TheCafe52

J R H McEwen

7

Islay McLeod

Thom Cross

2

R D Kernohan

Alan Fisher

Alasdair McKillop

Kenneth Roy

Bob Cant

Brian Fitzpatrick

Cafe society in Aberdeen. Photograph by Islay McLeod

As usual, Walter Humes (17 January) makes many insightful and challenging comments when he describes the gap between rich and poor in Aberdeen, the ‘energy capital of Europe’ according to the energy industry sector, who appear to have contributed little, in economic terms, to the city’s well-being.

Because of the influence of the energy industry, the north-east is supposed to be an area of economic prosperity, but even in that industry there is a culture of hire and fire at the ‘junior’ levels, and house prices and rents are far beyond the reach of many. The other article on civic pride by Andrew Hook (17 January) suggested that Aberdeen citizens had a say in the development of Union Terrace gardens, but the process was deeply flawed, many seeing the proposed work as a sort of hymn to energy capitalism.

If energy sector employers like Sir Ian Wood really wanted to make a difference to Aberdeen’s environment they could hand over their cash to be spent on a general clean up. Union Terrace probably only needs less than half a million spending on it to restore it as a pleasant city centre park – north of the city near Aberdeen University is Seaton Park, which Walter will know – it’s potentially a wonderful green space, but, like the rest of that area, is in need of a dose of TLC, supported by a cash injection.

Of course, merely cleaning up the city does not solve the problem of begging, but efforts to rehabilitate the centre of Aberdeen and its environs would go some way to make citizens proud of their city, and would also go some way to convincing the sceptical amongst us that global capitalism is not just about making the rich richer, but also offering a lifeline to the poor, of whom, as Walter points out, there are a great many more in Aberdeen than the city fathers might want to admit.

Mary Brown

1

As Glaswegian-born and now shopper in Aberdeen when weather and strength permit, may I point out, in response to Andrew Hook, that the first vote on the Aberdeen Union Street Garden redevelopment put the ‘conservatory’ version of the plans in first place? When whoever it was gave the ‘selection’ to the second place of a transatlantic set of concrete bumps and humps, the council election produced a ‘throw the rascals out’ result.

I enjoyed the out-of-the-east-wind sunken garden until the buildings were neglected and would need a great lot of money for security and restoration. It is the convenience of being able to park near the outer shops that pushes me compared to a two-hourly bus service from the outer shire. The new complex next to the station is as inconvenient an access as the multiples are depressing and as inauthentic in proportions and material as can be imagined.

There was no opportunity for the people of Aberdeenshire to express these opinions, so naturally we use the internet instead. Or Perth, where there still are individual and friendly outlets. I do not drive to the changed Glasgow, but shuffling statues does not sound appealing in itself and cannot be helpful to the organisation of formal civic events.

Jane Angus

1In response to Walter Humes’ remarks on integrity and trust: on a recent ‘Question Time’, one of the biggest cheers was for John Bird, the founder of the Big Issue, when he argued for participatory democracy as well as representative democracy. Except for election day – one day in every 4/5 years – representative democracy leaves power in the hands of the MPs, councillors and all the others who promise to represent us, but seldom seem to do so: the expenses scandal of the last Westminster parliament, which continues into the present parliament, revealed a ratio of dishonest to honest of 10 to one. It seems as if our representatives will only heed us if they fear us every minute of their working lives.

The form of direct democracy used in Switzerland gives electors three sets of powers: to recall their representatives, to propose legislation, and to amend/cancel legislation. The process depends on petitions being tested by referenda; successful petitions are implemented – removal of representative, introduction of new legislation, existing legislation amended or cancelled.

The introduction of direct democracy would cause our representatives at all levels to think very carefully before acting selfishly or dishonestly. I doubt that the present cohort of MPs would be reprising the expenses scandal if we had the power to recall them. Would Tony Blair have involved our country in the Iraq war if we had had the power to recall him?

There appear to be two obstacles to establishing a system of direct democracy in UK: public apathy – only about two million people watch ‘Question Time’ – and the fact that it requires our representatives to vote for it. Does this mean that we require a Direct Democracy Party in order to restore integrity and trust to public life in the UK?

Seumas Graham

1

Jill Stephenson (22 January) laments the lack of availability of J Collis Browne’s mixture due to state intervention. (100ml bottles are advertised online by Lloyds Pharmacy, Jill.) No doubt sales are restricted due to the mixture’s morphine content, which historically led to deaths from overdoses. Is it not typical of the state to restrict freedom to protect the vulnerable? Our frustration arises from the consequences of blanket approaches to such protection, hence scandalous food wastage due to best before dates and the quite mad implementation of political correctness.

My complaint is that the state intervenes so haphazardly, no doubt corrupted by power and money. For example, we are still allowed to smoke, the process damaging our bodies to the extent that we require expensive hospitalisation, yet teachers are no longer allowed to administer TLC to a crying child.

Jill nobly argues that education is the means of empowering tomorrow’s generation to take responsibility for itself, but can responsibility be taught? Surely such behaviour has to be learned, which is quite different, often from overcoming adversity and always from making mistakes. The question therefore becomes: how many mistakes are we as a society prepared to allow people to make? Surely there comes a point where we can all agree that nothing is to be gained from repeating the same mistakes over and over again? That is when it would make sense to segregate the anti-social from our society and leave them to their own devices on a remote Scottish island.

Chris Attkins

1Oh dear, Brian Fitzpatrick! (22 January) For a man who writes that ‘The nationalist response to an unfavourable political environment might of course be to seek to engage that legitimate debate but, more likely, will revert to name-calling and the disparaging of good men and good Scots like Messrs Darling and Robertson’, it seems rather inconsistent of Mr Fitzpatrick to engage in a rant which starts by reference to ‘the daft claims of Ian Hamilton’ and continues in a vitriolic vein throughout. Reasoned response? Too much vitriol, not enough reason.

John MacLeod

1We enter a new era. Obama’s calm inauguration heralded a steeliness and hope – and Beyoncé sang both to the world – of the free and the brave. Bravery we will need for surely there are rollercoasters ahead. Without bravery there is no hope.

We have also seen news of Prince Harry’s return, having served as a frontline fighter in Afghanistan. I weep for the folk in Afghanistan, in Waziristan, Swat might be the most beautiful country in the world. I was born and for a while brought up in Pakistan and I remember with joy the Pashtuns coming down in the summer, mainly to have simple medical treatments like cataracts, and they stayed for a month or so and danced and rode, without saddles, sweeping prizes, flashing their daggers and prowess. Few four-year-old boys, few teenage boys and no woman of any age would not be swayed. They rode for the free and the brave.

How has this tragic and unnecessary chasm evolved? Not through the eyes of any four-year old child on any side, though some now die from our failure to bridge the chasm.

There was much emphasis in Obama’s carefully crafted short speech on ‘us’ and ‘together’, it seems he will rivet equality into the US. Great credit there: I hope and expect he will have the political nous to negotiate the changes. But ‘us’ implies there is an other. This deep drum beat has haunted public and private policy thinking for decades. In Scotland it has taken the form of ‘them’ (the English) and much opportunism has pivoted on oil. As in the US, internally and externally.

There is a great danger that it now takes a form against Islamism, a thoughtful and generous religion. All religions suffer from abuse, it is their nature. Despite the Algerian atrocities the task is to cool down the debate. There are good people on both sides. There are also bad people, very bad people, on both sides. As in us all.

We need pathways to our goals, our futures. There will be much political negotiating about them over the next two years. Do we have to wait until autumn 2014 before talking of important matters?

Angus Skinner

1What, you may ask, is the link between Lance Armstrong’s vomit-inducing performance on Oprah and scandals such as NHS Lothian? It’s less about catharsis and more about being sorry for getting caught. However the big difference between them and us is the comfort of a respectable financial cushion – pension, money – squirreled away, or in Britain, friends in the right places who will, ‘old boy’, ensure they come back.

The rest of us for whom responsibility for our actions means a real penalty financially or socially see this somewhat differently. We wage-slaves are prevented from whistle-blowing or the pursuit of legal action for a cause because of the dearth of legal resources for the common good.

Bill Fraser

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