[graycamel]

It's their country. Let them run it the way they seem fit. Remember, we did the same thing to Japan after WWII. If the "ordinary citizens" are given an easier path to purchase land, fine. But if they are given more rights just because their ancestors were mistreated, hey we do that here with the American Indians, then it's a bad idea. Socialism exists primarily because capitalists don't do a good job and are often too selfish. If we did better, no one would be attracted to the garbage called "socialism".

[jimtorr]

Whoever said anything about stopping them from excercising their semi-autonomous rights of semi-self-governance?

If this new law only allowed crofters to buy land, I might say fine, good for them. However, it is Scotland, the State, who will be buying the land for them. There is also the matter of crofters buying fisheries and who knows what else whether or not the owner wishes to sell.

Much is made in this story about how some of the crofters have lived on the land for 200 years. Well, some of the owners of the estates in question have owned said estates for 1,000 years and more!