The truth...the whole truth....

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

And nothing but the truth.

Well that’s what we hope for but rarely get of course. There seems to be a lot of distorting of truth these days…so much so you could be forgiven for thinking that the political spin doctors, those demi-gods of truth distortion had left a lasting legacy on the British populace – if you don’t like the truth just change it.

Oscar Wilde wrote that truth is “rarely pure and never simpleâ€. How true that is. A mere look at events over the last few weeks merely confirms it.

We all know that Big Jock Knew….we know it…they know it…the press know it….even Galloway knows it (and thanks to him probably most of Britain now knows it) The media in some parts have chosen to condemn it….though interestingly the likes of Bill Leckie seems to find it quite amusing . Yet to speak the truth on this matter appears to be something morally corrupt. Now I’m not particularly comfortable with BJK and its connection to the Rangers support, but pardon me for thinking that the term “morally corrupt†is far more practically applied to say perhaps….those who cover up child abuse ?

But this article is not about BJK…its about the distortion of truth….so lets move on to the modern Camelot – I refer of course to the Court of King Arthur…the Champion of the Celtic support. As Frankie has highlighted in another thread - Boruc was never cautioned by the Police for the act of crossing himself – that appears to be another distortion of the truth…. but it hasn’t stopped timothy with his distorted campaign regarding the act of one publicly blessing themselves. Still nothing like a distorted campaign to further re-enforce another truth distortion – that the Catholic community is discriminated against in Scotland – a fact rubbished by the academic research of Prof Steve Bruce. Perhaps Cardinal O’Brien missed that research - probably too busy searching for a game of “punch a Pape†A forlorn search I may add.

But staying in King Arthur’s court – I happened to catch the Scotsport programme, last Monday, where John Colquhoun was defending Arthur’s poor sportsmanship after the Old Firm derby and his refusal to shake hands with Rangers players. Now forgive me for thinking that someone with the initials…JC…would be familiar the truth…but it appears not….for John Colquhoun excused Arthur’s antics as being acceptable as Celtic had just lost to their greatest rivals. Given King Arthur’s subsequent comments alleging Rangers players spat on him…and were trying to hurt him…wouldn’t you just love to see Colquhoun asked that same question next Monday night ? Ah truth…rarely pure and never simple.

But whilst I caught Scotsport last Monday…I confess amid the frenzy of that Old Firm Derby I missed these controversial incidents Boruc refers to. I missed him lying injured after a deliberate attempt to attack and injure him or the sight of him complaining to Mike McCurry that he had been spat on. Funny thing is…it seems the TV cameras…the press…and every person inside Ibrox missed it as well. Perhaps we are all guilty of mass hallucination. For after all…Arthur said it happened.

And in the search for the distortion of truth we move away from the domain of the “king†to that of the court jester – Graham Spiers. But if we are talking clowns Graham appears to be the unhappy clown these days. For someone has had the shameless audacity to question the double standards with regard to the whole issue of “cultural†singing by Old Firm supporters. And its not just one….nor is it just some “paranoid berserker†on a website nor a spokesperson for the “paramilitary wing of the Rangers Support†as Graham likes to refer to the RST….it’s the Chief Executive of the SFA and additionally the Campaign Director for Nil By Mouth. And how does the Corduroyed Clown respond ? He alleges that Rangers remain Gordon Smith’s “Achilles Heelâ€. Oh the irony.

But the court jester has a serious problem. He has already nailed his colours to the mast and defended Celtic supporters right to sing about their cultural roots and identity…. so he does he respond ? He suggests there is legitimacy to their cultural expressions of identity but not to ours as ours was started by just a few hard core fanatics.

My question to you all is this….

When does a distortion of truth become a blatant lie ?

[Saudibear 0]

We all no Britney lies like a rug. The problem is that on a thread on terrorist minded yesterday the tims were saying that he is the most balanced journalist out there.

We see him from 1 perspective they see him from another and the middle of the road probably see him somewhere in between. He does however have a newspaper to spout his rubbish and no matter what is said here we can't reach the same audience.

It comes back to as long as SDM allows him to get away with his trash it will be very very difficult for us to do anything about it. Only direct quotes from Rangers will get printed in the national press and Ibrox is defining in it's silence.

[minstral 5,375]

dart the problem is our club should be fighting our corner against, all those people who distort the truth,or twisting it to suit their own agenda. how colquhoun could defend boruc is beyond belief, and to say he was hurting after losing the game was a excuse not to shake players hands after the game is lies, as after losing a late goal against benfica the holy goalie was shaking the the players hands after the goal. also dart i have supported rangers for over 50 years and the press and media, have always twisted the truth, if celtic or their fans do something wrong , then they tell you it never happened or other people were to blame, so things have never changed and our problem is in all my time following rangers, is that this chairman and his puppets are the biggest bunch of cowards who have ever run our club, as they will not fight back against all the liars who attack our great club, and are prepared to sit back and let them attack our club, so there lies the problem.

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

dart the problem is our club should be fighting our corner against, all those people who distort the truth,or twisting it to suit their own agenda. how colquhoun could defend boruc is beyond belief, and to say he was hurting after losing the game was a excuse not to shake players hands after the game is lies, as after losing a late goal against benfica the holy goalie was shaking the the players hands after the goal. also dart i have supported rangers for over 50 years and the press and media, have always twisted the truth, if celtic or their fans do something wrong , then they tell you it never happened or other people were to blame, so things have never changed and our problem is in all my time following rangers, is that this chairman and his puppets are the biggest bunch of cowards who have ever run our club, as they will not fight back against all the liars who attack our great club, and are prepared to sit back and let them attack our club, so there lies the problem.

Yes plenty of truth there M - strange thing about SDM - he chose to challenge McConnell's lies re Scotland's secret shame only after the joke had been removed from power - a bit like locking the stable door after the horse has bolted.

[dummiesoot 16,008]

When does a distortion of truth become a blatant lie ?

When the culprits are taken to task, the truth will out, unfotunately we don't have Donald Findlay or his ilk to defend the club against these accusations, therefore it'll be a snowy day in hell before the 'distortion of the truth' is shown for what it really is.

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

When does a distortion of truth become a blatant lie ?

When the culprits are taken to task, the truth will out, unfotunately we don't have Donald Findlay or his ilk to defend the club against these accusations, therefore it'll be a snowy day in hell before the 'distortion of the truth' is shown for what it really is.

Ah yes a cold day in hell indeed DO....still with all this Global Warming ...who knows...

As the saying goes..... "You can fool some of the people some of the time...."

[Guest Andypendek]

but surely, spiers has been left in the position of the mocked, the ridiculed. his 'expose' of smith - as ill timed as an evander sno challenge - has sunk his reputation with those who considered him alright before that. now, no amount of truth, decency or honesty is going to convince celtic fans of our case - that is the nature of rivalry, so its a waste of effort even trying. let them think what they like.

who, after all, is content to allow the dissemination of these lies? spiers, maybe hugh, and that cretin who hosts the clyde phone in. other than that...who? to me, the people screaming all the bullshit are either tims or idiots. meeting their rubbish with reasoned, calm evidence is certainly the way to respond, and if they persist, a shrug and 'what can you do?'

in short, i know the truth of my position as a rangers man. if someone else wishes to think me wrong, that's their worry.

ps - colquhoun's defence of boruc - 'goalies aren't normal' - ranks up there as one of the weakest excuses of the weekend, coming only a close second to the guy who claimed he had a broken hand. alan rough, RR - 'see this broken hand? is he going to play with it in benfica? nae bother, lads, it's just a wee break?' totally destroyed the caller. nah, colquhoun's feeble effort served only to remind me of the equally feeble efforts he used to offer up when in the maroon shirt of hearts. once a journeyman, always a journeyman.

[D'Artagnan 13,319]

but surely, spiers has been left in the position of the mocked, the ridiculed. his 'expose' of smith - as ill timed as an evander sno challenge - has sunk his reputation with those who considered him alright before that. now, no amount of truth, decency or honesty is going to convince celtic fans of our case - that is the nature of rivalry, so its a waste of effort even trying. let them think what they like.

who, after all, is content to allow the dissemination of these lies? spiers, maybe hugh, and that cretin who hosts the clyde phone in. other than that...who? to me, the people screaming all the bullshit are either tims or idiots. meeting their rubbish with reasoned, calm evidence is certainly the way to respond, and if they persist, a shrug and 'what can you do?'

in short, i know the truth of my position as a rangers man. if someone else wishes to think me wrong, that's their worry.

ps - colquhoun's defence of boruc - 'goalies aren't normal' - ranks up there as one of the weakest excuses of the weekend, coming only a close second to the guy who claimed he had a broken hand. alan rough, RR - 'see this broken hand? is he going to play with it in benfica? nae bother, lads, it's just a wee break?' totally destroyed the caller. nah, colquhoun's feeble effort served only to remind me of the equally feeble efforts he used to offer up when in the maroon shirt of hearts. once a journeyman, always a journeyman.

I think you are right OPD (I refuse to recognise your non Orange County name;-) ) he is heading for something akin to splendid isolation.

I also agree in some ways its something of a shame as he had the capablity at one timel to rise above the OF box and pen some good articles - now I suspect his credibility is damaged beyond repair and he is in a hole and digging like a madman

[McBoyd 355]

I love lamp!

[*Manticore* 1,893]

I think there is a deeper, more sinster element to Britney's tirades.

Having reached the point when the more debateable (The Billy Boys) and the downright crude (FTP etc) manifestations of Protestantism/ Loyalism have been vanquished from the Rangers support's repertoire, this sectarian crusader has nowhere left to turn.

What is left is a non sectarian celebration of those aspects of our culture. As a supposed Protestant Rangers fan (aye right Grahame), he should be happy about this.

But no he continues to denigrate it. Why?

I think he has fallen for celtic, their fans and their fellow travellers in the media's extension of SF/ IRA's propaganda campaign to denigrate Ulster Unionist culture to Scottish Protestants.

‘The difference is,’ she shouted, ‘that we have a culture and you Protestants don’t. Some traditions are not worthy of respect.’

.....but the republican commentator Tim Pat Coogan, who baldly announced 15 or so years ago, at a conference about Northern Ireland, that unionists had no culture.

Sinn Féin is a great believer in modish moral relativism: all cultures are good, except that of Ulster Protestantism. In this they are abetted by left-wing Protestants

http://www.ruthdudleyedwards.co.uk/TheOutsider.html

When I was young and I heard them sing 'soon there'll be no Protestants at all' I thought it was just a joke, some banter. Didn't think they meant it.

When I hear it nowadays I'm not so sure.

[BoltonLoyal 2]

I think there is a deeper, more sinster element to Britney's tirades.

Having reached the point when the more debateable (The Billy Boys) and the downright crude (FTP etc) manifestations of Protestantism/ Loyalism have been vanquished from the Rangers support's repertoire, this sectarian crusader has nowhere left to turn.

What is left is a non sectarian celebration of those aspects of our culture. As a supposed Protestant Rangers fan (aye right Grahame), he should be happy about this.

But no he continues to denigrate it. Why?

I think he has fallen for celtic, their fans and their fellow travellers in the media's extension of SF/ IRA's propaganda campaign to denigrate Ulster Unionist culture to Scottish Protestants.

‘The difference is,’ she shouted, ‘that we have a culture and you Protestants don’t. Some traditions are not worthy of respect.’

.....but the republican commentator Tim Pat Coogan, who baldly announced 15 or so years ago, at a conference about Northern Ireland, that unionists had no culture.

Sinn Féin is a great believer in modish moral relativism: all cultures are good, except that of Ulster Protestantism. In this they are abetted by left-wing Protestants

http://www.ruthdudleyedwards.co.uk/TheOutsider.html

When I was young and I heard them sing 'soon there'll be no Protestants at all' I thought it was just a joke, some banter. Didn't think they meant it.

When I hear it nowadays I'm not so sure.

"Protestants like absolute clarity; Catholics are masters of creative ambiguity."

Just about sums it up for me Mant.

[Guest Andypendek]

i would imagine, in light of the rapid move toward secularism, that they are probably quite accurate when they claim soon there will be no prods at all. shame for them, then, that there will be equally zero catholics to offer unsolicited moral guidelines.

only buffoons who latch onto the whole football/religion/politics thing to fill the gaping void in their lives left by having no meaningful purpose.

i for one shall laugh at them.

[WVB 2,560]

When I was young and I heard them sing 'soon there'll be no Protestants at all' I thought it was just a joke, some banter. Didn't think they meant it.

When I hear it nowadays I'm not so sure.

Never doubted it for a minute.

[OlegKuznetsov 10,816]

I think there is a deeper, more sinster element to Britney's tirades.

Having reached the point when the more debateable (The Billy Boys) and the downright crude (FTP etc) manifestations of Protestantism/ Loyalism have been vanquished from the Rangers support's repertoire, this sectarian crusader has nowhere left to turn.

What is left is a non sectarian celebration of those aspects of our culture. As a supposed Protestant Rangers fan (aye right Grahame), he should be happy about this.

But no he continues to denigrate it. Why?

I think he has fallen for celtic, their fans and their fellow travellers in the media's extension of SF/ IRA's propaganda campaign to denigrate Ulster Unionist culture to Scottish Protestants.

‘The difference is,’ she shouted, ‘that we have a culture and you Protestants don’t. Some traditions are not worthy of respect.’

.....but the republican commentator Tim Pat Coogan, who baldly announced 15 or so years ago, at a conference about Northern Ireland, that unionists had no culture.

Sinn Féin is a great believer in modish moral relativism: all cultures are good, except that of Ulster Protestantism. In this they are abetted by left-wing Protestants

http://www.ruthdudleyedwards.co.uk/TheOutsider.html

When I was young and I heard them sing 'soon there'll be no Protestants at all' I thought it was just a joke, some banter. Didn't think they meant it.

When I hear it nowadays I'm not so sure.

Excellent post and along with Andypendek's, it's the most balanced and sensible response to D'Artagnan's

fine article.

Speirs went down the anti-Rangers road after Murray rejected him and gave his exclusives to other journalists. This was intensified by Republican minded Sports Editor of the Herald who trumpeted the "Rangers are just pyoor bigots" line, and thus Spiers' rabid venom against us was born.

Typically, after condemning Donald Findlay who left us after signing "dubious songs" at a private function, he defended John Reid who, as any Labour activist will tell you, sounds like Martin McGuinness at an IRA bash on most of his party evening sing songs.

Also, now we've cleaned up our act, the corduroy crusader has been struck with deafness and can't hear any chants about the IRA, orange this or mason that.

Furthermore, he said Reid wasn't a war criminal for his role in a war that Kofi Annan of the UN stated was illegal, because he wasn't as bad as Hitler, Pol Pot or Stalin. That's like saying Ian Huntly isn't a child murderer because he doesn't compare to Hyndley or Brady!