Them neeps, once neeps like us, coofs noo, are o the opinion that tumshies an baigies are unworthy o neep hood an want us aw deid.
So hud the line an mak yer shots count – Ahn shout oot oor neep ditty!
“Ye see yon birkie ca’d a lord, wha struts, an’ stares, an’ a’ that, tho’ hundreds worship at his word, he’s but a coof for a’ that.
Then let us shout that come it may, as come it will for a’ that, that Sense and Worth, o’er a’ the earth shall bear the gree an’ a’ that.
For it’s comin yet for a’ that, that Neep to Neep the warld o’er, shall brithers be agin ahn a’ that.
Again, ahn a’ that.”
An if they get past us the pumkins’ll be next then the fruits.
If ye gie a fascist an inch, they’ll tak the world, ahn tak it doon wi them.
Translate:
coof, cuif, couff: A rogue, a fool, simpleton, dull-witted fellow, a useless, incompetent fellow; a spiritless, “feckless” person.
Those turnips, once turnips like us, fools now, are of the opinion that other turnips and turnip species are unworthy of turnip hood and want us all dead.
So hold the line an make your shots count – And shout out our turnip ditty!
“You see that conceited fellow called a lord, who struts, and stares, and all that, though hundreds worship at his word, he’s but a simpleton for all that.
Then let us shout that come it may, as come it will for all that, that Sense and Worth, over all the earth shall bear the trial and tribulations and all that.
For it’s coming yet for all that, that Turnip to Turnip the world over, shall brothers be again for all that.
Again, and all that.”
An if they get past us the pumkins’ll be next then the fruits.
If you give a fascist an inch, they’ll take the world, and take it down with them.
kuf
The Scottish Word: coof with its definition and its meaning illustrated and captioned with the word used in context in the Scots language and in English.
Robert Burns.
You can read the correct version of the poem here, A Man’s a Man for All That, a at the Scottish Poetry Library.
Thinkers.
“It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone’s fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I’m one of Us. I must be. I’ve certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We’re always one of Us. It’s Them that do the bad things.”
Terry Pratchett, Jingo. British author of the DiscWorld series.
“Ceremony leads her bigots forth, prepared to fight for shadows of no worth. While truths, on which eternal things depend, can hardly find a single friend.”
William Cowper: English poet and hymn writer of the 1700’s, he was a slavery abolitionist and campaigner, quoted by Martin Luther King Jr.
“Whenever we discover a dislike in us, toward any one, we should ever be a little suspicious of ourselves.”
Herman Melville. American author of Moby Dick.
“Whenever we allow ourselves to be divided, we give power to those who seek to control us.”
Martin Luther King Jr. American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and political philosopher.
Do Not Obey in Advance.
“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a more repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.”
Timothy Snyder. Professor of History and Global Affairs at Yale University and a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna.
You Don’t Have to Heroically Resist.
You can act the bureaucrat, middle managers or underling who delays and defers, dragging your feet all the while insisting “Yes, yes, sure thing boss. Right away, just need to file the proper paperwork.” This was an effective, and often vitally necessary tactic of resistance and rescue as detailed in Gushee’s book The Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust. It also worked for Mel Brooke’s in resisting authoritarian media moguls while making Blazing Saddles. He said yes to all their changes and then didn’t do any.
Dave Gushee. University Professor of Christian Ethics and Director of the Center for Theology and Public Life at Mercer University, and Chair of Christian Social Ethics Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam/IBTS; Author: The Righteous Gentiles of the Holocaust.
Mel Brooks. Director, writer and Star.