Our concern over Russia is justified

MESSRS Crawford, Lindsay and Scott (Letters, July 23 & 24) may well be right about current levels of hysteria about Russia but nonetheless there are a number of legitimate concerns about the many similarities it bears to a fascist state.

Russia is a “democracy” of rigged elections, a rubber stamp parliament, a semi-independent judiciary; a country where civil rights are routinely violated, where violence is used to intimidate the opposition and one which supports far-right groups in Europe. In Vladmir Putin it has a leader who propagates a personality cult (he is seeking legislation that would enable him to stay in power until 2036) and one who is actively seeking to rehabilitate Stalin. What’s not to dislike?

Alan Ramage,

Edinburgh, EH10.

THE insistence by the Labour Party that the RT channel should be investigated for “fake news” harmful to Britain is in at least one sense misdirected. It fails to insist simultaneously that the BBC should be very seriously examined for its infamous misinformation regarding its reporting of things Scottish.

BBC is recognised here that “good news is no news”, while anything “bad” from north of the Border, frequently distorted to Westminster advantage, is given maximum coverage. Scottish BBC viewing stats are known to be falling, We can recognise a lie quickly, having had many such from No 10 to practise upon.

John Hamilton,

Bearsden.

Pollution pitfalls

GLASGOW City Council has been hailing the large reduction in pollution in the city due to the

I WRITE as a result of skill and resources that were mobilised from the first day of life within the NHS.

However, I recognise the shortcomings of our healthcare system. Being a frequent service user since infancy has allowed me the privilege of building relationships with staff and gaining their views.

I understand the competing demands for resources for all nature of things.

It would be natural to assume I would support the NHS. You would be correct – after all, turkeys don’t vote for Christmas.

Despite my personal interest in continuing the service I argue a nation’s defence, wealth and prosperity are, at least in part, founded in the health and wellbeing of its citizens. Think of the problems the nation had in recruiting healthy people into the forces during the First World War due to the depleted health of the nation.

Resources are finite, no nation can be all things to all men, but we can and should do what is possible. A nation that looks after its people, while respecting basic human rights, reaps the benefit of a healthy workforce and greater current pandemic, which saw a huge reduction in vehicular traffic. However, I fear that many of the gains will be lost due to decisions taken by the same council.

Shutting off road lanes to allow extra space for pedestrians and create more cycle lanes was laudable at the time but as the number of vehicles on the roads are returning to normal levels these measures result in a build-up of traffic at road junctions, with the consequential increase in pollution from cohesion and stability of society. This further provides more conducive conditions for economic prosperity.

At its inception the NHS was never envisaged to be carrying out the variety of treatments it now does. Nor was it foreseen that life expectancy would increase as it has, or that advances would allow survival of even more. The expansion and strains on services stationary or slow-moving traffic. This is not helped by the rephasing of traffic lights at these junctions. In addition, but no less important, is the fact that closing off whole rows of on-street parking makes things much more difficult for disabled people to park close to where they wish to shop.

Ian Harrison,

Glasgow, G3.

The John Muir folly

WE learn that the Sierra Club is reflects success. Nonetheless we should reassess our NHS priorities. Lack of early intervention increases challenges to access services, unless in dire circumstances, and can lead to escalating and costlier issues as needs can become more severe and long term.

Resource allocation can fail our young and other vulnerable sectors. Deprived juveniles are at the latest to consider taking down statues (“Race row John Muir’s statue may be taken down in the US”, The Herald, July 23). Muir apparently called Native Americans “dirty, lazy and wife-stealing”. Given his strict Scots Presbyterian upbringing and work ethic, he probably felt that many folk fell into those categories, not only the Native Americans.

On the other hand can the Sierra Club tell us exactly what the Native Americans said about the Europeans who took their risk of presenting as our health, social and criminal concerns.

I remember vividly when Romania opened up with terrible images of orphanages. I saw in stark terms what my future would have been. Even if I had miraculously survived, I would have been left in a cot for most of the day with no stimulation, resulting in mental and emotional issues.

Having been cared for in Scotland has provided a certain quality of life. My family was not secure, and did not have the wherewithal to ensure my wellbeing. I recognise the privileged position I have in continuing to receive all medical and surgical intervention as needed. There are concerns of limited resources and access to services but when I consider what the alternative could be I am one of the luckiest people living.

We don’t need to dismantle Bevan’s legacy. There should be a national conversation about coming to a consensus as to our priorities.

It is not about throwing the baby out with the bath water, but securing our NHS baby’s future.

Kirsten Miller, Renfrew. land or abused it? Probably not, since it wasn’t written, but I’m sure we can imagine it to have been a great deal worse than the above, though the oral archive will give confirmation. In more recent times Chief Dan George in

North Vancouver wasn’t exactly complimentary of the white man’s attitude to the land and nature.

I suppose statutes to Ramses II need to come down too, since he enslaved the Hebrews.

John C Hutchison,

Fort William.