We are Spartacus!

Though a trans-national collectivist approach to finding solutions to the problems of the world is attractive. Collectivism, itself, taken to an extreme at least, is dangerous.  The problem with collectivism is that it tends to see humans not as we are but as we wish that we were. It is an ideology of hope, which makes it appealing, but it is that very hope which makes it so dangerous. It usually begins, however, with a truth: this group, which has power, is trying to hang on to it. In doing so they’re keeping the rest of us down. There is nothing wrong with that observation. It is a correct one. The problem comes when we move from a simple description of something which is true, to a diagnosis and then a cure. To illustrate lets extend the observation. Here is the truth, the world is divided into a small elite who have the power, and the masses who are oppressed. However, if we could only unite the oppressed, in sum they would be more powerful than the elite.  Given this is s...

Ardent Brexiteer and former Attorney general Geoffrey Cox has described the government’s decision to renege on parts of the Withdrawal Agreement (WA) which Boris Johnson himself negotiated, signed and declared a fantastic deal only last November as “Unconscionable”. Writing in The Times he said: When the Queen’s minister gives his word, on her behalf, it should be axiomatic that he will keep it, even if the consequences are unpalatable. By doing so he pledges the faith, honour and credit of this nation and it diminishes the standing and reputation of Britain in the world if it should be seen to be otherwise.[...] We, the British government and parliament, have given our word. Our honour, our credibility, our self-respect and our future influence in the world all rest upon us keeping that word. Nothing less is worthy of Britain. There’s no question that Geoffrey makes his case strongly and persuasively. In particular few would argue with his assertion that this show of bad British fai...

Ever since the current ice age first began to lose its wintery grip upon the northern lands and despite us being, in the famous words of Nanny McPhee, “a tiny little cloud-bolted, rainy corner of sort-of Europe, a cake-filled misery-laden grey old island”, these British Isles have stirred some strange passions in the hearts of our closest neighbours. We can choose to begin the story anywhere of course, but I shall start with the Celts, those ancient tribespeople of Central Asia, those nomadic adventurers who travelled thousands of miles across the Eurasian plains to rock-up here and announce “Lads (and lasses) we’ve made it. This is it. We’re home!”  We don’t know much about the people they supplanted, their lasting legacy being a type of cup which gave them their ignoble modern name “the Beaker people”. We surmise they were short, swarthy, brown haired and brown-eyed. The Indo-European Celts of course were different, bringing with them the genes for blue eyes, red and blonde hair....

Looking at the entrenched positions and the aggressive moves and countermoves deployed by the UK and EU in their divorce negotiations, it’s tempting to reach for world war one metaphors. Certainly to hear them speak it would appear to be an existential battle in which no quarter can be given. For the EU, Brexit must not only be thought of as worse than membership but must demonstrably be so, otherwise, the theory goes, others may choose to follow and the whole project may collapse. For the UK, unless full sovereignty is returned, it will be Brexit in name only (Brino), a half in, half out purgatory worse than either alternative. If Brexit is to have meaning at all, it must mean Brexit! The Battle of the Somme then? Or, if you’re of Remainer bent, an earlier conflict, the Charge of the Light Brigade perhaps? Whatever, in this account the bullets are real and damage is being done. There is an alternative way of looking at this though, rather than a fight to the death perhaps we can lik...