Letters / I await your answers
In reply to your serious debater, Douglas Young (Yes and no; SN 21/7/13) who rather than clarify anything has somewhat clouded the issue under debate.
Just to enlighten Douglas, to debate means: a contest of argumentation in which two opposing trains of thought defend and attack a given proposition. Not to snipe with one or two liners at the opposition but to argue your point with intelligent and credible repost.
I would like to ask Douglas how he comes to the conclusion that Salmond and Sturgeon have nothing to do with the referendum. For goodness sake, they are the authors of the referendum and the head long lemming like rush into the unknown.
One thing is for sure (and to the detriment of Scotland), after the referendum they will still be in power, unless of course they do the honourable thing and resign after losing the referendum.
Another sure thing is that if they win it will not matter who is in power as after the next election it will be either the socialist SNP or the socialist Labour party in command. Both with their ‘borrow, borrow, borrow, spend, spend, spend policies’ will soon bring Scotland to its knees.
On the Shetland Times website someone asked what would be the benefits for Shetland as part of an independent Scotland. Douglas answered with; “the benefits are huge and varied, including the preservation of free-at-point-of-use NHS, free tuition, continued subsidising of lifeline ferry services, abolish the bedroom tax, more investment in social housing and speeding up of green energy projects. Getting rid of Trident may seem like a distant benefit but will save money”.
I would like to publicly ask Douglas how he can support Salmond’s green energy projects (which mainly consist of wind farms) and at the same time publicly be one of the most vociferous opponents of the Viking wind farm.
So that this serious debate can ensue, I would also like to ask Douglas if he could list some of the other huge and varied benefits of independence to Shetland and Shetlanders, and how they will be financed.
So Douglas three simple questions to get this debate under way; I await your answers.
Gordon Harmer
Brae.
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