WE here in the First World countries of the Western Military-Industrial Complex nations often, as we watch various Second and Third World nations tear themselves apart in a fury of ethnic and tribal violence, shake our heads in wonderment and ask ourselves: "Why cannot they be more like us"?
But, are we all that different? I must admit, my first instinct when it comes to politics and politicians is: why should I allow someone who wants to rule over me do so? My second instinct is: don't vote - it only encourages them.
Then, like so-many, I go into the polling booth and cast my vote. When I first gained the right to vote, I tended to vote Conservative, simply because in what was then the South Ayrshire constituency, the Labour vote was weighed rather than counted, so I could freely cast my vote, then say, don't blame me, my vote doesn't count.
Indeed, such was the overwhelming support for the People's Party, among Ra Peepul, who dominate God's Orange County, that I could freely quip with the now Lord George Foulkes of Cumnock, when'er I bumped into him in that town: "Election coming-up George, that you feel you have to show your face here"?
At the said election: George and I would have a wee conversation along the lines of how heavy his majority would be - usually along the lines of some four stones (if you weighed the number of voting papers which equated to his majority).
No, we may vote into office politicians such as dear old George - who was, by the way, like his exalted predecessors Jim Sillars and Emrys Hughes and excellent constituency MP - we may also vote in some of the charlatans who are or have recently been guests of HM the Queen, but, at heart we are no different from those citizens of the Second and Third World who, when faced with a ballot box, tend to vote along tribal lines.
Scotland today, is still tribal. We may not go into the orgy of killing which marks the differences between the various branches of Islam or the tribal differences which have cost so-many lives in Africa and Asia or the ticking time bomb which is Israel's position - surrounded by neighbours wishing to wipe that nation from the face of the earth, but, sophisticates though we think ourselves to be, here in Scotland relations between Catholic and Protestant can still become heated.
They are certainly heated now, at least in matters involving the largely-Catholic following of the team currently leading the SPL and the overwhelmingly-Protestant followers of the side heading the Third Division of the SFL.
This follows this week's majority verdict on behalf of Rangers FC (1873-2012) in the matter of their dispute with HMRC. The verdict wasn't so much "Not Guilty" as "Not Proven" and those Rangers followers celebrating the success should perhaps reflect that public conception of the uniquely-Scottish "Not Proven" verdict has always been to regard it as: "We ken ye did it, but we canna prove it".
Reflect on this Peepul - the case will go to appeal and with a different tribunal panel, the result might well be different. Don't crow now, is my advice.
The unavoidable fact is, as was the case with his foray into basketball which set his thinking towards his stewardship of Rangers - David Murray opted for a management model which was unsustainable in the long term.
In basketball - he took Murray International Metals to near the peaks, then watched it crumble.
In football - he took Rangers to near the peaks, then watched it crumble.
MIM no longer exists in basketball. I admit it is unlikely, but, now liquidators BDO have full access to the books at Ibrox, there is still a likelihood that in a year or two, Rangers may not exist.
The fall of Rangers has been a disaster, but, like so-many disasters, it was not brought about by one cataclismic event, but by a series of misjudgements, mis-calculations, wrong decisions and events not panning out as expected, over a period of time.
Sure, Craig Whyte, Duff & Phelps, "Mr Red" (the mysterious MIH employee who failed to co-operate fully with HMRC) and sundry others played their part, but, the main character in the Fall From Grace of Rangers FC was David Murray - Rangers fans would do well to remember this.
FAREWELL then Robert de Matteo, the latest fall guy in the English soap opera which is Chelsea FC. And welcome Rafa Benitez, hero of Anfield and sundry other stadia. Can he last-out the season? Perhaps, if he can help Senor Torres re-discover his mojo, but, I will not wager too-much of my hard-earned on this.
LET'S face it, fitba is in a mess in Scotland; but, it's in a richer mess in England. Why do we bother?
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