I've always wondered what longer term effect of the loss of life between 1914-18 had. The most able-bodied and physically strong were sent in their millions to get killed or maimed - the loss of those fathers, role models, inventors, workers etc is impossible to quantify. Maybe it's (partly) why we became so susceptible to so much political craziness afterwards.
I read the entire article, an excellent distillation of how government in almost all things make those things worse.. Supplying free stuff does not make people more prosperous or self reliant, just the opposite.
Here in the USA an example of all the civil rights laws, DEI, and welfare have done the same. Education has produced "students" who graduate from High School that cannot read, write or do simple math.
Hi Dominic, I’m a Weegie ( as we like to call ourselves) but I live down under now. I visited a month ago and can only agree with your sentiments. The Cup Final day prob exacerbated things with the great unwashed marauding through the city in a rage but it’s fair to say the area around the great Central Station is a disgrace to the city. The corrupt SNP council with their band of chancers are driving the city centre to the dogs. A sad fall from grace from one of the best cities in Europe when in its prime.
I share your sadness. As the city has so many things going for it the architecture and it's history. I have also found the people to be some of the best.
Fascinating chapter of the book, appreciate the excerpt. 👍
Glasgow (and Scotland generally) is so curious to me, they have a reputation for their boozing and energy and fight, but during ridiculous covid rules they were as meek as kittens. Who’d have ever predicted Nottingham would be instinctively less obedient than Glasgow???
Can't lie, as a Glaswegian this pushes a few buttons. Partly because there's truth here, partly because this is a touch misguided.
Aberdeen FC won their first trophy in 35 years in Glasgow on Saturday. Was an improbable win, after penalties too. That would have brought some 20-30k fans into the city, many looking to cut loose. Would have been a night like no other for many. An unfortunate coincidence perhaps.
I certainly do not hang around the train station of many major cities for exactly the same reason you mention here. From my travels, I don't feel Glasgow has a monopoly on moon-howlers. (I spent a 3 hour stop over in Preston and watched a guy get bottled at midday on a Tuesday.)
Having said that, the area outside Central station and the roads down to the Salt Market and Gallowgate is dubbed the 'Silk Road' owing to the footfall and deals that go on.
On the upside, Glasgow has a seriously thriving food scene. This is in part owing to the cycles that take place of boom and bust and people taking advantage of underdeveloped spaces that would once have once been Merchant's offices or Linen Banks.
Next time you visit, please do drop me a message and I'll gladly introduce you to a few 'well kent' writers and we'll take you to a few of those restaurants I mentioned. I'm sad I was out of town, else I'd have gladly have come seen your show.
I had a great time up there as I said. It’s a great city. You can still feel the might of the place. but the area around the station prompted me to repost a chapter. I wrote about Glasgow from a book I wrote in 2012.
"He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. "
Not sure that's right, we had massive import duties (the Corn Laws for instance in the 1840s) to protect our business owners. Yes they were repealed by WW1 but "until August 1914" is definitely misleading, and I say that knowing I'm on a hiding to nothing criticising AJPT ;)
As for the introduction of regulations they started those back in the early 19th century, so while WW1 had a great effect on the UK the organised movement of labour (small l) was far older. What WW1 did do was trained men in the acts of butchery and introduced them to the horrors of war so that when they came back they were not only angry but well equipped to cause mayhem if they became organised.
The reason I have stopped worrying about Net Zero: it will soon simply fall over from the sheer gravity of its economic folly.
Similarly with this. Your libertarian analysis of the causes of Glasgow's and the UK's grim economic and hence social performance is astute and will soon enough be put to the test as economics will finally force some long-overdue decision-making. After over a hundred years of the state stepping in to remove personal responsibility, finally this experiment too has reached the end of the economic road. It may have taken a century, but we simply cannot afford the luxury of the interventionism any more. We have taxed and borrowed as far as either can bear, and trying to spend more will result in negative growth or a bond-market strike, or both. Then we must learn what 'austerity' really means, and it's not what Mr Osbourne peddled and all the socialists squealed over. It's going to mean cold turkey in more ways than one.
But writing a hit piece on Glasgow because you got a bad night sleep.
Perhaps you are practicing for a job with the tabloids.
I had to stop reading this article after some things that you were lazily presenting as facts.
The "murder capital of the UK" is that dystopian nightmare London. Glasgow might have been dubbed this 20 years ago, in one article.
Similarly Birmingham is now the benefit capital of the the UK for obvious reasons.
" Fattest City " replace City with town that would be be Ebbw Vale Gwent or Hartlepool 79.9% over weight.
I could go on and on.
Glasgow has many issues, it is not my cup of tea, nor is any city center on a Friday night. In fact I jokingly call Glasgow the Gates of Mordor due to its city center road network.
Glasgow suffers lots of it negative views and not helped by sleepless hacks.
Was thinking the same, Reeves. Been a while since I knew some of these facts to be true. My visits to Leeds or Birmingham have left me thinking Glasgow still has a charm (rough-edged admittedly).
Furthermore, one of the best food-scenes in the UK.
The symptoms here are largely correct, but the causes are less accurate. This is a byproduct of global capital’s rent-seeking elsewhere. Jobs moved east, and the Scottish people failed to adapt. You can blame the government, but such towns exist in almost all modern states. Yes, in many such situations, the towns swung left, but not all. Look at former East-German cities and their lurch to the right. I think you’ve got the chicken and egg wrong.
Thanks Dom, a really interesting read.
I've always wondered what longer term effect of the loss of life between 1914-18 had. The most able-bodied and physically strong were sent in their millions to get killed or maimed - the loss of those fathers, role models, inventors, workers etc is impossible to quantify. Maybe it's (partly) why we became so susceptible to so much political craziness afterwards.
Yes, I think that is central to everything
Almost as if it were planned 🤔
I read the entire article, an excellent distillation of how government in almost all things make those things worse.. Supplying free stuff does not make people more prosperous or self reliant, just the opposite.
Here in the USA an example of all the civil rights laws, DEI, and welfare have done the same. Education has produced "students" who graduate from High School that cannot read, write or do simple math.
Thank you for posting your articles.
Thank you!
Hi Dominic, I’m a Weegie ( as we like to call ourselves) but I live down under now. I visited a month ago and can only agree with your sentiments. The Cup Final day prob exacerbated things with the great unwashed marauding through the city in a rage but it’s fair to say the area around the great Central Station is a disgrace to the city. The corrupt SNP council with their band of chancers are driving the city centre to the dogs. A sad fall from grace from one of the best cities in Europe when in its prime.
It’s very sad
And you can feel the history in the place, the solidity of it
I share your sadness. As the city has so many things going for it the architecture and it's history. I have also found the people to be some of the best.
They are fantastic
Fascinating chapter of the book, appreciate the excerpt. 👍
Glasgow (and Scotland generally) is so curious to me, they have a reputation for their boozing and energy and fight, but during ridiculous covid rules they were as meek as kittens. Who’d have ever predicted Nottingham would be instinctively less obedient than Glasgow???
Yes the Scots generally trusted what they were told. Edinburgh was the same.
Can't lie, as a Glaswegian this pushes a few buttons. Partly because there's truth here, partly because this is a touch misguided.
Aberdeen FC won their first trophy in 35 years in Glasgow on Saturday. Was an improbable win, after penalties too. That would have brought some 20-30k fans into the city, many looking to cut loose. Would have been a night like no other for many. An unfortunate coincidence perhaps.
I certainly do not hang around the train station of many major cities for exactly the same reason you mention here. From my travels, I don't feel Glasgow has a monopoly on moon-howlers. (I spent a 3 hour stop over in Preston and watched a guy get bottled at midday on a Tuesday.)
Having said that, the area outside Central station and the roads down to the Salt Market and Gallowgate is dubbed the 'Silk Road' owing to the footfall and deals that go on.
On the upside, Glasgow has a seriously thriving food scene. This is in part owing to the cycles that take place of boom and bust and people taking advantage of underdeveloped spaces that would once have once been Merchant's offices or Linen Banks.
Next time you visit, please do drop me a message and I'll gladly introduce you to a few 'well kent' writers and we'll take you to a few of those restaurants I mentioned. I'm sad I was out of town, else I'd have gladly have come seen your show.
Hi chris
I had a great time up there as I said. It’s a great city. You can still feel the might of the place. but the area around the station prompted me to repost a chapter. I wrote about Glasgow from a book I wrote in 2012.
D
Fair enough. It’s one of a handful of books that I regularly recommend and one I’ve revisited myself.
Ripe for a Vol.2
"He could buy goods from any country in the world on the same terms as he bought goods at home. "
Not sure that's right, we had massive import duties (the Corn Laws for instance in the 1840s) to protect our business owners. Yes they were repealed by WW1 but "until August 1914" is definitely misleading, and I say that knowing I'm on a hiding to nothing criticising AJPT ;)
As for the introduction of regulations they started those back in the early 19th century, so while WW1 had a great effect on the UK the organised movement of labour (small l) was far older. What WW1 did do was trained men in the acts of butchery and introduced them to the horrors of war so that when they came back they were not only angry but well equipped to cause mayhem if they became organised.
Thanks! All good points
The reason I have stopped worrying about Net Zero: it will soon simply fall over from the sheer gravity of its economic folly.
Similarly with this. Your libertarian analysis of the causes of Glasgow's and the UK's grim economic and hence social performance is astute and will soon enough be put to the test as economics will finally force some long-overdue decision-making. After over a hundred years of the state stepping in to remove personal responsibility, finally this experiment too has reached the end of the economic road. It may have taken a century, but we simply cannot afford the luxury of the interventionism any more. We have taxed and borrowed as far as either can bear, and trying to spend more will result in negative growth or a bond-market strike, or both. Then we must learn what 'austerity' really means, and it's not what Mr Osbourne peddled and all the socialists squealed over. It's going to mean cold turkey in more ways than one.
I thought that in 2007. It keeps going on and on and on ...
European Civilisation never recovered from WW1.
I always look on it a civil war between brothers.
Agreed
Great marketing Dominic! The book has been on my list for a while and now I've bought it 📚
Thanks !
I know this post-dates your Reccommend on SMLR,. but what's your view, in light of this Dom ? https://www.tradingview.com/news/reuters.com,2025-06-03:newsml_ACSP5ygka:0/
Hi Dom,
love your writing, I am a big fan of your work.
But writing a hit piece on Glasgow because you got a bad night sleep.
Perhaps you are practicing for a job with the tabloids.
I had to stop reading this article after some things that you were lazily presenting as facts.
The "murder capital of the UK" is that dystopian nightmare London. Glasgow might have been dubbed this 20 years ago, in one article.
Similarly Birmingham is now the benefit capital of the the UK for obvious reasons.
" Fattest City " replace City with town that would be be Ebbw Vale Gwent or Hartlepool 79.9% over weight.
I could go on and on.
Glasgow has many issues, it is not my cup of tea, nor is any city center on a Friday night. In fact I jokingly call Glasgow the Gates of Mordor due to its city center road network.
Glasgow suffers lots of it negative views and not helped by sleepless hacks.
Was thinking the same, Reeves. Been a while since I knew some of these facts to be true. My visits to Leeds or Birmingham have left me thinking Glasgow still has a charm (rough-edged admittedly).
Furthermore, one of the best food-scenes in the UK.
Hi there
This was written in 2012. I thought it I made it clear: it’s an extract from my book Life After the State.
The symptoms here are largely correct, but the causes are less accurate. This is a byproduct of global capital’s rent-seeking elsewhere. Jobs moved east, and the Scottish people failed to adapt. You can blame the government, but such towns exist in almost all modern states. Yes, in many such situations, the towns swung left, but not all. Look at former East-German cities and their lurch to the right. I think you’ve got the chicken and egg wrong.
Government gets in the way whether by cost or legislation or erosion of responsibility or all three