THREE prominent British Unionists have looked at what’s going on in the US with the fascist Trump’s attempt to overturn the US election with violence. They have tried to smear the independence cause in Scotland as being the same as Trump’s fascist base. This is nothing but lazy debased reactionary political filth that passes for comment from the Unionist commentariat.

Its classic projection. The Unionists are accusing the independence movement of the very thing they themselves are guilty of. In 2014 it was fanatical Orange Order members who started a riot in George Square. These brutes have regularly committed acts of thuggery and violence on their so-called parades the length and breadth of Scotland for decades. All of the UK’s far-right organisations from the BNP, the DUP, the Orange Order, the National Front, the EDL, Ukip and the Tories all support the Union.

Back in 2014 Better Together propagandist Blair McDougall dismissed the possibility of Boris Johnson becoming Prime Minister. He scorned him as a clown whose aspiration to lead were doomed to failure by the expedient of the Tories being a “serious” political party. The aspiration now of Unionists is that UK politics will go back to the way it was before Brexit if “Sir” Keir Starmer gets into Downing Street. Labour Unionists believe that the UK Union is impregnable and invulnerable; it seems to them unimaginable to them that any change needs to happen at all.

READ MORE: Washington: Staunch Unionists compare pro-Trump mob to independence supporters

Moribund “Scottish” Labour Unionism, adrift and rudderless without a plan whose only response to is to rising support for breaking up the union is to put its head in the sand and hope it magically goes away

All the Tories offer up is some notion of English nationalist exceptionalism. This is served up on a platter of wars fought in the distant past and discoveries mostly by people who were foreign born. All the losses and degradations are edited out. This wishful thinking breeds hubris about the UK’s position within the world. Rather than seeing the actuality of a weak, despised and isolated nation, The Tories look to a mythical past based upon Empire.

This is not something that is palatable to the independence-supporting majority. This is why there will be an intensification of anti-independence propaganda in the run-up to the Holyrood election.

Alan Hinnrichs
Dundee

CAN “Patriots” self-identify? Some/many of those who allegedly seditiously rioted in a coup like attack on Capitol Hill, would perhaps decline to be described as anything other than “Patriots”.

Perhaps as far as many were concerned, they were defending the US Constitution against control by those who sought to not only enslave them and their neighbours in some form of dystopian socialist hell, but to push back against the alleged elite paedophile rings that were allegedly corrupting the children of the USA, and who allegedly owned all the forces of law and order.

To simply blame Mr Trump, allegedly “leader of the Free World”, for alleged incitement to riot, by lying, misleading, and misdirecting, citizens of the USA, is somewhat superficial as it ignores the parallel extents of mendacious and fundamental dishonesty that has been “swamping” the world as we know it.

Imagine the behaviour of those, seriously in fear of the 40 million Turkish immigrants moving via the EU into England, bringing with wicked ways. What would have been the reaction of some of the most ardent Brexiters, if the EU referendum result had been Leave with an English majority, but the other three nations of the UK swung the vote overall to Remain.

The premise of not lying about just who chopped down the cherry tree is reportedly USA-based and supposedly the most desired manner to be adopted for development of a free country. Even older and somewhat contradictory is the ancient Spartan philosophy of not being beaten for “committing” a misdemeanour, but for being “caught” committing a misdemeanour.

If truth be told, both philosophies are probably required to be imposed in tandem. Encouragement for fundamental honesty should perhaps commence with any child’s education, but to stop the existing political rot, scrupulously honest individuals tasked with essentially politician VAR, will be required to monitor everything written, suggested and stated by our politicians, who are supposed to work for us.

All/any dishonesty found would then have to be repeated by said transgressing politicians at the relevant parliament and personally apologised for and filmed for public broadcast. Over several years such apologies may hopefully slowly reduce in extent, so that only one TV channel would be required.

In the parliament itself, attendance for the apologies that should perhaps precede normal business and should be mandatory. The role of speaker/presiding officer would change enormously in extent and nature, until sufficient fundamental honesty broke out. Direct contact between the speaker’s/presiding officer’s officials and the public would need to be greatly enhanced.

It may well be that the optimum maximum size of any parliament for progressing such mechanisms of fundamental honesty, is roughly of the size of Holyrood. If so then Scotland as an independent EU nation state, with a federalised rUK to the south looks to be a way forward.

Be in no doubt, though, that there would be huge resistance, especially at Westminster to change the elected representative role into a more electorate serving “jury duty” role, albeit well paid, and away from the revolving doors of corporate inducement, before, during and after fully servicing the electorate.

Stephen Tingle
Greater Glasgow

I FEEL sorry for America right now – the vast majority are good, kind working people who depend on those elected to do the right thing.

Unfortunately the Republican Party bought into the TV culture/personality populist agenda and promoted an individual who was more interested in self and money making than in working for the citizens of his country. That party has to shoulder much of the blame for what has happened, not only this week but over the last four years when very few were willing to speak out against the wrong doing of Trump and his family.

We are not so far behind in this country the Tories bought into the populist, comedic, proven liar, serial adulterer that was Boris and only because they thought he was the only candidate that could take on Corbyn so the grandees of the party stood by and laughed at his antics at conference. Even now seeing the mess he has presided over very few of them are prepared to speak out against him and those that previously did have been bought off by contracts for billions and red coats. He is a performer just like Trump – hair dishevelled in Parliament and slightly brushed and parted to come over Churchillian at briefings – it is not working.

He does not know from one day to the next what is happening – Sunday, children have to go to school, Monday children cannot go to school. Following the science – he has been told since September a second wave was coming and has prevaricated and avoided a decision for months – just to make sure he is not unpopular. We have had failed PPE procurement, failed test and trace, failed testing in care homes all at a cost of billions but many are left destitute or in low-paid, virus-facing jobs coming off worst in every aspect of this pandemic.

To add insult to injury a report was published just before Christmas showing the inbalance between those who are financially secure and can work for home, have technology, etc and those who have to go to work because they don’t get sick pay or are on insecure contracts – remembering too that the UK has the lowest sick pay rates in the whole of Europe.

In March we were all clapping for the NHS and key workers but still the conservatives fail to recognise their worth – still no pay rise for nurses, no help for the self employed in many cases, millions left out completely. But we were told eat out to help out” – you cannot do that if you are watching every penny or even picking up every penny thrown away.

Winifred McCartney
Paisley

ABOUT four months ago, US professional psychiatrist Mary Trump’s latest publication told us that her uncle Donald was a narcissist with mental disorders, a crackpot ready to crack, and turn dangerous.

In Britain, PM Boris Johnson got Brexit done with slogans and lies. Neither man put truth first and country before self – Trump because of mental disablement, Johnson because he chose not to, much preferring, I’d venture, to be seen as a valiant, if blustering and bumbling, EU negotiator.

His Brexit agreement was a disaster of course. However can Scotland get out of it?

Jack Newbigging
Irvine

IN 1972 President Richard Nixon led a diplomatic mission to China – a diplomatic mission as important as any in the 20th century. It is said that at some point during said mission someone asked the then Premier of China, Chou en Lai, to opine on the impact of the French Revolution. Famously, if somewhat erroneously, it has been put about that he said it was too early to say.

This week a premeditated insurrection took place in the capital of the world’s only superpower.

All who really believe in models of the rule of law underpinned by democratic institutions are, I think, entitled to ask, what are the consequences of the American Civil War that took place between 1861 and its supposed conclusion in 1865. In this instance I think we can fairly conclude that it is indeed too early to say.

All of this should be borne in mind the next time, when we as British subjects – or potentially, future Scottish citizens – are yet again asked to play an auxiliary role in some else’s expeditionary war. A war no doubt touted to promote democracy.

Bill Ramsay
via email

THIS president needs to be arrested and an example made of him if fascism is to be quelled in the world. His supporters are fascists and anarchists in addition to right-wing extremists plus a few very stupid ordinary people. There’s no other way to deal with this situation.

Democracy is truly at stake at this moment . Add to this the sophistication of fake news and we should be very, very worried.

Henry McVey
via thenational.scot

SOCIAL media has been the chief enabler and unifier for previously disparate fringe political persons and actors who are often extreme, reject facts (alternative facts is their universe), dislike the media and are very, very aggressive and hateful towards anyone who disagrees with them. Typically such persons are narrow-minded nationalists around the world.

No wonder all of Trump, Brexit and the indy movement have done so well thanks to social media. And I bet the nonsense responses I get to this post will only go to prove my point further.

Mark Cryston
via thenational.scot