“GASLIGHTING”, according to the Oxford Dictionary, means to manipulate someone by psychological means into doubting their own sanity. The means used is by denying the truth of an event or statement. As an example, former US President Bill Clinton’s statement “I did not have sexual relations with that woman” – but he did, it eventually transpired.
The tobacco (nicotine) industry used this tactic in terms of denying its causal impact on lung cancer from the 1950s onwards. We know better now. They are currently engaged in promoting vaping as tobacco-dependence (but not nicotine-dependence) reduction. They need to keep their share-holders happy, yet it seems there are reports of kids starting tobacco after vaping.
READ MORE: To gain independence for Scotland, we have to take people with us
The fossil fuel industry did the same by denying that its waste products were detrimental to the planet, which as we are aware was a lie, again from the 1950s. Most of us know better now, yet there are still some among us who have supped deeply from the fossil fuel chalice, and deny that climate change is due to this.
Denying that something is possible, then deflecting the populace gaze to onto another area as a possible erroneous cause, then delaying any progress, has a very recent example. The current Covid inquiry is a case in point, with another delay in providing Boris Johnson’s WhatsApp messages where at time of writing the former PM and MP still has “techy” problems providing his full and unredacted messages four days on from the deadline of Monday.
READ MORE: Operation Branchform emails released by Scottish Government
It is not any surprise when one reads the old stories from elders (and sometimes not so old) that Scotland cannot support itself and that it is beholden to the UK for its survival. From, it seems, time immemorial entitled southern neighbours have coveted the natural resources based in our fair land. We have been gaslit for many years, generations, by statements that Scotland is a wet, worthless wilderness, occupied by useless, lazy drunkards. Harry Lauder was ennobled for his portrayal of this worthless narrative.
Aristocracy and landed gentry, and the Westminster government, have used this gaslighting tactic to control ordinary people, both in England and Wales but predominantly Scotland, where there is desire to exit the Union. The tactic continues denying, deflecting and delaying the ambition of the devolved government in Holyrood to improve the lives of ordinary Scots.
Alistair Ballantyne
Angus
TRANSPORT and Environment, a European clean transport pressure group, has published an astonishing paper on European cruise ship companies. It indicates that the cruise ships of just one parent company emitted 43% more SOx (oxides of sulphur) than all the European petrol and diesel cars combined in 2022.
READ MORE: Scotland’s ‘biggest protest camp in a decade’ sets up near Grangemouth
SOx is linked to asthma, bronchitis and acid rain. NOx (oxides of nitrogen) emissions from cruise ships increased by 18% when compared to 2019. Toxic effects of NOx include increasing susceptibility to respiratory infections and exacerbated heart and lung disease. The paper warns about switching cruise ships to liquefied natural gas as the ships that already use this emit as much climate-changing methane as 62,000 cows.
Why aren’t cruise ships being targeted with draconian legislation in the way that private cars are?
Geoff Moore
Alness, Highland
I AM puzzled. Perhaps one of your financial wizards can help me out.
I had believed that there were two types of debt – those about which we need to worry and those about which we do not. And the difference between them depends not on the amount borrowed, but on what we use the money for. For the benefit of those people who find that confusing, here is an simple example.
An ordinary guy works in a factory and travels to work each day on a bus. He has difficulty when he finds that at the end of each month or week he is overdrawn on his account.
READ MORE: We cannot allow the UK Government to slash international climate cash
Option (1): He borrows money and uses that extra money to pay his bus fares. BAD ! That just creates more debt.
Option (2): He borrows money and uses the money to buy a bicycle and uses that to get to work. GOOD! That way the spent money cuts out the bus fare expenditure and also (eventually) the repayments on the debt.
My puzzlement concerns the declared intentions of both the Tory and Labour parties, if elected. Both seem to be intending to reduce the investment in renewable technology as a replacement for oil and gas. It seems to me, however, that expenditure is quite clearly of the second (bicycle) type. It has two advantages: not only does it provide us with a new source of electricity, it is the high price of gas which is one of the major causative factors of inflation. So I would have thought that we could afford (and not afford not to) borrow heavily (ie spare no expense) to achieve that conversion to renewables.
Surely something has to be wrong about that.
Hugh Noble
Appin
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel