So Donald Trump opened his golf course in Scotland a couple of months ago, despite some ongoing controversy and criticism over 'bullying' tactics against local residents, a movie telling the story from the residents' side ('You've Been Trumped', shown on UK TV last night), and his own complaints about a possible coastal wind farm. The filmmaker reviews his progress since the making of the movie here: Having apparently bulldozed an area of sand dunes in a designated Area of Special Scientific Interest, he's complained that the offshore wind farm will destroy the natural beauty of the coast. So, is Donald Trump nothing more than a good businessman bringing economic advantage to an area by reasonable and legitimate means, or is he a hypocrite who wants to destroy whatever suits him but not allow anything to spoil his view, or is he simply a powerful and wealthy bully with no regard for the area, its environment or its residents, or is he the victim of an unfair media smear campaign? Here's a trailer for the movie: [video=youtube;hjAIKgOOc8A]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjAIKgOOc8A[/video]
One thing that should also be noted (figures from wiki) on the subject of impact on the environment and natural, wilderness areas (of scientific importance) in the UK: Population Density USA - 87.4 per sq mile Population Density UK - 661.9 per sq mile In addition to that, of course, the UK has been populated relatively heavily for a much longer time than the USA, and that obviously also has a huge impact on the amount of 'natural' landscape left relatively intact. I just thought I should point out that important contextual difference between building a golf course on a 'natural' area in the UK and doing the same in the USA.
I can pretty much guarantee that Trump couldn't give a flying f*ck about Scotland, its natural beauty or local jobs. I can also guarantee that once any publicity value has been wrung from his little project, you won't see him in Scotland again. Which, in my opinion, can only be a good thing.
For balance, here's a video about the golf course from the Trump organisation: [video=youtube;LkbPo8_Qd5Y]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkbPo8_Qd5Y[/video]
So the scot's are angry with Trump more than at their own government, seems to me that they re the ones who had to approve it...and they did. Trump had 40 conditions to adhere to, and he has to every one of them. I'm sure it's beautiful, however I don't think he should build a giant hotel there...guest cottages or something to that affect perhaps would be more appropriate.
he does care about a scotland a tiny bit cause his mum grew up here she was from stornoway, but a more ignorant, brash, vile, arrogant man cannot possibly exist anywhere in the world. he also says his course will be the best links course in the world, which is very arrogant, we have some that have been here 500 years his has a bit of catching up to do, and he wants it to hold the open, which is highly unlikely.
we're very lucky we have 650 for 5 million people its a small country most places you cant drive 5 miles without seeing a golf course often several right next to each other
That issue is certainly raised in the movie - it's not just about Trump and his company, but also about some of the 'official' support from Scotland's government, the local council, etc..
the council originally rejected it but the govt stepped in and over-ruled them cause he was gonna invest a billion quid providing jobs for local people, but now he's scaled down the project and theres not so many jobs its a bit of a farce
pfft... you boys are just pissed because Trump has better hair than the lot of you! lol Seriously, the dude is a straight up jerk (IMO). You guys should band together and throws his goofy ass out... while you still can.
Here's another story about it, with a quote frm it about the environmental impact: I do find it somewhat difficult to find justification for the claim by the Trump organisation that they have taken a rare and valuable natural environment and actually 'improved' it by covering it with a golf course! That seems to me either supreme arrogance on their part, or a complete and total failure to understand that natural envoronments can be scientifically important things, not just some kind of spare 'wasteland' to use to build stuff on!
One suggestion/allegation in the movie, from an interviewed economist, was that when the plans were examined closely there weren't actually likely to be many jobs for local people anyway.
On that subject again, an old news report about some of the criticism of Alec Salmond (Scotland's first minister, and also the local constituency MSP ): [video=youtube;j22iunP7vEY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j22iunP7vEY[/video] They've fallen out over the windfarm issue, though. Apparently Mr Trump isn't very happy that the movie was shown on TV in the UK last night: http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/Article.aspx/2981684
Trump has no honour or integrity. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9rRjTkDREM At least the farmer know what keich he actually has as a neighbour. Regards Highlander Regards Highlander
Of course he doesn't. Personally, I view his hair "style" as impacting Scotlands natural beauty and would have refused him planning permission on this basis alone, backed up with the secondary argument of him being a complete and utter wanker.
Here's another video pointing out some of his alledged lack of integrity over the project: [video=youtube;sZje-r-8IBg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZje-r-8IBg[/video] He does seem to be fond of quite viciously dismissing the resident farmer and his home as a 'pig', 'pigsty' and similar things because he has some 'untidy' looking farm buildings and some stuff stored about the place (old bits of farm machinery, his fishing boat and nets, that kind of thing). It's a small farm run by an ordinary small farmer and fisherman (not a big industrial agriculturalist's place, or millionaire's private park) - it's a working small farmstread on a working small farm.....that's what they look like!
Maybe Trump should make an offer to the farmer, to purchase his property (if it's really that big of an issue). Seems like a logical next step to me. All that could happen is the fellow could decline. Anyway, I wish anyone dealing with Trump, good luck.
It's the arrogant ******** they object to, ejecting people from their land who do not want to be ejected. Telling the world that the locals are living in (*)(*)(*)(*) holes, is not the smartest thing you can do... Dumb freakin, loud mouthed (*)(*)(*)(*)!
He did want ot buy it. The farmer told him that he was quite happy where he was, and refused to sell his land, along with several others. The local council have threatened the residents with a Compulsory Purchase Order at Trump's insistance, although I believe he has now withdrawn that threat.
I see. I understand the farmer not wanting to sell. Kinda crappy of the local officials to do the imminent domain thing (happens here also). Hopefully, as you say, it has been withdrawn. Maybe eventually they can find a suitable resolution. Regards
It's not going to be easy - he's not exactly been complimentary towards them, has walled various houses in with huge banks of sand and trees around them, plagued them with a constant threatening security presence, engaged in several boundary disputes by measures including rolling his workmen onto other people's land without warning, and erecting new fences to replace existing ones that he had had ripped out (and trying to bill them for half of the cost). I can't see he's left much scope for any kind of friendly compromise, really! He just seems to believe that his money allows himto do anything he wants, without having to care about anybody else at all. He doesn't even seem to believe that freedom of speech and freedom of the media extend to people who are daring to criticise him:
