THURSDAY’S article by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp (The UK has become a nation of narcissistic consumers, October 11) raised very important issues.

We are reduced to consumers to be exploited by the neoliberal economy and sold articles constantly in the media, much that are unnecessary, made in ways that exploit the environment and workers abroad – ways which we would consider unacceptable for us and our environment.

Yet somehow we feel we can ignore this or consider it to be acceptable for our own gratification. With Brexit the desire of the government for trade deals is likely to drop standards here, and our environment and workers will become more exploited.

The Nation film, produced by Phantom Power and presented by Lesley Riddoch, revealed that when Iceland’s economy collapsed after the banking crisis, they couldn’t afford many imports so needed to produce much more at home. The recovery of their economy has proved this is possible.

I urge you to question whether you need to buy before you go ahead, check the sources of the item, buy as local as possible and from nations with good standards, and help reduce exploitation of workers and the environment. Doing so will help reduce the damage to our planet by global warming, currently being made worse by producing more than we need principally for the benefit of corporations and the super rich.

Jim Stamper
Bearsden

READ MORE: The UK has become a nation of narcissistic consumers​

ONCE again a Scottish media column mistakenly conflates pro-life, pro-rights of the unborn with right-wing politics (Rise of the right threatens women … that’s why we must make abortion legal, Sunday National, October 7).

Trumpism and American right-wing conservatism are rarely the politics of choice of those who support the rights of the unborn in Scotland. The huge majority of Christians I know believe in love your neighbour (and your enemy) and not the anti-foreigner rhetoric of the American or UK right. They believe Blasey Ford and not Brett Kavanaugh, they are passionately anti-gun and anti-misogyny. But they happen to believe that the unborn baby in the womb is worthy of protection and that a progressive society will always protect its weakest, of which the unborn are the foremost.

We find Trumpism just as abhorrent in its arrogance, self-centredness and marginalisation of the weak as Suzanne McLaughlin does, and object to headlines that pedal the myth that pro-life means right-wing, uncaring conservative. Indeed, we would argue that care and compassion must start with the unborn.

Callum Henderson
Carnoustie

READ MORE: Rise of the right threatens women – and progress on abortion rights​

I WAS very upset by Andrew Tickell’s article about children suffering (Reading of the suffering of children is hard, but read we must, Sunday National, October 14), but I must point out that “suffer little children” was never an admonition. It was a misunderstanding of the 17th-century translation of Christ’s words that nowadays would be translated as “allow the little children to come to me”. It is wrong to suggest that Christ would have anything to do with hurting children.

John Kelly
Kelso

READ MORE: Reading about the suffering of these children is hard – but we must​

THE sorry saga of Scotland’s fitba team is not likely to stop until our national team is indeed our national team, ie a team representing the nation of Scotland, an independent Scotland.

Fitba might be and likely is a fickle thing that has no guarantees no matter what, but a team without a singular and clear-cut country to identify with is all the likelier disadvantaged by it.

For Scotland we have, despite their experience and personal integrity, managers never openly espousing the nationalist cause of Scotland, despite recent letters in The National pairing a more than welcome section of Rangers fans with the cause.

I certainly wouldn’t go as far as saying our team would overnight become hot World Cup contenders when Scotland reverts to being the independent nation it rightfully is, but I reckon it would more regularly qualify for the finals of such fitba competitions in such a circumstance. Like many others I hope finding this out will happen sooner rather than later. In the meantime, come on Aberdeen!

Ian Johnstone
Peterhead

I WAS very interested to read Margaret Cuthbert’s account of Harry McNish (The Scot who was a polar hero, October 13). This tale is particularly timely for me as my cousin, Malcolm Rennie, is currently touring the UK performing in a one-man play

called Shackleton’s Carpenter. The show has been receiving glowing reviews and anyone interested in catching a performance should visit shackletons-carpenter.weebly.com.

Neil Caple
Aboyne

READ MORE: How a Scot was cruelly denied the Polar Medal​