I ENJOYED reading Kelly Given’s column about the global phenomenon that is Taylor Swift (It’s time to call out violent misogyny for what it is, Aug 15). At the risk of being accused of being a male “against pure feminine joy”, I think we need to be cautious about conferring a halo upon this greatly gifted artist and her ability to resonate with a generation of young women and indeed older people too.
Like any successful rock star, male or female, there is, of course – as I am sure Kelly is aware – a very well-oiled capitalist machine at work here making huge profits, and she has been remarkably financially astute in ensuring that these profits proceed to herself. We also know that she treats her staff extremely well, extending to her own 80 personal bodyguards and two private jets!
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A recent Channel 4 documentary programme in the Untold series called The Rise and Rise of Taylor Swift highlighted the case of a young female journalist who criticised Swift for these very eco-unfriendly modes of transport and resultant air miles, only to be met with online threats of personal harm and extremely vile and frightening messages from her global army of fans. Moreover, Swift’s lawyers have threatened legal action against individuals engaged in such criticisms and described this as attempts to “stalk” her.
I hope this provides some perspective to Kelly’s article, which provided a valuable insight into aspects of misogyny.
Jim Park
Edinburgh
SOMETHING doesn’t ring true about Angus Robertson’s meeting with the deputy ambassador from Israel. Initially he was meeting them to push for a ceasefire while also talking about areas of mutual interest. Maybe Mr Robertson can explain who exactly he plans to carry out a genocide against? He also claims he met the deputy ambassador as he was concerned about a potential rise in antisemitism.
Why contact an official of a foreign country for this and not local Jewish leaders in Scotland? Does their view not count? Is he planning on inviting the Pope over to Scotland to talk about anti-Catholic issues in Scotland like bigotry?
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The more Mr Robertson tries to explain himself, the deeper the hole he is digging. It’s become abundantly clear why Mr Robertson rarely talks to the press – he’s clearly a liability to the SNP, but why is he kept in his position?
If the SNP are serious about calling for a ceasefire and supporting calls for Israel to answer for their genocidal activities, Mr Robertson has to go, and go now before he issues another press release and causes even more problems.
Alex Beckett
Paisley
REGARDING those leaving the SNP. It is said that rats leave a sinking ship. It would appear the mice are also jumping onto a rowing boat instead of staying and repairing the ship.
Jim McLean
London
I REFER to the letters about renewable energy. The other side to the coin is using less energy.
Passivhaus standards have been around for years, and houses built this way use little or no external energy. The Scottish Government has stated that it will introduce these standards by the end of 2024 for all new houses. I have my doubts.
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In a classic Yes Minister delaying move, the government has set up a committee to tinker with the standards and has included big builders as members. This committee has only met once. With only five months to go, it is clear that the minister is content to let the matter drift. The “excuse” is that apparently Passivhaus standards need investigating to ensure they fit the Scottish climate, somehow implying that our climate is different from all the other countries that use them.
I have helped my son to self-build a house using current Passivhaus standards. It is lovely and warm and uses no external energy most of the time. Before you ask, it is in Scotland and shares the same climate as the rest of us.
It would be a travesty if these low-energy-use standards are not introduced at the end of this year, especially as they should have been introduced many years ago.
Ceri Williams
Cupar
IN a good letter on many of the technical aspects of energy transmission, George Rennie (Letters, Aug 19) ignores an important aspect of energy, namely sovereignty.
Norway, for example, does a good lot of the energy transferring Mr Rennie describes, but also retains control for state and citizens as well as companies.
The difference of course is that Norway is an energy-producing state, while Scotland by contrast is an energy-producing region, without even the powers to introduce zonal energy pricing to help consumers.
Angus Brendan MacNeil
Isle of Barra
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