Letters: It takes two

Published on Wednesday 15 February 2012 00:00

COUNCILLOR Alex Gallagher’s response to my comments (Letters, 14 February) is so over the top that it borders on the hilarious.

Mr Gallagher points to examples of the “disgusting insults” of both Joan McAlpine and Mike Russell in their use of the term “anti-Scottish”.

In the case of the former, Ms McAlpine was merely pointing out any attempts to hijack the referendum – which it has now been conceded should be “designed and built in Scotland” – would indeed be “anti-Scottish”.

Similarly, Mike Russell (who happens to be English) opined that it would be anti-Scottish to pursue fee-paying educational policies contrary to the proud Scottish tradition. I think many people would agree with both these statements.

I fear that Mr Gallagher may also be guilty of tranferrism, when bemoaning the language used by others.

For a start, he accuses the SNP and its members of harbouring “anti-English bigotry” – a serious and unfounded accusation indeed.

He also shows a certain disdain by referring to “separation”, “distorted psychology” and feels unable to use the term Scottish Government – instead preferring the belittling title of “Scottish Executive”. Even the word independence requires quotation marks in his rambling attack.

If Mr Gallagher would care to observe true examples of ugly politics, perhaps he should look no further than his own party where his comrades in Glasgow City Council are being bullied and harassed into voting with the Labour whip; where Tom Harris MP (recent Scottish leadership “hopeful”) resigned over a Nazism “gag” or, indeed, the recent poison being dripped by new Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont who wishes to pursue isolationist and illegal economic policies by having all contracts for the Forth replacement crossing that were awarded to foreign companies cancelled.

Craig Wilson

Thorntree Avenue

Beith, Lanarkshire

Kenny Gibson’s jibe at Alex Gallagher was both objectionable and stupid, as I daresay Mr Gibson would now admit, but Mr Gallagher’s self-righteous diatribe has not enhanced either his or his party’s credibility in any way whatever.

Crass and vicious insults have flown from the Labour to the SNP camp at least as frequently and as abundantly as in the other direction – a fact of which Mr Gallagher is perfectly well aware. If the Labour Party and the Unionist cause hope to make any headway in Scotland their best course would be to rise above the level of name-calling and start presenting some facts and some serious and positive arguments in support of their case.

Would be, that is, if they could find any.

Derrick McClure

Rosehill Terrace

Aberdeen

A FAMOUSLY unpleasant man once said that, “it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along… voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders.

“This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in every country.”

It works here too. Both sides of the independence debate are even now following those war-like principles – but they are most clearly recognisable in the separatist’s “anti-Scottish” accusations levelled against anyone who disagrees.

The protagonists simply must stop scaring the children and baying at the moon: reasoned argument must take the place of unfettered emotion.

Time to get back to reality; as the famously unpleasant man eventually did, using the words quoted above arguing for his life at Nuremberg in 1946, although it didn’t do him much good either – Hermann Wilhelm Göring.

David Fiddimore

Calton Road

Edinburgh

Comments

There are 5 comments to this article

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

5

cajwbroomhill

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 12:38 PM

No 3: I believe that membership of the EU would make Scotland liable to sinking without trace, or to be run by quisling bureauocrats, like poor Greece. That would be even less safe than continued power in the hands of the Liberal Wminster coalition, whose policies seem manly to have been designed to sink the boat. Perhaps these jokers, with a very few honourable exceptions, can be thrown out, but, once in power here, the SalmondEU junta would last till their (political) demise, sinking our beloved Scotland with it. People supporting separation often cite small European (geographically) nations as desirable models for Scotland, but how long after separation from the UK would that take? Till global warming is, finally, disproved? Till global cooling has frozen us? Till shale gas has transformed our economy? Till wind turbines yield 100percent of our electricity? I'd go for the last of these,

• Report Unsuitable

4

Brotyboy

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:47 AM

'but they are most clearly recognisable in the separatist’s' - to which specific separatist are you referring?

• Report Unsuitable

3

Derick fae Yell

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:32 AM

1cajwbroomhill Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:46 AM "...that not rocking the boat is a perfectly honourable and also safer standpoint, in case it sinks without trace" Not so sure about the 'safer' bit given that the Old UK's AAA looks like it might go over the side. Secondly there is the complete under performance of the UK on every possible international measure, as compared to the other small Independent nations in northern Europe, both in and out of the EU. But agreed that the pejorative language on all sides is not useful.

• Report Unsuitable

2

Alexander D Lindsay

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:58 AM

David Fiddimore asks for reasoned argument while devastating his own credentials for such with allusions to nazism. It is very odd that so many people in the UK are unable to carry out a simple political argument without relying almost entirely on silly allusions to the to the war of 1939-45.

• Report Unsuitable

1

cajwbroomhill

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:46 AM

The Unionists warn that separatism would be unsafe, while the separatists claim that, on her own, tho' in the EU, Scotland could prosper proudly and, anyway those for the Union are traitors to the nationalistic aspirations of our native land. Why do not both sides admit that either course has dangers and that not rocking the boat is a perfectly honourable and also safer standpoint, in case it sinks without trace. That latter view is urged on by the grisly pall of EU shackles, if that corrupt, unconstructive outfit, undeservedly, survives. The prospects for independence also, at present, hinge on the ability and character of the SNP leadership.

• Report Unsuitable

Order by:

• Newest first
• |
• Oldest first

Page 1 of 1

• 1
• Show all

Logged in as:

Comment here. Start typing your comment here:

Post comment

Please adhere to our Community guidelines

Your view

Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.