Beorn
08-17-2009, 03:20 PM
SCOTS still have a huge chip on their shoulders, blame the English too much and are seen abroad as dour, mean and cantankerous, according to a damning new book on the national psyche, co-authored by former First Minister Henry McLeish.
Scotland: A Suitable Case For Treatment also concludes that the Scottish character is "schizophrenic", at once ferociously proud of its background, and yet all too often lacking in self-belief.
McLeish, who wrote the book with Scottish journalist Tom Brown, also claims that Scotland is effectively afraid of success, dominated by a "canna dae that" culture.
The pair say they have written the book to shine a light on the Scottish character in the hope they can make their fellow Scots happier.
In their introduction, they write: "That may seem idealistic and impracticable but that is another motive for writing this book – to tackle the pessimistic streak in the Scottish character and the granite-faced grimness which led a prominent psychologist to tell a lecture audience that Scots find a perverse pleasure in their dourness and resent being told to cheer up."
The former Labour leader says political and constitutional reform are now more urgent than ever, arguing for a move to a federal UK in which Scotland becomes a near semi-autonomous part of the Union, responsible for almost all of its own affairs.
The pair conclude: "The Scottish character must change to survive, never mind succeed, in the increasingly competitive world. Only those nations sure of their identity and confident of their attributes will meet the challenges – and Scotland is neither of those."
McLeish resigned as First Minister in 2001 after admitting errors in his expenses, and now works as a consultant and academic. In a series of provocative chapters, he and Brown challenge the view that Scotland is a welcoming country to immigrants, pointing to research and case studies that show this not to be the case. "We love the world, but only as long as it does not want to come and live here," they write.
The book also declares that violence is "endemic" in Scottish society. It warns that the country's drink problem is a facet of Scots' "addictive personalities". At the same time, too many Scots have become "too dependent on the state", believing that it is there to sort out their problems.
The book declares: "The boast is that Scots have given the world ideas, inventions and pioneers in every sphere; yet we are quick to decry success (the 'kent his faither' mentality) and are embarrassed about talking the language of competition. Do Scots really want success? Or are we afraid of it, because of the changes needed to achieve it? Others say 'can do' but, too often, ours is a 'canna dae that' culture."
It adds: "The national character is so multi-faceted that Scots could be described as schizophrenic, ferociously proud, yet strangely lacking in self-belief; possessing a distinctive sense of humour, yet prickly and unable to laugh at themselves; hard-headed yet prone to maudlin sentimentality; enterprising, adaptable and ingenious, yet far too often content to leave leadership to others."
The pair say that while it is wrong to say that the nation's flaws apply uniformly, they are common enough, especially, in officialdom, to handicap the nation.
Both McLeish and Brown say they are writing the book as ardent Unionists, but they criticise Labour and the Conservatives for failing to offer an alternative vision to the SNP.
They argue: "It seems manifestly obvious that the Union will only be preserved by granting greater powers for the Scottish Parliament and devolution for England in some form of federal settlement; yet all we see is foot-dragging, vacillation and stalling at the Westminster level. As a result, it is increasingly possible that independence will not be won by the Nationalists but given away as a result of the negligence of Unionists."
Brown said that the pair hoped the book would start a debate on Scotland's future in the pubs and streets.
Source (http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scotland/Flawed-Scots--schizophrenic-.5558207.jp)
Scotland: A Suitable Case For Treatment also concludes that the Scottish character is "schizophrenic", at once ferociously proud of its background, and yet all too often lacking in self-belief.
McLeish, who wrote the book with Scottish journalist Tom Brown, also claims that Scotland is effectively afraid of success, dominated by a "canna dae that" culture.
The pair say they have written the book to shine a light on the Scottish character in the hope they can make their fellow Scots happier.
In their introduction, they write: "That may seem idealistic and impracticable but that is another motive for writing this book – to tackle the pessimistic streak in the Scottish character and the granite-faced grimness which led a prominent psychologist to tell a lecture audience that Scots find a perverse pleasure in their dourness and resent being told to cheer up."
The former Labour leader says political and constitutional reform are now more urgent than ever, arguing for a move to a federal UK in which Scotland becomes a near semi-autonomous part of the Union, responsible for almost all of its own affairs.
The pair conclude: "The Scottish character must change to survive, never mind succeed, in the increasingly competitive world. Only those nations sure of their identity and confident of their attributes will meet the challenges – and Scotland is neither of those."
McLeish resigned as First Minister in 2001 after admitting errors in his expenses, and now works as a consultant and academic. In a series of provocative chapters, he and Brown challenge the view that Scotland is a welcoming country to immigrants, pointing to research and case studies that show this not to be the case. "We love the world, but only as long as it does not want to come and live here," they write.
The book also declares that violence is "endemic" in Scottish society. It warns that the country's drink problem is a facet of Scots' "addictive personalities". At the same time, too many Scots have become "too dependent on the state", believing that it is there to sort out their problems.
The book declares: "The boast is that Scots have given the world ideas, inventions and pioneers in every sphere; yet we are quick to decry success (the 'kent his faither' mentality) and are embarrassed about talking the language of competition. Do Scots really want success? Or are we afraid of it, because of the changes needed to achieve it? Others say 'can do' but, too often, ours is a 'canna dae that' culture."
It adds: "The national character is so multi-faceted that Scots could be described as schizophrenic, ferociously proud, yet strangely lacking in self-belief; possessing a distinctive sense of humour, yet prickly and unable to laugh at themselves; hard-headed yet prone to maudlin sentimentality; enterprising, adaptable and ingenious, yet far too often content to leave leadership to others."
The pair say that while it is wrong to say that the nation's flaws apply uniformly, they are common enough, especially, in officialdom, to handicap the nation.
Both McLeish and Brown say they are writing the book as ardent Unionists, but they criticise Labour and the Conservatives for failing to offer an alternative vision to the SNP.
They argue: "It seems manifestly obvious that the Union will only be preserved by granting greater powers for the Scottish Parliament and devolution for England in some form of federal settlement; yet all we see is foot-dragging, vacillation and stalling at the Westminster level. As a result, it is increasingly possible that independence will not be won by the Nationalists but given away as a result of the negligence of Unionists."
Brown said that the pair hoped the book would start a debate on Scotland's future in the pubs and streets.
Source (http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/scotland/Flawed-Scots--schizophrenic-.5558207.jp)