There’s an enchanting touch upon the earlier thread which wonders aloud whether or not Wings is being intentionally used as a breeding floor for loopy QAnon-style conspiracy theories as a technique to “demoralise and switch the independence motion”, so as to stop us from being an efficient grassroots pressure within the face of Westminster obstructionism. The commenter charts a darkening of the temper within the Wings BTL part, significantly for the reason that begin of the yr, with mutterings about “globalists capturing small nations first” and with the SNP being more and more equated with “evil, a shame, deviant, disgusting, nonce”. As you realize, I am additionally deeply involved that a number of senior individuals in my very own get together (Alba) have been utilizing language like “Scottish Nonce Social gathering” and suggesting a vote for the SNP is equal to a vote for Jimmy Savile, and I feel we desperately have to distance ourselves from this dreadful stuff earlier than it will get completely out of hand.
It is also identified within the remark that some Wings BTL posters have been making “nod, nod, wink, wink” ideas about Scottish politicians, and that Stuart Campbell himself has inspired this by “dropping names in at numerous factors of his weaving rants tenuously linking terrible/sick individuals with elected officers”. Effectively, I can let you know from private expertise that it typically goes approach, approach past “nod, nod, wink, wink”. There’s one Wings follower calling himself “PeeJay” who is consistently making an attempt to depart feedback on this weblog, and lots of of them include baseless allegations of sexual crimes made in opposition to named politicians and public figures. I do not assume I have been in a position to publish any of PeeJay’s feedback for greater than two years, as a result of they’re invariably so excessive in nature. Nearly all of them include a number of of the next options –
1) Baseless allegations of a sexual nature in opposition to named politicians or public figures.
2) Excessive homophobic language, typically directed in opposition to named politicians or public figures.
3) Excessive racist language, typically directed in opposition to named politicians or public figures.
4) Excessive misogynistic language, typically directed in opposition to named politicians or public figures.
5) Requires named people to be subjected to excessive violence or homicide.
6) Endorsements of inventory far-right conspiracy theories.
7) Options that Covid is only a chilly and that not one particular person has ever died from it. (In actuality, between 16 and 28 million individuals worldwide are estimated to have died of Covid to date – a dying toll much like the First World Battle.)
Under is a small number of his tried feedback, simply so you possibly can see what I’ve to wade via in my inbox on a near-daily foundation. However this actually is simply the tip of the iceberg. The primary one is from only a few hours in the past. It is troublesome to know learn how to current these, as a result of the content material is so excessive that I can not publish them completely uncensored, however however there isn’t any level in publishing them in any respect except you possibly can achieve an honest concept of what he is saying. So I’ve blotted out letters within the ‘P’ phrase and the ‘C’ phrase, and I’ve additionally blotted out the identify of the particular person he makes an excessive allegation in opposition to.
Clearly Stuart Campbell cannot be instantly blamed for what his supporters write, but when I used to be spontaneously attracting individuals like this man to my nook, I would be involved that I used to be going very severely incorrect someplace.
The considerate remark left on the earlier thread deserves, I feel, to be learn by as many individuals as potential, so right here it’s in full –
“Your put up does sound conspiratorial however when you take heed to the bbc podcast in regards to the Qanon affect of the capital riots, it turns into debatable energy brokers are feeding the tradition conflict machine for their very own ends. Gabriel Gatehouse goes proper again to the beginnings of conspiracy theories with shocking protagonists apparently feeding the frenzy surreptitiously. It is a good podcast because it would not go at it from one facet, there are faults on each left and proper. Anyway, I digress.
What occurs in America can morph right into a UK phenomenon shortly within the web age. We have gone from speaking about pensions/forex to furries (a phrase I had and nonetheless didn’t have to know). The QAnon story has modified to “grooming” and an evil regime wanting entry to youngsters. It is insane however there are seemingly clever individuals being taken in by this. I feel we’re seeing our personal model now in Scotland. For those who take a look at Wings BTL feedback, there are hundreds making nod, nod, wink, wink ideas about Scottish politicians. Actually, Stuart Campbell is doing it himself dropping names in at numerous factors of his weaving rants tenuously linking terrible/sick individuals with elected officers. There are respectable points with the Trans invoice however I sense a tiny however more and more louder minority are beginning to equate the SNP as evil, a shame, deviant, disgusting, nonce. That “the Globalists” “seize” small nations first (New Zealand, Scotland, Finland) as a part of their “ends”. I see this insane view percolating out at an alarming charge for the reason that flip of the yr. I can not imagine I am saying this however am I alone in noting this?
It isn’t that these individuals are vital in quantity versus the inhabitants however can have an affect on the grassroots. Let’s face it, we’ll want a grassroots motion within the face of a wall to our agreed referendum hopes. I really feel all of this can be a technique to demoralise and switch the motion.
I can’t imagine I’m saying this however I now imagine Wings is getting used to feed this chaos to try to stamp out unity within the independence motion for good. I hope we are able to get out of it however the sort of tradition conflict is a bottomless pit and such a waste of vitality.”
