Send Letters to editor@ncc-1776.org
Note: All letters to this address will be considered for
publication unless they say explicitly Not For Publication
[Letters to the editor are welcome on any and all subjects. Sign your
letter in the text body with your name and e-mail address as you wish
them to appear, otherwise we will use the information in the "From:"
header!]
Britain and Europe: The Long Goodbye?
A Speech In Bratislava, 15th August 2017
A speech given by Sean Gabb in Bratislava, on the 15th August 2017, to the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS). He spoke to an audience of Slovak journalists and politicians on the background to Britain’s impending departure from the European Union, and discussed what may happen next:
The video was produced and edited by Philippa Gabb.
NB—the main speech is in English, though the flattering Introduction by Richard Durana is in Slovak.
Summary:
- In the 2015 general election, David Cameron needed to attract large numbers of UK Independence Party votes in order to secure an overall majority for the Conservative Party.
- British entry to the European Union (then called the European Economic Community) had split the Conservative Party. This led eventually to the emergence of the UK Independence Party, which was able to take enough votes in the 2010 general election to deny the Conservatives a majority.
- David Cameron's strategy in 2015 was to offer a referendum on EU membership.
- He made an error in calling the referendum in June 2016, when much British attention was fixed on the migrant crisis of 2015. The result of the referendum was largely due to fears of more immigration from Europe.
- After the referendum, the Conservatives declared that Britain would leave, but had no plan for leaving. Either they were unaware of the complexities, or they were unable to agree on how to manage these complexities.
- They still have not plan. Even so, Britain is to leave in March 2019, and the process will become increasingly exciting for impartial observers.
- Dr Gabb's own view is that the peoples of Europe are bound together by common experience and common problems, and that a close working relationship must emerge from the process of British withdrawal. His final point is that the European Union is not the best vehicle for articulating these commonalities.
Sean Gabb
[email protected]
Was that worth reading?
Then why not:
We’re All Free Men
After hearing about two maybe three weeks of foofaraw I offer the following thoughts:
The greatest danger and evil in America is the belief held by many that if we only junk the Constitution and install a “benevolent” dictatorship of their devising everything will be all good. One person I know claim that this opinion is held by extremists on either end of the spectrum, but I have observed that some so called moderates share this thought.
The greatest perceived evil is white supremacism, at least as far as the political establishment and the media is concerned. Donald Trump is currently getting grief from them for not making his auto de fe condemnation of the KKK and Neo-Nazis. Apparently since he did not bad mouth one bunch in white hoods he is due to be interviewed by another.
White supremacy is a special case of racism which is in fact a threat to American freedom. It is also a great evil. Interestingly, it is a term no none really bothers to define. So I will offer the following definition: racism is the denying of people’s rights, natural or civil, due to their racial or ethnic background. A correspondent of mine denounced this definition because everyone agrees it is wrong. I think he prefers a definition based on disliking or judging people because of their race or ethnic background. The problem with this definition is that I really don’t care if you despise me because I’m a light skinned Mestizo. I do have a problem if you won’t sell me food or rent me a prepaid room because you dislike my ethnic background.
I digress. Racism is a double threat to American liberty. Obviously when we define it as the denial of rights, it is the very embodiment of junking the Constitution. Not so obviously, suppressing racism, either definition, provides an excuse or the Government to deny rights that should be protected under the Constitution.
A few years ago I saw a teaser for Sons of Anarchy (TV program) which had the line “We’re all free men, protected by the Constitution.” The show gained an instant fan. Anytime people find an excuse to junk the Constitution our rights are threatened. For worse and much worse, the cause of the day to do so is the ongoing fight over race so beloved by the press and establishment demagogues.
A.X. Perez
[email protected]
Was that worth reading?
Then why not:
The Devil's Treasure
by Richard Blake
Published 15th August 2017
Ravenna 619 AD
At fifteen, Rodi is the youngest agent in the Byzantine Empire�s Intelligence Bureau. Fraud, forger, blackmailer, snoop, hypocrite, thief—none of it loses him a moment�s sleep.
It�s the murder that�s his problem.
It shouldn�t be like this. His plan seemed as neat and elegant as anything the Bureau ever arranged. Find a child-murderer, cannibal and all-round beast, and lean on him to do the business—then have an alibi elsewhere in Ravenna while it was done.
Only, everything has gone tits-up, and Rodi is chased through early mediaeval Italy by the directors of an illegal and obscene cult.
What do these people want of Rodi? What is Prince Aripert�s latest money-making scam? What is Simeon the Jew�s actual involvement in this? Will old Synesius ever climb from his excrement bath? Can Rodi stay alive in the snake-pit of Lombard court politics? Is there a message in the nightly riot of his dreams?
In this fourth instalment of his �Rodi Series,� Richard Blake paints his usual canvas of a world pushed along who-knows-where on its vast and sordid under-belly—a delight for those who know his work, and an introduction for those who know him not.
Praise for Other Novels by Richard Blake:
"Fascinating to read, very well written, an intriguing plot and I enjoyed it very much." (Derek Jacobi, star of I Claudius and Gladiator)
"Vivid characters, devious plotting and buckets of gore are enhanced by his unfamiliar choice of period�. Nasty, fun and educational." (The Daily Telegraph)
"He knows how to deliver a fast-paced story and his grasp of the period is impressively detailed." (The Mail on Sunday)
"A rollicking and raunchy read … Anyone who enjoys their history with large dollops of action, sex, intrigue and, above all, fun will absolutely love this novel." (Historical Novels)
"It would be hard to over-praise this extraordinary series, a near-perfect blend of historical detail and atmosphere with the plot of a conspiracy thriller, vivid characters, high philosophy and vulgar comedy." (The Morning Star)
Richard Blake is an historian, broadcaster and university lecturer. His novels have been translated into Spanish, Italian, Greek, Slovak, Hungarian, Chinese and Indonesian. He lives in Kent with his wife and daughter.
Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent digital publisher. For more information on our titles please sign up to our newsletter at www.endeavourpress.com. Each week you will receive updates on free and discounted ebooks. Follow us on Twitter: @EndeavourPress and on Facebook via http://on.fb.me/1HweQV7. We are always interested in hearing from our readers. Endeavour Press believes that the future is now.
Richard Blake
[email protected]
Was that worth reading?
Then why not:
This site may receive compensation if a product is purchased
through one of our partner or affiliate referral links. You
already know that, of course, but this is part of the FTC Disclosure
Policy
found here. (Warning: this is a 2,359,896-byte 53-page PDF file!)
TLE AFFILIATE
