Students of history will dread the weeks and months ahead in Gaza

The National

2 days ago

The recent announcement by the rogue Israeli government regarding a major expansion of settlements in the West Bank (22 new settlements in addition to the endorsement of several others) is in direct violation of international law and is undoubtedly another nail in the coffin of any prospect of Palestinian statehood for generations to come, if ever.
READ MORE: Israel to expand illegal settlements in Palestinian West Bank
As the genocide in Gaza continues apace, it is clear that Netanyahu's draconian administration, supported and abetted by Washington, cares little for human rights or international opinion and is transparently feral in moral and political terms. The annexation of all Palestinian lands and the ethnic cleansing of its people are long-held aims of Zionists factions and under the current Israeli regime it is evident that this has become government policy.
The American President, a man for whom human life means little or nothing in comparison to real estate and his 'art of the deal' should, in an ideal world, be mindful of current Israeli actions and their similarities to the US policy of Manifest Destiny from the mid 19th century, a policy that divined a unique, self-appointed sense of moral virtue to white Americans in their imperialist expansionism before, during and after the Civil War.
The policy not only witnessed widespread displacement of indigenous Americans, but also a callous disregard for human rights, ethnic cleansing on an industrial scale and the heartless pursuit of wealth, particularly following the discovery of gold in the West.
READ MORE: Pro-independence party leaders urged to stand against genocide in Gaza
Of course the moron who occupies the Oval Office at present knows little and cares less about the history of his country or of the suffering of humanity then or now. He is an historical illiterate, a buffoon who believed that aircraft played a part in the American Wars of Independence, a clown with the intellectual capacity of of a dead halibut. The American electorate have tragically repeated the mistakes of the past by voting Trump into office again, with the result that the world has become a veritable powder keg with old assurances blown away to be replaced only by uncertainties and unfettered, odious greed.
We are witnessing a medieval siege in Gaza on a daily basis as the Palestinian people endure starvation, disease and death at the hands of a nefarious Israeli government, their American pimps and European administrations like the UK with fluid ethics and pusillanimous practices and procedures. I fear there is no end in sight, and students of history will dread the weeks and months ahead Palestine in particular and the world in general.
Owen Kelly
Stirling
AS I was taking a stroll this morning I had to check the back of my head to make sure there were no buttons there! On Times Radio my ears were being bombarded with what I could scarcely believe. A political commentator was saying that Rotten Rachel was going to
put billions of pounds into the Midlands and the Red Wall seats. As I was out in the country, the string of profanities was unheard by anyone else. I heard no mention of Scotland, but then we are just a bunch of peasants staying in a country rich in everything Westminster wants.
READ MORE: Nigel Farage dodges public and press in shambolic Hamilton by-election visit
What is it going to take for the Scottish people to finally say enough is enough? I had a letter published earlier this week which coincided with a front page dominated by the FM saying the by-election was going to be close. Why oh why is it going to be anywhere near close? All that needs to happen is for the SNP to get the vote out. But that is where the problem is. To get the voters out you need to give them something to vote for! We are giving them more of the same, and free publicity for Reform UK by saying this by-election will be close.
It is inconceivable that we could lose this. There is no hiding place for John Swinney if this goes pear-shaped, and the old chestnut of 'lessons will be learned' will under no circumstances be acceptable!
Everyone knows what needs to be done but for some reason the SNP will not do it. The days of just expecting voters to turn out are gone. People are scunnered and need a boost to get them into the polling booth. The days of a comfort zone for the SNP are also gone. We have no leeway here as the beer-swilling posh boy is showing that he is to be taken seriously. We might think that he is a plonker, but that is not what the polls are saying. It is saying something that the FM took to the Daily Baillie to ask Labour voters to vote SNP. How did we manage to get into panic mode? Feartyism. Time to let the handbrake off and go for the jugular.
Old John
Ayrshire
THE revelation that Reform UK has spent upwards of £15,000 promoting a racially charged, misleading advert targeting Anas Sarwar in the run-up to the Hamilton by-election should deeply concern all who value democratic integrity. This was no generic political broadcast. The advert played into far-right tropes, and was micro-targeted at a specific Scottish constituency during a live electoral contest.
READ MORE: Reform UK spend thousands more on 'racist' Anas Sarwar advert
Reform UK have effectively pumped dark money into the bloodstream of Scottish democracy while denying any obligation to account for it transparently. That this is happening outside the bounds of candidate expenditure returns – and following prior complaints from across the political spectrum – demands urgent Electoral Commission scrutiny. It's not enough to call this race-baiting. It justifies an investigation into whether it breaches electoral law.
If this kind of shadow campaigning is allowed to pass unchallenged, it sets a precedent that bigotry and misinformation can be weaponised with money alone – no manifesto, no doorstep, no scrutiny. Scotland deserves better.
Ron Lumiere
via email