Want a good way to get the measure of someone? Look at their enemies. If the goon squad hates them, they’re probably a decent sort.

The Scottish Government now boasts the opprobrium of one of the most repellent and dangerous men in modern politics: JD Vance, the double-dealing, amoral US vice-president.

Before he killed the last vestige of what passes for his soul and got down on his knees to lick Donald Trump’s boots, Vance called his current master an “idiot” and compared him to Hitler.

While launching an attack on European democracy – when he should have been talking about saving Ukraine – Vance spewed a bunch of culture war lies about Scotland, claiming our abortion buffer zone laws banned folk from praying in their home.

It’s not even worth debunking in detail. We all know it’s straight-up disinformation. We live in this country. We understand the truth.

Read more by Neil Mackay

Vance’s insults and disrespect reveal a fear and hatred of what Scotland represents; we should celebrate that. Rejoice in his contempt, it proves our merit. It’s a badge of honour.

Vance wrapped his lies in a two-faced sermon about free speech. Let’s take no lessons in democracy and freedom from the likes of Vance. The attempted Capitol insurrection denies MAGA cultists any claim to the words "democracy" or "freedom".

When it comes to free speech, remember that the Trump administration has banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office as it uses the term "Gulf of Mexico", not MAGA’s Orwellian name-change "Gulf of America".

AP delivers wire services to news outlets globally, including here........

© Herald Scotland