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Sceptical Scot

Asking Questions. Seeking Answers.

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For future generations from our here and now

March 9, 2022 by Fay Young Leave a Comment

Apricot Blossom: image Simon Williams CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Survival, war, poetry. What is it like to fight for your motherland with words and on the streets? Here is a message to transcend time and place.

Strategy for going everywhere and nowhere

March 5, 2022 by John McLaren 3 Comments

“The report, the launch, the minutes of the Advisory Council meetings – all point to a ‘just get it done and get it out’ approach. And as with previous, failed, economic strategies it will go through various hoops of progress reports and ‘accountability’ that are underplayed and soon forgotten. But without anyone taking real ownership, without a genuine attempt to identify and plan a way forward, little will change.”

Why ejecting Russia from Swift is largely symbolic

March 1, 2022 by Alistair Milne 3 Comments

‘It is conceivable that all this could lead to a rapid collapse of the Putin autocracy, but we should not engage in wishful thinking. Wide-ranging economic sanctions on Russia may be needed for a lengthy period of time. Ejection from Swift is a symbol of these efforts, not a powerful economic tool that can constrain Russia’s actions in Ukraine at little cost to ourselves.’

What are Scotland’s real choices?

February 27, 2022 by Andrew Cumbers Sheila Dow and Robert McMaster Leave a Comment

‘Clearly the political and institutional landscape has changed dramatically since 2014. One inescapable fact about any future debate on the economic case for Scottish independence is that the terrain – by which we mean the political, economic, social and cultural context – has shifted significantly.’

Keeping the Promise (and the faith)

February 17, 2022 by David Anderson 2 Comments

“The Government must change, and fund change elsewhere. Organisations and institutions that for a long time have not provided good enough care must change, and any new organisation must be set up to meet the needs of those they support, not the system they are a part of… yet just because there are areas of concern does not negate the progress already made, and progress has been made.”

What have local councils ever done for us?

February 13, 2022 by George Thorley 3 Comments

“A start to redressing this imbalance would be for the UK Government and the devolved governments to sign the European Charter of Local Self Government – then we could at last begin to have serious conversations, based on a joint understanding of and respect for each other’s roles, on how we are to successfully tackle the substantial and increasingly complex issues of the future.”

One snort for hello?

February 12, 2022 by Fay Young Leave a Comment

“It doesn’t have to be like this, as David Attenborough has reminded us at the end of every episode of his most urgently powerful and poignant series: Green Planet, and with force in the final fifth, Human Worlds. Solutions are tantalisingly within reach. At no risk to ourselves we can make our own surrounds much greener – and a lot more pleasant.”

Scotland must lead in confronting its imperial past

January 24, 2022 by Fraser Cameron 2 Comments

‘A speech by the First Minister acknowledging Scotland’s role would be useful; a fund to promote research on Scotland and the empire, including a virtual museum, would be even better….As Scotland struggles with new questions about identity, it is important to confront the reality of what happened in the empire.

Scottish devolution and the new democratic deficit

January 17, 2022 by George Thorley 4 Comments

The Mercat Cross in Edinburgh's Royal Mile, picture by the Mercat Group

After over 20 years existence, instead of extending the principle of devolution within Scotland, the Scottish Government has not only retained all the transfers from Westminster but also taken away functions from Local Government: writes George Thorley

A crisis made in the USA: why Russia will likely invade Ukraine

January 17, 2022 by Thomas Palley 3 Comments

“The current crisis is made in the USA, but the US can still defuse it by stepping back and agreeing to a demilitarized zone in Eastern Europe. However, that is unlikely to happen as it would contradict Neocon doctrine and go against the character and history of the country. President Biden would also be further politically damaged. In effect, he too has been boxed in by the Neocon operatives in the State Department, the Pentagon, and his own National Security Council.”

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Welcome to Sceptical Scot, Scotland’s premier non-tribal forum for passionate, informed debate. Sceptical Scot is for all who care about Scotland’s future, regardless of how they vote: for party, independence or union, EU or Brexit. We aim to provide an arena that is both broader and deeper than current online/print offers with a rich diet of well-researched, polemical, thought-provoking writing. Read more » about About Sceptical Scot

What’s new on Sceptical Scot

  • Sceptical Scot shuts up shop March 15, 2022
  • For future generations from our here and now March 9, 2022
  • A letter on Ukraine from Berlin Hbf March 6, 2022
  • Strategy for going everywhere and nowhere March 5, 2022
  • Postscript: Infants in care – out of sight out of mind? March 4, 2022
  • Why ejecting Russia from Swift is largely symbolic March 1, 2022
  • What are Scotland’s real choices? February 27, 2022
  • Keeping the Promise (and the faith) February 17, 2022
  • What have local councils ever done for us? February 13, 2022
  • One snort for hello? February 12, 2022

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