Web of abuse

I WAS interested to read Brian Monteith’s recent observations (Perspective, 31 October) that his articles attracted more personal abuse than serious debate in the online comments so, as I was very struck by John McTernan’s article (Perspective, 2 November), looking at Scotland from the perspective of Australia, I decided to check the online comments to see if he attracted a similar response.

Sadly he did. Under the cloak of anonymity, the online commentators again let loose with a host of abusive personal comments – one clearly so bad it had been withdrawn by the moderator.

Yet John McTernan was making some very serious points which we would do well to note. Anyone who visits Australia will find a confident, booming economy.

You have a sense that it is a country and people that are going places, and, though there are major problems, these are issues that a buoyant country can set about solving.

In contrast, Scotland and Europe begin to look old, stale and tired. Just as history tells the story of civilisations rising and then falling to have their place taken by new emergent powers, so it would seem the balance of power now is shifting from the North and West to the South and East.

These are serious matters that deserve thought and consideration. Instead, the online commentators responded like two-year-olds having tantrums. If that is to be the nature of political debate in an independent Scotland then when, in future, we ask “Wha’s like us?” the answer will surely be “Who’d want to be?”

Judith Gillespie

Findhorn Place

Edinburgh