Scotland should not be looking to the US for its foreign policy values

I entirely agree that the independence movement should discuss foreign policy, as this is surely one of the main drivers for getting clear of the UK. It was troubling however, to note his apparent warmth to the idea of closer relations with the USA; his view is rather too Atlanticist for my taste.

He talks about multilateralism on the one hand, but about supporting Nato on the other. Why would Scotland want to be part of Nato? An organisation that should have died at the end of the Cold War, it has been given a new lease of life by finding enemies everywhere to justify its existence, and not only in the Atlantic area. Surely it is plain enough that Nato is merely a tool of Washington, and used solely to advance American aggression – it keeps Europe on board with American hubris. So it’s been used to break up Yugoslavia, to destroy Libya, to name only two, and now Biden, echoed by the totally subservient Nato chief Stoltenberg, wants it to “pivot” to the East and confront China!

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It was also disheartening to read Salamone’s positive view of the SNP’s own Alyn Smith and Stewart McDonald – two virulently anti-Russian politicians whose inane drivel I normally skip quickly over. If Scottish foreign policy were to reside even to a small degree on them, it would be a sad day indeed.

The writer also mentions the “rules-based international order”. And although he refers also to the UN, I’m afraid the phrase itself is code which has emanated from the US security state, and signifies not the UN charter or international law as normally understood, but a US-defined system that it wants to impose on the rest of the world – a system of most benefit, naturally, to the US.

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As for the nonsense we read almost everywhere about Ukraine, even a little research would reveal that Russian troop movements (within its own borders) are in response to the transport of Ukrainian heavy weaponry up to the Donbass region, the constant attacks on the latter, and threats from the regime and the West. Western military exercises right on Russia’s borders, warships repeatedly exercising in the Black Sea, with similar provocations near China.

The answer to the Donbass problem is Minsk II, the agreement endorsed unanimously by the UN Security Council, but so far Ukraine has made no effort to implement this.

Scotland desperately needs to become independent, and remove itself from the imperialist policies of the US and its vassals, such as the UK. For a recent example of UK pandering to the hubristic US, look at the hounding of journalists for revealing US war crimes. Yes, let’s have Scottish values in our foreign policy; but I fervently hope that these will be a million miles away from those exhibited by the US regime as it seeks to extend and maintain its global hegemony.

Gordon Gallacher
Strathpeffer

I WAS pleased to read Anthony Salamone’s call for a stronger focus on foreign policy by the Scottish Government and the independence movement, as well as a more mature and honest discussion about our opportunities and challenges.

It has long been a frustration of mine that our thinking has generally failed to face up to the difficult trade-offs which an independent Scotland will have to grapple with in the real world of geopolitical competition, negotiation and strategy.

If we are to pursue a “values-based foreign policy” as Salmone suggests, and I agree, what does this mean for our economic ambitions? Standing up for Hong Kong, Taiwan and Xinjang, for example, is surely incompatible with the Scottish Government’s current priority of deepening our trading relationship with China. We cannot have our cake and eat it.

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Scotland needs to be an active, contributing and progressive member state of the UN, the EU and Nato, as Salmone argues, which would unavoidably entail a close alliance with the United States. It was interesting that David Pratt counselled against relying too much on the United States just a few pages later. There are clearly disagreements over strategy and tactics.

Some in the independence movement still appear dangerously reluctant to take a clear position on Russia, despite the threat it poses to the autonomy and security of smaller independent states across Eastern and Western Europe. We should be under no illusions that this means a life of easy neutrality. There will be a price to pay.

As former SNP MP Stephen Gethins points out in his recent book on Scotland’s foreign policy footprint, small states need to be clear in their objectives and focused in their activities to maximise their impact.

David Kelly
Glasgow

I WAS horrified to read that the UK was thinking of putting levies on Bourbon Whisky and Harley Davidson motorbikes coming into the UK In a bid to get the US to to remove security tariffs on steel and aluminium (Washington playing it tough over imports of British steel, Dec 13)!

You don’t need to be a genius to realise that the US could then reinstate the 25% import tariff on our malt whisky, which would again hurt our distillers after costing hundreds of millions the last time!

But I ask you, when did you last buy or see bourbon in your local supermarket or know anyone who has bought a new Harley Davidson big bike? (But if Santa reads this, a Harley Fatboy in red, please!)

Peter Kennedy
Lochwinnoch