Anti-Americanism in Europe and Vice Versa

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The gap between Europe and the USA is widening as the two cultures diverge and both become suspicious of each other. Europeans no longer look to the USA for leadership or money and there is a growing feeling that America is another, and very strange, country. I think it started during the Presidency of George Bush Junior, who was universally loathed in much of the world, with his gung-ho attitude to the world, his shoot on sight policies, derisory remarks about "Old Europe" and his invade at will doctrines. But Europeans have also fallen out in love with American culture, its products  and its ideas.

 America too is turning its back on Europe and looking towards Asia and the Pacific for new alliances. I travel widely and increasingly find that once you get out of the confines of Washington and New York and the big cities then Americans are more different in their attitudes and beliefs than most places around the globe. Indeed many of them have never heard of the United Kingdom, let alone Europe.

 If I can quote one example, of its many injustices against human rights, then its failure to recognise the Palestinian State and the genocide and starvation being inflicted on it by Israel is something which is incomprehensible around the world. And when the delegates to UNESCO had the temerity to Recognise Palestine as a member of that organisation America immediately withdrew funding from and organisation whose brief is to promote education, science and culture. There are many wonderful American's who recognise and worry about these problems but none of their presidential candidates on either side recognise this constituency, who like many in the world are effectively becoming disenfranchised, because somebody, somewhere soon needs to stand up and offer the people a progressive and humane alternative to those who run this rotten and corrupt world.

Why Salmond's Naked Tribalism is Bad for Scotland

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Putting aside my natural distrust of scheming and opportunist politicians like Salmond, who purports to speak for Scotland, when the majority of the population have not even voted for him, or his party, as someone who is of half Scottish descent, I am outraged by the naked tribalism of his ambitions.

 I am not one who celebrates ethnic diversity, although I respect all creeds, ideologies and colours for the very reason that we should celebrate what unites us as a common race on this ever shrinking world of ours. The internet has removed  boundaries and we have gotten ourselves into a situation where we can destroy ourselves through war and man made disasters such as global warming.  These are problems, that united, we should tackle in common.

 If Salmond wants just one example, of many which I could cite, then he should look no further than the Israeli / Palestinian dispute for the problems that minority states can inflict on one another. He is clearly deluded by his own gross  pomposity if he thinks he owns Scotland's oil or fish, or industry when, in my constituency, these are resources that belong to mankind and not a politician on the make.

 His proposal to want a second question on the ballot paper, falling short of independence,  is both hypocritical and opportunist for a party that was founded on the principle of gaining independence for Scotland. No Alex you are a small minded and petty bookmark in history and the people of Scotland would be wary of heeding your populist cries when there are more important global issues at stake which affect all of mankind.
 Oh and Alex, on a personal level, though born in England, I regard myself as an internationalist but through having a Scottish father I am eligible to represent Scotland in most sports so shouldn't I also have a vote about the future of the nation as well.

Great Lost Hits - Part Unknown