Daniel Hannan's Acceptance Speech

Melanie Phillips Explains The Recent BNP Success

The Spectator's Melanie Phillips provides a devastating analysis of the recent election in the UK. She points out that the Radical Leftist domestic policies of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown have directly lead to the victories of the Far Right party, the BNP. Never forget that politics is like a pendulum. Most people would like things to remain relatively in the middle but when it starts moving too far in one direction then there's a natural reaction of the public to pull it back in equal, and sometimes even greater, measure.

Here's a little of what she wrote:
Labour MPs are shocked that it is their own voters who have turned to the BNP. They are shocked because it is a mantra of the left that it stands in heroic and historic opposition to fascism. This is untrue. Both fascism and communism have their roots in counter-Enlightenment, obscurantist thinking which replaced reason by emotion, Judeo-Christian ethics by paganism, and the rejection of the primacy of the individual in favour of collectively imposed authority.

Barack Obama and the Democrats in the U.S. should heed a careful warning from what's transpiring in the UK.

Obama's National Suicide Plan

Alan Caruba has written an excellent piece, comparing Obama's plans with those that were carried out by Britain's Labour governments (and failed badly, by the way). Well worth a read!

What If . . . We Had Just Passed President Palin's 100 Days?

Victor Davis Hanson takes Barack Obama's actions during the first 100 days of his presidency and juxtaposes them into the scenario of a President Palin presidency. Do you think the media coverage would have been:

1. Precisely the same
2. Somewhat the same
3. Somewhat different
4. Completely different

Answer that question truthfully and you'll understand how incredibly corrupt the mainstream media is in the Year 2009.

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In a parallel thread, have you been following the Telegraph's superb coverage of the rampant corruption amongst MPs in the UK? Imagine that identical corruption had been occurring in the Democrat Party in America. Ask yourself the same question as above about the media coverage of it. Does anyone doubt that we'd have another #4 ???

Britain's Most Shameful Hour

In any social gathering it's usually pretty easy to identify those folks on the Far Left of the political spectrum. Just look for those who [appear to be] the most compassionate and open minded. How will you find them? They will tell you so, repeatedly and loudly!

To see the true spirit of such folks in practice, one needs to go no further than following the banning of Michael Savage from the UK. Yes, he's a loud mouth. Yes, he sometimes says some stupid things. But so what?! To suggest that he's inciting hatred is simply Leftist double-speak for "we don't agree with your opinions".

I find it very strange that in the nation that prides itself on Speaker's Corner, the government is so intent on shutting up people it has ideological differences with.

Too bad that British Home Secretary Jacqui Smith doesn't have the intellectual fortitude to reflect upon other countries (current and historical) that have taken the same course of action as her. The UK, once a glorious beacon to the world, has become a despicable Free Speech Denier. Note: I only use the "D" word to mock the Global Warming zealots of the Left who throw the term around so loosely these days.

Britain still does have democratic elections, don't they? It will be most interesting to see if the good people of the United Kingdom still care about their democracy and freedom enough to toss out these thugs currently in power. If bankrupting their nation and taking away their free speech rights isn't enough, one has to wonder what is!

Finally, make absolutely no mistake that there's a direct correlation with the mindset of Jacqui Smith and her ilk and the "Human Rights" Commissions here in Trudeaupia. It's proof positive why all Canadians must fight these same dark forces wherever and whenever we can!

Are We on the Brink of a Race War in the UK?

In his landmark book, America Alone, Mark Steyn predicted that something like this, albeit much more widespread and more violent, would eventually break out.

Who are the protesters, mostly young men, that we see in the video? Well, the UK media and the British government will tell you that they are BNP supporters, racists, and neo-nazis. I wonder if that's true.

While there are undoubtedly some true zealots there, my guess is that many, if not most, are average young men who are fed up with all the traditions of their nation being thrown away in favour of "multiculturalism" and political correctness. In practice this means that the British traditions and values are no longer paramount IN BRITAIN. That is sheer lunacy and a sure recipe for the destruction of any nation.

Superb Interview with Daniel Hannan

You might recall this video:


Here's an interesting interview with Hannan, beginning at 34:00. And there's a continued discussion about Hannan here, beginning at 7:00.

Debate on Free Speech in the UK

To see just how far British citizens have strolled down the path of political correctness, listen carefully to what the female panelist, Baroness Williams, says and the loud applause she receives. Sheeple ALL!

The Perils of Endless Spending

British MP, Daniel Hannan, gives a much needed tongue lashing to UK PM Gordon Brown:

One thing is perfectly clear: the bankruptcy of Great Britain is due to a lack of fiscal responsibility.

Here's Hannan interviewed by Glenn Beck:

A New Trend For UK Immigrants?

Deva Kumarasiri is an immigrant from Sri Lanka who moved to the UK 17 years ago. He's also proud to be British. So much so that if other immigrants come into his postal outlet who have not bothered to learn English, he tells them to go away and learn it.

I would LOVE to see this guy in Canada be taken in front of one of our dreadful "human rights" kangaroo courts. He would make mincemeat of them!

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Update: Thanks to David I've learned that Mr. Kumarasiri has been forced to a new location because of threats from angry Muslims. Britain truly has lost its soul.

Is Early Sex Education Encouraging Children to Have Sex?

Lost in Translation [Mark Steyn]

Yesterday I wrote about Britain's pint-sized pop of the week, Alfie Patten, the four-foot middle-schooler about to undergo a paternity test. A reader adds:

Besides “financially,” the other word that stood out in that story was “despite.” As in:

Britain has the highest underage pregnancy rate in western Europe, despite channelling substantial resources into sex education for children as young as five.

On this side of the pond we would say “because of” or “due to;” perhaps you could explain this alternate British meaning of “despite” to your American readers?

Yes, note that, even though Judith Woods is using Alfie as the emblem of what she calls a "broken Britain", her language betrays a lot of the same assumptions as the toxic nanny state.

02/17 10:25 AM

Scary Times in the UK

There is great speculation that Britain's Labour government has taken their country to the brink of bankruptcy. More here.

London in 2009

This is the future that the Left has brought us: The inmates ruling the asylum.

John Kaponi Paper Review on Big George's Show

While I'm working, I frequently listen to ["Big"] George Webley's show on BBC London Radio. So much so that he has given me the nickname of "Doctor Robert". I like it because it allows me to honestly say, "I'm not a real doctor but I play one on the BBC".

John Kaponi is the editor of the TheLondonDailyNews.com. Once a week he appears on George's show, where the two of them do a fairly comprehensive review of the latest newspapers. Here's a video of part of their segment:

Big George's show used to begin at 2am London time but now starts at 10pm over there. If you live in North America, then you can listen to it at these times:

• 2 - 6pm : Pacific
• 3 - 7pm : Mountain
• 4 - 8pm : Central
• 5 - 9pm : Eastern

P.S. I know that this video seems a little dry & serious but most of the show is actually quite comical & lively. Listening to it is a great way to get a feel for the zeitgeist of the UK.

On The Opposite End of the Self-Reliance Spectrum

We have England, with this crazy story.

Drunk women wearing high-heels will be handed flip-flops by police so that they don't hurt their ankles. Yes, you read that correctly. Remember, we're nowhere near April Fool's Day. This is a true story.

And I realize that some will argue that such a program makes financial sense because it cuts down on health care costs. But there is an obvious question that goes begging: Do we really want to live in a society that treats us all like 3 year olds, in which there is absolutely no need to be responsible for anything? For the Radical Left, this is their idea of nirvana. For some of us it's nothing short of an Orwellian nightmare!

"Preventing National Suicide" by Melanie Phillips

When something critically important or interesting comes along I will break free from my self-imposed exile from politics to post it. Here is such an article, by British writer Melanie Phillips. I offer it without further comment, but simply as a reference for all concerned people to reflect upon over the next 4 years.

David Berner's UK Trip

And so it begins ... Mr. Berner has embarked a journey around assorted parts of the UK. He's graciously keeping us back home well informed about his trip here. Though I completely understand the technology of the Internet, I still can't get over how amazing it is that someone can be communicating in real-time from the other side of our large planet. The Internet and cel phones have certainly changed travel forever and not necessarily in an entirely positive way for those doing the traveling. But absolutely great for those of us not on the trip.

London Mayoralty Election: The 8-Year Socialist Experiment is Over

I've been careful following the Election for Mayor in London, England. If you don't live there you may be surprised to learn that the latest incarnation of this position has only been in existence since 2000. And since then it has been occupied by a devout Socialist named Ken Livingstone.

Much like the federal Liberal government in Canada, Livingstone and his Labour Party cronies have successfully played the race card with great success. But in the process taxes have gone sky-high, the bureaucracy has inflated in size, and corruption scandals have become the norm. In other words, just par for the course for a Socialist Mecca!

At the same time, crime has risen dramatically and the fear of crime has risen even higher. Such is the Socialist mentality of looking at everyone as a victim ... especially if the perpetrator is a minority.
The hard working, law abiding citizens of London are absolutely fed up and finally said, "Enough is Enough!" They've tossed Livingstone out and elected Conservative candidate Boris Johnson. The jury's still out about Johnson but clearly he can't be any worse than "Red Ken".

Coincidentally, my city of Vancouver has been following a similar pattern of one incompetent mayor after another. Our latest is not technically a socialist but is just as incompetent as one. One day things will get so bad that a right-thinking mayor will be elected and clean up the mess.

The British Educational System is an Abysmal Failure!

I've previously reported that 91% of British teachers are against helping students develop a better sense of British identity. They cite phrases like "morally ambiguous issues" and "patriotism getting in the way of multi-cultural issues" to defend their views. All of this is ultra left-wing claptrap!

As I've mentioned before, nowadays I spend a lot of time listening to BBC London Radio. It's a superb station, where you hear from a multitude of average Londoners about what is really going on in the UK, not just the fluff their Tourism Department wants you to know about. What's very clear is that there are severe problems there now, much of them centered around misguided youths who know little about their nation's history and who have divided themselves into different groups & even gangs, based on ethnic and religious differences. This is the future that awaits Canada and the U.S. if we continue along the same path.

A new poll has been conducted that provides further proof of the great incompetence of the British school system and the teachers over there. Here are some of the findings:

• 20% of students believe that Winston Churchill was a fictional character.
• 58% believe that Sherlock Holmes was a real person, who lived at 221B Baker Street.
• 47% believe that Eleanor Rigby was a real person rather than a name invented by The Beatles.
• 51% believe that Robin Hood was a real man who lived in Sherwood Forest.

Without further investigation, no one can place the blame on individual teachers, but there clearly must be an abundance of teachers and undoubtedly their union, who must be given an "F" for failure. If they were in jobs where they could readily be fired, then the "F" would take on an even more important meaning!

I have nothing against the British, nor their country. In fact, I have many friends who hail from there. What I am sick and tired of is institutional incompetence that is defended by those who are more interested in keeping their jobs than actually doing their jobs properly.

Why Do So Many Teachers Dislike Their Own Countries?

There's an interesting debate occurring in Britain about whether to promote "British-ness" throughout the school system. Such an initiative would be a very good thing and would finally put an end to the destructive multicult policies that have been hurting so many Western nations. For a house divided against itself is certain to fall apart.

Yet, as could have been predicted, 91% of school teachers are against this idea. No big surprise at all but both scary and sad that such people are the ones indoctrinating our children.

Question #1: If such a poll were conducted in B.C., asking teachers how they felt about promoting Canadian-ness, do you think the results would be much different. I don't.

Question #2: Why do so many Socialist Kool Aid drinkers end up becoming teachers (and journalists)?!?

Update: Melanie Phillips weighs in.