YET again yesterday morning, listening to the Good Morning Scotland phone-in, I felt like throwing a brick at the radio, as no fewer than three contributors pointed out that we have been dependent on Westminster for the cash for furlough, but no attempt was made to balance that misconception with fact.
None seemed to realise that we pay our share of tax exactly as everyone elsewhere in the UK, and Westminster, as the recipient, hands us back a share, normally less than we have paid in, the difference supposedly retained to cover joint expenditure such as this. One contributor actually said that we are dependent on England because they are the largest part of the UK and so shelled out more! He obviously did not recognise his illogicality, since as the largest part, they also got the largest “handout”!
As to paying off the debt incurred, one needs to ask, “To whom?” The Bank of England? Who owns it? The government. When more money is required, they make it available at a keystroke. So it may never need to be paid back in the normal sense.
Are presenters really too ill-informed to counter these misconceptions in the cause of fairness and impartiality?
P Davidson
Falkirk
ALTHOUGH not the biggest fan of Michael Fry’s views, I would suggest that if his column disappeared the paper might be the poorer for it. To socialists whose blood pressure soars to dangerous levels when reading Michael’s homilies, I say, be calm and bear in mind Sun Tzu’s wise counsel regarding how to achieve success: “Know your enemy”.
With Michael’s column being an insight into the mindsets of the unashamed capitalist cheerleader, it is highly informative. In his denigration of “socialism” (June 29), Michael trotted out Cuba and Venezuela as examples of socialist “failure”, as usual omitting to mention that both have been subjected to trade sanctions, subversion and much else besides at the hands of the world’s mightiest military and economic power; the USA.
READ MORE: Michael Fry: An independent Scotland based on socialism is recipe for a failed state
However, that said, I believe that in the UK, Labour’s Gaitskellites laid foundations for Thatcher to seriously wound socialism and Blair, Brown and Mandelson delivered the coup de grace. Perhaps it is time the Scottish left (forget the British Labour Party) redefined or rebranded “socialism”. After all, don’t most people just want fair play from government? Which, of course, by most criteria rules out Tory governance.
Malcolm Cordell
Broughty Ferry, Dundee
A LATE addendum to the comments on Michael’s views on socialism. As has previously been pointed out, he seems to conflate socialism and communism. Regarding the “failed states” – he seems to have ignored the fact that the wonderfully 100% capitalist.
USA has systematically attempted the destruction of any country which had the temerity to democratically elect a left-wing government.
READ MORE: It's telling that Fry excludes China from list of failed 'socialist' states
They funded a military coup in Chile. They’re STILL trying to destroy the economy of Venezuela. They’ve been attempting to destroy Cuba for decades. They say they support democracy, but only if you elect a government they find acceptable. They’ve been propping up corrupt dictatorships for years. Capitalism in action, Michael?
Barry Stewart
Blantyre
WE often hear talk of the childhood obesity epidemic and the urgent need to get children to exercise more.
I have just received a marketing message from a major sportswear retailer to tell me that the price of a children’s Scotland Euro football jersey has now been reduced. No surprise there then. As I do not have children or grandchildren, the cost of football strips has not been on my radar recently.
However I was taken aback at the price – £56 reduced to £35. My first thoughts are that they are reduced from mega rip-off to just plain rip-off. The matching children’s shorts still retail at £25. So for say a family of two children, to kit them out in Scotland’s national strip you are looking at a bill probably in excess of the average (if there is such a thing) family’s food bill for a week, and certainly well beyond the financial reach of many families.
I do not know the commercial ins and outs of whatever deal the SFA or its agents have come to with the retailer, but looking at one of the tops I suspect the manufacturing price is in single figures. You have to wonder in which corporate pocket the considerable profit from these garments ends up.
Commercial deals like this do nothing to encourage our young people to take part in sport.
Brian Lawson
Paisley
IT was so sad to read of the death of such a giant of the independence movement, Jim Lynch, a great contributor to the letters pages in The National. Many like Jim who worked tirelessly for Scottish democracy and to put the SNP where it is today, in government, have sadly not survived to see the dream realised. Their relentless effort towards the cause will never be forgotten and we who remain will realise their dream sooner rather than later. The SNP owe Jim and giants like him a great debt.
Catriona C Clark
Falkirk
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