Britannia Radio

The UK: Last Call for Democracy

From the desk of A. Millar on Tue, 2008-12-09 10:33

Sometimes I marvel at the assumption of the British public, that no matter how bad things get, the country will somehow never turn into a tin pot dictatorship. Perhaps this belief is part of the residue of the British Empire. It seems impossible that a country that once ruled half the world, could itself hit bottom. But if history repeats itself, it also tells us to expect the unexpected. Cuba was synonymous with the casino until the Revolution, and Germany with the cabaret as Nazism was marching to power. Today, Britain leads the world in multiculturalism and political correctness, yet has more CCTV cameras than any other country in the world. And a government that shouts about human rights is determinedly undermining the most basic of freedoms.

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Duly Noted: The Greatest Damage to the Greatest Number

From the desk of George Handlery on Sat, 2008-12-06 09:30

George Handlery about the week that was. NATO split or only divided? Patterns of modernization: by whom and for what purpose. Gypsies against crime. Criminal victims of crime. The Enlightenment’s tradition and its implication. 9/11 and the guilt of the victims.
 
1. An understandable concern of the eastern half of the Atlantic World is its relationship to Russia. The more so since Russia is undergoing a mutation. Whatever emerges will largely determine her intentions and therefore set the parameters within which the relationship will have to unfold. In this regard, the conversation tends to shift to cautionary reservations. These ponder what Russia’s direct and indirect neighbors need to avoid in order not to antagonize her. While this makes some sense the depiction of the problem – wrong policies provoke Angst and that hostility – misses a point. It is that Russia’s vigorously communicated intransigence is allowed to net rewards that would not be extended to pure diplomacy. In the case of the Ukraine’s and Georgia’s NATO membership a middle way between the demonstration of resolution and capitulation has been agreed upon. Eventually, the two can become members. However, in response to Western Europe’s wishes, the admission procedure will not be shortened. In addition, NATO will resume its discussions about a “strategic partnership” with Russia. The interruption came about because of Georgia. So, as things stand, Russia is not getting everything it wants regarding membership and the content of talks. This means that NATO is not split (as Russia has trumpeted the situation for PR purposes) but it is divided.

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Paris Hilton Terrorism

From the desk of Alexandra Colen on Fri, 2008-12-05 13:54

Last week, a couple of Belgian television networks received a video with masked Arabs claiming to speak on behalf of al-Qaeda. The men threatened attacks in Belgium if the country does not pull its tiny military contingent from Afghanistan. The video quickly turned out not to come from al-Qaeda but to be a compilation of existing al-Qaeda tapes. It was the work either of people attempting a sick joke or of potentially dangerous amateurs from the local Muslim community trying to mimic the big boys.

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