Tagged: Britain

Random Reflections: The Evil Thatcherites and Reaganites

Keir Starmer, the latest in a string of mealy-mouthed and/or self-aggrandizing party men to occupy 10 Downing Street in the shadow of a giant whom they all knew before entering the place that they could never live up to, has decided, in true socialist fashion, to wear his insecurity on his sleeve more overtly than his predecessors. Specifically, Starmer has chosen to remove...

Turn To The Left

Britain and France, perennial rivals in their own minds for European preeminence, have just turned significantly to the socialist left in national elections. In both cases, the shift in power appears more radical when viewed in terms of elected representatives than in terms of actual total votes. Nevertheless, the reality remains: The two leading European nations of the modern era (Germany is not,...

On the Death of Queen Elizabeth II

The one and only person whose existence held slightly ajar the door of legitimacy in anyone’s honest judgment of the relevance of the British monarchy in the twenty-first century has now died. Queen Elizabeth II allowed our imaginations to remain connected to the royal family’s meaningful past not only because she ascended to the throne back when that past was still somewhat alive,...

Too Big to Succeed (British Edition)

These days, the standard of newsworthiness in “protest movements,” at least in North America, seems to be “The smaller the bigger.” The news media has taken to shamelessly reporting with the utmost seriousness events that may be represented with headlines such as, “Dozens gather across the country to protest Anti-Asian hate.” The importance of a “protest” or “movement” is now determined, in other...

A Brief Interlude of Life

As I prepare an essay about the latest ghoulishness from the proprietors of the theme-park-cum-abattoir that offensively continues to call itself Great Britain — someone please tell be what’s “great” about it these days — I am only too happy to take a short break from my disgust, and before (hopefully) inspiring yours, to enjoy that part of the living world which has...

London’s Mayor Demands Travel Ban — Against Trump!

Many readers on this site are probably aware that I am not a fan of Donald Trump. On the other hand, I think I can say with certainty that if thousands of religious fanatics were planning, funding, or sympathizing with murderous attacks against my fellow citizens, my gut response would not be to recommend an immediate travel ban against the president of the United States....