Down From the Mountain 426


I had been spending the last few days living here in Avatime district while visiting Ghanaian friends nearby. Away from internet, TV and any other distraction, it has given me a chance to ponder what next to do with my life.

This has been a real problem. Have submitted Sikunder Burnes to the publishers, and while there is still editing and proofs, a huge amount of time is now free. My determination to dedicate myself to working for Scottish independence led to my comprehensive rejection by the SNP. This left me confused as to what I might usefully do with my life. I suppose the question I have been pondering is, what good am I?

I have come up with a potential answer, and will out it later this week.

Climate change deniers should come to Ghana. Not only have changing rainfall patterns devastated the hydro-electric system, life has become extremely hard for farmers. The last decade has seen the highly predictable wet and dry seasons become wildly unpredictable. It has been unseasonally raining heavily on me all over Ghana. The situation is extremely difficult for farmers. Mango farmers are now praying for relief from the rain for the next six weeks or the mangoes won’t flower. The continuing rains may already have adversely affected next year’s harvest. Meeting cocoa farmers today. Am now in Kumasi.


Allowed HTML - you can use: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <s> <strike> <strong>

426 thoughts on “Down From the Mountain

1 2 3 4 15
  • Republicofscotland

    The Governor General to Scotland, aka “Fluffy” aka David Mundell, has long claimed their wasn’t any vetoes in the grossly inadequate “Scotland Bill.”

    Yesterday he repeated the same line only he added, “But we took them out anyway.”

    “Fluffy” a nickname Mundell is called by his friends claimed the “Vow” has now been fulfilled.

    Sure it has, fluffy,now back in your box there’s a good boy.

  • CanSpeccy

    “Climate change deniers should come to Ghana”

    Don’t be daft. There are no climate change deniers. Climate has always changed and always will. Didn’t you know, a mere ten thousand years ago, the place where you live in Edinburgh was under two miles of ice. Let me say that again, ten thousand years ago the place where you live in Edinburgh was under two miles of ice.

    But I suppose you think your readers dumb enough, which mostly, perhaps, they are, to equate “climate change denier” with “human caused climate warming skeptic,” a totally different thing.

    As for Scotch independence, tell us what you think of the Scottish Government’s plan for annual immigration of 24,000 a year, the Scot’s themselves produce only around 50,000 children a year (11.3 per thousand, according to Wikipedia). At that rate, given the much higher fertility of the mostly young adult and highly philoprogenitive immigrants, there won’t be much of a scotch nation left within a generation.

    Herald Scotland: Migrants to outstrip Scottish births by nine to one.

    LOL

    http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/13925002.Migrants_to_outstrip_Scottish_births_by_nine_to_one/

  • CanSpeccy

    The Herald Scotland, by the way, has botched the numbers as one naturally expects from a newspaper.

    I have tried to sort out the numbers in a footnote to this.

  • El Sid

    Sorry to hear about your problem with the SNP, Craig.

    Still, it can’t see how they can declare themselves a decent Party if you’re not in it.

  • Republicofscotland

    Jackie Baillie, whose constituency Faslane, and ergo Trident falls in, has been wheeled out on numerous occasions by the BBC this week, claiming thousands of jobs will be lost if Tridents goes.

    However in response to a FOI, to the MoD a few years back the MoD said there were, (or still are) 520 civilian jobs at Faslane.

    By that calculation at £167 billion to renew Trident, that amounts to roughly £327 million quid per job.

    Nevermind, I’m sure Jackie Baillie will be wheeled out by the BBC, soon, to say the removal of Trident will lead to armageddon.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Somewhere along the line you have become bitter, and somewhat twisted.

    That’s true, Fedup. I don’t pretend otherwise. But the comment which kicked this off was not unkindly meant, and I advocate nothing I wouldn’t do myself. It’s difficult enough being clear without being polite as well. (I’m no diplomat). ‘If you can’t say anything good, don’t say anything’ might be the motto of an apparatchik politician, but it doesn’t half shut down useful debate.

    The assumption seems to be that Craig is suffering from depression. I’m not sure he is. Existential doubts are not limited to the depressed. Perhaps he could tell us?

  • MJ

    “ten thousand years ago the place where you live in Edinburgh was under two miles of ice”

    Twenty thousand actually but the point holds. If the current inter-glacial period is of average duration then in another twenty thousand years the remains of Edinburgh will be under two miles of ice once again and will remain so for 75-100 thousand years. No amount of burning fossil fuels will delay our icey fate by more than a week or two.

  • giyane

    RoS

    Try telling Sikunder Burnes that immigrants are more philoprogenitive. It takes 2 to tango.

  • fedup

    Existential doubts are not limited to the depressed.

    I agree, the overprotective perhaps may jump into conclusions that Craig is suffering from depression. However I am of your belief that problem solving is not a byproduct of depression!

    Craig has indicated that in time he will let us know of the decision that he has reached, although his post can itself become a vehicle for others whom may face the same questions; thus the continuation of this debate itself can become a process in itself that various nodes of thought are engaged in solving the same problem in a distributed solution mode.

    I enjoyed reading Frazer’s comment, and he gave me an idea [never thanked him for it though, and probably in time in a fashion after Captain Mainwaring will pass it on as my own 🙂 ].

  • giyane

    President Barzani of Iraqi Kurdistan stands accused of sending half a million $ to Turkish voters to vote for Erdogan. State money spent by a corrupt leader on keeping Islamic State oil flowing to UK corrupt leaders by means of sleaze bag Erdogan.

    To be honest I can’t see much difference between Barzani squandering his state money and David Cameron squandering ours on fetching immigrants from Bulgaria and Syria so that he and his sleaze bag city investors can buy up cheap Bulgarian and Syrian land.

    Obviously with land and oil washing around like confetti, there’s a shortage of things to do for well-educated, principled, middle-aged men.

  • Ronald Young

    Anyone who reaches his/her late 50s and has had the sort of rich work experience enjoyed by many born in the immediate post-war period; good health; and reasonable and accessible capital should have been asking Craig’s question for the past decade…..Fifteen years ago I posed five questions –
    • why I was pessimistic about the future and so unhappy with what the French then called “La Pensee Unique”, the post 1989 “Washington consensus”
    • who were the organisations and people I felt were fighting for a better world
    • what they were achieving – and what not
    • how these gaps could be reduced
    • how with my resources I could help that process

    which resulted in 2001 in a short paper called “A Draft Guide for the Perplexed” http://www.mappingthecommonground.com/#!notes-for-the-perplexed/c2f6 – updated every few years until its latest version http://media.wix.com/ugd/e475c8_4f27034363674f35a154cbe1ae454f47.pdf

    Initially I thought I might leave some money to a Trust Fund (eg to honour my father’s memory as a West of Scotland public man; or to encourage the sort of community enterprise I’ve been associated with. Latterly I became so desperate about the rise of corporate greed that I actually contemplated launching the idea of a geriatric kamikaze mission to target the financial class!!
    In the meantime I’ve launched a blog (www.nomadron.blogspot.com) and two websites (eg http://www.mappingthecommonground.com/) which offer a resource for those who share my concerns and want to do some sharing……After five years, there’s not much to report!

  • conallboyle

    Ghana? Climate Change? Of course get campaigning, but spot the elephant first. Overpopulation, esp sub-Saharan Africa. That’s THE eco- enviro-problem.

    Now how about campaigning for womens’ rights, womens’ education, freely available contaceptives and yes, abortion on demand too?

    Annoy but the religious mullahs AND the ‘anti-Malthusians’ (aren’t we goodies, isn’t anyone who says ‘population’ is a nasty Nazi!!!)

    But then I suppose you’ve had enough of being a lonely, hated figure

  • Robert Crawford

    “What is right about me I am not getting?”.

    A question all of us could ask ourselves.

    The answer might surprise you!

  • Republicofscotland

    “Try telling Sikunder Burnes that immigrants are more philoprogenitive. It takes 2 to tango.”
    __________________

    Giyane, I know not why your comment is aimed at me, I haven’t mentioned immigrants or Burnes, but I will try to reply aptly.

    I woud say that if Shah Shuja, hadn’t been such a weak British puppet leader, then Burnes wouldn’t have needed too scrambled across the roofs of Kabul (a city he loved) in fear for his life.

    When Shah Shuja came into his era as King, the tradition was that you mint a coin with a poem that describes who you are, and what you mean.

    I am Shah Shuja, the great King, and I am the one ruler from the depths of the sea, all the way to the height of the skies.

    Afghans saw that in the bazaar, in the market, they’ve changed the poem, and the poem says. This infidel, Shah Shuja, has nothing but the light of the eyes of the Lord’s, which was British.

    Dost Mohammed exploited Shah Shuja’s weakness, the blue-touch paper had been lit, and the Afghani’s rose up and attacked the redcoated musket carry British.

    Scotsman Burnes, forlorn fate, was to have his head displayed on a pole at the bazaar.

    A truly devastating outcome for Burnes, who loved Kabul and the Afghan way of life.

  • Kempe

    ” Overpopulation, esp sub-Saharan Africa. ”

    Hmm, the population density of sub-Saharan Africa when last measured (2013) was 39.7 people per sq km compared to 67.2 for Scotland and 105 for the whole of Europe.

    Maybe we should be handing out those condoms and campaigning for women’s rights closer to home.

  • Republicofscotland

    Here the extremely distinguished Major General Patrick Cordingley DSO, who led the British invasion into Iraq ( Gulf war) in 1991, openly admits, Britain cannot fire a nuclear missile without American consent.

    I know most of you already knew that, but a little conformation doesn’t hurt, does it now.

    http://wingsoverscotland.com/a-myth-of-independence/

  • Robert Crawford

    The trouble with condoms, Kempe, is, it is like having a bath with your socks on!

  • Windy miller

    Hi Craig, finding something else to do is good for the soul and the brain, it keeps you motivated. I spent many years working in the oil,gas power Gen world and spent many happy times in Ghana with yourself and others but there did come a time when I felt I needed to try something a little different. I now work in onshore wind which isn’t for everyone but I certainly feel better in myself and it has opened my mind to new thoughts and differing view points which I now try balance objectively. I feel the change has made me a better person.

    You are in a fabulous position to try renewables in sub Saharan Africa, especially Ghana who are very renewable friendly.

    Craig you are a good man with a good heart.

    Try something fresh and keep away from politics, it’s not good for your health.

  • Rsimon

    Your good is that you are a voice standing out against an ocean of self interested bilge that floods the airways daily. Hang in there and best wishes rs

  • Republicofscotland

    “Hmm, the population density of sub-Saharan Africa when last measured (2013) was 39.7 people per sq km”
    _____________________________

    Kempe

    Nigeria has a blossoming population, of almost 179 million, with 193 people per square Km.

    Remarkably the median age of the population is 17.8

    http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/nigeria-population/

    Some Sub-Saharan African countries are more densely populated than others, it however doesn’t detract from the point you made.

  • lysias

    If the UK cannot fire a nuclear missile without U.S. consent, what good does it do the UK to have nuclear missiles? After all, the UK does have whatever guarantee the NATO Treaty provides that the U.S. will defend the U.K. if it is attacked.

    The U.S. might break that treaty, it is true. But isn’t it equally true that the U.S. might consent to the UK firing its nuclear missiles?

  • CanSpeccy

    Re Campaign for White Genocide:

    @ Kempe

    “Maybe we should be handing out those condoms and campaigning for women’s rights closer to home.”

    Right on: Scotch fertility, 1.7; mothers from Libya in Britain, average birth rate of 5.58.

    So, yeah, keep bearing down on the indigenous birthrate to make room for more dusky Muslims in kilts.

  • RobG

    Craig, I don’t wish to exacerbate your existential crisis, but after 70 years of nuclear we are all dead people walking, anyway.

    All the snow on the high mountains of British Columbis and the Alaskan panhandle has now gone. First time in history there’s been no snow cover (which is year-round).

    You’d think the climate change brigade would leap on this one to further their cause; but not a peep.

    This is because the loss of snow is being caused by tritium from the Fukushima disaster (tritium prevents water from crystallising into snow).

    I know I’m probably wasting my breath by even mentioning this.

    I suppose what I’m trying to say is, do your research well before diving into the climate change debate.

  • CanSpeccy

    @ Lysias:

    “If the UK cannot fire a nuclear missile without U.S. consent, what good does it do the UK to have nuclear missiles?”

    What’s the good of Britain got to do with it?

    Britain’s a vassal occupied by the US since 1945. Britain’s role is to help fund America’s nuclear forces, and help disperse the impact of a retaliatory strike.

    If those missiles are ever used, good-bye Londonistan, good-bye Edinburgh.

  • RobG

    I don’t usually make typos (?). The sentence should read: All the snow on the high mountains of British Columbia.

  • Tony M

    A key scenario is what use is Trident if UK-plc is ‘down’, no Today programme on Radio 4 etc. when the on duty sub comes up for a breather, and the US is also ‘down’ as far as command and control, infrastructure, key personnel; how autonomous are the satellite based components of the targetting/navigation system for the missiles? I suspect without intact functioning US ground installations for command and control of the guidance system, and a surviving functional political/military power structure in the US, however legitimate or not, in agreement with their use and targets, we can neither launch them or have any certainty they would be delivered to the designated target. Is there any truth in a rumoured fallback celestial navigation – likely accuracy +/- 250 miles? No sane human being would launch them in any circumstance anyhow, but at that point, with cities and countries already smoking ruins, does it really make much difference if we add our few weedy firecrackers to that final farewell conflagration, even before an attempt to launch, already no part of the planet would for long be capable of sustaining human life. Already now, we eat, drink, shit, breathe radiation.

1 2 3 4 15

Comments are closed.