THE hypocrisy of John Kerry and the US Government is surely boundless (US and Russia clash as air strike kills clinic workers, The National, Sep 22). He has the gall to talk of a country acting with impunity, as if the outstanding example of state impunity were not his own.
The US has sought regime change in Syria since at least 2009. In recent months Russia has acted in good faith with the ceasefires in repeatedly trusting the US when it has been clear to many that the American agenda has not changed one iota, and that the illegal bombing by the “indispensable nation” and its support for Islamist forces is directly responsible for the enormous suffering in Syria, and the flood of refugees into Europe.
As for Kerry’s pretended concern for the suffering of the population, it should by now be very clear that our Western governments don’t care a fig for human rights – the US wants Assad out and will go to any lengths to destroy Syria as they have destroyed Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. The Middle East is now largely in ruins, leaving the global superpower to do what it does best – profit from bloodshed and suffering.
Gordon Gallacher
Strathpeffer, Ross-shire
Upholders of the status quo fear the voices of voters
PERHAPS Shona Craven (Holyrood committees need your tuppence worth, The National, September 23), should have a word with Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp (Time is up for traditional politics of left and right”, The National, September 23) as Ms Craven rightly understands the importance of grassroots opinions and contributions to the Holyrood parliament.
Mr McIntyre-Kemp, on the other hand, does not seem to understand grassroots voting preferences at all. His analogy with Creamola Foam ought, I think, to be changed to “The Mouse that Roared”. He admits that he dislikes Jeremy Corbyn and I suggest that this blinds him to the fact that hundreds of thousands of the electorate voted him into office last year and, if predictions are right, will have done so again. This is democracy.
His mocking and patronising dismissal of Corbyn as “an unelectable Unionist lefty” who will institute a “deselection purge of Blairites ... and Labour will be taken to the cleaners by the Tories”, flies in the face of facts. Corbyn will have been re-elected as leader precisely because rank and file members of the Labour party reject Tory and Blairite policies.
Later in his article, Mr MacIntyre-Kemp admits that “the London-centric approach coupled with a neoclassical economic dogma have failed completely” yet he seems to believe that opposition to this dogma, voiced by those who voted for Corbyn, despite the machinations of the Blairites in his party, should somehow be sneered at.
No, Mr MacIntyre-Kemp, it is the upholders of the status quo, in Britain, Europe and USA, who fear the voice of the electorate who must adapt to a new world in which their electorates refuse to accept, meekly, their roles as obedient servants of politicians who, in turn, are obedient servants of multinational companies and international banks.
Corbyn has proved how electable he is. Unlike Creamola Foam, whose time has passed, his version of democracy is being listened to in a post-banking crisis world. He is not Michael Foot Mark 2. He represents the spirit of “The Mouse That Roared” and the Establishment, whichever party they belong to, should try to come to terms with the fact that a political tide has turned – and not in their direction.
Lovina Roe
Perth
TIME is up for traditional left and right according to Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp. At a UK level certainly and largely as a result of the voting system, soon to be subject to constituency boundary changes, I would suggest things are looking pretty good for the right.
However, the first-past-the-post system the House of Lords and the system of patronage is rooted deep in the traditional past of the UK and is probably never going to change. It is also a manner of democracy which contrasts against the largely social democratic traditions of EU countries. UK governments will continue to be elected on minority votes largely supported by MPs standing for safe seats.
Reports that Labour is now concerned about retaining free movement is an indication of its willingness to adopt populist policies far removed from the principles of international socialism, which to some extent were part of the foundation of increased European cooperation. However, this is not new: when Labour had the opportunity to reverse the decline in workers’ rights, reverse anti-Union legislation, improve training, support the building of social housing, provide for fair rents and move to an elected second chamber, it preferred to adopt a watered down neo-liberal agenda in the belief that only by occupying the centre could it gain power.
Peter Gorrie, Edinburgh
WHAT a shocking state the Labour party has become. They walked hand in hand two years ago with their Tory mates to scare us about independence, they’re now third in Scotland and their Welsh counterparts want Brexit more than the Tories. I’d be glad to see Labour hammered at the next election. We had 13 years of them and they did nothing, yet under restraints from Westminster they attack the SNP? I’d dread to think of Dugdale running Scotland: look at the mess in Wales. Why don’t they just side with the SNP and independence, or face being a non-party in Scotland for good?
Stevie, Motherwell, via text
IS the Westminster policy in granting tax-raising powers to councils a poison chalice? If not enough is raised and services have to be cut, who will take the flack? Again the UK Government has abdicated their responsibility, just as they did with the refugee crisis.We must now take on our economy and become financially independent ... independent of London.
AC, Aberdeen, via text
I READ Shona Craven’s article on adding our tuppence worth, which I thought was very good – but it was missing the vital piece of information people require. How?
Unless you give clear instruction on how to carry out a task, most people will not bother. They will have read the article and said great, I must contact the committee to tell them my views. They will give it a quick go, get bamboozled and give up. Anyone wishing to give their views on council tax or other taxation should head to the Scottish Parliament site (www.parliament.scot) and select the “Getting Involved” menu, then on the updated page select “Current Consultations”.
Kenneth Sutherland
Livingston
Letters II: Why must we choose between four deputy leader candidates?
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