This is another blog entry written in the context of an article. This time, it’s in response to the comments of grinning, socialist comedian Mark Steel in the Independent. The original article is at http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/charlie-hebdo-how-exactly-would-we-like-muslims-to-condemn-these-attacks-9966176.html and my own thoughts are framed around several of his comments. “Charlie Hebdo: Norway’s Christians didn’t…
I seem to spend a lot of time defending Ukip nowadays. I’m not a Kipper, nor will I ever be, as I disagree fundamentally with party politics, and, as with all parties, while I agree with some of their policies, I disagree profoundly with others – notably their attitude to…
25 years ago, in late 1989, I was an 18 year old who had gone through some big events in my life. I had finished sixth form at school and left with A levels in German, French, computer science, and general studies. I had lost my mum that September to…
I’m treating this as a living document, which will be subject to additions and amendments, but I wanted to make a start at least, following several earlier aborted attempts. Following the vote on Scottish independence, it seems appropriate to start sketching out my own thoughts on the future of the…
I had a new experience today. Our home phone line and broadband connection was ‘telephone slammed’. ‘Telephone slamming’, as I am now aware, is when a phone service and/or broadband provider takes over your service without your knowledge and with seemingly little in the way of security measures to make…
This blog entry is based on a comment I wrote in response to an article at http://nationalinterest.org/feature/switzerland-the-ultimate-democracy-11219, which, whilst highlighting the pros of Direct Democracy, makes reference to the ‘tyranny of the majority’. This is my response… This concept of the ‘tyranny of the majority’ always fascinates me, or more…
Commercial channels are becoming increasingly keen to produce the kind of programmes designed to polarise viewers and provoke angry debate; shows with dialogue which is overtly designed to divide. We recently had Benefits Street, and the latest attempt designed to stir up trouble has aired over the last few days….
I’m pleased about the campaign to protect civil liberties in Russia, especially regarding same-sex relationships. I look forward to this campaign continuing and expanding into areas of the world which don’t just outlaw promotion of homosexuality (as we used to in the UK), but still actively hang gay people or…
I was engaged in a brief discussion on tax revenues and who pays what in terms of taxes earlier today. During some background browsing, I discovered the website Where Does My Money Go. It’s a website which shows Britons how our taxes are divided between the different parts of government and…
The funny thing about this loony UKIP councillor story (and I do not share the councillor’s views on same-sex marriage or religion) is how the media and public have rounded on this guy and he’s ridiculed for beliefs which are deeply held religious beliefs. At the risk of sounding like…