Parliament should back calls to cut the EU budget

Under no circumstance should the British government allow a £4.3 bn rise in EU contributions; austerity is required in Brussels. Tonight, we will see who values the EU more than their own constituents.

A veto will only halt discussions, the budget will automatically rise – if there is no agreement. Threatening to exit the EU, in the middle of a debt crisis, would be sufficient enough to get Brussels to cut spending.

The Brussels spending spree needs to end tonight.

 

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Mark Pack is right, what is our purpose?

Like always, Mark delivers yet another interesting post about the state of the party. This paragraph (similar to what I keep writing about) is well worth sharing;

As for a liberal society, I’m all for one. But what is a liberal society? It’s open to a myriad of interpretations, and the experience of the Liberal Democrats in government hasn’t helped winnow them down to a clear understanding, communicated to the public, of what it means to the party.

THAT is the key point. What will this liberal society actually look like? Nick keeps advocating it, yet voters are unsure what it will contain. Tories have the Big Society, Labour have One Nation and we still assume the public will automatically understand our message.

Our rivals articulate quite coherently an alternative future for Britain; why do we still continue to fail at this basic task?

It is time to give a full explanation of what a liberal society is and how it would benefit Britain.

 

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I’m a liberal, who supports trident

 

We live in a dangerous world; very dangerous, if you take into account the vast amount of nuclear weapons in the stockpile of the world’s arsenal. Japan is the only nation to suffer the consequences of a direct nuclear strike and the devastation was so extreme and belligerent, that no nuclear attack has occurred since.

Since the introduction of nuclear weaponry, there has not been a conventional war between the major powers. The potential for mass destruction of human life, and the planet itself, has been a deterrent against war. After all, we avoided direct conflict throughout the Cold War – a nuclear holocaust was enough to ease tensions.

And that is preciously what a nuclear weapon is – a deterrent. The prospect for deployment has been enough to pull governments back from the brink. India and Pakistan managed to turn away from war, at the beginning of the 21st Century, when nuclear missiles were put on high alert. In a nuclear war, there are no winners; the victor gains nothing but radioactive fallout, cancer epidemics and devastation of infrastructure and human life. It is a victory nobody wants to celebrate or remember.

Everybody loses.

And it’s that fear, the event of unprecedented destruction which helps to prevent war. Having “the bomb” adds a whole new dimension to diplomacy and even conflict. During the First Gulf War, Saddam never fulfilled his threats of using chemical weapons against coalition forces when the United States refused to rule out the possibility of a nuclear retaliation.

Of course, I wish to live in a nuclear free world, but that utopia does not exist. With a nuclear arms race in the Middle East, Russia increasing stockpiles and China refusing to give a credible account of its arsenal, it would be wrong for Britain to disarm in the current climate. Especially when we have disputed overseas territories.

Until the world becomes a less hostile place and humanity enters a more peace future, it is probably wise to keep a nuclear deterrent. Just in case.

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Washington Times: Libertarians are not corporate apologists

Probably one of the most honest and very well written summary of libertarianism and its growing impact on American politics. Displays many myths, especially on corporations and regulation;

 

TAMPA, October 22, 2012 — In the wake of Ron Paul’s campaign and with Gary Johnson rising in the polls, libertarianism may just get a hearing for the first time in decades.

Most people would probably be surprised at the libertarian stand on corporations. In a libertarian society, they wouldn’t exist. Corporations are creatures of the state. They are created by the government and endowed with privileges that individuals do not have. This contradicts a fundamental premise of libertarianism, that all people are created equal and have equal rights.

British libertarians need to learn from our American brethren; there is plenty of room for a strong and vibrant libertarian voice in British politics. UKIP are morphing into a quasi-libertarian party (even though authoritarian views on defence spending and immigration still exist), but a more powerful libertarian movement is needed.

This Washington Times article helps to negate some false ideas and myths on libertarianism, yet much more work is needed.

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Labour begin to question relations with the EU

A fascinating article by the BBC on Labour’s dilemma on British membership of the European Union and what to do; it is quite possible Labour will advocate return of powers and renegotiation of membership – matching the Tories.

The proposed reforms for the Eurozone, a potential federal Europe and new Treaty might be too much for any political party in the United Kingdom to support. Apart from the Liberal Democrats, I fear.

But Labour seem to be struggling with the question of Europe. With two years away from European Parliamentary Election, Ed Miliband has to answer three questions:

1) Will he offer a referendum on UK membership?

2) Is he for or against a federal Europe?

3) Should Britain renegotiate membership?

While many Conservative politicians have openly called for a reappraisal of the UK’s relationship with the EU, Labour’s leadership has been curiously quiet – but behind the scenes it is reassessing its stance on Britain’s place in Europe.

….

Behind the scenes, influential figures admit that the party has to think very hard about how it would approach the new challenges which the EU is creating for Britain.

How far should Britain accept and adapt to a place in a second or third tier of EU membership as the euro-zone unites? Should a Labour government seek to bring some powers back from Brussels?

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Was there a government cover-up on child abuse?

A former Tory Minister last night made incendiary claims that one of Margaret Thatcher’s closest aides was implicated in one of the most harrowing child abuse scandals of recent times.

Rod Richards, a former Conservative MP and ex-leader of the Welsh Tories, made the shocking allegation that he had seen evidence linking Sir Peter Morrison to the North Wales children’s homes case, in which up to 650 children in 40 homes were sexually, physically and emotionally abused over 20 years.

There have been rumours and whispers for years, ever since this story broke in the mid 90s. Jimmy Savile himself is allege to have visited this children’s home along with other figures, who currently cannot be named. Of course, a conspiracy theorist goes wild and has a habit to link the entire establishment to any sign of child abuse.

In this case, they might be correct. The Daily Star reports that police were warned off from investigating an child abuse involving senior figures during the Thatcher years, and goes on to print allegations of a notorious child abuse ring throughout Europe.

The more you read into the allegations and reports, the more confusing it gets; you want to avoid sounding like David Icke and alluding to a grand conspiracy. But, in this case, a genuine and well organised effort has occurred to prevent certain stories from appearing in the press. People have been protected; even though the police were pursuing lines of investigations and inquires.

We have a right to know who these people were and why reporting restrictions remain in place.

There is something unnerving about Jimmy Savile, the BBC and the possibility of a defunct child abuse syndicate, that almost makes you not want to write or contemplate it.

 

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‘Parliament and No.10′ paedophile ring evidence no longer exists

CPS have confirmed to the BBC the file has been destroyed.

Unless other evidence exists, this shall remain secret. Fleet Street will still be prohibited from reporting on historical allegations linked to former Prime Ministerial aides, two party leaders and a dozen MP’s.

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Is the BBC ‘fit and proper’? Time to find out

The BBC are desperate to save face. As Jonathan wrote over at Liberal England, the BBC have repeatedly lied throughout the whole crisis. Leaked e-mails and the bizarre revelation of government ministers being “gagged” on Question Time, to prevent criticism of the BBC’s handling over the decision to pull Newsnight, point to cover up and conspiracy. Even employees are engaging in public arguments and disagreement against senior management.

Something is not right with this story. The BBC’s behaviour has been odd and, frankly, hostile throughout.

Tory MP Philip Davies has written to Ofcom demanding the BBC undergoes a ‘fit and proper’ test; currently, the BBC is not accountable to Ofcom – but it will inevitably come under the authority of the media regulator, like rival broadcasters.  The corporation can no longer be hostile to outsiderS; an investigation into the BBC itself is required.

12 individual, major TV stars, are to be arrested in connection with Jimmy Savile and child abuse. The potential is the exposes of a major paedophile ring operating within the BBC. Yet, BBC News 24 and its radio stations continue to occasionally give airtime to guests who defend the BBC, dismiss the idea of a cover-up and argue this is nothing compared to phone hacking.

Raping and abusing children, on BBC property, is A LOT worse than phone hacking.

It is absolutely paramount a ‘fit and proper’ test is carried out and proceeded by an independent inquiry.

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300 alleged victims linked to Jimmy Savile

Savile inquiry update: police say 300+ potential victims, 130 interviewed so far, 114 allegations of sexual and seriously sexual assaults.

The Metropolitan Police have described this as the “most prolific sex offender in recent history”; majority of the allegations are against Jimmy Savile, but individuals (who are still alive) are under investigation.

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Rape, God and the GOP

In a debate among Indiana candidates for Senate on Tuesday, GOP candidate Richard Mourdock declared that he opposes aborting pregnancies conceived as a result of a rape because “it is something God intended to happen.”

Probably the most stupidest, insane, ridiculous, utterly obnoxious and fundamentalist statement I have ever heard. Even opposing abortion in cases of rape is beyond extreme – not even the Christian Right of the 1980s backed such a policy.

I thought God was a loving, caring omnipotent being; apparently rape is apart of his grand plan after all, according to Mourdock.

The lunatics have finally taken over the mainstream wing of the GOP.

 

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