We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.

Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Discussion Point VII

· Sui generis

What should be the collective noun for moonbats?

May 2nd, 2007 | 67 comments - (Comments are closed)

Discussion Point VI

· North American affairs

Who will be the next President of the United States?

April 25th, 2007 | 100 comments - (Comments are closed)

The next French President

· French affairs

Nicolas Sarkozy or Segolene Royal?

April 23rd, 2007 | 58 comments - (Comments are closed)

We forgot that you were here

· Balkans

The Balkans have been very quiet for what seems to be the longest time. Or, if not exactly quiet, then so overshadowed by other events that I had almost forgotten about them. Almost. But I have always regarded the region as an occasionally dormant volcano as opposed to a dead one.

In that context, this rather gloomy editorial from the Asia Times is worth reading:

When the outcome of a tragedy is known in advance, it finds ways of occurring earlier than expected. In this case, the fate of 100,000 Serbian Christians who remain in Kosovo may pre-empt the debate over Europe’s eventual absorption into the Muslim world.

The author makes no attempt to disguise his own sympathies so caveat lector.

I sometimes wonder how the last Balkan war would have played out without the NATO (read American) intervention. Very differently I suspect. In the event of another eruption, does the USA have the available resources and sufficient political will to perform an encore?

April 22nd, 2007 | 54 comments - (Comments are closed)

Weimar Britain

· UK affairs

As every right-thinking person instinctively knows, one is not allowed to refer to the British National Party without such reference being accompanied by frenzied denunciations. As if the mere act of acknowledging the existence of that organisation is sufficient to brand the speaker with a mark of depravity that has to be warded off in advance.

I have decided to scratch my name off the cast list of that particular pantomime. The show has been running for far too long, everyone knows the script by heart and it all sounds to terribly, suffocatingly tedious and, if this article in the Times is any indication at all, then I am not the only person to have lost patience with the same old, same old.

What I find so interesting about the article is not so much in what is being said but in the manner in which it is being said. Gone is the fear and loathing, gone is the high moral indictment, gone are the blistering accusations. Instead, the rising popularity of the BNP (and its leader, Nick Griffin) is examined with a tone which is temperate, measured and, in some places, bordering on the sympathetic. That remarkable change of tone is, of itself, significant:

About 70 people are packed into a back room of the Golden Lion pub, with not a skinhead or pair of Doc Martens in sight and more tweeds than T-shirts. They are male and female, young and old, working class and middle class, ex-Labour and ex-Tory, several of them Daily Telegraph readers. They are mostly solid Yorkshire folk who have watched immigrants transform areas in which they grew up and believe – rightly or wrongly – that their way of life is under threat. They are bewildered more than hate-filled. They are fearful more than fear-inspiring, and feel gagged by political correctness. They do not come from sink estates. They are stakeholders, people with something to lose.

Throwing their lot in with the BNP may not be the wisest course of action but it would be a gross mistake to dismiss these people as knuckle-dragging bigots. They are unlikely to think of themselves in those terms. Indeed, they are people whose national character (or a part of it, at least) was forged in the fight against national socialism and while I might question the course of their political migration, I cannot find it in myself to blame them for their clear disenchantment with the status quo. → Continue reading: Weimar Britain

April 19th, 2007 | 38 comments - (Comments are closed)

Non-job of the day (18/04/2007)

· UK affairs

As advertised (where else?) in the Guardian:

Equality and Diversity Manager

Organisation: MERSEYSIDE FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
Location: Merseyside
Salary: £31,653 -£33,315

Your challenge will be to ensure that a culture of fairness, equality and opportunity for all permeates through every Level of the organisation. You will achieve this by developing and implementing strategies, providing expert advice to managers. An innovative thinker, you will have experience of managing equality and diversity at a senior level within a complex organisation.

Get your applications in now!

April 18th, 2007 | 37 comments - (Comments are closed)

Little lambs led by jackasses

· Middle East & Islamic · Military affairs · UK affairs

It is all so clear to me now and I must say that I feel like such a fool for having been so taken in by the pantomime of ‘co-operation’ that was put on by our 15 naval personnel for the benefit of their Iranian captors and the wider world. Yes, I use the word ‘pantomime’ because what we all perceived to be a humiliating milquetoast submission was, in fact, a mere ploy to disguise a fiendishly brilliant plan to kill all the Iranian Guards by means of death from dehydration as a result of relentless and uncontrollable vomiting:

That was the last time Arthur saw Faye for six days as they were both put in solitary. Guards tried to make Faye crack by cruelly telling her she was the last of the 15 being held captive.

But, speaking of the moment they were reunited, he told how he wept and begged the 26-year-old for a hug. Arthur said: “I missed Topsy most of all. I really love her, as amumand a big sister. Not seeing her and not knowing if she was safe was one of the hardest parts of the whole thing.

“Then on the sixth day, when I was just about giving up hope, I was pulled from my bed in the early hours of the morning.

“They led me down a corridor and into a room, where I saw Topsy in a corner.

“I can’t describe how that felt…just every emotion rolled into one. I ran up to her, threw my arms round her and cried like a baby.

“When I’d calmed down, she asked, ‘Do you need another hug, a mother hug?’ and I said, ‘damn right’. She was just as pleased to see me because they’d told her I’d been sent home.

“Topsy said she’d always be there for me, to protect me and look after me.

Here endeth the lesson, Ahmedinejad. Those Iranian johnnies will never again make the mistake of underestimating the heroic professionalism and grim resolve of the Royal Navy.

April 10th, 2007 | 48 comments - (Comments are closed)

Trigger words

· Personal views

“Whenever I heard the word culture, I reach for my gun”.

That is a phrase that I had always attributed to Nazi grand fromage Hermann Goering. I have no idea when he said it or under what circumstances but, somehow, it seems to suit him. I can just imagine his pudgy hand fumbling around for a Walther while some petrified underling who realises that he has just put his foot in it urgently seeks a window to jump out of. However, according to this wiki, the quote was actually penned by a pro-Nazi playwright in the 1930’s.

But whatever the distasteful provenance, it should not blind anyone to value of the quote as an expression of inveterate grouchiness. In fact, as far as I am concerned, it succinctly and perfectly conveys my own sentiments in response to hearing or reading certain words or phrases. Examples are:

  • Sustainable development
  • Social justice
  • Fairtrade
  • Ethical anything
  • Eco-friendly
  • The anything community
  • Ken Livingstone

Of course, the above list is nowhere near exhaustive and is subject to constant updating and review.

Now the problem here is that I have to make do with reaching for my metaphorical gun because I live in the UK where having any sort of real, actual gun is pretty much prohibited, thanks largely to the indefatigable efforts of the same people who conjured up the words and phrases that appear in my list. I suppose that they must have known in advance the effect they would have on me and so combined their lexical work with a programme of self-preservation. A pox on them.

April 9th, 2007 | 47 comments - (Comments are closed)

Discussion Point V

· UK affairs

Is Britain a defeated nation?

April 7th, 2007 | 59 comments - (Comments are closed)

Setting the record straight

· Middle East & Islamic · UK affairs

Following the release of the 15 British sailors from Iranian captivity, the Prime Minister Tony Blair has issued the following statement:

“I am sure that I speak for everyone when I say how delighted I am that the Iranian goverment has released our 15 naval service personnel. This has obviously been a traumatic ordeal for all of them and their families and an extremely trying and difficult time for everyone else in involved in this unfortunate episode. Thankfully, common sense and cooler heads have prevailed. I must, however, make it categorically clear that we did not, nor would we ever, make any concessions, strike any bargains or agree any deals in order to secure their release. It is the unwavering policy of Her Majesty’s government to stand firm in the face of threats and to strenuously resist any attempts at blackmail or intimidation of any kind. That said, all that remains for me to do is join in with the rest of the nation in offering up our prayers and thanks to merciful Allah and his last prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him. Thank you.”

April 4th, 2007 | 43 comments - (Comments are closed)

Osama collects his winnings

· Middle East & Islamic · UK affairs

On the one hand, she could be deliberately downplaying expectations:

Hopes for the imminent release of 15 sailors and Royal Marines held in Iran were dampened yesterday when Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, urged “caution” over the chances of a swift end to the crisis.

But, and on the other hand, I am reluctant to give this woman credit for any degree of calculation that is not immediately connected to the furtherance of her own career. Let’s just say that nobody seems to have any idea as to how long our hijacked naval personnel will have to continue celebrating Iranian culture. That leaves us only with speculation.

So, who thinks that the RN personnel will be released:

A. Before the end of this month?
B. Before the end of this year?
C. Within 2 years?
D. Within 5 years?
E. Within 10 years?
F. Within 20 years?
G. Never?

April 4th, 2007 | 24 comments - (Comments are closed)

Go tell the Iranians, passerby…

· Arts & Entertainment · Middle East & Islamic

Movies have consequences:

“Iranian commentators are mainly angry, defending Iran’s action,” the e-mail said. “The reason for that is a) UK does not have a good/positive history in Iran b) Persians have been treated badly by Westerners e.g. in the movie 300 or referring to Persian Gulf as simply Gulf or Arabian Gulf, so now having the poor young sailors captivated by Iran, many Iranians feel proud!!!!!!”

Now what are the chances of Ahmedinejad changing his name to Xerxes?

April 2nd, 2007 | 32 comments - (Comments are closed)
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