.This is important. I am not being at my flippant best. This is meant as a warning to my American friends of trends gaining traction in the West.
This is a post which purists who have enjoyed my ruminations over the years, might think is not one for The Oligarch Kings, the usual posts having a clear focus on oligarchical controls of politics, not simply in the USA but also across the world.
But something is happening in a small corner of the West which frankly is frightening. Scotland, (I know, you couldn’t find the place on a map and with only just on five million of a population is less that many suburbs in the world’s greatest cities) is an integral part of the Union of Scotland and England – and now care of Blairite meddling (Blest be his memory) was granted a Devolved Assembly.
The SNP a party long associated in the past with fascism and more recently accused of being authoritarian have brought out a bill utterly outrageous in its reach.
What follows is appalling, terrifying even, but absolutely a core tool of the most repressive regime we have seen in centuries. And my fear is that the “wokism” which gave this to us, will bring it to you too.
One can now, as of 1 April 2024, no longer blog, post, tweet, publish or reblog any item, whether email or photo that might possibly enrage the woke in Scotland or offend your enemies. Police Scotland may now record a “non-crime hate incident” solely on the complainer’s perception of hatred. Note that. Perception. No proof, no evidence just that it made you feel “threatened” in some vague way. And that complainer may remain anonymous. A charter for the offended to settle scores and damage people they do not like. Now, having views which offend or are unpleasant or irritate others is not against the law, as indeed the “non-crime” element acknowledges. It will however not stop a visit from McPlod, the removal of all computers and phones etc (for evidential purposes) and the innocent dragged through the courts, a process that will take many months until a Judge acknowledges there is no case to answer. All of which the writers of the bill are hoping is that all this will mean opinions which might offend etc are expunged from the public debate. The process being the punishment.
And, under Enhanced Disclosure prospective employers can request criminal histories including “other relevant information” which makes non-crime hate crimes very relevant – even if NO crime has been committed.
Deep breath folks here we go…. Have we suddenly witnessed the loss of free speech in a part of the old West, that part which produced the Enlightenment?
The immediate results of such ill thought out legislation will be to :-
One, make the Police arbiters of Article 10 of the Human Rights Act. Not an optimal situation for them to be placed in.
Two, show the exceptionally low threshold for recording hate-crime statements. Effectively allowing the Act to be used for at best petty-minded squabble settling, and at worst as a way to harass those whose opinions or politics you dislike. All entirely anonymous and remember third party reporting is allowed too! Not that those who so enthusiastically signed up to being such a reporting centre might know what they have let themselves in for
It also allows the establishment of Stasi style data bases of malicious gossip and title tattle. They have to keep the records of the complaints after all.
Three, the reach of the Act is World Wide. YES! Now pay attention. If for instance you live on some offshore Alaska island and post a piece, or reply to a comment in Twitter (or whatever the thing is called today), and use a server based in Outer Mongolia and offend someone in Scotland you can be charged under this Act. But you cry “I am an American living in America what can happen to me?” If it can be read in Scotland it is considered published in Scotland. I know, madness but there we are. Well you will no doubt be amazed to learn Scotland is a separate jurisdiction and has its own Extradition Act 2003 giving the power to extradite potential offenders world-wide through her Lord Advocate. And don’t be put off by the idea they would never be that stupid. Scotland is set to Police the World.
So how will this actually affect you in your day-to-day life? Well, already Comedians and Actors, Playwrights and Film makers are looking carefully at whether they come to Scotland this summer for fear they may be arrested for their contributions to our cultural life. The Edinburgh Festival Fringe may be at risk of not being quite as Avant Garde as it used to be. Dull, gagged, and neutered. Will broadcasters, and streaming companies allow items to be transmitted into Scotland? Will the Act render Scotland as a version of North Korea? Maybe we will go back to book running, or swapping DVD’s of dubious films in dark corners of the pub!
That there will be a backlash is certain. If for no other reason that an act which in part was to protect Trans gender ism and to surreptitiously extend a form of blasphemy law for Islam, neglected to look too closely at Scotland long established religious Sectarianism between Roman Catholics and Protestants.
The first real test will not be J K Rowling, but half time on Sunday’s “Old Firm” clash which promises to be most interesting as we watch the Polis arresting 48,000 football fans.
Copyright The Oligarch Kings 2024