So the far right managed to whip up it's foot soldiers to storm the US Capitol Buildings. The centre of American democracy. Among those self certified patriots were QAnon, Anti-Semitics and people who carried the Confederate Flag right into the Legislative branch of the USA. The world looked on with horror as Donald Trump continued to encourage them from twitter. Who decided to just ban him for 12 hours.
While I still have a twitter account I will take this opportunity to tell you a little about Mastodon, it's an alternative network unlike Parler or Gab (LOL GAB uses Mastodon code now) it's a decentralised network of instances. You chose the instance you want to use and you get access to most of the network. Some networks (like the GAB instance) will not affiliate and will block postings from certain instances. It's a more democratic network as it doesn't rely on one company running the entire network. Like say twitter or Facebook for example. It also leaves the administration of each instance to the instance admin. Not happy with your instance you can migrate and still follow the people you were following before, you can still block the people you were blocking before. This isn't a violation of free speech, more anti-spam measures. You choose who to follow and you can choose what to see on your local instance or your follow list.
Consider moving to Mastodon if you are disgusted with twitters lily livered attitude to a populist trying to get himself made a dictator through force.
I'm fed up with people minimising the Alt-right. They are fascists. They always seem to be the same type of people. Rich and want to stay that way, or in the case of the foot soldiers ignorant not rich at all and thinking if they cosy up to the leaders they will rise up and get gravy. History shows what happens to those who are fascists.
The Republicans should be ashamed of themselves as should the Conservatives in the UK. Both parties moved further right to appease the noisy fringe elements in their parties. Both countries allowed the right wing press to whip up ignorant, incurious people to believe in their lies. Both countries have individuals who have been inducted into a cult way of thinking. Both sets of politicians cynically exploited and pandered to the far right for votes and funding. Both sets cosied up to Donald Trump and his repugnant opportunistic family. Although it should be pointed out that there are many more privileged families in those circles who knew them. They were feted as mavericks with no thought at all for those less fortunate than them. This is the result of policy that made the rich richer and put poorer families to the wall. For over a decade people have been squeezed. There is no way easy way of fixing this. I don't know how you bring people who have been led so far there back.
But what we can do in Scotland and Europe is make the world a more fair place. We can build our democracies to be more socialist. We can make our infrastructure federal with everyone contributing. Europe has started this already with Horizon 2020 and it's massive road building projects. We need to do the same with public transport, power and the internet. These things should be free to everyone. It goes without saying that healthcare should also be free to everyone. If you really believe in human rights then this is where you start. Reduce the load on the poorer every where in Europe. Put UBI in. Ensure there is a safety net for everyone.
This is how you start to build a fair society for everyone. But while Scotland is still part of a Union with the Rest of the UK we cannot do this. We are currently part of a Union with asset strippers in government. They want to dismantle the very social infrastructure to put in a society that Charles Dickens wrote books criticising. They already have serfdom with zero hours contracts, and universal credits. They have punished the disabled and critically ill in our society and they aren't finished yet. They want the pecking order, they want to have patronage and control of other peoples lives. That's because the very schooling and society that creates folk for Westminster are the building blocks for psychopathy. Not everyone who goes to those privileged schools and unis are psychopaths, but alot of them do appear to be in government and have a powerful network of social contacts.
When I talk about privilege it's not just money. Its the status of having friends and family that will help you. I was privileged too, although not by such a huge margin as the likes of Toby Young and Boris Johnson. Just when I ended up homeless my small network of people let me stay with them and helped my family get temporary accommodation. Because of my social network I got to flat sit rent free while I built up a deposit and income to get a flat. That was my safety net.
Everyone should have a safety net like that. Otherwise what's the point of a government. The queen isn't fit for purpose, how can she sit there signing laws and allowing the prorogation of Parliament. Simple, she's part of that higher network of rich and very privileged folk. The status quo has always worked for her and those friends and family who still have influence having gone to the same schools as the elite in Westminster and business. They will never share the pie. It's the same in the US, you have families who are rich, who have been rich since before the US was Independent. First families if you will, they are hidden but they are the aristocracy of America. For them to feel special and have influence the rest of us have to be blind to it. To know our place.
As a Scot, I know my place. I am a human being and everyone deserves a fair start. Everyone deserves a safety net for when times get rough. Scotland needs Independence to help shape Europe. I love the baby box as a symbol. I think alot more countries should follow Finland's example. You still have very rich people there, but a safety net is starting to be built there.
I don't understand how you can claim to be compassionate for your fellow man and not think stuff like the baby box and UBI aren't good things. I think it shows an attitude of contempt for those who are less fortunate than you. When the contempt starts there, I don't think it takes much for you to be like those terrorists who stormed the US Capitol.