Alfred the Ordinary’s blog

We forget the lessons of history at our peril. In the midst of plenty, the Roman people forgot what freedom entailed. They forgot "The Essence of Freedom is the proper limitation of government". When government grows peoples' freedoms recede.For those who have not fully grasped that successful western nations are founded on Republican principles, this video gives excellent instruction on the differences between the 5 main forms of government and why total democracy is bad for you. An old saying - Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.

The European Union fits the description of an Oligarchy with its centralisation of power in an unelected, unrepresentative, unaccountable bureaucratic elite; The European Commission. 

The USA is a Republic, not a democracy.

The UK is a Representative Constitutional Monarchy although once the Lisbon treaty is in force, the change to vassal state of the E.U., becomes complete.

Václav Klaus hands over Presidency of the EU to Sweden as his term comes to an end. He has been able to slow down the "Ever Greater Union Express" for these last six months, As he said to the 16th Summit of Presidents of Central, Eastern and Southern European states on June 16th.

... we are concerned about the fact that the decision-making in the EU is becoming increasingly distant from the citizens, about the fact that various integration initiatives are not based on authentic interests of the member states and their citizens, but are rather prefabricated and imposed from above.

Under the slogan “Europe without barriers”, the Czech Presidency has been attempting to bring the European Union closer to a consistent implementation of its four basic freedoms: free movement of people, labor, goods and services. We are satisfied that the months of the Czech Presidency will not be characterized as an increase of protectionism and of excessive regulation, which is a positive achievement especially with regard to the economic and financial crisis. Nevertheless, I have my doubts about the rationality of proposals discussed yesterday and today in Brussels.

Václav we will miss you and your attempts to slow down the “Ever Greater Union Express”

See the whole speech at:

Notes for the 16th Summit of Presidents of Central, Eastern and Southern European states

Hat tip - Your Freedom and Ours

Brussel-sprouts

“Andrew Symeou has won the right to take his fight against extradition to the House of Lords ... A panel of Law Lords will shortly decide whether to agree on a full hearing” 

says Private Eye, Issue 1239, page 9, under the Brussels Sprouts column.

As Private Eye also says, this is “a blow to the status of the EU's controversial European arrest warrants (EAWs).” For more information on this case and its wider implications, see:

2009/03/13: Andrew Symeou, EAW and Civil Law

2009/05/10: Statement by Justice For Symeou Campaign

2009/05/05: Andrew Symeou update & "You can forget about getting British justice"

2009/05/04: "trials in absentia" and Andrew Symeou

2009/05/06: Both sovereign and subject are bound by 820 years of the Common Law

2008/12/08: Andrew Symeou – update

2008/08/26: Private Eye, Andrew Symeou and EU law

2008/08/10: Madeleine McCann, Andrew Symeou and E.U. Law

2008/07/15: Another name joins the ever growing list - Andrew Symeou

2008/09/25: Yet another name ... add Enrico Mariotti to Andrew Symeou and others

2008/10/31: British Court enforces EU Arrest Warrant against Andrew Symeou

2008/11/21: Individual Rights Pt 2 - Andrew Symeou and the EAW

2008/08/14: Andrew Symeou - A glimmer of hope?

Waiting for the Etonians: Reports from the Sickbed of Liberal England

Nick Cohen

While the papers are awash with the unimportant election of a House Speaker, there are battles going on for control of Now Zad, a town in Afghanistan that was a British responsibility in 2006. As in so many places in Afghanistan, British troops have been replaced by Americans who are determined to do the job properly. Our troops, despite valiant efforts, are exceptionally badly equipped and supported by the Ministry of Defence Defeat, Parliament, the media and us.

Ministry of Defeat 2003-2009: The British in Iraq

For an insight into all that is wrong with our politics today, that has lead to our love affair with money, and our ignorance of the need for Defence, I recommend a scathing account written by Nick Cohen – Waiting for the Etonians. It is a compilation of many articles written by him over the last few years. I disagree with a few of his assumptions but the articles are all well written and thought provoking.

An extract:

There were property and credit bubbles in America, Australia, much of Europe and Russia. Britain was up there with the best of them. Although everyone wanted to blame the Americans for the crash when it came – blaming Americans was what Europeans did best, after all – house prices rose faster in Britain than in the US, as did personal debt. While American household indebtedness reached 140 percent, British indebtedness grew to 169 per cent of disposable income – every £1 coming into the average home had to service £1.69 of debt.

In August 2007, Britain passed a grim landmark. Consumer debts on the form of mortgages, loans and credit card bills totalled £1.35 trillion and overtook the entire gross domestic product of the country, which stood at £1.33 trillion. To put it another way, the British owed more than the value of the output of every office, factory, farm quarry, mine and fishery in the land – and that was before economists included the immense debts of the public sector and business, which took the sum of Britain's borrowings to three times annual economic output.

We were a bankrupt nation.

See Defence of the Realm, for thorough coverage of our military fiasco.

See The Washington Post, for a Marine's view of Now Zad

Home-ed

The government has issued the Badman report a “Review of Elective Home Education in England” which reads like an attempt by the Education Establishment to end Home Education in England which is one of the few remaining freedoms left in England, that the government hasn't already tried to snuff out. Whilst the report acknowledges that “Parents may decide to educate their child at home and they can do this at any time during statutory school age.” (Annex E para 2.4) Badman then lists so many recommendations that, if implemented, would tie Home Education up in so many rules, regulations and reporting requirements that it would effectually snuff it out.

In one way this is not of Badman's doing. This government's regular slicing and combining of departments of state, has removed the department that used to have responsibility for Education. In its place is a department with confused and impossible responsibilities to reconcile, those of children's safety and education (DCSF - Department for Children, Schools and Families). The logic must be that, in a Soviet thinking administration, the state's responsibility for children must be total; safety, education nurseries etc so that responsibility for their care can be transferred from parent to the state. This enables the growing number of single parent families to produce children and get back out to work, without having to concern themselves with the troublesome role of parenting.

I have listed the many major flaws that I see in this report at Home Education Report - another nail in the coffin of freedom. And conclude:

Although there might be some sensible recommendations contained within the Badman report, its obvious bias, poor assumptions and lack of any useful input from Home Educators make it at best, worthless and at worst, dangerous. If the government wanted a report that allows it to shut down one of the remaining freedoms open to us, that of the freedom to educate our children the way we feel is best, then this report fulfils that remit.

Hat tip The Genius Academy. who quotes Mr. Mark Field (Cities of London and Westminster) (Con) from a debate on Home Education in Westminster Hall on June 9th 2009

Home education is personalised, child led and free from some of the detrimental effects of curriculum constraints, constant testing and standardisation. Home-schooled children can learn autonomously, often spend more time on physical activity and can learn in an environment free from bullying and peer pressure. Many studies have shown that, regardless of socio-economic background, home-educated children consistently outperform school-educated children."

See also:

1. Renegade Parent's views at Parents: It's not a home education issue, it's a civil liberties issue Here is a sample from the post.

Remove home education from the equation: it's irrelevant. What Badman is proposing places primary responsibility for education (and welfare) on the state, rather than the parent. It assumes that the home is an inherently unsafe or unhealthy place for the child to be. It tramples over family freedom in its haste to bestow additional "rights" on children that only an anonymous third party can adequately minister to. It destroys the very possibility of autonomy in learning. It operates from a position of requiring proof of parental innocence rather than reasonable suspicion of guilt. It universally uses the coercive and interventionist tools of compulsory registration, entry to the home, inspection according to external standards, and power to see the child without the parent present. 

Good speech Gordon, but its called Omaha Beach

Oliver Cromwell outside the Houses of Parliament

It is high time for me to put an end to your sitting in this place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of all virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice; ye are a factious crew, and enemies to all good government; ye are a pack of mercenary wretches, and would like Esau sell your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas betray your God for a few pieces of money. Is there a single virtue now remaining amongst you? Is there one vice you do not possess? Ye have no more religion than my horse; gold is your God; which of you have not barter’d your conscience for bribes? Is there a man amongst you that has the least care for the good of the Commonwealth? Ye sordid prostitutes have you not defil’d this sacred place, and turn’d the Lord’s temple into a den of thieves, by your immoral principles and wicked practices? Ye are grown intolerably odious to the whole nation; you were deputed here by the people to get grievances redress’d, are yourselves gone! So! Take away that shining bauble there, and lock up the doors. In the name of God, go! 

Oliver Cromwell's Speech on the Dissolution of the Long Parliament
Given to the House of Commons

20 April 1653

"Samuel Johnson thought that acting was the lowest of all professions. To earn your money from deliberate deceit was, he felt, worse than prostitution" quoted by Daniel Hannan

In light of today's news - discuss.

Stocks

A thought:
('We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God..'
James Madison, the fourth president of the USA, known as The Father of The Constitution)

The world of politics just gets more and more bizarre. See if you agree. I've just received this from The Conservative Party “Tonight sees the launch of our first Party Election Broadcast ahead of the local and European elections on 4th June.”

Quiz Time. See how many times David Cameron uses the word “Europe” in this European Election Broadcast. Scroll down for the answer.

"Filmed at a series of Cameron Direct events across the country, this Party Election Broadcast shows David Cameron answering questions from members of the public on topics such as the economy, schoo..."

I asked The Conservative party about its EU policy, and received the response shown below. The full version is at Just an Ordinary Englishman. At least Head Office is very clear about its policy, which, to me, seems to be very similar to that of the Labour and Liberal Parties, so if you want more of Europe, vote Labour, Conservative or Lib Dem on June 4th, because whoever you vote for, it will make little difference. The EU juggernaut will just role on to its goal of “Ever Closer Union” through its supra-national government:

Conservative Party's policy on The E.U.

It is the Conservative Party’s view that Britain benefits from our membership of the European Union.  The EU does much that is worthwhile.  The Single Market allows services, workers and goods to move freely across Europe. The tangible benefits such as cheaper telephone calls, air travel and internet access are enjoyed by tens of millions of Britons.

The EU also provides a unique means for us to work together with our European partners on shared challenges which Europe’s nation states by themselves cannot deal with; and with enlargement, the goal of EU membership has persuaded not just governments but whole societies to raise their standards across the board.  Britain has an enormous amount to gain through co-operation and free trade in Europe.  That is why we want Britain to be a positive participant in the EU, championing liberal values.

By my reckoning, Gordon Brown has 5 days left to go to the palace and ask Her Majesty to relieve him of all this pressure so that we can have a real election on June 4th.

(The answer to the Quiz question is just once plus one mention of The European Union, but there were lots of mentions of change. I think I've heard mention of change somewhere else)

Wales-on-line

Wales on-line seems to be almost the only media outlet reporting on this landmark case. It says:

Two High Court justices yesterday threw out an appeal by 20-year-old Andrew Symeou of North London against the proposed extradition. ...

Jonathan’s dad, 58-year-old service engineer Denzil Hiles, said: “We are very pleased, it’s been going on for so long.

“But it is only another tick in the box. He will appeal to the House of Lords and to the human rights people as well now.

“I want him to go back to Greece to face the court there.

and

Mr Symeou’s QC, Edward Fitzgerald, yesterday argued the case was “tainted” because Greek police had beaten up witnesses and fabricated evidence.

But Lord Justice Laws and Mr Justice Ouseley, said yesterday there was no reason for supposing the Greek courts would not deal fairly with problems raised by the case, including accusations that statements had been obtained by manipulation.

They said in a joint written judgement there was “no sound evidence” Mr Symeou’s human rights would be breached.

Fair Trials International said: “Today’s decision is a huge blow and we hope it will be overturned on appeal.”

Sabina Frediani, Liberty campaigns coordinator, said: “This alarming case highlights the dangers of summary extradition.

In a similar vein, The Daily Telegraph reporter, Alasdair Palmer, said in an article on 20 Mar 2009  "You can forget about getting British justice":

our courts will be compelled to order the extradition of British citizens to any EU country that wants them. The state that wants to extradite a Briton will simply have to sign a form which says that it told the Briton of his trial, and gave him some form of legal representation.

Such an assurance will, in many cases, be worthless – at least without independent investigation and verification.

Bulgaria, for example, is the only country in the EU that claims to have implemented "99 per cent of EU regulations". In fact, even the EU recognises that almost none of its regulations is complied with in Bulgaria. That country is also universally recognised as being totally corrupt, with the police and judiciary being particularly rotten.

The EU enthusiasts, however, simply pretend that "variations in the standards of justice" do not exist. So once the forms have been received by the British government, that will be that – you will have to be packed off to serve the sentence imposed on you by a Bulgarian court, at a trial at which you were not present, and may not even have been told about. And it doesn't matter what the offence is: it could be a traffic misdemeanour, it could be misuse of your credit card, or it could be murder.

Our Government has not just enthusiastically endorsed the new regulations: it has sponsored the legislation, passed by a huge majority in the EU Parliament last September. Why? No one seems to know.

The Ministry of Justice has said the change will "help our citizens", but I cannot see how it will help anyone to lose any protection that the British government might have been able to provide against the injustices perpetrated by foreign courts. That, however, is the only "benefit" that this new regulation will deliver.

Do not be fooled by Labour's weasel words. This is about showing the EU bureaucrats that we are committed to "ever-closer integration" – and if that means giving up our ability to protect British citizens from injustice, then that's just fine by our Government.

See also The BBC's "Student loses extradition battle"