tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-59021262011-04-22T05:54:11.804+01:00Sunrise over the Red Hill"That doctrine of the equality of all men, which has been preached by knavery, and so greedily adopted by malice, envy, and cunning." Edmund BurkeRoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.comBlogger151100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1095373370006641112004-09-16T23:14:00.000+01:002004-09-16T23:22:50.006+01:00"The immigration authorities have more powers than they did a few years ago" Tony Blair speaking about doubling the number of failed asylum seekers being removed. On a report shown on BBC Newsnight. It's just a shame that they have had more than enough powers 5, even 10 years ago. The thing that has been lacking has been the political will to remove those that have failed. Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1094493065891781182004-09-06T18:51:00.000+01:002004-09-08T15:24:31.016+01:00I have been away from the screen for a while but the events in Russis over the last week have prompted me to think that some thoughts views need expressing if nothing else as a catharsis. I wil aim to post my synthesis on this and the wider questions it raises over the next couple of days. Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1079911001995823732004-03-21T23:16:00.001Z2004-03-21T23:25:00.936ZID cards As dear reader you may know I generally take the line that the removal of liberty needs to be justified by those proposing any change. Firstly it any change needs to be show as necessary, secondly that the proposal will have an effective outcome. So I was rather concerned at this from the Sunday Times via a post over at White Rose that David Blunkett wishes to force through the Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1079910979707730052004-03-21T23:16:00.000Z2004-03-21T23:19:43.653ZVisible In the aftermath of Madrid it was noticable that on a recent trip returning from London armed police with dogs had migrated from the airport terminal itself to the rail station at Gatwick airport. Im not sure if its effective it is but it is an attempt at visibility, showing that something being seen to be done.Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1079909948773418592004-03-21T22:59:00.000Z2004-03-21T23:05:19.873ZThe Spanish Way Over at Inside Europe an intersting quote about how the spanish are dealing with their terror suspects. I am bemused by the bleatings of assorted elements of the "human rights" lobby about how awful that the Britons held at Guantanamo Bay (ubiquitously dubbed the 'Tipton Taliban') were kept locked up without trial etc. It appears our good friends in Spain have no such qualms, (Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1075420541664504032004-01-29T23:55:00.000Z2004-01-29T23:59:56.153ZI have been non-blogging for a while as you can see..Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1071707874853385142003-12-18T00:37:00.000Z2004-01-30T00:06:17.060Zhow it could have been... A few days old but this David Blair article is excellent and need airing further. Link via Stephen PollardRoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1071425173582855072003-12-14T18:06:00.000Z2003-12-14T18:11:07.496ZHow true... Laban Tall wryly notes: "Over the last year we have heard a mighty chorus of voices urging that Iraq be run by the Iraqi people with no outside interference. Just watch those same people urge that Saddam not be handed over to the Iraqis."Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1071423890503200712003-12-14T17:44:00.000Z2003-12-14T18:04:11.673ZCaught Well after being confirmed this is good news. I’m not surprised by the amount of what can only be described as guff being spouted by news organisations hypothesising the effect it will/can/wont have. Further comment about what effect this event will have simply tends to display the commentator’s prejudice on the war and its aftermath.Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1071420665101140212003-12-14T16:51:00.000Z2003-12-14T18:03:31.410ZEU I am glad to see that discussions to agree an EU constitution have for the moment collapsed. Whilst Tony Blair has made much of the red line issues which have been won in Britain's favour although these were at best tepid defence of the UK's ability to govern itself. Luckily it seems rather than having to rely on our own government's jelly like backbone to fight our corner, the polish have Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1070756639103669712003-12-08T00:17:00.000Z2003-12-08T12:53:53.626ZLets pretend... class war Once again a faceless government minister, in this case Alan Johnson (who ?), the higher education minister) brings up the apparent "class" divide at Oxbridge. This is a simply trashy the diversionary tactic this government employs from time to time. Regurgitating political totems that are in reality dead but which placate the small minded chippy critics of the same Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1070754851711240772003-12-08T00:16:00.000Z2003-12-08T12:59:57.370ZThe Great War ...Stupid motives Continuing on the historical theme a little late in highlighting it but a good post over at Samizdata with regard to the first world war. Commenters were generally intelligent, the best in my view being "Common, everyday, greed often gets a bad rap, and it is certainly the case when it is cited as a cause of WWI. If only the Germans had simply been greedy; asRoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1070753836060236992003-12-08T00:10:00.000Z2003-12-08T12:59:37.216ZHistory..Her Take Having watched Bettany Hughes's Seven Ages of Britain the other night I am reminded how political a subject History is. This is inclusive History Lite which is very much in line with the rather 'lets understand people and hug each other' view of the world that Channel Four (usually in its news programs) often takes. In this strange version of Dark Age events invading Vikings Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1065393359550165202003-10-05T23:23:00.000+01:002003-10-05T23:37:56.340+01:00Browsing over at Harry's Place (see link on the left), I have been left wondering at the comments sections. Why is it that when certain types post in a comment box they write essays in justification of their views? Usually the arguments are obtuse an rhetorical and are simply an exercise in egoism. Surely these people should simply get their own blog rather than pretend such verbiage helps an Roghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5902126.post-1065390351993113992003-10-05T22:30:00.000+01:002003-10-05T23:15:30.560+01:00Welcome to the this new blog, in which I aim to comment on news, current affairs and other area's that come to mind. Posting will likely be sporadic, as I will need the force of an opinion to be strong enough to overcome my natural languidness to put finger to keyboard. I have been inspired by many of the quality efforts in the blogosphere. I hope to emulate them in part or at least be a cheapRoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14158875708781450600noreply@blogger.com0