Monday, October 19, 2009
Lost in showbiz
Alex 'Mahatma' Salmond has defended the decision to release the Lockerbie bomber as being in tune with the principles of Mahatma Gandhi, the celebrated champion of non-violence.
According to the Guardian he told the SNP Conference at the weekend that Arun Gandhi, the Indian leader's grandson, recently visited Scotland with the aim of establishing a reconciliation centre at a Scottish university. "One of the things he told me is that his grandfather's philosophy is much misunderstood," said Salmond. "His resistance was not passive but active, his dedication to non-violence a strength not a weakness. Sometimes someone has to break the cycle of retribution with an act of compassion. That is what Kenny MacAskill did and we should all be proud of him for doing it."
The comparision has been quite rightly ridiculed: Scottish Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said: "Alex Salmond is losing his grip on reality. I am staggered that anyone would mention Kenny MacAskill in the same sentence as Mahatma Gandhi."
The difference is of course that Gandhi led a passive active resistance against colonisation, whereas Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is a convicted killer who should have served out his sentence or seen through his appeal to prove his innocence. Salmond really is lost in his own self-publicity.
According to the Guardian he told the SNP Conference at the weekend that Arun Gandhi, the Indian leader's grandson, recently visited Scotland with the aim of establishing a reconciliation centre at a Scottish university. "One of the things he told me is that his grandfather's philosophy is much misunderstood," said Salmond. "His resistance was not passive but active, his dedication to non-violence a strength not a weakness. Sometimes someone has to break the cycle of retribution with an act of compassion. That is what Kenny MacAskill did and we should all be proud of him for doing it."
The comparision has been quite rightly ridiculed: Scottish Labour justice spokesman Richard Baker said: "Alex Salmond is losing his grip on reality. I am staggered that anyone would mention Kenny MacAskill in the same sentence as Mahatma Gandhi."
The difference is of course that Gandhi led a passive active resistance against colonisation, whereas Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi is a convicted killer who should have served out his sentence or seen through his appeal to prove his innocence. Salmond really is lost in his own self-publicity.
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Yes Peter, that's despite support for Mr MacAskill's decision from the likes of Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu, pretty much the entire non-white world and indeed, most of the Lib Dems!
Maybe with more decisions like this we wouldn't be in a world where people are blowing up civilians.
Don't let that get in the way of party politics though.
Maybe with more decisions like this we wouldn't be in a world where people are blowing up civilians.
Don't let that get in the way of party politics though.
# posted by 
: 10:54 AM
: 10:54 AM
Whoa, as if Alex Salmond is above party politics!!
I am aware that there are people who support this decision in all parties as there are people in all parties who are opposed. Characterising it as 'most of the Lib Dems' though is inaccurate.
As ever, a list of people supporting a particular decision does not improve the quality of it or make it right.
However, I am not making a party political point. I am expressing a personal view. That is what this blog is all about.
I am aware that there are people who support this decision in all parties as there are people in all parties who are opposed. Characterising it as 'most of the Lib Dems' though is inaccurate.
As ever, a list of people supporting a particular decision does not improve the quality of it or make it right.
However, I am not making a party political point. I am expressing a personal view. That is what this blog is all about.
In a way you're right Peter, but in time though Kenny MacAskill will be remembered very fondly for that decision, not least amongst the families of the victims if Scottish papers are to believed.
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