Lives of next generations will be much worse

READING the two main groups of letters in today’s Letters Pages (August 29) and other news items I couldn’t help thinking that, as now a mid-octogenarian, I have been lucky to spend most of my adult life in a much less troubled country and world than exists today, facing in the next few decades increasing threats of internal economic and political upheaval, and also wars and major climate change.

Of course in the second half of the 20th century there were many conflicts and threats around the world, and much industrial unrest, major social changes and party political conflict in this country, but by the end of the century the social conditions, housing standards, and health provision were vastly superior to those my parents and earlier generations experienced. But I worry that, at both local, national and international levels we are now in the process of making the lives of following generations worse, rather than them enjoying further improvement.

This morning we hear that an out-of-control and irrational North Korean tyrant has fired a nuclear warhead right across Japan, while other small nations are also increasing their ability to develop such disastrous weapons. In the Middle East and elsewhere sabres are being rattled and tensions are rising.

The so-called leader of the free world, the United States, has elected an all-powerful President who is tragically totally unfit for any public office, far less able to provide the level-headed and experienced international statesmanship the rest of the world looks for from that great and powerful nation. Like King Canute, he cannot even turn back the fearsome tide of climate change that is currently devastating the state of Texas.

Nearer to home, the political systems of the United Kingdom are no longer appropriate for the representation and differing needs and demands of its the regions and peoples. Instead it is in the process of committing economic and social suicide by leaving the European Union and the community of our neighbouring democratic countries, all of which have sacrificed some of their national governmental control in the interests of wider and more beneficial economic arrangements. The UK is foolishly in on the downward path to becoming “the poor man of Europe”, and of course we in Scotland are being dragged unwillingly into that situation despite our clear democratic vote against doing so.

So my apologies and elderly sympathy go to the next two or three generations of young Scots men and women, who are at serious risk of experiencing much less stable and fulfilling lives than we ancients were lucky enough to enjoy.

Iain AD Mann,

7 Kelvin Court, Glasgow.

AT the end of last week there were three items on television news that I found shocking, but which seem to have raised few eyebrows since.

Royal Bank of Scotland acknowledged that it had given loans at high rates of interest to small businesses, forcing some to cease trading, at which point the bank took over the businesses and sold them off. South Wales Police admitted that it had failed to act on information about a celebrity who was abusing young children, allowing him to continue the abuse for years. Aberdeen City Council published a heavily redacted report about the bodies of young children being cremated along with those of unrelated adults in council crematoria.

It is clear that in the case of the bank, staff had to have had at least the tacit approval of managers to make the loans and follow up when the loans could not be repaid. With the police, there was a duty to investigate the complaints and only orders from senior officers could have prevented this happening. Senior council staff in Aberdeen had the duty to ensure the proper operation of the crematoria but clearly did not do so.

What was common to all these news reports was that the response from the authorities was virtually identical, following the well-used formula:

1. Apologise for “weaknesses in the procedures”.

2. Point out that these had happened in the past and that “things have moved on”.

3 State that “new systems/ procedures/ protocols are now in place” and such “unfortunate occurrences” are unlikely to happen again.

4. Under no circumstance allow those responsible for the “unfortunate occurrence” (that is, failure to carry out their responsibilities) to be identified.

When I was younger this was called “a big, bad boy did it and ran away”. As children we thought this would allow us to escape blame. It never worked then, but seems to have been revived with success by persons in senior positions anxious to protect their gluteal region.

TJ Dowds, 6q Fleming Road, Cumbernauld.