Wings Over Scotland: Creepy as f**k #3 – Surveillance and intimidation

KNOWING THAT you’re being surveilled, investigated or spied upon is the subject of dystopian nightmares. Knowing that the people doing the surveilling are politically motivated and view you as the “enemy”, to be treated with “merciless contempt”, is worse than suffering nightmares – it’s the reality currently being faced by No supporters in modern day pre-referendum Scotland. AhDinnaeKen investigates:

A lovely couple. Dr Morag Kerr (left) and Stuart Campbell (right) share sweet somethings pre-indy rally last year.  Rumour has it that they had to beat off would be paramours with a big stick en route to Calton Hill. AhDinnaeKen readers can relax however – they’re not married.

By Creepias Phuck

“I’M JUST curious to know where he lives so I can metaphorically stick two fingers up at the place.” said Dr Morag Kerr in the comments section of the Wings Over Scotland blog site earlier this year.

The target of her curiousity was Keith Howell, an indy-ref No supporter keen to hold the Scottish Government to account for alleged inappropriate use of government funds. Mr Howell claimed the current Holyrood SNP incumbents have misused public money to promote the “SNP manifesto” and “propaganda” document also known as the White Paper.

So keen was Mr Howell to pursue and publicise this claim that he’d paid for a full page ad in free newspaper, the Metro.

The timing of the ad proved to be unfortunate. It coincided with the removal of a Wings Over Scotland political poster the previous day from the Glasgow underground.

Howell became the focus and target of Campbell’s othering and hate preaching blame game. In a Wings blog entitled, ‘Ironic timing’ Campbell’s cabal of cultish followers swallowed the ‘hate ritual‘ bait and waded in to their perceived “enemy” with “merciless contempt”.

Dr Morag Kerr, Campbell’s self confessed No.1 fan – she claims he is a “genius” –  took it upon herself to track Howell down for her metaphorical master and posted the results on the Wings Over Scotland comments section.

Relying on her forensic analysis and evidence gathering skills, she provided not only Mr Howell’s address and postcode but also supplied explicit directions on how to find his property.

So incensed was Dr Kerr by Howell’s transgression against the indy holy grail, that she took it further. She furnished details on the value of Howell’s home, landmarks associated with it, the history of the area, speculated on potential business use, the area of land surrounding the house and suggested courses of action to be taken against the indy-ref transgressor.

The address details were eventually redacted by Campbell – for undisclosed reasons – but not before several days/weeks had passed. And, of course, the job/damage was done by then. Howell and his wife found themselves both intimidated and shaken by the online activities of Campbell and Kerr.

At least some of the Wangers have a sense of how such actions appear to a wider, saner, world.

Mr Howell said: “After I found myself in the crosshairs of Wings Over Scotland, my wife and I had a few sleepless nights after directions to our house were circulated amongst the followers of this site amidst a mini tirade of abuse and intimidation.“

The irony and hypocrisy highlighted by this unfortunate incident was that both Campbell and Kerr at one time have had the same thing inflicted upon them.

And neither, understandably, liked it one bit.

Campbell’s name, address, tel. number and email address were all made public by Benchmark Reviews in response to alleged “personal threats” aimed at the Benchmark site’s editor by Campbell.

These details were made publicly available to anyone with a web browser until shortly after the Daily Record published an exposé of Campbell’s Hillsborough and anti-transsexual comments last year.

Campbell speculated that the Benchmark action ie in publishing his personal details, was for the purpose of “implicitly inviting people to harass me or worse.”

Nowhere, however, in the Wings thread where Dr Kerr ‘outs’ Keith Howell does Campbell step in and say ‘that’s enough, your action could be viewed as an implicit invitation for people to harass Mr Howell or worse’.

So called ‘alert readers’ can make up their own minds over what that tells them about Campbell and his peculiar interpretation of “professional journalism” or political campaigning.

Dr Morag Kerr, who is a bona fide conspiracy theorist also had her address and identity details made public at one stage. It followed the public exposure of her ‘operational’ conspiracy theory pseudonym, “Rolfe” by someone who opposed her views on the Lockerbie bombing.

A fellow conspiracy theorist of Kerr’s, writing on a website dedicated to the subject of Lockerbie, attacked the revelation, he said:

“Also, can you briefly explain what you intended to achieve sharing “Rolfe”‘s personal details recently? What consequence can that possibly have on any quest for the truth? Do you suspect she’s MI6 or something? Because you’d show that with something other than ‘hey, as soon as I know someone’s name I can startle and sort of threaten them with their own personal details.’
   
“You can try it against me if it gives you a rush. I’m immune. So what was that about? Makes you seem like an absolute loon, you know.”

In both instances the purpose of publishing the recipients personal details is clear. It’s implemented in order to threaten, harass and intimidate the subject of the exposure.

Given what happened to her, it takes Kerr’s exposure of Howell’s details beyond heinous and places them into the well established technical category of “creepy as f**k”.

In the first of AhDinnaeKen’s “creepy as f**k” series, we* covered Campbell’s coordinated surveillance operation against Better Together leafletters in February this year and contrasted it with the operational modus of the Stasi in Eastern Germany.

The Stasi had a strategy known as Zersetzung – a psychological term literally meaning decomposition. Zersetzung was intended to psychologically destroy opponents of the authoritarian East German regime.

No matter which side of the indy dividing line you sit on and no matter what you think of your opponents, such intimdidatory actions must be exposed and condemned for what they are – attacks on the foundations of free speech and democracy.

Mr Howell, right or wrong about the White Paper, has the right to enjoy his personal freedoms as much as any man or woman in Scotland.

For a set period, Mr Howell was denied this by the Zersetzung implemented by Wings Over Scotland and its number one fan, Dr Morag Kerr.

That the SNP hierarchy remain silent on such actions while, for example, praising Campbell’s Wee Blue Book as a “must read”, or his website as  “spectacular” reflects terribly on the type of post-indy future it depicts for ‘ordinary’ Scottish citizens.

It makes the Declaration of Independence look like the White Paper, apparently.

In effect, it’s saying,’support the Nationalists and you’ll be alright Jock: Question them and you can expect to be named, shamed and intimidated into silence.

Is this type of surveillance and intimidation “operation” what Campbell meant when he said:

“Scotland still has a chance to escape and set an example of a better way, and anyone threatening that must be regarded with merciless contempt, for the sake of everyone who lives on these islands.” – Wings Over Scotland, Nov 2012.

It sounds eerily similar to the tone and message behind this chilling statement:

“Now that the German worker had rediscovered the road to nationhood, it ought to have been the duty of any Government which had the care of the people in its keeping, to take this opportunity of mercilessly rooting out everything that was opposed to the national spirit.” – Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf 1925.

History showed us what such Nationalist sentiments of mercilessness can lead to.

The Nationalist hierarchy’s silence over Wings Over Scotland’s “operations” is deafeningly sinister.

Dr Morag Kerr was a SNP vetted candidate for a seat at the Scottish Borders Council, Tweeddale West by-election in Oct 2013.

Howell’s complaint aimed at the Scottish Government is potentially embarrassing for the Scottish Civil Service and the Firstminster.

Kerr and Campbell’s tactics were nothing short of a concerted and sustained attempt at silencing Howell’s perceived dissent through intimidation.

Are Kerr and Campbell the type of people you want to have influence in an independent Scotland?

Answers in green crayola crayon to Firstminster Salmond, Bute House, Edinburgh, Scotland.

TRIUMPH OF THE SOVEREIGN WILL

AHDINNAEKEN TAKES its proverbial hat off to Firstminster Salmond’s repetitive use of the phrase “the sovereign will of the Scottish people” at Firstminster’s Questions recently. Ten times, in a period spanning less than twenty four minutes, Firstminster Salmond paid tribute to the “sovereign will of the Scottish people”. Weel din Firstminster, repetition like that goes way beyond the realms of desperation. It’s hard core Nationalist dogma at its best. AhDinnaeKen doffs its tammy to your indefatigability.

By Meeja Monitor

TO ROMANTICS and believers in democracy the “sovereign will of the people” is an uplifting ennobling and aspirational state for any modern democratic nation to achieve.

From the Declaration of Arbroath in 1320 to the Declaration of Independence of Thomas Jefferson’s America, the “sovereign will of the people” is a just and true and heart stirring inspiration for all socially minded, progressive and civic peoples to aspire to.

In Scotland, Wha’ daurs meddle wi’ the sovereign will?

Only the anti-democratic imperialist forces of the bluffing, blustering and bullying Union could possibly contemplate such a thing.

And they are. Apparently.

According to Firstminster Salmond, Unionist “thieves” denying an independent Salmondland the enforcement of a currency Union on a foreign country is just such a denial of the hallowed sovereign will.

After the Firstminster’s embarrassing pummelling from Alistair Darling recently, his performance at Firstminster’s Questions on 10th August sounded like the desperation of a punch drunk Nationalistic liability – a millstone around the SNP’s and the Yes campaign’s neck.

Political convictions delivered repetitively can imprint themselves on the collective mind of the people – according to propagandists and politicians.

But there needs to be a requisite skill with which such repetitions are delivered.

View the video above and make up your own mind if Salmond’s tedious repetition of the phrase was skillful or desperate.

In AhDinnaeKen’s eyes, it is a transparent and borderline dangerous Nationalist trick designed to ramp up grievance and a sense of injustice perpetrated on the Scottish people by ‘evil’ Westminster “thieves”.

Currency Union may be what the “sovereign will of the Scottish people” desires – though that is debatable – but, if the sovereign will of the English, Irish and Welsh people don’t desire such a Union, then it can hardly be called “bullying” by the Unionist parties when they turn round and say “Naw, yer no gettin’ it”.

There are increasing signs of transparent and potentially dangerous Nationalist sabre rattling brought on by the realisation that, on current form, they are going to lose the referendum.

The Firstminster’s prattle aboot the sovereign will at FMQs was the lighting of the touch paper for certain Nationalist Front types to ramp up the Nationalist fervor.

Expect more bitterness, acrimony and wailing and gnashing of teeth over the coming weeks.

Ho hum!

Moan McVulpine: You’re on the next round if you think Salmond’s getting his currency union.

OOR columnist MOAN MCVULPINE argues that Firstminster Salmond should call it a day over the currency union. It’s not within his “gift” to bestow it for an independent Scotland.

By Moan McVulpine – looking after the pounds and ending up with the pennies

CONFUSED ABOUT the currency? Let me help…

Firstminster Salmond says: “It’s in the rUK’s best interests to have a currency union.” How can he be sure?

He cannae. If Scotland separates from the UK, English Nationalists will ensure that no rUK governement wid daur do such a thing without a public lynching.

So why are Ed Milliband, Alistair Darling and George Osborne shouting about saying No?

They like to see that “look” on Salmond’s face.

Explain currency union…

London continues to control the Scottish economy, and we all agree to call it independence.

Support for Independence increases by only 3 per cent over period of twelve months, despite Scottish Civil Service gone native, £1 million per annum Star Chamber and the “phenomenon” that is Wings Over Scotland.

Is it just Alex Salmond’s idea?

Aye. He’s a millstone around the SNP’s neck.

Would we really be independent if we shared the pound?

Yes, of course we would – if you call another country setting your interest rates, limiting your spending and setting your budgets for you, that is.

Firstminster Salmond goes on the counter attack, not realising he’s perceived as a “busted flush” by the No camp, most of his cabinet and half of his party.

So what could we do differently from the UK while sharing it?

We could still wholeheartedly blame Westminster aka the basturt English for all our woes.

That sounds like indpendence to me.

Naw it disnae. It sounds like a recipe for disaster and yet more acrimony between the English and the SNP.

Ed Miliband joins in the basturt English bully boy tactics of our hateful imperialistic colonising subjugators i.e. he says Naw to currency union.

Will the rest of the UK benefit from a Scottish currency union?

Will it f**k. Trying to sell the idea of underwriting the ungrateful Jocks shaky independent economy would be political suicide. The English population may be more than tolerant regarding their northern neighbours grumping, but they’re not walkovers.

Could England suffer without a currency zone?

Naw. Economists calculate a refusal of the currency zone would be so funny it would be worth its weight in gold.

But the Westminster parties are saying they won’t let us share the Bank of England if we vote Yes.

The Bank of England is an institution. There’s a hint in who it belongs to in the name. We’ll leave the free thinkers oot there to work it oot for theirsels.

So with no currency union, there’s no debt for us?

And no assets either.

How much will we save?

Hee haw. We’ll lose more in assets than we save in debt.

But the No campaign say Scotland would be considered a defaulter and our interest rates would go up.

Damn right. The international money markets would see us as Welshers on the deal and treat us accordingly.

Why do Tories and Labour want to lumber the people of England, Wales and Northern Ireland with extra debt?

Because they can.

Do they mean it?

There’s only one way to find out. Go ahead, make their day. Punk!

So they are bluffing?

You want to take the risk finding out?

COMEDY RELIEF

Moan McVulpine: Let’s have the confidence to sack the politicians

MOAN said last night’s TV debate revealed that if we vote Yes or No, we will continue to be lied to by politicians on the make. They will continue laughing at the voters while puffing up their egos at taxpayers expense.

By Moan McVulpine – rippng the pish one column at a time

SALMOND AVOIDS answering the question. Darling avoids answering the question. That more or less encapsulates last night’s TV debate.

Salmond answered the question on currency – in terms of the debate. Darling answered the question on successful independence – in terms of not answering the question.

Salmond presented a schoolboy vision of a political shyster.

His snark about driving on the right and alien attack was, technically speaking, piss poor. You had to ask, how much does his inner publicity Star Chamber get paid at taxpayers expense?

Five pence would be too much.

Salmond was so schooled in presentation by his American lifestyle guru that he even came in front of the lectern. It was intended to convey a closeness to the audience, a physical statement of intimacy and integrity.

Instead, it looked like a forced and regimented creepy cynicism. Ho hum. Same old same old.

Darling remained behind his lectern. All he needed was a fedora and a beard and he could have been a muppet representation of George Galloway.

Of course, there was enough on show for both sides to claim victory. And both sides were right.

The loser was the everyday voter and taxpayer.

Vote Yes for an unparalleled and empty political cynicism with a centralising Nationalist twist, was the message from Salmond.

Vote No for increasingly right leaning and remote Westminster governments was the basic message from Darling.

Of most importance to the money in Scots pockets post September was the currency issue.

When asked to name plan B Salmond floundered and repeated his empty bluster of old.

That performance proved to undecideds and the less partisan of both camps, that voting Yes will be a huge and blind leap of faith in the Nationalists and their allegedly brilliant leader.

Get the currency issue wrong and we could be bankrupt and poverty ridden before you could say “magic money tree”.

Only hard core Nationalists could be happy with that possibility.

Let’s step onto the front foot.

Spoil your ballot paper.

It’s the only option worth voting for.

COMEDY RELIEF