What does it cost to become an American? Entry into freedom’s last refuge has required more from our ancestors – and from us – than we might at first imagine. Consider this for instance: “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here does in good faith become an American […]
Scottish Americans are hearing some interesting news from the United Kingdom today. The UK Labour Party has chosen socialist Jeremy Corbyn as its next leader by a landslide. A big one. It is a result that is sending a few shock waves through Britain. What will the election mean in Scotland? More specifically, what will a […]
Just a few days ago we took note of the first reputable poll ever to have identified a clear majority of Scots in favor of Scottish independence (Bletherskite September 3). Our takeaway, like most others, was well, that is very interesting and definitely worth watching. We asked questions like, is it an aberration that will be erased […]
In the last Watching Scotland blog we took a look at the Scottish Conservative Party, or (from an American point of view) the somewhat unfortunately nicknamed “Tories”. From a right of centre perspective we now swing over and investigate what is going on over on the left with Scotland’s fourth largest political party (out of […]
Many of you may have seen David Leask’s excellent commentary on the increasingly popular pastime of Gael bashing in Scotland (The Herald Scotland, March 25, 2015). Still, for those of you who have not read this piece, it is well worth the few minutes it will take to gobble it up. Especially for the Diasporrans […]
A Gaelic storm has been blowing around Scotland for the last week. Typically, Gaelic language revival suffers from a distinct lack of attention and interest but for several days now, Scotland’s best known indigenous language has unfortunately and undeservedly been at the heart of several different political stooshies. Things began to heat up on August […]
Something notable was announced today in Scotland, but it may not be as notable as it might at first seem. Nearly a year on from last year’s Scottish Independence Referendum, Scottish television station STV announced the findings of a national poll that examined an array of political issues on the minds of Scottish voters. Tops on […]
These days Scottish politics seems to be all about the left. Indeed there is a lot of energy and a smorgasbord of political choice left of Scotland’s “centre”. Meanwhile it can be hard to find signs of life over on the right. Yet there are living breathing “right of centre progressive conservatives” in Scotland. Many […]
A most amazing thing has been happening in Scotland in the year since the Scottish people rejected independence. The Scottish National Party has emerged from its Independence Referendum defeat to dominate the Scottish political world and it is on a trend toward a practical exclusivity that has some Scots a wee bit concerned. SNP membership is up by […]
BBC Scotland is on the lookout for Scottish-Canadians descendant from two 1920s emigrant ships for a new documentary series looking at the aftermath of the First World War. Within two weeks in 1923, two ships carried approximately 600 people from the Outer Hebrides of Scotland to their new home in Canada. At the time most […]
