Highland Green MSP John Finnie wants to criminalise parents who smack their children. However, social services are already over-stretched and already have too much power to intrude into family life. He has launched a consultation, which closes on 4/8/2017, as a prelude to his planned Private Members' Bill to ban smacking by parents. It is …
Category: Politics
Signs of the Times
We are living in interesting and significant times, with a number of notable anniversaries co-inciding. 31st October 2017 is the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation and the 100th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. Martin Luther unwittingly commenced the Protestant Reformation when he posted his 95 Theses for discussion on the door of the Castle …
Gmail disarray
Can anyone explain why editing an email in the Gmail editor may look okay when you send it, but the recipient may receive it with altered editing - font, font size, broken lines, etc? This is a general problem known since at least 2011 but never solved by Gmail. It is so unpredictable that one …
RBS and the SNP
Can someone explain why Royal Bank of Scotland, bailed out by the tax-payer, is held accountable for shareholders losing their money after being duped by Fred Goodwin and Co? If RBS had not been bailed out, it would have failed and shareholders would have lost out. Being bailed out by the tax-payer, it is essentially …
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal interview
The full BBC Radio nan Gàidheal (Gaelic radio) interview with Dr Donald Boyd, the leader of the Scottish Christian Party, can be heard by clicking on this link. It was only partially broadcast on 19th May 2017. Dr Boyd was asked about the SCP vision for Inverness and the Highlands, and he was asked in …
Jump to attention
Many public bodies think that their authority allows them to call the public to jump to attention. Take the tax office. One will wait weeks and even months to get a response from them, but they expect you to answer them within so many days, with the threat of penalties - even although you may …
The Law against Natural Justice
It is a well-known adage that only the very rich and the very poor can afford to go to law, because the poor receive Legal Aid from the public purse. Not only does this give the poor an advantage over middle-income earners, but it is contrary to natural justice. If there is not equal access …
Obama gives a lead to Trump
There has been much media coverage of Donald Trump's use of social media and mis-calling main stream media. Let us remember that it was Obama who used social media to galvanise support for his successful campaign to reach the White House. It looks like sour grapes to complain that Donald Trump did the same. "President …
What is Islamic Reformation?
Tonight, 14 Feb 2017, BBC Newsnight's Viewsnight carried an opinion that Islamic State is a Reformation in islam. Canadian author Graeme Wood compared the similarities of the rise of Islamic State (ISIS) with the Protestant Reformation under Martin Luther, pointing to 1. the call to return to the original sources (the Bible and Quran) to …
Morality and women in politics
The Women’s Equality Party is the new lassie on the block. It does not like Donald Trump's victory in the USA. Its spokeswoman on the Daily Politics today complains that his election means that one can demean woman and 'it doesn't matter'. Secular morality is offended. The secular elite is now discovering how Christians have …