The futility of exchanging views with some Scottish nationalists online. An instructive thread.

A Tory councillor, perhaps unwisely in corona lockdown time when we’re all supposed to be pulling together but factually completely correct, makes a point about the current oil price compared to the SNP 2014 White Paper. He draws blood from an SNP MSP.

I offer a mild correction to Mr Stewart.

‘Urban Tiger’ chips in to respond to someone else’s comment on the same thread. Note his last sentence.

I ask two questions, the first about his claim that there ‘is’ (although he's talking about the future) solid increase in demand for oil.

Second, about a source, any source, for his claim about lift costs below $20.

He answers a point I didn’t make (classic) and says he has no source for a definitive factual claim he made (so how does he know?)

I have another go.

He blithely ignores a simple question of fact I was trying to establish. Somehow gold prices are now relevant (Squirrel alert No. 1).

Oh look, he’s now done an online search and found something about future demand for oil. Still nothing about lift costs though.

A friend arrives to make a point totally irrelevant to anything I’ve said.

I lack ‘insite’ (sic). I don’t know the difference between a drilling rig and a production platform (I do but it’s totally irrelevant to our exchange hitherto – Squirrel alert No. 2). I’m an ultra … whatever.

Second friend lumbers over the horizon. Hiya! I’m always up for a lesson from a bot. CT???!!!

Well it’s true. Urban Tiger doesn’t know anything about my years monitoring the UKCS. Oh, and any source yet for the $20 claim?

And so it ends. He makes a claim, I have to substantiate it. Goodbye, Tiger.