Saturday 16 December 2006

What sort of nationalism?

Another plug for toque, a post on what we should be aiming for in English nationalism, while here newera has a perhaps more idealistic (but no less valid) conception of what he means by it. I'd say my own view falls somewhere between the two.

Friday 15 December 2006

Oliver Postgate, blogging

For the staggers

it's not just about blue string soup but that's got to be in there somewhere

MP's views on the campaign for an English national anthem

here

Dear oh dear, talk about mealy mouthed politicans.

Thanks to Little Man Toque
for drawing my attention to it in his reply to this post

Not being convinced by the choice of words is not an excuse to not support the motion, lets establish the principle of a national anthem then argue over it's content.

I'm a little angel

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How evil are you?

According to this anyway, thanks to Not Saussure for this

I don't see how a gun would make me more angelic

Farepack update

Well, at least they're getting something

Well done to everyone who has donated something to the victims. Still it's a shame to see the scum who stole the money in the first place (the company's owners) getting away with it.

This is what I want for Christmas



Hey forget the bad taste

You do get the chance to play for the anti christ's team, but they can't win.

As based on the books by this bloke. No one mention transvestite serial killer lookalikes please!

What a picture!

I don't normally go in for purile trot leftism, but this one is class.

From here

Morning after pill "controversy"

Frankly unlike Bel over here

I can't see what all the fuss is about, morning after pills should be available for free when required like any other medication, subject to the same health considerations of course.

"Call me ignorant, but I thought that the general aim of a charity was to benefit society."

I'm not sure about ignorant, but you are wrong. Charities are supposed to benefit who or whatever they say they want to benefit, or push whatever line they say they want to push. As it happens I think they are benefiting society by putting these ideas forward.

Serious fraud probe dropped


What a surprise the government and the Serious Fraud Office have dropped the corruption probe into BAE's dealings with the Saudis

The only surprising thing was that they were probing it in the first place. And to claim they are dictching the probe on grounds of 'national security' is a laugh.

It just goes to show that where cash is concerned principles go out the window. Another issue of course is all the fuss about muslim women and the veil, the government seems to be happy to jump on the hysterical bandwagon over that, complete with one of their MPs (Jack Straw) demanding muslim women strip before he will see them in his office - and yet they are quite happy to take the money and run when it comes to dealing with a vile Islamo-fascist regime, that happens to have a lot of oil money.

The excellent Chicken Yoghurt looks into the issue in more depth here, and raises some other points

Blogging to peak next year

According to this report on the BBC

It will reach a peak of around 100 million bloggers, with 200 million having already stopped.

I wonder how long I'll keep this one up.

"68% of English want own Parliament"

This is from the Telegraph, cut and pasted so we don't lose it.

Britain wants UK break up, poll shows
By Patrick Hennessy and Melissa Kite, Sunday Telegraph, 26/11/2006

The United Kingdom should be broken up and Scotland and England set free as independent nations, according to a huge number of voters on both sides of the border.

A clear majority of people in both England and Scotland are in favour of full independence for Scotland, an ICM opinion poll for The Sunday Telegraph has found. Independence is backed by 52 per cent of Scots while an astonishing 59 per cent of English voters want Scotland to go it alone.

There is also further evidence of rising English nationalism with support for the establishment of an English parliament hitting an historic high of 68 per cent amongst English voters. Almost half – 48 per cent – also want complete independence for England, divorcing itself from Wales and Northern Ireland as well. Scottish voters also back an English breakaway with 58 per cent supporting an English parliament with similar powers to the Scottish one.

The poll comes only months before the 300th anniversary of the Act of Union between England and Scotland and will worry all three main political parties. None of them favours Scottish independence, but all have begun internal debates on the future of the constitution.

The dramatic findings came as Gordon Brown, the favourite to succeed Tony Blair as Prime Minister, delivered an impassioned defence of the Union at Labour's Scottish conference in Oban yesterday.

In an attack on the Scottish National Party, against whom Labour will fight a bitter battle for control of the Edinburgh-based parliament next May, the Chancellor claimed: "We should never let the Nationalists deceive people into believing that you can break up the United Kingdom."

The ICM poll told a very different story, however, with 60 per cent of English voters complaining that higher levels of public spending per head of the population in Scotland were "unjustified", compared to 28 per cent claiming they were justified. Even among Scots, 36 per cent said the system was unfair, with only 51 per cent supporting it.

Voters also had serious concerns about the so-called West Lothian Question, the ability of Scottish MPs at Westminster to vote on solely English matters while many purely Scottish issues are decided in Edinburgh. Sixty-two per cent of English voters want Scottish MPs stripped of this right and even 46 per cent of Scots agreed. The poll showed that the English are more likely to think of themselves as British than the Scots are. Only 16 per cent of English people said they were "English, not British", compared to 26 per cent of Scots who said they were "Scottish, not British."

In the sporting arena, 70 per cent of English people said they would support a Scottish team playing football or rugby against a nation other than England. But, when the question was put to Scots, only 48 per cent said they would back England with 34 per cent supporting their opponents, no matter which country it was.

While I certainly don't agree with all the reasons given in the article why English people want independence or a parliament, I can't disagree with the conclusions. We want our own government, we want to be recognised as a nation in our own right - and the only people trying to stop us are the political establishment.

This isn't about England Vs Scotland, but about the people Vs the politicans.

Apologies for the old news, I'll make sure my second post is more upto date.

I'm a geek I admit it

Thanks to the Adelaide Green Porridge Cafe for this

Words fail me...

Direct link here

Border issue barrier to split?

Scaremongering in the 'Scotsman' today

What a load of cobblers, as Alex Salmond points out border controls and migration between the UK and the Irish Republic have hardly been strictly enforced even during the height of the troubles. All Scotland would have to do is remain part of the 'Common Travel Area' that involves Britain and Ireland. My wife's family are Irish catholics with members living on both sides of the border, most of them don't even bother with dual citizenship it's just not an issue for them, and I don't see why it would be between to other independent states.

Bumper crop of blueberries found on Mars


According to New Scientist here

Alright so not quite as exciting as the headline made it sound, like everything when it comes to Mars exploration, hey we've found canals - no, sorry they're giant cracks, hey there's green vegetation - sorry it was a stain on the telescope or something, hey we've found a giant face - oops no sorry shadow and crater, hey we've found a rock in Antarctica that's from Mars and got fossilised microbes - ha! I'm not falling for that again, the microbes could from Earth right?

You've cried wolf too many times Mars experts...

Thursday 14 December 2006

Blogpower and the end of futurism...

I found this on blather, the excellent Dublin site


Blather interviewee Bruce Sterling pens his last wired.com article:

"The future of the Internet lies not with institutions but with individuals. Low-cost connections will proliferate, encouraging creativity, collaboration, and telecommuting. The Net itself will recede into the background. If you're under 21, you likely don't care much about any supposed difference between virtual and actual, online and off. That's because the two realms are penetrating each other; Google Earth mingles with Google Maps, and daily life shows up on Flickr. Like the real world, the Net will be increasingly international and decreasingly reliant on English. It will be wrapped in a Chinese kung fu outfit, intoned in an Indian accent, oozing Brazilian sex appeal."

Here's the full article

This seems to tie in to some of the ideas expressed here by James Higham and friends...

the idea of co-operation between a loose network of small blogs...

I'd even go as far as wondering whether the internet itself is "dead" - do people actually still spend hours browsing randomly like they used to? I know that for the last couple of years I've pretty much only gone to sites I already know, or on the recomendations of others.

Our jolly scottish cousins

This picture shows what fun it must be attending socialist rallys in Scotland... Hmmm... OK

Why choose that flag then?

Just in case anyone is wondering what that green and red flag with a white dragon is all about... The honest answer is that I like designing flags. The political answer is that while I don't have a problem with the English flag, I've got a sticker on my car after all - I reckon the ideal of English Republicanism needs another symbol, one that can be exclusively associated with it.

Well the White dragon allegedly comes from King Alfred's battle standard and is an excepted symbol of ango-saxon England, also white is the colour of peace, not surrender contrary to popular belief - and a white dragon could symbolise a peaceful nation that is prepared to defend itself.

Pictures in books show 17th century revolutionaries like the diggers and levellers with green flags - green was the colour of 18th century radicals because it was the "commoners' colour" and therefore seen as democratic. There's also all the images and descriptions of 'A green and pleasant land' of course.

Red needs no introduction as the colour of the international working class and labour movement.

Also Red and White are the colours of the English flag, and the Welsh flag has a similar design.

I propose that any lefties or democrats that support the campaigns for an English parliament or for outright independence print off copies of this design, for stickers, posters or leaflets.

If you want - and stick the picture on your blogs and websites. Maybe it'll catch on.

Transistria's president returned to office


Wikipedia article here

The happy chappie is Igor Smirnov of the Respublika party. He has been the President of this internationally unrecognised 'democracy' since 1990.



According to Wikipedia, this little nation despite not really existing has more names than most 'real' countries!

"Other names in use


In Russian, the names used for Transnistria are always consistently either Pridnestrovskaia Moldavskaia Respublica or Pridnestrovie (the two official names, long- and short- respectively). However, in English a wide variety of names have been used to describe the region, among them: Trans-Dniester, Transdnistria, Transdniestria, Transdniestr, Trans-Dniestria, Transdniester, Transniestria, Transdnestr, also Trans-Dnjestr and Trans-Dnjester.

The government of Moldova refers to the region Stînga Nistrului, which means "Left Bank of the Nistru" although in in the Moldovan Latin script, the official name is Republica Moldovenească Nistreană (which translates to English as "Nistrian Moldovan Republic"). The European Court of Human Rights used the name Moldavian Republic of Transdniestria or Moldovan Republic of Transnistria (MRT), while OSCE and others sometimes refer to it as the Transnistrian Moldovan Republic (TMR). Author Charles King, in his book The Moldovans, uses the names Dnestr Republic and Dnestr Moldovan Republic (DMR)."

Worlds tallest man saves dolphins


Good lad

I wouldn't want to be accused of parochialism!

How many post offices to close?

According to this, up to 3,000 many of them in rural areas. So the government wants to cut car use but is forcing more rural people to drive more often. OK that makes perfect sense. Actually this about more 'rationalisation' it's about making the Royal Mail fit for final privatisation.


"You cannot carry on putting a massive amount of public subsidy into this"
Prime Minister Tony Blair

And yet you can continue putting a massive public susbsidy into the arms trade, which employs fewer people, you can continue to subsidise America's war in Iraq - but when it comes to providing subsidies for normal people, that's a different matter.

The English are racist!





Aren't we? You know a lot of people on the left and in liberal circles (mostly the middle classes it seems) like to claim that the english are racist and so is any attempt at fostering an English identity.

Well no... Surely rather than criticising the behaviour of people around the world cup and other big events, why not encourage people to come together under a shared English identity?

Rather than encouraging people to describe themselves as "Afro-carribean" or Muslim, or "Anglo-Saxon" why not just say English?

Maybe that gay English flag is just another example of the latent fascism of the English people...

The Visual Front


On a lighter note, I've found this cool site that gives me an excuse to attempt posting my first picture!

It's full of posters (mostly republican) from the Spanish Civil War, probably the last time republicans, socialists, communists, and anarchists were all too briefly united in a common front against the true enemy.

This poster says that "saving the crop is the same as defeating the enemy in battle".

Where's the logic?

One question that keeps returning to the lips of politicans and journalists during this terrible story
is "How can a tiny police force like Suffolk handle such a large case?" "Wouldn't a merged East Anglian force be more efficient?"

Well, at the moment Suffolk is able (and is doing) to call neighbouring forces for any help they require. If the forces had been merged considering one of the arguments in favour of merger (the main one in fact) was economies of scale if anything they'd have to go even further afield to find the manpower they needed since departments would have been merged and cut and officers would have been redeployed all in the name of effiency.

Still it wouldn't surprise me if this was the news story required to reignite the debate.

The West Lothian Answer

The West Lothian Question was named after the MP for that constituency the mighty democrat Tam Dalyell.

"For how long will English constituencies and English Honourable members tolerate... at least 119 Honourable Members from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland exercising an important, and probably often decisive, effect on British politics while they themselves have no say in the same matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland?"

I think it's a stupid question - why should English MPs who have consistantly refused to back an English parliament punish our neighbours for demanding their democratic rights? The real question is not about so called celtic over-representation at Westminster, but English under-representation in our own country.

Tam was a fantastic politican, a true blue old school representative - but he was wrong on this issue
.

St Edmund, rightful patron of England?

St Edmund Blog

According to this fellow St Edmund, an east Anglian king was the patron saint of England until the 13th Century and was only replaced with St George the Palestinian as part of erasing the anglo saxon heritage of England.

Well I'm not sure about that, some of my fellow English patriots seem to have an unhealthy obsession with the idea of a Norman conspiracy to destroy the anglo saxons. I reckon St George was actually made patron saint to help drum up support for the crusades if anything. If I wasnt very tired at the moment (I am) I'd try and make a joke about George Bush and George Galloway but I really can't be arsed.

Anway whatever the reason, I'm not bothered really the idea of a patron saint at it's best should be so we have an excuse for a piss up and a day off work on their holiday - maybe we could have two patron saints.

Wikipedia article here

An English National Anthem

Billy Bragg, singer songwriter and leftwing English patriot on the subject, for the Daily Mirror.

How right he is as well It's a hoary old cliche to point out that at football and rugby internationals the Scots and the Welsh have their own national anthems to proudly sing, English players have to mumble and mime along to a British song about a god they mostly don't believe in saving an elderly German immigrant...

This quote in particular sums up the case for Jerusalem

"Jerusalem would also make a great anthem for England because it's a song about idealism. While the Scottish anthem, Flower of Scotland, goes on about beating the English 600 years ago, Jerusalem talks of the future, of fighting for something yet to be achieved "till we have built Jerusalem in England's green and pleasant land".

Wednesday 13 December 2006

Trade Union funding of Labour to be slashed?

BBC story here...


"Labour anger over funding plans
Chequebook
All the parties say they want more transparency in funding
There has been an angry response from Labour MPs to the suggestion that there might be a £50,000 limit on political donations, including from trade unions.

Sir Hayden Phillips, who is reviewing political funding, has suggested such a cap be phased in over four years.

Labour MP John McDonnell said this would break the "historic link" with unions, and suggested this was Tony Blair's "hidden agenda".

An emergency meeting of Labour's ruling body has been called for Thursday.


I see no reason why donations from trade unions should be exempt from the cap
Sir Hayden Phillips

There has been no official word from Downing Street on whether Mr Blair supports a cap on donations.

But Mr McDonnell, a left-wing Labour MP who has said he will stand against Gordon Brown to replace Mr Blair when he steps down, said "it looks as though the prime minister is backing these proposals".

Sir Hayden was asked by Tony Blair to examine whether agreement could be reached over changes to party funding following the emergence of the "cash for honours" allegations.

Those allegations, which are denied by all concerned, are that honours have been given to people in return for people donating, or lending, money to political parties".


Well my immeadiate knee jerk reaction as a trade unionist is good! It's depressing seeing money which goes into the union's political fund to be used for campaigning for the members being used to bankroll a party that sent working class lads out to kill or be killed on behalf of the US, a party that is selling off council housing, and robbing the pension fund.

Of course McDonnell (who is a decent bloke, though a complete dreamer) is right that Tony wants to cut the link and abandon the unions for good, well maybe it will work out in the interests of union members in the end.

Buy this book!

http://books.guardian.co.uk/extracts/story/0,6761,1252913,00.html

'The Likes of us' by Micheal Collins (no not that one!) it's about the history of the white, english working class from a class based stand point. Very inspiring and well worth a read, though the conclusions in the last chapter spoil it a little bit!

Send 'em back where they came from!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/spl/hi/in_depth/brits_abroad/html/default.stm

According to this BBC report there are 5.5 Million British born people living outside the UK, bloody immigrants!. Seriously though, it does put some of the anti immigrant hysteria in proportion!

Country name Resident Britons

Australia 1,300,000
Spain 761,000
United States 678,000
Canada 603,000
Ireland 291,000
New Zealand 215,000
South Africa 212,000
France 200,000

And according to this...

http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1312


In 2001 4.9 Million of the UK's population were born outside the country! And of course quite a few of those born outside were actually born to forces personel and surely can't be classed as immigrants.

An excellent leftist defence of Scottish Independence

http://www.opendemocracy.net/globalization-institutions_government/scottish_independence_4141.jsp

This statement pretty much sums up my feelings on the matter...

http://commentisfree.guardian.co.uk/iain_macwhirter/2006/12/scotland_isnt_subsidised.html

This another decent article on why Scotland isn't subsidised by England.

Both these articles were found on Kevin Williamson's excellent blog, which can be found on the links list.

Victory for anti-war protestors and civil liberties!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/gloucestershire/6174801.stm

This sort of thing is all too rare nowadays, fairplay to the Law Lords for upholding the right to protest

What is Republicanism?

"Republicanism is the ideology of governing a nation as a republic, with an emphasis on Liberty and ruled by the people. Republicanism always stands in opposition to monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy and dictatorship. More broadly, it refers to a political system that protects liberty, especially by incorporating a rule of law that cannot be arbitrarily ignored by the government. Much of the literature deals with the issue of what sort of values and behavior by the citizens is necessary if the republic is to survive and flourish; the emphasis has been on widespread citizen participation, civic virtue, and opposition to corruption. Supporters of republicanism argue that it demands a citizenry that puts a premium on civil virtue and opposes corruption, republicanism is incompatible with office holders using public power for personal gain".

The extract above pretty much sums up Republicanism for me.

England Abandoned?

For too long it seems as if the idea of an independent England has been ignored by the 'Left' and the field had been abandoned to the right and far-right lunatic fringe. Scotland has the pro-independence/nationalist parties, the SNP, SSP, and Greens, all of them are progressive and centre-left or far left, Wales has Plaid Cymru a proudly democratic socialist nationalist party, even Cornwall has Mebyon Kernow who describe themselves as 'green social democrats'.

An independent English Republic, that no longer flies the butcher's apron, that is free from the dreadful legacy of monarchy and empire, that can take it's place alongside free and independent equal neighbours, in the world community of Nations is surely a goal many Socialists and Democrats can identify with?

The fact is as Scotland and Wales move towards greater devolution and possibly outright independence, the rumblings of discontent in England will grow. Well that's fine, but at the moment the only political organisations capitalising on an increased desire for English self government are reactionary and rightwing, and sometimes openly racist and fascist.

Welcome to the English Republican

The idea behind this little blog is to provide a space for Republicans, Socialists, Liberals, Libertarians, and anyone else who is interested in English independence, and fed up of all the 'Celt bashing' the rightwing pro-independence movement seem to go in for.

I was born and brought up in England, and I still live here now, however I support the goals of Scottish and Welsh independence and a united Ireland .

In order to achieve an independent England we need to work with the nationalist and republican movements in our celtic neighbours.