Sir, – The shameful scenes coming out of the USA are the culmination of four years of corrupt and treasonous administration by Donald Trump and his henchmen.
Too often Trump has been described as a showman and an unconventional politician.
The reality is that he and his cult have become a genuine fascist movement happy to destroy democracy in the US.
The US must use the power of the law to make Donald Trump and his henchmen face the consequences of their illegal and unconstitutional actions.
If not they will become stronger and more dangerous.
History has shown what happens if this is allowed.
It astonishes me that Brexiteers have turned their backs on the civilised and efficient EU and would rather hitch our wagon to the US.
Here in Scotland we must ensure that Trump cannot prosper in any way from his connections in our country.
He should never be allowed to visit Scotland and his assets, such as his golf courses, must be closed down.
Harry Key.
Mid Street,
Largoward,
Fife.
Dubai trip damages football’s reputation
Sir, – As own goals go, this one could have been avoided.
Even by Celtic’s own wretched defending standards this season, they must have predicted that flying out to Dubai whilst the rest of us endure another national lockdown could only end in scathing condemnation
I acknowledge Celtic’s point that when their mid-winter break was planned they were given the all-clear by the authorities.
However, surely a sports team – of all organisations – must be capable of adjusting and adapting to ever-changing landscapes.
For Celtic not to call off the trip in the wake of sudden and unprecedented Covid variant danger is putting two fingers up to the rest of Scottish society – not to mention their own loyal support.
It apparently matters not a jot to them that whilst they kick back on their poolside loungers the rest of us are frantically home-schooling children and trying to put bread on the table with ever-diminishing income.
Terms such as furlough, redundancy and dole are no doubt alien to those on the Parkhead payroll.
That said, it is not essentially the players who are to blame here but the board of directors who should be searching their conscience.
Goodness knows why Celtic’s superior facilities in Scotland were not good enough.
The real irresponsibility of Celtic’s selfish and insensitive actions will not simply lie in damage to the club’s reputation but the disrepute it brings to the wider game. Professional football, an ‘elite sport’ as the government likes to classify it, currently enjoys a fair degree of licence and privilege not granted to most of us who are obliged to observe strict Covid protocol.
It might just be that Celtic’s refusal to play the game will convince the politicians that football cannot be trusted to run its own affairs without abusing its extremely privileged position within Scottish society.
Jamie Buchan.
Grove Road,
Dundee.
The troops don’t just appear from thin air
Sir, – Perhaps Doctor John Cameron (Bring in the Army or risk another winter of lockdown, Courier, January 6) will tell us where we are going to get all the troops from.
Since recruitment was privatised to unreliable contractors, numbers of regulars have reduced.
With privatised recruitment and a greater liability for actual deployment, reserve volunteer numbers have reduced (many of those in the Royal Army Medical Corps reserve are actually full-time in the NHS and already quite busy).
With minimal pay increases there is little incentive to sign up.
When the armchair experts bellow “send in the Army!” they should consider what we actually have available to send in and remember that the military, like everything else, is a finite resource.
David Rennie.
King Street,
Broughty Ferry.
