[Media-watch]

[YvonneMarshall]

Dear Mark,

Just a swift note in response to your MSPWatch message to media-watch this evening. 

I hope many people will get a pleasant surprise tomorrow evening when the results start to come in. There is so much 'apathy', or so we are constantly being told  - but how much of it is genuine 'war-weariness' is hard to tell, and it's harder still to anticipate how that will translate into voting patterns.  Any 'alien' observer would not have concluded that Scots were apathetic people after viewing the streets of Glasgow on Feb 15th or Edinburgh a few weeks later. 

It's disappointing that you feel you didn't get a decent response to your MSPWatch, but that's not to say that the idea isn't right, and as you pointed out, the number of 'hits' doesn't relate to 'real' debate and conversation between those concerned about the topics it raised. And as for opinion polls !? - well, common decency forbids a 'colourfully colloquial' response to claims that Labour support has been boosted and 70-80 % of the UK population now support the 'war', but the words 'arse', 'windae' and 'hat' can be arranged to form an authentic Glaswegian retort.

No pollster is needed to verify the simple fact that there are many many Scots who are so scunnered with the Scottish Parliament that they cannot be expected to devote much time and energy to its scrutiny - even as the Scottish Parliament was engaged in fierce debate over what should happen to crapping dogs and/or their owners and sealing the fate of oblivious hedgehogs in Uist, the fact that the UK Prime Minsiter has been, and remains, embroiled in a game of global 'RISK' alongside his good ole Texan pal has been a severe distraction for most folk.  Perhaps, if the 'perpertual war' and constant fear being generated by the Blair/Bush/Sharon Axis of Deceit ever relents, we will see more focus on domestic shenanigans. A wee while ago they were asking for the public to send in suggestions for a suitable 'logo' to be engraved on the facade of the Parliament building. Don't know if they ever got one. (Does anyone know the Latin for 'We're Only Here For A Laugh' ?) 

Sometime later tonight Bush will declare that the 'war' is over. He'll be on the aircraft carrier 'Abraham Lincoln', no doubt heading for the safest home-port available. Against that Hollywoodesque backdrop, the protests of online outfits like media-watch, MSPWatch etc must seem pitifully small - it is difficult to keep focussed and calm, the retention of one's own sanity becomes the priority. Right now, in the US, opponents of their government's behaviour are being pilloried and shunned, and the compliance of mass-media ensures that dissident voices are not heard.  Here, Galloway is being prepared for lynching. In Iraq, the frightened and homesick US Forces have figured-out that no-one can stop them doing whatever they want - throw a stone at them, a dozen civilians are shot dead in response. But Bush will say tonight that the 'war' is over, that Iraq has been 'liberated'. 

Tomorrow, in oor ain wee Scotland, the people will cast their votes, show their allegiance. Depending on what estimates you believe, there were between 80 and 100 thousand people at the SECC on Feb 15th, and they screamed to the long-gone Blair not to do it, and warned him that if he did, it was not in their name. That was only ten weeks ago. Anyone who was there that day will remember it for the rest of their lives, and it's hard to imagine that many of them will have so suddenly been convinced that the 'war' was right and cast their vote for anyone representing 'Blair's'  party - is it Labour ? New Labour ? The War Party ? 

You fellas who set-up media-watch and MSPWatch and similar projects don't get many thanks - you certainly won't get any fast-track funding to supplement your efforts - but maybe you should all take a wee sit-back at times, give yourselves a tiny pat on the back and be assured that plenty of folk are deeply appreciative of the work that you do, even if it isn't often stated. This 'war' has been catastrophic for so many people, it promises to spark further horror, but at least it has spurred a great many folk to make some effort, however small, to make their voices heard, to help one another through the barrage of bullshit and propaganda, and those contacts have now been made, are very valuable, and could be vital in the future.

Best regards to all,

Ian Brotherhood

 
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