Over the years we've become quite accustomed to Scotland coming top of lists that should shame and embarrass us. A gander at lists on murder rates, alcoholism, drug dependency, poor health, obesity etcetera and there's always a chance that poor wee Scotland will be there or there abouts at the bottom of the pile.
It's an optimist that doesn't get down about it. In this age of Westminster cuts, job losses, the weather, the crap 'soylent green' food that our supermarkets squeeze out at us, our cringe inducing tv, and our woeful sport, it's a brave chap that thinks Scotland could ever dare to top of any list.
Our Unionist chumrades do a lot to kick aspiration and ambition out of us. We're too wee, not smart enough, not healthy enough, don't have the creativity to make change. Take an interest in the world around us and we're accused of grandstanding or an embarrassment. There's no place in civic Scotland for the 'Big I AM', never raise your head above the parapet, don't take any risk, distrust change, avoid chance, do not pass GO, go straight to jail...
Whenever we attract International attention it's for annoying the big boys, trumpeting our minor achievements and expecting some sort of acclaim...That's why I'm absolutely delighted to announce that TIME Magazine has chosen Scotland to top their list of Top 10 Aspiring Nations.
Claire Suddath writing in todays TIME says:
" Scotland has been formally joined with England since 1707, when the two nations dissolved their parliaments and united to form Great Britain. Yet despite centuries of being under London's yoke, Scotland still considers itself a separate country and periodically pushes for independence.
The Scottish National Party (SNP), which supports full independence from Britain, formed in 1934 and won its first British parliamentary seat in 1967. In 1999, Scotland elected its first Parliament in nearly 300 years (though Queen Elizabeth II formally began the opening session — maybe to remind them who was boss?). The Scottish Parliament controls domestic policy in Scotland, while Westminster still handles everything else. Because of this, Scotland could ban smoking when the rest of Britain still allowed cigarettes in public places. The SNP won the nation's 2007 parliamentary elections and has periodically urged Scotland to take up a referendum on independence ever since. Even if passed, the referendum would not be binding unless approved by the British Parliament."
Posts
9 comments:
Monty, thanks - interesting article.
And thanks for last few posts as well, all very thought provoking.
Yours aye
Wow UoC, we're famous! This deserves to be spread round the world.
Seriously though there's a message in this. Many lives ago I worked or Time magazine and their articles are considered at length. Many would give their bank bonuses for a positive mention in Time.
Good article except: " ... won its first British parliamentary seat in 1967."
Winnie's win in my home town was a wonderful achievement but their first parliamentary seat was won at the Motherwell by-election in 1945 by Dr Robert McIntyre MP.
And no comment from UK MSM you say?
Rosa, it does deserve to be spread, simply for the reason that it gives Iain Gray an opportunity to insult other small aspirational nations, jokey ones apart!
Hey McGonagall, they're Americans and can't be expected to know the intricacies and track record of every SNP victory.
As of 8.52 this am, an online search reveals that only me, TIME magazine itself and Mr Keyboard Warrior have seen fit to promote the story...
Gies a chance Mark...
Snap to it Gandalf.
Those delightful coves at Newsnet have seen fit to put the story in their Speakers Corner.
Requests to Beeb chumrades as to whether there's another Montenegro blackout have elicted silence., particularly odd as they're currently fuffing up the fact that the editor of the National Geographic thinks the Cairngorms are braw!
The thing is that we are not an aspiring nation. Scotland is a nation but it isn't a state.
We are an aspiring state for those of us who feel that way.
It is interesting to see the view from Time but how many people read Time unless you have a posh dentist like wot I do.
Morning Obs, Part of the narrative is awakening the slumbering centralites to the fact that outsiders see us as an aspiring nation.
Similarly I only ever read National Geographic at the dentists, the beeb decided to share their editors revelation that the Cairngroms are indeed bonny this week, but not the TIME story...
From TIME:
TIME is a global multimedia brand that includes TIME magazine, the world's largest weekly newsmagazine, with a domestic audience of 20 million and a global audience of 25 million; four worldwide editions of TIME magazine; TIME for Kids; and TIME.com, which draws over 9.2 million unique visitors a month (ComScore) and has over 2 million Twitter followers.
2,294,528 rabid tweeters to be exact and the story was shared on facebook by 1754 people.
Naturally the Scottish media continue to ignore it, despite their falling numbers. It's odd to think that more people read the thoughts of Frankie Boyle in 140 characters than read the likes of The Herald or the Scotsman.
Post a Comment