Better than Braveheart? George Galloway vs US Senate '“ Jim Duffy

George Galloway makes Jim Duffy feel proud to be Scottish at the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs (Picture: Joe Raedle/Getty)

As tech shares in the USA slide downwards, causing much grief for American and UK pension funds, it sends out a signal on just how big these companies really are. The ‘Faangs’ – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix and Google – have been behind much of the growth over the last few years in the US stock markets. At this point, you’re probably thinking that this article should be situated in the business section of the paper. But, while these behemoths of tech occupy large chunks of our pensions and savings as fund managers like them, they also provide some very decent entertainment. Ergo, why we use them and pay for them. And YouTube, which is owned by Alphabet, the company which owns owns Google, probably provides some of the best entertainment, homemade or otherwise.

One of my favourite YouTube videos stars a famous Scot. Some might say he is famous and infamous. He is not a rock star like Jim Kerr from Simple Minds. He is not an actor like Gerard Butler. He is not a footballer like Sir Kenny Dalglish and he doesn’t play tennis at world level. He hasn’t invented anything like James Watt and he is not famous philanthropist like Andrew Carnegie.

But, he has appeared on Capitol Hill and he has certainly ruffled some feathers. Ruffled being a slight understatement as he took on the might of some of the finest political brains of the United States of America and ate them for breakfast.

Yes, George Galloway vs the US Senate must have one of the best YouTube clips I have ever witnessed.

Google it and, if you have a spare 45 minutes, you will not be disappointed. Now, before we proceed any further, I have to state for the record that I would have George Galloway on my table as one of my fantasy guests whenever I am asked who I would have to dinner if I could.

George Galloway: In quotes

The others around the table are Jesus, George Michael, St Margaret of Scotland, John F Kennedy, Bruce Lee and Annie Lennox. I think the bold George would be real fun at this once-in-a-lifetime event. And, based on how he approached his Senate hearing and how he performed, I’m sure I would not be disappointed as I served up the cheese platter.

Now, if you were to appear as the main course at a US Senate hearing, I’m fairly sure you would be bricking it from the moment you heard the news.

History has shown us that many careers, reputations and livelihoods have gone down the pan after one of these committees got its claws into them. They are brutal places to be. They are no-holds-barred, accusatorial, combative, public events. The best legal and political brains, concomitant with America’s substantial research and intelligence resources, are set out against the poor soul who ends up sitting in the middle of the room with only a microphone to defend themselves.

But, not our George. No, Mr Galloway travelled to Washington DC ready for a fight.

And YouTube has saved this magnificent piece of drama for us all to see. I would go as far as saying that every Scottish law student and politics student should have to watch this as part of their course and indeed do a paper on it.

Watching George Galloway defend himself and then round on the might of the American political establishment makes me feel proud to be a Scot when I watch it. It’s so much better than Braveheart!

Of course, there will be many of you who will vehemently disagree with this and perhaps view Mr Galloway in less favourable terms. He has certainly had some pejorative pieces written about him over the years as his stance on things has been somewhat colourful. But, politics aside, George Galloway in his prime, delivering a blistering rebuttal to US Senators, while holding them to account is awesome TV and YouTube has it stored forever.

Now while I do not want to spoil all your fun by giving away all the great plot points, I do have to give you some context.

After the Iraq War, Mr Galloway, who was outspoken in his condemnation of the decision to go to war in the first place, obviously upset a few people. There is no hiding from the fact that in his self-made Netflix documentary he filmed after the war, he has no place in his heart for Tony Blair or “Tony Bliar” as he calls him.

But, the point is Mr Galloway ostensibly took on the UK and US state apparatus in a big way when he was fighting for us not to go to war over non-existent weapons of mass destruction that purportedly were hidden in an Iraqi bunker.

I suspect a few eyebrows were raised in high places over film of Mr Galloway saluting Saddam Hussein’s “indefatigability”. Many doutbless believed he would get his comeuppance at the Senate hearing and that it would potentially lead to serious charges against him if they could prove anything.

But Mr Galloway showed guts, grit, acumen, determination and probably some of the best oratory skills that any Scot has ever uttered under such scrutiny. Putting this even further into perspective for you, I get nervous if I get stopped by the police or receive an email from HMRC telling me my tax return is due, never mind going to the capital city of the US. It is a jaw-dropping piece of film...

And that is the beauty of YouTube and big tech. It can hold and store important pieces of history, that in my schools days, I could have only read about or imagined. So, what are you waiting for? Get your iPad fired up this weekend, break out the popcorn and feast your eyes on George Galloway having a square go with the USA ... I won’t tell you who wins!