Author Archives: davidsberry

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About davidsberry

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

Channeling George III

Posted on May 9, 2021 by davidsberry

Three days after the polls opened, results are in for the 2021 elections to the Scottish Parliament. Unlike previous elections when a diversity of policies brought in a variety of parties, this result—and the tactical voting that led to it—split … Continue reading →

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The Maine Line

Posted on May 5, 2021 by davidsberry

Like it or not, America is a great country with a massive influence on both the peace and the future of the world. Though their institutionalised two-party system may seem simplistic to Europeans, it has generally served them and their … Continue reading →

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A Shower of Sham-Shanti Shamen?

Posted on May 2, 2021 by davidsberry

A debate has opened up whether, instead of vaccinating secondary pupils, the UK should send more Covid vaccines to India, in the light of the alarming and growing spread of Covid there by over 400,000 new cases each day. While … Continue reading →

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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 →

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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 →

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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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