SOCIALISTS are often asked to provide examples of common ownership and control in action. They often respond by pointing to the example of “primitive communism” practiced by tribes in the Amazonian rain forest!
Yet 110 miles west of the Scottish mainland, on a small cluster of islands known as St Kilda, there was a communistic type of society that prevailed for at least two millennia.
In theory St Kilda – with a population of less than 200 – was part of Scotland but they were effectively overlooked. The Inland Revenue didn’t impose taxes; they weren’t on the electoral roll; they weren’t called up to the armed forces. No crime was officially recorded. Money wasn’t even used until the 19th century.
The islanders were left free to develop their own type of self-sufficient economy. Decisions affecting the whole community were taken in a collective manner (though unfortunately and wrongly only by men!) at a morning meeting (the “Parliament”) on the village’s only street.
Work was assigned on the basis of individual skills and there was no private property apart from accommodation, furniture and other personal items. And the system endured until 1930 when the last 35 Gaelic-speaking St Kildan’s agreed, after sustained government pressure, to be “resettled” on the mainland.
It was the end of a home-grown version of communism producing just values and directly satisfying human needs. So nearly 90 years on from the evacuation of the last inhabitants, let’s remember the socialist republic of St Kilda!
Alan Stewart
National Organiser, Scottish Republican Socialist Movement
I HAVE written a total of three times to The National commenting on football matters. The first letter was published but two recent submissions to The National were not. That is your editorial privilege.
Letters commenting on sport must compete with all other topics in the section of The National known as “The National Conversation”.
Taking the time to write to a newspaper is something I have never done before until I started reading The National. I have written to you about sport, specifically football, because I am passionate about the game – not obsessed, just passionate.
Often, those who write to newspapers about football are portrayed as “weirdos” who sit in front of a computer in their underwear at all hours of the night spouting about Rangers or Celtic and the bigotry attached to these clubs.
I am neither a bigot nor a “weirdo”. I try to put my view across in the hope others will comment or it will provoke interest by those in the game to consider the opinions of a member of the public. After all, isn’t that is what a letters page should be all about?
Jim Todd
Cumbernauld
AGAIN we hear reports of significant disorder and sectarianism involving the Old Firm. How much longer should they be allowed to besmirch the name of football in Scotland?
The ten remaining premier teams together with the other lower league teams should tell the Old Firm that they want a greater say in how the game in Scotland is organised and a more equable share of what funds are available.
The Old Firm have been profligate with their disproportionate share of these funds, while their performances in Europe have led to a long-term decline in Scotland’s coefficient. They don’t even appear to have improved the quality and quantity of Scottish youth talent which should have been their birthright. Time for them to stand aside to let others see if they can improve our game at club and international levels. If they won’t, they should be told to go off and play each other as often as they like.
R Millar
Hamilton
IT is with heavy heart that I resigned my membership of the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) yesterday after 27 years continuous membership. Here are a simplified version of my reasons.
1. Had the current dispute been over conditions/pensions, etc I would be right behind the EIS, as I was a few years back. However, while I recognise how much our salaries have been devalued over time, I am also big enough to recognise that ALL other public-sector workers have suffered as much as we have.
2. On the question of whether the EIS claim could be afforded, I speak with authority as my wife is a council manager and I count as friends senior managers and directors in various councils who manage budgets and are having to cut to the bone to help pay for the current offer. THERE IS SIMPLY NO MORE IN THE POT! For us to get more, other budgets would have to be cut. Rob Peter to pay Paul.
3. And to finish off, why did one teaching union reject the offer while the other two major unions accepted it by a landslide? The answer lies with the EIS’s Larry Flanagan. The EIS ballot papers clearly urged us to reject the offer, while the other two unions did not take a stance and this obviously influenced many EIS members. Flanagan sees this as his Scargill moment and wants to wage war against the Scottish Government. He does not speak for me, and I suspect many others will follow me and resign their memberships.
George R Meikle
via email
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