Democracy in the UK

By Pat Hackett. To thinking that scientists, universities around the world, East and West etc. would conspire to deceive the population on science is nonsense. It is completely naive to imagine that they would get round a table and say let's create a hoax that the world is round, or that the Earth moves, or that evolution is real, or that humans are causing climate change, or that we have a new virus, or that vaccines work. Conspiratorial thinking has therefore been criticised but this term has caused serious problems and been used for ulterior motives. To think that individual governments, institutions  CAN'T be corrupt is equally naive. Of course institutions and governments can have institutionalised failings.  And again, to think that they need to get round a table to do so is absurd. Institutions will employ and promote people who have, what they see, the right characteristics or values that would enable them to fit in well with the existing team. If you have been in an i...

My chance to exert my democratic freedom. On the 30th of October 2024 I was in the audience of debate night Scotland. I had been selected, along with about 50 I think, to be part of the audience the week before and my next step was to put in my questions. I was told there was no agenda set so we could ask any questions we liked as long as we got them in by a set deadline. Some of the aims as stated by the organisers are along these lines. “This is when a panel of experts get questions thrown at them by you.”  “ You can ask them any question and they have to listen to you.” “Don't go home regretting the fact that you may have something that you wanted to say but didn't take the opportunity.” Great here is my chance. In today's world with so many problems staring us in the face the democratic right and chance to express thoughts, proposals, solutions etc is of extreme importance. So many questions:- the plight of people Palestine, Lebanon, Ukraine, threat of further escalati...