SELECTIVE and “targeted” reporting is yet another example of state propaganda. It’s the classic form of deflection whereby gullible elements of the public are steered away from the critical and denied rigorous debate.
The economy, Brexit, Northern Ireland, more than 125,000 Covid-related deaths? Another time perhaps. The right-wing media are happy to be in bed with Tories, expecting to benefit from being their lap dogs whilst frequently rushing in to big up the small titbits of gossip and so-called quotes from unidentified sources close to or in Downing Street. The current furore is typical.
Any attempt at serious comment on such matters as post-Covid economic recovery is lost amongst the various elements of scandal – financial, sexual, corruption, the practitioners, instigators and benefactors – such as we are witnessing. And the consequences? rUK is now governed from a cesspit of dishonesty, with rules for some, and no rules for others. But not every time are the dots joined up in the game of double standards. And Scotland continues to suffer.
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Just last week, it was acceptable for Boris Johnson to be “deeply troubled” by the decades-long failures to recognise and commemorate black and Asian troops who died fighting for the British Empire during World War One. Even some chap popping up occasionally as Defence Secretary, a Mr Ben Wallace (with a flag, at home) apologised following a report identifying “pervasive racism”.
Funny that “we” knew all about this, as did “our” families, “our” histories, but who would either ask or listen to us, since “we” were the colonised?
All will be well. Mr Wallace pledged to “take action” following on from that report by the War Graves Commission.
Anyone recall the end of March and the the government’s race report, when it concluded that “geography, family influence, socioeconomic background, culture and religion all had a greater impact on life chances” of black and minority ethnic people? This loosely translates as: move on, nothing to see here, no evidence of institutional racism.
The rubbishing of the report that followed was not solely the “PC brigade” kicking off, not when UN human rights experts subsequently advised that the UK Government should “reject its findings” as they highlighted these attempts “to normalise white supremacy”.
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Does this mean we’ve forgotten the Windrush scandal already? Or the hostile messages on the sides of trailers in London? Mrs May and Priti Patel would love such short-term memory loss!
And now who will challenge the Tory party with its junior mouthpiece, Mr Tomkins, no flag man, over his support and promotion of open attempts at legalising the Tories’ long-held beliefs and economic practices, to establish its colonial rights over Scotland with a new Act of Union?
What say you Mr Sarwar, Mr Rennie? All I hear is your denouncement of democracy when the majority of us exercise our democratic rights at the ballot box and a belief in independence.
Just as we cannot accept enforced colonisation – for that is what an imposed new Act of Union would be – we cannot accept for much longer rUK state propaganda and state corruption.
If we do not challenge through the ballot box, how will we succeed? So challenge it in May. It’s that or servitude through colonisation. Go ask former colonies, and then ask if that is to be our future.
Selma Rahman
Edinburgh
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