Letters / Disingenuous idiocy and propaganda
I read with some incredulity the disingenuous idiocy and propaganda of the introduction to the document “Power from the North” (www.shetland.org/energy/index.htm). I am literally taken aback by the propagandist dishonesty of the various headers and bullet points.
Let us take for example: “Superfast broadband is now available via the fibre optic cable connecting Faroe, Shetland and the UK mainland”.
Just who at present in Shetland receives superfast broadband? For much of the last week there has been no broadband at all for many of us! Just how long before fibre optic will be deployed to westside residences? Will fibre optic broadband reach Flawton in my life time? I doubt it.
A further example: Shetland is “the only practical base for exploration and development in the Atlantic”.
Now that statement is a total fiction, pure unadulterated nonsense. I cannot imagine an intellectual giant so stupid as to spout that rubbish.
Now consider the statement: “and it’s official: the best place (Shetland) to live in rural Scotland!”
Just for how long is that? Rural Scotland? Shetland is soon to become, if Salmond and Viking Energy have their way, the site for one of the largest and most costly energy developments in Europe. The best place to live in rural Scotland, not for much longer rural, I fear.
Now again: “nearest the oil and gas fields of the North Sea for service and decommissioning”. Rural Shetland? Perhaps soon to become the largest island based scrap heap in Europe?
Further consider: “government approval for the Viking Energy wind farm means a 600 megawatt interconnector cable will open up the mainland market”.
No interconnector, as yet, has even tendered for at this time. This wind farm will probably subject to judicial review, and no independent assessment of financial viability of any type has yet been undertaken. The entire Viking project is absolutely not a certainty.
I deeply regret to state, in my opinion, that the headers for the document “Power from the North” were either written by propagandist spinners, idiots or dishonest people.
What an advertisement for Shetland, Shetlanders and a few greedy people. How can we tolerate such a load of utter lies and propaganda sanctioned by our own people?
Ian Tinkler
Clousta
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