Saturday 4 June 2016

Response to Striking Scorpion 82 Brexit Vote Video

Hi all,


I believe that politics shouldn't enter gaming as its a place we go to enjoy a fantasy world, to immerse ourselves in imagination away from reality. But equally I despise misinformation and cruelty.

I recently viewed a video by SS82 that made me unsubscribe from his channel and prompted me to write this post as I felt so visciously angry at his disregard for truth evidence and humanity. If you put forward such arguments you MUST provide supporting evidence.

I will not link his video, it is easily findable on his channel. However I will state he urges Britons to vote to leave the EU. I will not tell you to vote to remain, but I will present evidence for why his arguments are factually incorrect and his attitude was not only racist but incalculably regressive.


Flags


SS82 says they are being taken away by the EU. How so? It is true that in England particularly the union jack and st George's cross are not prominent and frowned upon. But where is the evidence this has anything to do with the EU, it is merely a reflection that in very recent memory and even the present, they have been liberally used as iconic symbols of far right activism. 

The 80s saw the prominence of the national front movement wear the flags as symbols of hate, racism and homophobia, a divisionary movement that time has shown was wrong, with greater equality always persevering against all opposition though gains still need to be made.

Equally the last decade saw the rise and fall of the British national party and the continuing rise of UKIP and the EDL whose members time and again demonstrate those same right wing attitudes, simply glibly hidden behind a more subtle guile.

These flags were NOT taken away, we chose to put them in a box for shame of what they had come to represent. That shame will only be rectified by using them as symbols for peace and unity. 


Traditions


We have Morris dancing, shin kicking, biscuit throwing, caber tossing, worm charming, pasty competitions, cheese chasing traditions. We have a tradition of satire and comedy so bleak and equally ridiculous. These have gained greater notice and prominence as we become a more aware world, there is simply no evidence to suggest that the EU has had any Machiavellian hand in removing them from our collective personalit.

We are a United kingdom of countries and counties, each wonderfully distinct and laughably proud.

We laugh at ourselves like no other country and I am so very proud of this. Indeed I have a union Jack tattoo on my body as I love our pessimism as a people, our love hate relationship with the weather and our ability to take and include any and all cultures that come to rest in our land.

Laws


Does the EU make our laws? No. Simply no. Since we have been within the EU, less than 15% of our own Parliament laws have been dictated by European mandate [1] [2] and those that have include strikingly important and progressive laws on the environment to name one hot topic [3].

Indeed, the European bill of human rights, so vehemently derided by the right wing was drafted by primarily a British legal expert after world war 2 to safeguard all peoples of Europe from the state [4].

Many will dismiss this as left wing propoganda, but the good thing about facts (like global warming) is that they are true whether you believe them or not. They are not a malleable tool.

Evidence demonstrates that the EU has little to no bearing on our laws or our traditions.

Indeed we have a history of resisting change and utilising vetos when we truly believe our position to be correct.

Migrants


Finally I will draw your attention to Luke Barkers repugnant phrasing of migrants as snakes in our society.

Snakes? A Christianity defined byword for evil from the garden of Eden that persists today (no blame or judgement on Christians merely an observation of its origin).

The office of national statistics in combination with ipso mori shows that perception of the public and actual reality are frequently at odds. The public consistently rate the percentage of our population as 30% Migrants and that these are draining our welfare system.

Not only is the true number at 13% (15% including illegal immigrants) but migrants are less likely to claim benefits and are less likely to claim them illegally [5] [6]

Even the most conservative estimates show that illegal immigrants put more into our countries economy than they remove [7]

Being a migrant is not a dirty word. They come for a new life, to escape war and destitution. Some of our life staples such as tea and curry are migrants in our country, yet we embrace them willingly into our culture. So why not the people?

The long view


History has shown that as we integrate in our ever more connected world we improve our humanity. The rate of wars has fallen dramatically in Europe and the world in general in the 20th and 21st century, even when two world wars occurred [8]

An Englishmen in America was instrumental in the development of the internet, and another the iPhone. Scientific collaborations throughout Europe and the world have lead to inventions beyond our imagination mere decades ago. These are only possible working TOGETHER. 

Nationalism is the short view. That we somehow own a land that is 15 billion years old, we are merely caretakers, the shores of the UK witnessed trillions of sunrises and sunsets before our ancestors, migrants themselves stepped foot on its land, when it was not even an island.

Humanity must unite as we move forward to progress and develop. History shows that United we stand and divided we fall.


Conclusion


I will never tell you what I think you should do.

But I will tell you that looking for the evidence yourself, objectively with your brain and ignoring your heart will lead you to the conclusion that fits reality. Please seek out the evidence, follow the links I've presented and make up your mind according to facts, not spurious speeches and venomous vitriol.

I am a scientist and I live by that method, to never judge without seeing, or to think without looking or dismiss without knowing.

If we as a country became rent with war, I would hope the humanity of others (particularly Europeans) would be our refuge, so why not have that humanity ourselves. If we do not, who will lend their hand when we need help?

I would normally sign a post with peace out, but that optimism feels lost in the face of such ignorance for the real world, the facts of it, and replacing with a fantasy that far outstrips the table top.

I will merely apologise for any offence I may have brought and I will gladly accept and understand those who choose to no longer follow me or rebuke me in my comments. Unlike Luke I will not censor those who disagree. 

SS82 is free to his opinion, I am free to mine and you to yours. But an opinion without evidence is as mist on the wind.

Be kind, be good, be human.

Rob

Ps please feel free to share this anyway you like

28 comments:

  1. Amen brother. Thoughtfully and rationally put. I agree with all your points

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    1. Thanks Naf! We can set the world to rights with a pint on saturday :)

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  2. Sir, you are incorrect. The EU does make and inform most of our laws. The reason they don't appear is because we turn their 'regulation' into British law. it still comes from the EU. In it's time, the EU has been a force for genocide - the Kurds, caused a war in Ukraine, created massive poverty (Greece, Spain) and is thoroughly, utterly corrupt.

    Your points of rights are interesting as you ignore that rights are inalienable. No one can dictate what you can and cannot do. Such a suggestion is specificaly from the European Napoleonic law, which stands utterly oppoesd to British law. If you believe a government can give you rights, it can also take them - and the Eu does. Read the section on property. Do you consider this fair?

    Climate change is an idiotic assumption I do not hold with. If man were serious about affecting his environment he would create recycling plants, not pour thousands of tons of concrete into the ground, pollute China with neodiyum and inflict horrid, useless windmills on the habitat and ecology of countries. Thus the Eu take on 'climate change' is merely another effort to destroy economies, not actually promote re-use.

    It is very simple: we must leave the EU. If the UK does not our country will suffer economically, socially and culturally. It is already struggling to deport dangerous criminals, trade with other nations and promote necessary legislation to promote those industries where protections are needed - all because the EU has to permit us to enact them.

    I appreciate there's a lot of ignorance going around about the EU - the one regarding law especially. It is deliberately obfuscated. I too understand the importance of separating hobby and politics yet considering the EU rules on the toys we enjoy and the books we read, perhaps you'd acknowledge they are intertwined. I do not intend to provoke offence, but we must leve the EU. To remain within it is a destructive, backward looking, damaging act of interest siding with a corrupt and arrogant political class that sees nothing beyond it's own ideology regardless of who suffers.

    We must leave the EU calmly and sensibly and adopt a Norweigian model - and thus stop Norway governing us by fax. We cannot let the nations of Europe struggle on in a sclerotic, suffering, communist dictatorship. Not acting now woll drag on the failure leading to more misery and incredible hardship.

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    1. 1. You're confusing EU directives and parliamentary Law, I specified Parliamentary law. When considering directives which are a very different and minor aspect of our overall law making system then the ratio is 50% from EU and 50% from us, which is granted a much higher proportion. But a lot of those directives deal with international law to maintain product standards. In total the ratio is still 80:20 that we make our own laws, but as I wrote this on my phone on a coach I didn't bother to do the full breakdown.

      2. The presumption however is that A) we have better rights and that OUR government doesn't take them away (highly debatable) and B) fully inalienable rights the requires you to defend the right of a person to engage in racist, homophobic language and behaviour. You weigh the rights of a business to not serve homosexual persons with the rights of those persons not be subject to prejudice behaviour based on their sexual orientation.

      3. Climate change is not an idiotic example. Also I very specifically throughout all my posts ask for comments to be polite and constructive. Do not bandy insults please. Also your entire line of reasoning misses my point. The point was that climate change deniers are FACTUALLY wrong. Climate change is occurring and is heavily dependant on human activity, that is a FACT. So even if you deny it, it doesn't change that factual basis. And the links I presented on law making (which you read first before commenting I hope) are also facts, they are not malleable.

      4. Where is your evidence? My post was not about we should or should not remain It was about not spouting nonsense to persuade people to vote one way without providing actual FACTUAL evidence. Luke Barker simply presented nationalistic and racist rhetoric. That is not the basis for any decision.

      I'm not going to argue with your opinions as that WAS NOT the intention of the post. I explicitly state I am not saying you should vote remain but that you should make all of your decision based on sound reasoning. If you have critically looked at the evidence first hand (As I always do) and made your decision that is fine I have no issues.

      But please don't write a paragraph of unsupported political prose on a post that pertains to not doing that exact thing.

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  3. As much as I used to think his battle reports looked awesome I always found them a bit one sided, like his opponent was only there to be beaten. Not sure what to say about this 'off topic' video, I go off topic many times in my own blog and contentious issues are always good for generating hits. Seems particularly out of order though. This vote really needs to be down to the individual, pretty much everything being said is contradictory so really I think people need to vote on what they feel is right for them and nobody, not even some guy who makes videos about tabletop battles, should be influencing you or I to vote either way.

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    1. I agree on his battle reports, I still watched them, but only when I'd used all my other channels up.

      I agree that no-one should decide but the individual, I just really really think that people need to categorically use evidence. We apply that to all other aspects of our life (well most of us do), such as medicine, engineering, even whether a bank account is right for you. This is no different.

      Beer on saturday!?

      I've decided to try and avoid entering the same painting categories as you and Naf... Damn your talent!

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  4. Mate, it's a Union Flag, not a jack. It's only a Jack when worn on a Jackstaff of one of my fine ships ;) (Although general ignorance of public opinion has eroded that fact, now it is acceptable to be referred to as a Union Jack... Shame, but that's life).

    One a serious point, you should keep hobby and politics separate, for the same reasons you state at the top. Vote how you like, and I will vote how I want, but it's a shame you felt you needed to vent via your own blog. Why not just not watch his video?

    Move on, get back to blogging your fab hobby content soon pls Rob. That's why we come here :)

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    1. Hate to be a pedant but that law was revoked in 1912 so it can in fact be a union jack wherever it is flown. I have around 6 books on the union jack, one of those odd interests!

      Well I watched his video expecting reasoned arguments, I only vented because instead he spouted nationalistic bullshit and racism, which is less politics and more ignorance and ignorance pervades when people don't call it out when they should do.

      If I played a guy who was tory (I'm left) that wouldn't not be the slightest problem, but if he called migrants snakes I would pack up and go home.

      You know?

      Sorry if I come across a bit aggressive there, I really appreciate your comment and my blood is still very much red on this and I'm super tired from a long journey. So super sorry if I sound like a right dick there, I can't really gauge if I do right now.

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    2. Rob, no Probs. But, go paint something, terrain project, take your mind off it and let you vent through being creative... Some ruins perhaps?

      I still think it's a Union Flag, not a Jack, but I am willing to let you have it if you have books on it!! I just have to check my sailors have put it up the correct way round! Ha ha.

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    3. Cheers man, I think your right I can get very wound up sometimes about stuff. Get it from my Dad I think...

      I've got my whole 30k Alpha Legion army nearly ready to show you guys in the built stage coming soon :) plus I might have another small 30k project sneaking in..

      Hahaha see I always struggle with that! My eyes just can't deal with it well... Shame you aren't at double trouble mate too

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  5. I'm pleased I'm not the only one who thought that the ss82 video was dreadful. I also have unsubscribed from his channel as a result (and I hope many others do, to reinforce the point). I watched his channel for some pretty glossy battle reports, not to be told what to think. I want to keep my real world and my fantasy world very separate. Good on you Rob for speaking up.

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    1. Thanks David I really appreciate that. I have noticed the video has mostly dislikes and his subscribers had dropped a fair bit.

      As I've said above I was just calling him out on his nonsense nationalistic arguments and the horrible (and surprising) racism towards the end. Not his actual decision, though I do disagree wit him.

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  6. Well said, I agree with every word. The climate change denier on here needs to leave his basement every so often.

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    1. Cheers Knight, and agreed perhaps seeing the weather would help them!

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  7. Well said rob. If there's one thing I can't stand it's people trying to tell me what to think (one of the biggest reasons I'm atheist, but that's another vexatious topic)!

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    1. Haha we can chinwag about that particular problem at HfaD!

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  8. Well said Rob. I have my opinions on which way we should but I won't tell anyone how they should, but like you show them the facts enabling them to make up their own minds. I also unsubscribed from ss82. The main reason was that I don't want to see politics mixed in with my hobby. I appreciate that he has a platform to use and decided to use it, but I don't want to see it through a hobby channel. Thanks for raising some points in an eloquent manner

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    1. Thanks Philip, I really appreciate it. Either way people decide, a fear mongering demagogue has no place except 40k!

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  9. Well said Rob. I am dreading the EU vote, there is so much misinformation and ignorance out there on both sides that I really don't know how it is going to play out.

    If we do vote to leave, I have no idea what is going to happen to all the EU science and research funding that keeps us in jobs.

    On a lighter side note- you can tell you are a total scientist based on the use of the references in the text, much appreciated. Though I prefer my references superscripted and not in brackets, but I'll forgive you as I still haven't figured out how to do superscript and subscript on blogger yet ;)

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    1. Hahahaha I like Harvard referencing myself but couldn't be bothered to type the authors and sites out!

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  10. Hi Rob, you are probably my favorite 40K blogger and I agree with your points (what was Luke thinking) I will be voting to remain mostly due to trusting faceless technocrats in Brussels's over the Tory's.

    However if history has taught us anything large migrations can cause significant disruptions and even the downfall of empires for example the Western Roman Empire. The migrants per se are not the problem but instead are the flashpoint.

    Migrants contribute significantly to both our economy and society however the burden on infrastructure ranging from housing to the NHS is undeniable.

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    1. Hey, it's two years later. Did you get better? I noticed you drooling some horseshit about the immigrant burden in your comment and was curious if you've gotten educated since?

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    2. Hi Corey, thank you for your considered and fact based comment. It has truly enlightened me. Rob

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  11. Well said Rob, in these times of misinformation its doubly important for people to speak out against falsehoods being used to justify hate.

    Thank you.

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  12. I admired his videos greatly, but unsubscribed immediately after that one.

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  13. Old post this one but I also liked his videos but unsubscribed immediately because of this video. I was looking into his videos on youtube and seems like he removed the brexit video..

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  14. Isn't it interesting... Ss82 looks even more stupid now the thing has actually happened. I hope he and everyone else that fell for all the propaganda have reflected on what they've done to the country and that nothing like that will happen again.

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