Today’s letters to The Courier.
Sir, – John Henderson (Letters, May 26) is gracious enough to admit his nationalist delusion and paranoia, but is the media really all against the cause of Scottish independence as he suggests?
The evidence is that too many reporters are taken in by Alex Salmond and the cause of nationalism. Far from being hostile towards the SNP, many have allowed themselves to be groomed by the party machine and simply cut and paste, or copy down all that is fed to them with very little in the way of critical analysis.
The SNP are ruthless in their media manipulation, with their anonymous spin doctors bullying anyone who steps out of line. There is also a well-drilled army of letter writers and cybernats always ready to pounce on dissent from any quarter.
We see programmes about Britain at the moment because it is coming up to the Queen’s jubilee and some people find this interesting.
Those who object to this show the kind of intolerance that many fear would increase in an independent country, to our overall detriment.
Paranoid and deluded nationalists reinforcing our stereotypes of them are not doing their own cause any good, never mind that of the country (Scotland) as a whole.
Victor Clements.Mamies’ Cottage,Aberfeldy.
Olympic torch runners being cynically used
Sir, – In ancient Greece the Olympics was a competitive testing of athletes. The modern Olympics is a competition of political and corporate power.
Cities are put under military occupation, thousands are evicted to make way for the venues, and unimaginable amounts of wealth are squandered.
The Olympic torch relay was first used for the Berlin Olympics of 1936. The purpose was to glorify the power of the centralised state which was hosting the Olympics and the glorious leadership of that state.
That remains the purpose of the torch relay to this day. The propaganda chiefs have managed to involve many hundreds of people in the so-called ”honour” of carrying the torch for a short distance.
Some of these people are disabled or have triumphed over adversity and many are worthy of admiration, but all of them are being used, quite cynically, by the state’s propaganda machine.
I have learned the torch is due to pass through Montrose, Brechin, and Forfar on Tuesday June 12. No doubt there will be many people out cheering.
I will be there to protest this fascist display.
Dave Coull.7 Inglis Court,Edzell.
More heading here for work?
Sir, – The Home Office is planning for a possible large increase in immigration from Greece and other European Union nations.
Should Greece leave the euro and go bankrupt, which is extremely likely, then millions would lose their jobs and look for work abroad.
Spain could be next. Which country will these unemployed people want to go to?
Here is a clue.
One with a generous welfare system, a health system that cares for all even although they are health tourists, a child benefit system which has no cap on the number of children and a social housing system which allows foreigners with large families to jump to the head of an already long queue.
Add that the education system, already stretched, will welcome even more foreigners and you have the recipe for disaster.
Politicians of all parties should unite and tell Theresa May to immediately bring in emergency immigration controls to close our borders to this destructive tsunami.
The EU will not like it? Advise them we will leave the EU and cancel our £51 million a day contribution.
Clark Cross.138 Springfield Road,Linlithgow.
Self-serving trade union
Sir, – In attempting to have doctors strike over their gold-plated pensions the British Medical Association reveals itself in its true colours as yet another self-serving trade union.
Its ”Pension Ballot Special” newsletter misleadingly claims no patients will be harmed by industrial action and that they have no choice but to strike for a ”fairer” approach.
There will be no pre-booked appointments or repeat prescriptions and a BMA industrial relations officer will make decisions about what is or is not an emergency.
This is a re-run of the 1970s farce and doctors will find themselves facing an exasperated public well aware of their greatly reduced hours and hugely increased salaries.
The BMA has made a dreadful call and this unnecessary strike will most certainly not be victimless and I would hope ordinary doctors will vote to put their patients first.
(Dr) John Cameron.10 Howard Place,St Andrews.
Real freedom
Sir, – So Alex Orr finds the scaremongering over ‘independence’ disappointing (Letters, May 24).
I am sure he must be disappointed as he must have written thousands of letters during the last few years extolling his opinion for the future of Scotland under the SNP.
I am disappointed as well. I, too, want independence not the separation from the rest of Britain Alex wishes, but real independence, independence which has been surrended to the EU since 1973.
Then we can regain our sovereignty. A strong an independent Britain free from EU shackles.
George Cormack.McLauchlan Rise,Aberdour.
Get involved: to have your say on these or any other topics, email your letter to letters@thecourier.co.uk or send to Letters Editor, The Courier, 80 Kingsway East, Dundee DD4 8SL. Letters should be accompanied by an address and a daytime telephone number.