Letters to The National, November 27: Life under Brussels lockdown is scary and revealing

My university in Brussels finally opened its doors again on Wednesday. It was the first time since the alert level was raised early Saturday that I’ve ventured further than the shops. The class subject was referendums, and it was nice to be reminded of that wonderful things still happen in this all-too-often depressing world.

I’d chosen to just remain in my flat with my flatmates since the alert and being with others helps take one’s mind off what is happening on the other side of the front door, since it is a scary, depressing thing, and for a variety of reasons other than the potential terrorist threat.

The maximum alert level four (meaning a potential attack is “serious and imminent”) is going to stay in place until at least Monday, by which point nine days will have passed since armed police, vehicles and soldiers effectively replaced civilians and tourists on the streets of this normally bustling European capital.

This is exactly what Daesh want, and they will view this as a victory.

Provoking fear, panic and mistrust among Westerners is an integral part of their recruitment strategy to make vulnerable people feel more persecuted, and then offer an alternative way of life in Iraq and Syria. People continue to make the journey there to join them, and it saddens and angers me that our governments in Europe are far quicker to launch into wars and conflicts than attempt to address why so many people feel so hopeless.

In some areas of Molenbeek – the suburb in Brussels where many of the Paris perpetrators are said to have resided – up to 80 per cent of the population is of Muslim origin and discrimination and unemployment is rife, leading to this sense of hopelessness. Would it not make more sense to attempt to fix this problem rather than spill more blood?

I boarded a bus earlier and I could not help but think of the worst-case scenario. This made me realise we do not have the slightest idea of how terrified the refugees coming across the Mediterranean are – they are fleeing a Paris-level tragedy on a daily basis. And there’s people who tell them to “go back where they came from”. Shameful.

Fraser Wilson
Brussels

More to life than home ownership

RUTH Davidson at First Minister’s Questions yesterday called into question the SNP Government’s record on housing, claiming many are unable to get onto the housing ladder due to government legislation.

This was a timely assault on Scotland’s housing stock, less than 24 hours after Chancellor George Osborne announced the roll-out of the right to buy for Housing Association tenants in England, a real assault on social housing stock there.

Fortunately for Scotland, housing is a devolved matter and the Scottish Government have legislated to protect social housing stocks with the abolition of the right to buy in Scotland.

For the benefit of Ms Davidson, housing is not all about the need to get onto the ladder of house purchasing, many prefer the flexibility and affordability of social housing and thankfully the present Scottish Government are addressing this issue and are on target to complete the 30,000 homes promised in this parliament.

Catriona C Clark
Banknock, Falkirk

REGARDING Keith Howell’s letter (Letters, November 26). The SNP aren’t perfect; they do make mistakes and some of their representatives may have got themselves into some trouble (although innocent until proved otherwise, I believe, is how the justice system works).

However, the same old song he sings of SNP Bad, anyone else Good, has been rubbished by many commentators and with the SNP still riding high in the polls, in spite of some difficulties, I think it is high time to come up with another song.

If he would care to take a closer look, I think he would find many projects and laws introduced by the SNP of huge social and financial benefit to Scotland. What is important to most of us Scots is a government or party that represents us and puts Scotland first, which none of the other Unionist parties have done as they are London and Westminster-centric.

The SNP, like every other political party, will occasionally get things wrong and some of their politicians will cross the line but as a Scot, I would rather that people with my country as its core value are given every chance to succeed.

When the SNP get it wrong, I will be the first to speak but I will not undermine my country for the sake of it, as it appears some would. Scotland is moving forward and its people are understanding where it wants to go, and the vehicle they have chosen at the moment is the SNP to deliver.

Bryan Auchterlonie
Perthshire

KEITH Howell is indeed correct. The victory of the SNP brought in a new style of politics. And pretty nauseating it is too.

It is a style of politics in which the straggling remains of defeated political parties are afforded credibility only by the generous media coverage they get.

It is a style of politics in which the affairs of any elected SNP member are trawled for any insinuation, no matter how baseless or trivial, which can be made into a banner headline and which then can be repeated ad infinitum in the rest of the media and by our broadcasters.

It is a style of politics in which our media, respected and renowned in the past for its world quality and its probity, now lies and lies and lies, till the lie becomes the accepted truth.

It is a style of politics, indeed, in which most of our media is destroying its own credibility and steadily destroying the credibility of the causes and political parties it supports.

This distasteful media is all the Union has to offer in its support now. I am very proud to belong to the SNP which, as a matter of determined policy, doesn’t do offensive personalised attacks and the sort of grubby and dishonest political distortions of its opposition which disgrace them and disgrace Scotland daily.

Dave McEwan Hill
Sandbank, Argyll

I AGREE wholeheartedly with Keith Howell regarding “a new style of politics”, and probity being the foundation of such politics.

However, since we both feel the same, I recommend caution about assigning guilt before investigations are concluded. To prove that we are not biased in this regard, and much as it hurts, I feel I must mention the Labour MPs who were found guilty during the expenses scandal, and subsequently jailed.

Bill McLean
Dunfermline

INTERESTING letter from Keith Howell. To my knowledge, Michelle Thomson has not been questioned by police or been charged with any wrongdoing.

Police Scotland have not established any wrongdoing at Women for Independence. Natalie McGarry has not been interviewed or charged by Police Scotland with any wrongdoing.

As for Fiona Hyslop, that was a judgment for her alone, and I’m sure she made it in good faith. Was her judgement correct? Best ask the 100,000 people who attended T in the Park if they would have preferred it curtailed or even cancelled.

Walter Hamilton
Elie

IN light of the continuing cuts from Westminster the Scottish Government should consider an alternative means of raising money.

A weekly Jackie Baillie Fundraiser would ask people to guess the number of times that week Ms Baillie asked for ‘transparency’ from the Scottish Government/SNP on any issue – whether it was within their jurisdiction or not.

Contestants may round up their answer to the nearest 1000 using the same calculator used by Jackie when estimating how many jobs are dependent on Trident.

In the event of a tie, the contestant with the best answer to Jackie’s oft repeated query ‘Who knew what and when?’ will receive the main prize – a signed photo of Ms Baillie astride a Trident warhead.

James Mills
Johnstone

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