The message in the tale of the third little pig

Sir, – I read your correspondent, Alistair Ballantyne’s letter with incredulity (“Scotland is still enslaved to the union”, June 16).

I am of his age equivalent, being educated in the 1950s and ‘60s, but I do not recognise his assertions the union was and continues to be bad, full Scottish independence is good and the history of the British Empire is unreservedly bad, even although many Scots played a major part in Empire building.

These statements make little attempt to analyse both sides of Britain’s history of Empire. If Britain had simply conducted a “rape and pillage” campaign in its colonies, then why do so many of its former colonies continue relationships through the Commonwealth?

And is it not the case that British legal and parliamentary infrastructures provided opportunities for so many people when these infrastructures were adopted by countries in the Empire?

Other countries of Europe that exercised similar colonial powers are much less respected today for their colonial past, and here we may include France, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

And what of the fate of countries after Britain ceased to be a controlling influence?

Hundreds of thousands of people killed in the India/ Pakistan conflicts that continue to this day.

The former Rhodesia a basket case of economic chaos, corruption and poverty. Uganda similar.

South Africa an economic mess with huge levels of poverty and unemployment.

As for Scotland’s position, like it or not, Scotland voted to remain in a union of common language, common social morality, a shared democracy, and recognisable economic and fiscal rules.

Mr Ballantyne prefers increasing state largesse and handouts instead of ensuring sound defensive strategies which an independent Scotland would somehow achieve.

This reminds me when in primary school in the East Neuk, of the story of the three little pigs, two of whom built their houses of straw and sticks respectively, and were gobbled up by the big bad wolf. Only the third pig, building his house of bricks, survived and prospered.

The union of the United Kingdom may be seen as the third pig.

The other disastrous piggy options can be said to represent the ideology of divisive Scottish nationalism and the dangers it represents to our society.

Derek Farmer. Knightsward Farm, Anstruther.