Author Archives: davidsberry

About davidsberry

Local ex-councillor, tour guide and database designer. Keen on wildlife, history, boats and music. Retired in 2017.

Speaking Loudly & Carrying the Wrong Stick

Posted on April 20, 2021 by davidsberry

“Speak softly…and carry a big stick” —Harry Truman on US Foreign Pol;icy On April 14th, President Joe Biden announced that by September 11th the United States will withdraw the remaining 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. After 20 years, in which 2,488 … Continue reading →

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Qui Docet Magistros? *

Posted on April 14, 2021 by davidsberry

(* Who Teaches the Teachers?) The AS Report Despite the cacophony of political hounds baying for Nicola Sturgeon’s blood for “misleading parliament” over Alec Salmond, they did squeeze in a debate about education in Scotland on the last day before … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Education, Politics | Leave a comment

The Better Part of Valour

Posted on April 4, 2021 by davidsberry

There is a glossary of terms in Appendix 1 A year later than planned the UK Government published a strategic paper Global Britain in a Competitive Age’ On its heels, came a supporting paper Defence in a Competitive Age, which … Continue reading →

Posted in Military, Politics | Leave a comment

All Men Are Created Equal?

Posted on March 29, 2021 by davidsberry

Because of a need to forge millions of disparate peoples into a coherent country, history was simplified: the North won that war and subsequently freed and emancipated former slaves, before readmitting states of the conquered Confederacy back into the Union. … Continue reading →

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No Life on Mars

Posted on March 14, 2021 by davidsberry

On Tuesday, BBC4 broadcast two excellent Horizon documentaries from a few years back. An hour of “Mars: A Traveller’s Guide” from 2017 at 9pm followed by an hour of “Mission to Mars” from 2012/13at 10pm. Given that, fifty years ago, … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Environment | 3 Comments

Fire-arm-ageddon?

Posted on March 10, 2021 by davidsberry

A huge swathe of Americans have a love affair with guns. Despite having spent two decades enjoying their wonderful country, I met few such people, nor Republicans, KKK, Proud Boys or anyone with NRA membership. They exist in some number. … Continue reading →

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Trump: Democracy’s Kryptonite

Posted on March 4, 2021 by davidsberry

The reappearance of Donald Trump as the darling of the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida is making a lot of people uneasy, and not just because they had enjoyed  whole month for the first time in five … Continue reading →

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The Ice of Texas Is Upon You

Posted on February 18, 2021 by davidsberry

Texas has never forgiven Alaska for joining the Union over sixty years ago and taking its title as the biggest of all the United States. But that’s the only way it has been surpassed. Outsiders may see New York as … Continue reading →

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Trumpistas Should Learn from Limeys

Posted on February 14, 2021 by davidsberry

With his conviction quashed, Donald Trump is riding high. He has survived two impeachment attempts, garnered over 70m votes and kept his narrative that his re-election was stolen alive among a huge proportion of those people. The once-proud Republican party … Continue reading →

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Coming Out of Our SHelll

Posted on February 10, 2021 by davidsberry

(Published in East Lothian Courier, February 11th, 2021 Until a year ago, Scottish seafood had grown into a £1bn business, with half exported to the EU. East Lothian harbours contributed to this, landing prawns, crab and lobster, much of it … Continue reading →

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