5 days ago
We should be taking our lead from these Yes activists
This is of course partly as a result of the 'no acknowledgement' digital and social media bad-manner culture that has evolved in general and partly I suspect from the many SNP and other so-called 'parliamentarians' who live in a bubble of self-importance and complacency, who have not yet woken up to the fact that the appellation 'politician' is now increasingly a term of derision and contempt.
These are not the statesmen of previous years who would have without delay replied in person, via a secretariat at the very least, to engage with any aligned and sympathetic movement in fraternal solidarity.
It is not possible to imagine a John Smith – or Alex Salmond for that matter – to be so distracted by affairs of state not send a message of thanks and leadership affirmation.
The entitlement mindset of many but not all SNP grassroots members and politicians has delivered nothing thus far in terms of national liberation from the colonial 'commonsteal' and it is increasingly apparent to all passionate and dispassionate observers of the Scottish struggle for freedom that a house divided on itself cannot, simply will not, prevail.
The British elites will continue to 'divide and conquer' until the independent-minded people of Scotland 'unite and conquer' to provide a decent inheritance for their children and grandchildren.
We urgently require a regular series of highly visible national 'gatherings' of all indy groups together that will attract hitherto uncertain people and reforge old friendships in a spirit of mutual reconciliation and resolve. No 'Pollyannaism' but real, visceral attempts to express and let go of personal impasses and resentments as well as strategic and tactical disagreements.
One or two non-politically correct face-to-face encounters on Glasgow Green, Salisbury Crags or right outside Holyrood would clear the air, don't you think?
Sober, polite conventions have their place but in the words of Burns, 'The heart is aye the part that maks us right or wrang'. A 'heart felt' reunification in the movement must precede polite talking shops.
Yes Berwickshire has set a great example to all other groups and let us all look at least initially to 'liberate Scotland' to be a gathering point. Three or four big, and I mean big events need to be convened and the SNP could easily re-establish their tarnished freedom credentials by using their enormous resources hitherto squandered or frittered away, to be the midwife of a reinvigorated national vision of post-colonial life.
Tempus fugit, so let's all start writing and talking to each other Berwickshire style!
Dr Andrew Docherty
Selkirk
THE evidence on nuclear power disproves Lynn Jamieson's irresponsible jeremiad (Why nuclear power isn't the green energy solution you've been told, May 30).
For a start, nuclear requires the least mining of any electricity source, because uranium fuel is the most powerful on earth by far.
That is from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. The same commission did a lifecycle analysis of the total carbon footprint of all electricity sources, from mining through to decommissioning of facilities.
Again, it found nuclear has the lowest carbon footprint of any electricity source.
The industry matches that with an excellent safety record: it is so safe that pregnant women are able to work on top of the reactor pile caps at Torness.
To scaremonger to the contrary is an abominable disgrace.
There are many more errors of fact, including that nuclear power stations cannot turn up and down.
The French nuclear fleet just this past Sunday turned down from 38 gigawatts to 25 gigawatts, to accommodate rising solar power, and turned back up to 40 gigawatts in the evening when solar faded away.
Decisions on our energy future should be based on facts.
And the facts in Scotland are that Torness is the single largest, cleanest, most reliable electricity generator in the nation, and a vital source of good jobs for local people.
That is something we should renew for the next generation.
Lincoln Hill, director of policy and external affairs, Nuclear Industry Association
NEITHER the SNP nor any of the other nominally pro-independence parties are proposing a way to translate support into a democratic vote. They all defer to Westminster. They are diverting attention from their lack of any plan for restoring independence by promoting totally pointless arguments about 'voting strategy'. And people are falling for it! I despair!
Peter A Bell
via
