice?   Share your thoughts…   

Will “Normal” Life Ever Return… Can You REMEMBER Life Before Lockdown? 

August 7, 2020 By in atheism, communism, Fatima, Marxism, Politicians, Politics, Pope Francis, religion, Russia, The Catholic Church, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, United States of America Tags: , , , , , 67 Comments

Comment: 

Just about everything Tucker Carlson says about the USA applies to the UK as well.  Nobody talks about Chinese Whispers any more – it’s Chinese authoritarianism screaming from the rooftops. 

The one difference between the USA and the UK is that there is almost no  fightback in the UK – or certainly none being reported in the media.  The Keep Britain Free movement, for example, hasn’t been mentioned in any news programme, to the best of my knowledge, and there are just no commentators like Tucker Carlson or any of his peers, in this part of the world. It’s sinister in the extreme.   There are occasional protests, including from churchmen in the USA, while the Catholic bishops and clergy here in the UK are fully complicit in the march of Marxism and the transformation of our system of government into blatant totalitarianism.  Given that totalitarian Governments are not known for their tolerance of religion, this identifies these cowardly clergymen as “useful idiots” – by the bucketful. 

Life now, during and following lockdown (now eased a little but with the possibility of a return to house arrest always hanging over us)  does, indeed, resemble life in Communist China. Indeed, lockdown has already returned to several parts of England, as well as to the city of Aberdeen in Scotland.  Life is horrendous now. Take a walk in any shopping centre without wearing a mask and watch the sheer terror on the faces around you. It’s going to be a walk in the park (in a manner of speaking) to keep conditioning us to the point where our memory of life before lockdown has been completely erased. 

The key question is…  has this been planned?  Are we now into the first phase of openly totalitarian government in Scotland and the wider UK?   

We can ask the question now on this platform – but for how much longer?    

USA: Mob Rule ‘New Normal’ – Could This Happen In Increasingly Secular UK? 

July 30, 2020 By in Crime and Punishment, Politics, Uncategorized, United Kingdom, United States of America Tags: , , , , , , , , , 32 Comments

Comment: 

Quite openly now, some Americans appear to be of the opinion that they hate Trump more than they love a peaceful, ordered, law-abiding lifestyle.  Ridiculous calls to defund the police and abolish prisons underline this lunacy.  There’s clearly – it seems to me – a demonic input here.  

However, shouldn’t we be sitting up and paying attention in the UK? One doctor interviewed on TV this morning, divulged the fact that those in the health advisory business awaited with bated breath to see just how compliant the people of the UK would be under lockdown and continuing restrictions.  They were, apparently, amazed.  Little wonder, as the majority were, indeed, compliant.  All talk about “blind faith” and “unquestioning obedience” – once applied sarcastically to religious people, specifically Catholics – were now applicable to… well…  just about the entire population. 

With talk now of a second (and more) wave of the virus, with the possibility of more lockdowns, whether local or national, that blind faith just might, who knows, give way to a lot of questioning and, albeit belated, fact-finding, which may lead to civil unrest across the four nations…

But here’s a thought: both the SNP Government in Scotland and the Westminster Government in England were very sympathetic to the thousands who turned out to support the Black Lives Matter protests – where neither social distancing nor face-mask rules were enforced; with the police generally turning a blind eye to all that “keep safe” stuff.  So, what do you think – might we find ourselves in an equally lawless situation, as lockdown frustrations boil over, not least when people begin to feel the financial pinch, and perhaps find themselves unemployed?  We all sincerely hope not, I am sure, but is it a possibility?  And if so, who will the politicians (and the clergy)  support – the police or the protesters?  

Young Catholics in Scotland Talk About The Faith: Well… Sort of… Not Really… 

July 3, 2020 By in Bishops, Catholic education, religion, supernatural, Tradition, Uncategorized Tags: , , , 25 Comments

Comment:

The young people in the above video (published in November, 2018) are just lovely.  Each and every one of them is transparently pleasant and sincere.  They are obviously proud to be Catholics, God bless their tartan socks 😀  

Yet, there is no way to gauge the level of their knowledge and understanding of the Faith.  Their assessment of what it’s like to be a young Catholic in Scotland today is generic; there’s no substance to any of their comments.  There can’t be substance, really, because  they’ve not been properly taught the Faith themselves. We know this is the case because the Faith hasn’t been taught faithfully in Catholic schools in Scotland for (literally) generations now. 

Is it likely that these very pleasant and sincere youngsters would be qualified to discuss and debate key Catholic dogma and morals?  And if not, how can they really know what it is like to be a young Catholic in Scotland today?   Is it not more accurate to claim that they have experienced what it is like to be a religious young person in Scotland today, albeit from a Catholic background?    

Scottish Government dragging its feet on easing lockdown is an abuse of power…

June 13, 2020 By in Morals, Politicians, Politics, Scotland, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , 60 Comments

From Spiked Online…

Whatever the truth of the threat we face from coronavirus, it is always worth bearing in mind that the way science is understood and used is often determined by the prevailing political and cultural norms. For example, one of the key political trends of the past two decades has been the rise and rise of what is called the ‘politics of behaviour’.

The politics of behaviour is a New Labour invention. It has been adopted by all the political parties but is most wholeheartedly embraced by self-proclaimed ‘progressives’. Developed as a form of micro-politics that obsesses about little things, it is also a form of politics that has infected the regional assemblies most of all. If you want to know what will be banned next, it is always advisable to check out what’s going on in the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament. This helps to explain why up here in Scotland, the baby steps we are taking out of the lockdown are even more babyish than in England.

One could argue that Scotland has had a ‘lockdown’ culture for some time. When it comes to locking or clamping down on what we can say and do, Scotland leads the way. Whether it is criminalising words, trying to stop people from smoking or drinking, or attempting to make us eat ‘correctly’, the Scottish government has been at the forefront of attempts to limit the freedom of the public and to ensure that we all ‘behave responsibly’.

Take the recently proposed hate-crime bill – a bill that goes much further than England’s counterpart in attempting to criminalise words. Indeed, if passed in its current form, it could lead to preachers being arrested in churches for reading ‘incorrect’ sections from the Bible. Scotland was also first to criminalise even the lightest smack. It also notoriously attempted to give every child in the country a Named Person – essentially a state guardian, to oversee their every need – until the Supreme Court ruled this to be illegal.

With such an attachment to the politics of behaviour, it is no surprise to find that the Scottish government is dragging its feet on easing the lockdown. Underpinning this form of politics is a patronising distrust of the public and a tendency to want to over-regulate what we do in our daily lives…

The emergence of the politics of behaviour, nudge policies, awareness raising and so on represents a change in the way that a key section of the modern elite engages with the public. It helps, in part, to explain the relentless way in which the ‘Stay Home’ message has been used and abused over the past two months. It also helps to explain why Scotland is clinging on to this mantra while England tries to move on.

At a time when the spirit, the will and the initiative of the Scottish people are needed like never before, it is time to demand that the government stops telling us how to behave and allows us to start acting.    Click here to read the entire article at source…  Author: Stuart Waiton, who is a sociology and criminology lecturer at Abertay University in Dundee.

Comment: 

There is no doubt at all that the Scottish Government under Nicola Sturgeon is determined to keep us in lockdown as long as possible. The question is, what can the public do, in practical terms, because the majority of Scots are not, by nature, given to rioting – at least not without a good few drams of “the hard stuff” – and I, for one, don’t drink!  So, how to get out of this false imprisonment? There is absolutely no evidence that the lockdown is necessary – it wasn’t necessary, in the first place.  But now?  Not remotely.  

Is just ignoring the restrictions the right thing to do, live our lives as fully as possible, and not allow ourselves to be turned into little obedient servants of the State?  Or would that be the wrong thing to do?  Writing to MPs isn’t achieving anything – my letter received the usual automatic acknowledgment but nothing more. We’re being played for fools.  How should we to react? Or is there no “should” or “ought” – is it more a case of we “may” or we “might” do this or that?  Or, back to square one, should we simply wait until the Government gives us more permissions, and be thankful for them, no matter how limited, how “babyish” the steps to the new normal – which is really a future with very limited freedom.

Is the Scottish Government abusing its power? I definitely think so – but do you?  Share your thoughts – while you are still free to do so…   

10/3: Feast of Scots Martyr St John Ogilvie – His Life/Death & Miracles Now Meaningless in Modern Scotland? 

March 10, 2020 By in Canonisations, devotions, ecumenism, Martyrs, Miracles, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , 30 Comments

Background…

John Ogilvie was the eldest son of Walter Ogilvie, a respected Calvinist who owned the estate of Drumnakeith in Banffshire. At the age of twelve he was sent to Europe to be educated. He attended a number of Benedictine establishments and eventually, he decided to become a Catholic.

The first part of the 17th century was a turbulent and dangerous time to be a Catholic priest in Scotland because after 1560 (Scottish Reformation), Catholicism was outlawed. Ogilvie returned to Scotland, arriving in Glasgow disguised as a horse trader. He celebrated Masses in secret, and was eventually betrayed to the authorities only a year later.

He was tortured, and paraded through the streets of Glasgow before being hanged for treason at Glasgow Cross.  As he mounted the scaffold, an old woman spat on him and shouted, “A curse be on your popish face, Ogilvie!” to which he responded, “And a blessing be upon your bonny face, Madam!”

St John’s place of burial is unknown, but his remains are thought to lie in a pauper’s grave somewhere near the place of execution.

Ogilvie’s last words were “If there be here any hidden Catholics, let them pray for me but the prayers of heretics I will not have.”  He then threw his rosary into the crowd.

John Fagan’s Miracle Cure…

The parish of Blessed John Ogilvie in Easterhouse, Glasgow, was home to John Fagan, a worker at the Glasgow docks.  In 1967, Fagan developed a large tumour in his stomach and the entire parish prayed to Blessed John for a miracle. The parish priest, Father Thomas Reilly, pinned a medal of Blessed John to Fagan’s pyjamas.  Their prayers were indeed answered. 

His wife kept vigil at his bedside and he had slipped into a coma.  The family doctor visited late at night and told Mary she had to prepare herself, as he expected her husband to die during the night and that he would return in the morning to sign the death certificate. In the early hours of the morning John spoke to Mary, who was shocked when he told her he was hungry and asked for something to eat. He had not eaten for months. She made him an egg and toast which he ate.  In the morning, the doctor returned and was so amazed to see John sitting up in bed talking that he collapsed into a chair.  The news of these strange events spread all over Glasgow and beyond.  Medical examinations did indeed prove that there was no longer any sign of the tumour.  The Vatican was informed and the process of investigation began.  Father Reilly was named as the Vice Postulator of the cause and all necessary papers were sent to Rome.

Eventually, the miracle was declared and nine years later, on 17 October 1976 Pope Paul VI canonised John Ogilvie. John Fagan had been in the army in Rome in 1944 when the city was liberated from the Nazis.  He found himself on the steps of St Peter’s Basilica, looking at the magnificence of the Vatican.  Little did he realise that three decades later he would return there to play a major role in the making of a saint. John Fagan and his wife photographed (right) at the canonisation of Saint John Ogilvie SJ. 


So, why did John Ogilvie sacrifice his life? 

John Ogilvie died for witnessing to his beliefs in a world hostile to the values of Christ, i.e.  a Scotland which had rejected the Catholic Faith.  Yet, his martyrdom made a deep impression on many who witnessed his execution.  The blood of the martyrs is so often the seed of the blossoming Church.  Sadly, however, this has not been the case in Scotland, where the martyr’s death is repeatedly downplayed by the Scottish hierarchy in the cause of what is manifestly false ecumenical progress.  The last time we checked, for example, the tourist bus informed visitors to the city that Glasgow Cross is famed for the way gossipy women used to be placed in the stocks and pelted with rotten tomatoes. There is no mention of Scotland’s only post-Reformation martyr, canonised as recently as 1976, who was executed on that very spot. The application of so-called “Tolerance and Diversity” has a way to go yet in Scotland, where religious indifferentism is writ large. Priests like John Ogilvie, who sacrificed their lives in defence of the ancient Mass, have been replaced by priests who won’t even offer the new Mass on their day off.  So, what went wrong?  Ecumenism? Inter-religious dialogue? Vatican II? Paul VI’s new Mass? Lowering of seminary standards for entrance? Ignoring the Church’s criteria for entry into seminary? What then? 

Comments invited…