Comments on SNP Tactical Voting: Compassion Fatigue

I hope what William Hague has said now means the r...

2010-09-02T05:19:24.243+01:00

I hope what William Hague has said now means the repugnant Douglas Murray will now take back his comments where he said Kenny McAskill and Alex Salmond were claiming to be "uniquely" compassionate (which of course neither of them actually said). It was wrong of Mr Murray to try and make that claim for his own anti-Scottish agenda.

Compassion is a virtue that is not unique to one country, one political party or one group of people but one that should be shared by all, and the world might just be a better place if there was a bit more of it going round.

Humanity is viewed as a defining characteristic of...

2010-09-01T10:52:10.707+01:00

Humanity is viewed as a defining characteristic of Scotland and the Scottish people - probably largely due to Burns.

What do people all around the world sing at New Year? What does it represent when they all hold hands?

Or - to give a more modern example - why did the New York Times describe Jimmy Reid's Glasgow rectorial address as the greatest speech since the Gettysburg address?

Agreed, it is stretching it a wee bit to apply that particularly Scottish humanitarian outlook to the Megrahi decision but nevertheless it's a fair enough statement in itself.

My reading of McAskill's views were slightly d...

2010-09-01T09:23:21.657+01:00

My reading of McAskill's views were slightly different.

As far as I am concerned, McAskill was saying that the Scottish legal system differs from that of many countries because it has the option of compassionate release written into it. As it was the Scots who devised these laws, one could (surely?) presume that the Scots have had compassion for their fellow man more at the forefront of their minds and for longer.

As legal systems in many ways influence the behaviour of a nation, that nations interaction both with each other and the rest of the world, and the fact that these legal systems allow other nations a means of interpreting that nation, I think Kenny was spot on.

When others created their law system vengeance was clearly more prominent.

I know which system I prefer.

'defining characteristic' spot it? That&...

2010-08-31T21:15:16.196+01:00

'defining characteristic'

spot it? That's the point where McAskill tried to claim Scots were different because we were, er, humane. He was claiming thatIf you were asked to describe a Scot, you'd say, oh, their humanity.

Hague is saying Britain is generous and compassionate. He isn't saying, 'and that makes us different'

That's the difference. MacAskill tried to wrap his decision up in humanity and went to far. It made those opposed gag. Does your selective quote from Hague do that? Assuming you oppose what he is suggesting, that we should help the millions stricken by floods so terrible we can hadly imagine them, that is.

With respect Anon, the release of Megrahi is not w...

2010-08-31T18:28:12.205+01:00

With respect Anon, the release of Megrahi is not what this post is about.

The actual decision itself has long been and gone and there's little point back and forthing on it now.

It's one thing to send international aid to co...

2010-08-31T12:38:02.683+01:00

It's one thing to send international aid to countries who have been hit by natural disaster.

It's another thing entirely to release a man found guilty of being a mass murderer.

I'd support the compassion of the first case. I certainly don't support the compassion shown in the second.