We're coming up to the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trade, probably one of the most horrific acts in our history, and quite rightly described by Tony Blair as a "crime against humanity."
But there's a foul aura around this 'celebration'. The Prime Minister is being asked by many sections of society to apologise for the slave trade. My understanding is that if he were to outright apologise, the government would be inundated with compensation claims.
I'm sorry. What?
What kind of messed up world do we live in where a) politicians are expected to apologise for something that they weren't involved in at all and b) people who weren't involved in the slave trade can sue people who weren't involved in the slave trade for compensation?
Blair has spoken of his "sorrow" at the act: that is surely enough. There are few in the West today who would actively support slavery. It is so blatantly immoral that there really is no need for all this hullabaloo over whether politicians should apologise.
What I also don't like is how little attention is being given to the fact that it was Britain that ended the slave trade in the first place. We did this by sending our ships to the African coast and preventing any other country from taking slaves - an act of unilateralism that not even the United States would dare attempt in this day and age. It was an act of political bravery of which this country should be proud.
Slavery is, of course, not a thing of the past. There are millions of people being sold around the world for labour and vile activities that I have no intention of going into here as we speak. Wouldn't our attentions be better served putting an end to the crimes of the present, not the crimes of the past?
The slave trade was a disgusting stain on the history of a civilisation that has brought so much to the world. We should of course reflect on the trade as a terrible thing, but we shouldn't go so tied up in the past that we stop looking at the present.
Want to show that we've moved on from the days of racist slavery? Then stop talking about it.
Published by The Culture Warrior
on Sunday, 25 March 2007 at 12:44. But there's a foul aura around this 'celebration'. The Prime Minister is being asked by many sections of society to apologise for the slave trade. My understanding is that if he were to outright apologise, the government would be inundated with compensation claims.
I'm sorry. What?
What kind of messed up world do we live in where a) politicians are expected to apologise for something that they weren't involved in at all and b) people who weren't involved in the slave trade can sue people who weren't involved in the slave trade for compensation?
Blair has spoken of his "sorrow" at the act: that is surely enough. There are few in the West today who would actively support slavery. It is so blatantly immoral that there really is no need for all this hullabaloo over whether politicians should apologise.
What I also don't like is how little attention is being given to the fact that it was Britain that ended the slave trade in the first place. We did this by sending our ships to the African coast and preventing any other country from taking slaves - an act of unilateralism that not even the United States would dare attempt in this day and age. It was an act of political bravery of which this country should be proud.
Slavery is, of course, not a thing of the past. There are millions of people being sold around the world for labour and vile activities that I have no intention of going into here as we speak. Wouldn't our attentions be better served putting an end to the crimes of the present, not the crimes of the past?
The slave trade was a disgusting stain on the history of a civilisation that has brought so much to the world. We should of course reflect on the trade as a terrible thing, but we shouldn't go so tied up in the past that we stop looking at the present.
Want to show that we've moved on from the days of racist slavery? Then stop talking about it.
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I have just watched the best episode of Question Time, ever. My faith in humanity has been restored.
It was a special debate on the Iraq War; the panel consisted of Tony Benn, the veteran socialist; Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan; John Bolton, the neoconservative former US Ambassador to the UN; Charles Kennedy, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats; Des Brown, the Secretary of State for Defence; and his opposite Conservative number, Liam Fox.
Tony Benn and Charles Kennedy were characteristically spineless, demonstrating opposition to war as a matter of principle, easily talking about how evil Saddam was yet, of course, not having the guts or conviction to do something about it. The other four panelists - particularly John Bolton, who was so refreshingly straight-talking - were excellent.
But the real source of inspiration wasn't those four - great though they were. It was the audience. Never before on Question Time have I seen an audience so wise, so principled and so outstandingly brave. One woman, near the end, said that Bush and Blair should be recognised as very brave, because "when good men do nothing then evil prevails." Another man, at the beginning of the show, said that it's all very well to say we should rely on the UN, but it never has the strength to actually do anything and so the burden falls on us to ensure security and liberty - which of course are linked, not opposites - around the world. He was absolutely right.
And, for the first time on Question Time, such bold, principled views were applauded to shouts of 'hear hear'. The quality of debate was outstanding: we had the Syrian Ambassador to the UK, citizens from Iraq (most of whom supported the war), a representative of the Iraqi government. The hall was packed with wise, clear-thinking people, not blind anti-war protestors who think sitting back is better because it's easy. Even those who opposed the war were informed: the mother of a deceased soldier and an Iraqi immigrant spring to mind.
I feel like weeping golden tears of joy and dancing in the streets. My confidence in people has been restored, my conviction for the war's justification increased. I am so glad to see exceptionally experienced people, such as Former Prime Minister Bhutto, telling us that we take our freedom for granted, and only miss it when it's gone, and John Bolton standing up and speaking common sense against the vitriolic bile that came from the hideously anti-West socialist relic Tony Benn.
Whether you support the war or not, I urge you to watch the episode on the BBC website. It is, quite simply, awe inspiring.
Published by The Culture Warrior
on Thursday, 22 March 2007 at 16:54. It was a special debate on the Iraq War; the panel consisted of Tony Benn, the veteran socialist; Benazir Bhutto, the first female Prime Minister of Pakistan; John Bolton, the neoconservative former US Ambassador to the UN; Charles Kennedy, the former leader of the Liberal Democrats; Des Brown, the Secretary of State for Defence; and his opposite Conservative number, Liam Fox.
Tony Benn and Charles Kennedy were characteristically spineless, demonstrating opposition to war as a matter of principle, easily talking about how evil Saddam was yet, of course, not having the guts or conviction to do something about it. The other four panelists - particularly John Bolton, who was so refreshingly straight-talking - were excellent.
But the real source of inspiration wasn't those four - great though they were. It was the audience. Never before on Question Time have I seen an audience so wise, so principled and so outstandingly brave. One woman, near the end, said that Bush and Blair should be recognised as very brave, because "when good men do nothing then evil prevails." Another man, at the beginning of the show, said that it's all very well to say we should rely on the UN, but it never has the strength to actually do anything and so the burden falls on us to ensure security and liberty - which of course are linked, not opposites - around the world. He was absolutely right.
And, for the first time on Question Time, such bold, principled views were applauded to shouts of 'hear hear'. The quality of debate was outstanding: we had the Syrian Ambassador to the UK, citizens from Iraq (most of whom supported the war), a representative of the Iraqi government. The hall was packed with wise, clear-thinking people, not blind anti-war protestors who think sitting back is better because it's easy. Even those who opposed the war were informed: the mother of a deceased soldier and an Iraqi immigrant spring to mind.
I feel like weeping golden tears of joy and dancing in the streets. My confidence in people has been restored, my conviction for the war's justification increased. I am so glad to see exceptionally experienced people, such as Former Prime Minister Bhutto, telling us that we take our freedom for granted, and only miss it when it's gone, and John Bolton standing up and speaking common sense against the vitriolic bile that came from the hideously anti-West socialist relic Tony Benn.
Whether you support the war or not, I urge you to watch the episode on the BBC website. It is, quite simply, awe inspiring.
0 Comments
Just as I thought, the Brown Honeymoon has begun. Already his budget is being presented as containing tax cuts - which, strictly speaking, it does, but it also contains tax increases, so in fact it is revenue neutral.
Nonetheless, the cut in income tax by 2% is a big headline grabber, and budgets are hardly known for their interest, so it is this that will stick. Brown has beaten Cameron at his own game, and I suspect this is the sign of things to come. The media, the public, and most importantly, the Conservatives, have all grossly misunderestimated Gordon Brown. The idea that he is a dour, boring Scotsmen couldn't be further from the truth: by all accounts of those that know him, he has an extremely sharp sense of humour and is a natural entertainer. And I'm not even a Brownite. Watch out, Boy Dave.
The devil is in the detail of course, and this annoys me. Basic rate of income tax down by 2% - on the face of it, excellent. But the 10% rate for those on very low wages is abolished, so we've got an effective flat tax of 20% - tax rises for many of the poorest people, who are now paying double what they were before.
On top of this, national insurance has gone up for the highest earners (the top band is for those over £35,000 a year I think, but don't quote me on it...) This particular tax rise seems to be a shifting of the burden of taxation from those on less to those on more, which in principle isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, taken with the fact that many people on the lowest wages will now be paying double what they were before, this is not.
The 2% cut in corporation tax is welcome, though timid. If we really want to compete, we need well below the 28% we shall now have. In Ireland, the corporate tax is 12.5%! The huge boom in employment and wealth in Ireland is a direct result of this, and the country is the home of European Microsoft among others. We are a far more globally influential country, and with China and India on the rise, we need to mark out some territory to keep our economy afloat: finance should be that territory. The explosion in the City in the Eighties should continue and spread throughout the country, and it should be Britain, not Ireland, that is the first call for all those companies around the world who want to have a share in the European market. Let's not forget, Europe has over 500 million of the richest, most intelligent people in the world. No matter how rapid Chindia is growing, global enterprise will not be able to resist such a juicy consumerate.
Unfortunately, we've then got a 2% rise in small business rates. This is ridiculous. On the one hand we're cutting corporation tax (not fiercely enough, but a step in the right direction), and on the other, we're increasing the burden for small businesses! People! Think! A business has to be small before it is large! This sort of tax is penalising the enterprise culture we desperately need. A disappointing move, the Gord giveth, and the Gord taketh away...
Overall, it's alright. While the economy is as stable as it is, you can't mark Brown too poorly: this sort of economic stability - and let's remember there have been some problems around the world that, partly by Brown's hand, we've been able to avoid - is something completely contrary to the days of Black Wednesday and double-figure interest rates. Full credit to Brown for his part in seeing those problems off. But I feel his Labourite instincts are pulling him back from turning our country into the best, most open and most flexible in Europe - for that is the market we must pierce.
Tax and spend for short term has won out over the past ten budgets instead of less tax and less spending for less tax and more spending in the future, and in this, Brown's eleventh budget, that fundamentally leftist attitude has prevailed again. Brown isn't a socialist, thankfully. But he's hardly been revolutionary and weather-making, when he really could - and in this 'increasingly globalised world' should - have been.
He's kept the ship afloat, and aside from the pensions deck (which is going to get flooded at some point), the economy isn't in bad shape. But the zeal isn't there...there's a feeling of staleness. Penalising the poor and small businesses was not the way to go...perhaps cutting some of that fat government was.
This budget won't bring about any Hibernic economic boom, but it was never intended to. What it was intended to do was to catch headlines and make the Cameroons look a load of fools. In that, he succeeded...and I'm pretty sure this is the face of things to come.
The clunking fist might just knock a few teeth out of Dave's smile, and that's always a good thing.
Published by The Culture Warrior
on Wednesday, 21 March 2007 at 13:08. Nonetheless, the cut in income tax by 2% is a big headline grabber, and budgets are hardly known for their interest, so it is this that will stick. Brown has beaten Cameron at his own game, and I suspect this is the sign of things to come. The media, the public, and most importantly, the Conservatives, have all grossly misunderestimated Gordon Brown. The idea that he is a dour, boring Scotsmen couldn't be further from the truth: by all accounts of those that know him, he has an extremely sharp sense of humour and is a natural entertainer. And I'm not even a Brownite. Watch out, Boy Dave.
The devil is in the detail of course, and this annoys me. Basic rate of income tax down by 2% - on the face of it, excellent. But the 10% rate for those on very low wages is abolished, so we've got an effective flat tax of 20% - tax rises for many of the poorest people, who are now paying double what they were before.
On top of this, national insurance has gone up for the highest earners (the top band is for those over £35,000 a year I think, but don't quote me on it...) This particular tax rise seems to be a shifting of the burden of taxation from those on less to those on more, which in principle isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, taken with the fact that many people on the lowest wages will now be paying double what they were before, this is not.
The 2% cut in corporation tax is welcome, though timid. If we really want to compete, we need well below the 28% we shall now have. In Ireland, the corporate tax is 12.5%! The huge boom in employment and wealth in Ireland is a direct result of this, and the country is the home of European Microsoft among others. We are a far more globally influential country, and with China and India on the rise, we need to mark out some territory to keep our economy afloat: finance should be that territory. The explosion in the City in the Eighties should continue and spread throughout the country, and it should be Britain, not Ireland, that is the first call for all those companies around the world who want to have a share in the European market. Let's not forget, Europe has over 500 million of the richest, most intelligent people in the world. No matter how rapid Chindia is growing, global enterprise will not be able to resist such a juicy consumerate.
Unfortunately, we've then got a 2% rise in small business rates. This is ridiculous. On the one hand we're cutting corporation tax (not fiercely enough, but a step in the right direction), and on the other, we're increasing the burden for small businesses! People! Think! A business has to be small before it is large! This sort of tax is penalising the enterprise culture we desperately need. A disappointing move, the Gord giveth, and the Gord taketh away...
Overall, it's alright. While the economy is as stable as it is, you can't mark Brown too poorly: this sort of economic stability - and let's remember there have been some problems around the world that, partly by Brown's hand, we've been able to avoid - is something completely contrary to the days of Black Wednesday and double-figure interest rates. Full credit to Brown for his part in seeing those problems off. But I feel his Labourite instincts are pulling him back from turning our country into the best, most open and most flexible in Europe - for that is the market we must pierce.
Tax and spend for short term has won out over the past ten budgets instead of less tax and less spending for less tax and more spending in the future, and in this, Brown's eleventh budget, that fundamentally leftist attitude has prevailed again. Brown isn't a socialist, thankfully. But he's hardly been revolutionary and weather-making, when he really could - and in this 'increasingly globalised world' should - have been.
He's kept the ship afloat, and aside from the pensions deck (which is going to get flooded at some point), the economy isn't in bad shape. But the zeal isn't there...there's a feeling of staleness. Penalising the poor and small businesses was not the way to go...perhaps cutting some of that fat government was.
This budget won't bring about any Hibernic economic boom, but it was never intended to. What it was intended to do was to catch headlines and make the Cameroons look a load of fools. In that, he succeeded...and I'm pretty sure this is the face of things to come.
The clunking fist might just knock a few teeth out of Dave's smile, and that's always a good thing.
0 Comments