Indy Ref 2

It all kicked off yesterday morning and by this afternoon I'd come across so many people moaning about it on twitter and Facebook and in the papers that I decided: I don't know what we're going to call this independence referendum, but I know I'm not going to comment on it. Instead, I'll try to measure how hysterical people get over it by collecting some of their deathless overblown phrases in one place.

So within 30 hours, I had friends telling each other they felt sick (disgusted, revolted, furious) when they heard that Nicola Sturgeon (wee Jimmie Krankie, Salmond's puppet, a married woman having a lesbian affair - yes, this has all been said today) had called for (demanded, threatened) a second referendum on independence just two years after declaring the first one a once in a generation thing. (Actually, she didn't - her predecessor did and gawd help us all if we're to be held responsible for what other folk say).

Someone else was apparently being thanked for sharing information with the silent majority. I can't say I've noticed the majority - if that's what anti-independence voters are - being all that silent. I've had the Scotsman, the Guardian and the Daily Record quoted at me, all of them going way over the top in their choice of language. By the way, what on earth happened to the Guardian? It seems to have shifted its political view so far to the right it's now on nodding terms with the Torygraph. And that's not good. Words have been bandied about in the press: betrayal, for example, was up there, along with a gauntlet that seems to have been thrown down. And ambushed - as in Prime Minister ambushed. Mind you, sporran also appeared on one newspaper's front page. Nothing beats a bit of tribal type-casting. A friend is also sharing memes with me from the Scottish Tories. Three today. None of them have any thoughts on the future. Just how much they hate Nicola Sturgeon.

I'm sure you've noticed some of these comments - like ambush - are based on warfare. So, if that's the level we've started at, where do you suppose we'll end up by the time the independence referendum is finished? Especially since the Tories haven't waded in yet, except for Theresa May looking pretend-astounded when SNP members laughed at her comments in the House of Commons. Maybe Mrs May needs to look more closely at these people on the benches opposite: that is what an opposition looks like when you have one.

I have other friends who are re-thinking their position very seriously: some are in a difficult place and it's good to see them take the time to reflect on that. I'm sure they are not alone. I've no idea how they will deal with the independence conundrum: stay in Europe or stay in the UK. These folk are torn. Good luck to them.

I was accused tonight by a young person of looking down on their opinion of the UK/EU debate. I toyed with two replies:

I'm so far up the moral high ground I look down on everyone.

I'm a smart arse - don't take it personally.