It is
important to listen to the ordinary person in the street to have good
governance. On the Questions of information and Truth.
Most of us
all agree with immigration of International students or scientists.
Most of us
also agree about limiting uncontrolled immigration - that is too many unskilled
coming all at once. Now we have to try to find common ground – is that
possible? I listen to Leavers from Wakefield on the BBC Question Time who
simply want out as fast as possible. OUT
of the single market without it seems any thought to trade tariffs. I assume
the plan is trade with China or US instead. Meanwhile Trump plans his own US
isolationism and protectionism and this doesn’t look so promising.
The
Brexiteers claim they did extensive research during the EU Debates – where? –
in Rupert Murdoch’s press, Facebook fake news, in TV Debates? I listened to
many EU debates and I thought they were dreadful and misleading. Their
conclusions are that Europe is robbing them of jobs. How is Europe to blame for
lack of investment in the English NHS and education or the infrastructure
(outside of London). Farage admits the bus saying 350m a week for NHS was
simply a lie.
Some ask – how can we find truth
anyway/!
I did
research too and came to different conclusions. I read editorials in both the
right wing Times (Murdoch), Herald (independent), National (non Murdoch’s
press), listened to debates on the BBC Newsnight and Scotland 2016. It is
crucial to obtain as diverse news as possible, in a country where one person
controls such a huge chunk of the UK Press.
Meanwhile
May heads to Poland, Japan and India in the hopes of finding support. These countries
want movement of skilled people and access to universities above trade of goods
or services. Where does that leave England (and with Scotland being dragged
along behind) then?
Britain no
longer has a captive Commonwealth to do easy trade deals with. Cutting
ourselves off from Europe – when we have centuries of connections and history –
doesn’t seem advisable, either for prosperity, business, cultural exchanges,
research and investment business or trade.
Scotland
wants none of this isolationist movement – we want more connections not less.
For Scotland our diversity, free thinking and interconnectedness is what has
made our nation creative and innovative over the centuries. The last thing we
would wish to do is to close doors.
I read
recently Jim Sillars views that Scotland could do well on the Norway model, in
the efta (European Free trade association)
They are
consulted and agree to some of the EU directives. (So I decided to research
Norway’s history, another BLOG)
The EU
discussion on this Question Time seemed alien and nasty. However when they
talked of the HR2 train the discussion became real at last – and they spoke of
how all this money spent in London does little good for those in the north of
the country.
The most significant arguments for
the EU I read from political commentators – were those Freethinking, Individual
voices. More than ever we need these independent free thinkers. Don’t believe
98% of political talk – its all jargon and manipulations. In fact Lies are the name of the game the more sensational the better...where are the people of substance?
Three criterion for decent press.
Range and
variety
Freedom to
speak the truth.
Success in
revealing society (On one level how they speak and believed. On another level how a country functions politically, economically, culturally.)
