The Goliard Blog has a wonderful breakdown of the mystery that is the Dutch political system. He explains the posibilities in coalition building for the Christian Democrats who won the vote. It is one of the best analyses of the results that I have seen, either in normal papers or on blogs. One wonders whether the only reason he wrote this bit was to be able to write Tweede Kamer (lower house in Dutch) often.
The name strikes me as sounding like one of the young political hacks I run into now and again. "This is Tweede Kamer; he is from Dorking in Kent and is the local Conservative Future Chairman."
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/18/2002 12:27:00 AM [+] ::
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:: 5/17/2002 ::
The Telegraph has an amusing analysis of the events in Holland. What is even more amusing is the paranoia that those Euro-elites have about the "rise" of the right in Europe. NB: to most of us in the Anglosphere, all the so-called "far-right" are so far left as to be left of the Labour Party. The Conservatives & the Republicans are almost off the spectrum in most of continental Europe. Libertarians don't even figure in the minds of most continental types, as we are unclassifiable.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/17/2002 12:26:00 PM [+] ::
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This is the sort of thing pro-Palestinian/anti-Jewish students get away with posting in the US these days. Double standards, you say?
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/17/2002 12:20:00 AM [+] ::
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:: 5/16/2002 ::
A Smile From The Den........
This is the kind of critter news that makes MommaBear smile a lot. This live-cam shot and the information that follows shows what H. Sapiens(?) can do when it's a mind to.
DtD has a few new reviews on it. The CDs reviewed range from the great to the good to the truly ugly.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/16/2002 02:28:00 PM [+] ::
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Kevin over at Ideas has asked us all how we think libertarians and conservatives should proceed to achieve limited government. I have spent the last two days pondering the question, after sending a brief note to Kevin. I have covered this problem in greater detail in my book Statism Sucks! Ver 2.0, but here is a condensed version.
One of the biggest problems with limited government is that there are many on the right who do not want it. They would like to use government in the same manner as the left but for different reasons. These right-of-centre statists wish to use the state to influence morality and community behaviour. They are just as likely to say "this should to be outlawed/banned" or "there ought to be a law" as those on the left. The Republican Party in the US is full of people who think this way. Many, but not all, of the people I have met who are statists in the Republican Party are, broadly speaking, Christian Coalition types. There is, of course, the RINO contigent, but since they are merely Democrats with Rs next to their names, they don't count.
The Conservative Party in the UK has this self-same problem as well; although, for the most part, those who think along these lines are older and/or "wets". There is a strong patrician streak in the Tory Party, which believes in a nanny state dictating one's every move. Their most recent 'cause celebre' is ID cards. I have met several "wets" who are completely baffled by the "liberty" concerns about cards. Many of these individuals welcome some of the government's recent legislation that restricts liberty as highlighted by DT. It is encouraging that most of those I know who are so inclined tend be of a certain advanced age and not, say, under 40. There are various people in the Tory Party, including several current and ex Constituency Chairman who are trying to advance the cause of liberty.
It is encouraging to see that the strong efforts of Rep Frank Sensenbrenner, Sr, have boosted passage in the House of legislation to do away with the INS in the US. Whether or not the left-leaning Senate will agree is another matter entirely.
Advancing libertarian values, including those of limited government, is an uphill struggle to be sure. We should all do our part, help each other whenever possible (like buying like minded books), and try not to squabble in public. It is an ongoing battle; after all, for over 50 years both sides of the aisle have been telling the populace that the government is the solution to all their problems.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/16/2002 02:04:00 PM [+] ::
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From The Editor's Desk........
For some very peculiar and irksome reason, Blogger has decided that the attempts at posting the quote and link from Joe Katzman shall not be permitted to display properly; the Editor stopped just short of taking a machete to the monitor in frustration over her failure to delete, correct, or otherwise straighten out those miserable mispostings. Apologies to all.
Alex over at Liberty Log has posted his thoughts on the LA vs DT row. He linked to my post on subject. It will be interesting to see if Gabb or anyone else from the LA has anything to say about the issue.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/16/2002 01:22:00 PM [+] ::
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Boycott France.com is a site dedicated to encouraging people to boycott France. It is in reaction to the rise of anti-semitism in France.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/16/2002 12:13:00 PM [+] ::
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This is what the post below from yesterday is suppose to say. For some reason, I can't edit it or delete it.
Is it me or does the whole Sean Gabb vs Daily Telegraph fracas come across as being a bit pathetic? So bloody what, Sean got told to fuck off by someone ( a football correspondent) at the DT? Is that important enough to get all shirty about? No, of course not. I have a great deal of respect for Dr Gabb, but I think this is all a bit sad. Of course, sending a broadside to any and all available eMail addresses instead of targeting the complaint was not the wisest move, either.
While Gabb has all the right in the world to criticise the "Free Country" of the DT, surely there are more important fish to fry. Why bother throwing stones at a paper that is closer to the libertarian ideal than any of the other newspaper in the UK or the rest of Europe? They have in the past called for the UK to leave EU and join NAFTA, legalisation of marihuana, and highlighted (critically) lots of areas where freedoms are being undermined.
For the Libertarian Alliance to get into a lather over this is just a tad lame. I really think the LA should be
supporting the Telegraph in its efforts towards highlighting freedom issues in the UK. Dr Gabb's criticisms were weak. This is about as clever as the Referendum Party and UKIP's efforts to undermine and defeat Tory MPs who were not "eurosceptic" enough. All their efforts managed to do was get more euro-phile Labour or Liberal (sic) Democrat MPs into parliament and help Tony Blair's efforts to drive towards the Euro. If the right-of-centre does not stick together we get run over by the left. When the chips are down, they bury their prejudices and get together. What do we do, spend most of our time trying to "get" or score points while losing the big picture.
Yeah, telling Sean to "fuck off" was not cleverest thing to do, but is it worth all this fuss? Asking for an apology from Barclay's boss is just petty and makes both Gabb and the LA look very sad indeed. Does anyone really think this is a good way to get some good PR for the LA? Yeah, one guy at the DT got a bit mouthy, so what? [ed.-posted for: Andrew Ian Dodge until the ailing computer lash-up is sorted]
James "Anglosphere" Bennett has a new column up at UPI. In his latest column he tackles developments in Holland, which, like most of his stuff, is a thought-provoking read.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/15/2002 12:30:00 PM [+] ::
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Sorry for the lack of posting in the last few days. I was in Pembrokeshire for a few days and deliberately stayed away from a computer. I did not even take my lap-top. The Inn I stayed at in Freshwater East had "data-ports" on its phones. The last day I found an internet access place in Tenby, where I was at least able to check my email. I think the withdrawl symptoms were starting to kick in there. In the end I had bugger all for emails, mostly total rubbish including an email inviting me to invest in something in Nigeria.
I am writing this in Easy Everything near Victoria because my internet connection has come a cropper in the flat. I am going to sort it soon, so expect a return to posting soon. I will leave you in the more than capable hands of MommaBear.
:: Andrew Ian Dodge 5/15/2002 12:28:00 PM [+] ::
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Glenn Reynolds at Instapundit comments on Robert Fisk's carping about receiving hate-mail due to his "reporting" in the Middle East. Unfortunately, Reynolds doesn't include the best part of the editorial.... Fisk has threatened to stop writing!
:: Charles 5/15/2002 11:26:00 AM [+] ::
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:: 5/14/2002 ::
A Related Rant From The Den........
It is not only parents (H. Sapiens(?)-parentis) who are causing malformations in children, but the Education Establishment that is causing destructive harm to these same children during those hours when the children are in their clutches. The Sarge, in his transformed self, describes one such incident which gives MommaBear one more more reason to despair.
MommaBear does not usually ramble on at any great length; in this case, she makes a needed exception.
The Case of the Bomber-Child has raised the issue of "Parental Absence" to new heights [depths], as shown in this link, courtesy of Kathy at On The Third Hand. Read it and weep for the lost children of far too many years suffering the same loss of real parental love. MommaBear wrote the following several years ago, but it has not been published in this manner:
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Being a parent is damned hard work--at least it ought to be.
It seems as though some parents are not willing to recognize that or perform the task very well. Establishing boundaries for a child is not cruel; it is, instead, the kindest act of all, for it demonstrates a love that says, "I won't permit you to be injured or damaged; I will protect you from that which you are not yet ready to handle." At different ages children have different levels of comprehension and competency.
Failure to recognize this critical concept is the central element of the current decline in parental performance. Leaving children to flounder about, blunder into danger, and otherwise drift aimlessly is both shameful and hazardous to all those young people who want and need to be able to look to responsible adults for help.
The 'hands off' attitude of standing back and watching a child run amok to "explore" or "find him/herself" is not raising a child; it is a shirking of one's responsibility, dereliction of duty, and a most perverse form of child abandonment. How many tears would be prevented, how much destruction would be forestalled, what kind of chaos would never happen if children were brought up under loving guidance and discipline? Contrary to current belief and practice, there is absolutely nothing wrong with using the words "NO", "STOP", and "DON'T", for there is nothing in them that is injurious to a child's development.
In fact, they are some of the most important words children will ever hear. If a child never hears these words or has them enforced, how in the world is he/she ever going to enfold them into his/her own self-governance? Of course, after using one or more of these "forbidden" words, the parent owes the child an explanation of why, geared to the child's level of understanding. This is a most important part of helping the child learn to apply those same "no's", "stop's", and "don't's" on his or her own initiative.
A parent's job is to work him/herself out of a job, but this can only be accomplished when one gives the child the tools that are needed to take over the running of his/her life. This is done by instruction, example, and, yes, firm and consistent discipline. From all these gifts the child learns how to live as a decent, self-directed person with the rules of life well in hand.
