bnp break into europe?
When the votes are tallied after the elections for the European Parliament in June there is a good chance that British voters will, for the first time, have sent a representative of the British National Party (BNP) to Brussels. Across the political spectrum, many continue to condemn the BNP as a racist and neo-fascist organisation, considering its supporters “knuckle-dragging scum” (Richard Littlejohn) or “ignoramuses and bigots” (Yasmin Alibhai-Brown). Such simplistic stereotypes provide a comforting image of the BNP as a lunatic fringe that may score a few upsets in council by-elections but will never be a serious force in mainstream politics. Read
politician politiks... wow!
Some 24 hours after the closing of polls in Afghanistan, President Obama stepped out on the White House South Lawn last week to pronounce the Afghan presidential elections something of a success.
“This was an important step forward in the Afghan people’s effort to take control of their future, even as violent extremists are trying to stand in their way." Mr Obama went on to say ”I want to congratulate the Afghanistan people on carrying out this historic election.”
Not everyone agrees. Read here
obama's cuban odyssey
Restrictions on travel and remittances for Cuban-Americans have been eased. Are more policy shifts to come? The new US administration, as was widely expected, has begun to modify longstanding policies towards Cuba. On April 13th it lifted restrictions on travel and family remittances by Cuban-Americans, just days ahead of President Barack Obama’s debut on the Latin American stage. Read
the battle for turkey's soul
TURKEY is the Islamic world's leading secular democracy. It spends a large proportion of its income on scientific research and aims to match that of the European Union by 2013. Turks like science: one of the country's top-selling magazines is the popular science monthly Bilim ve Teknik ("Science and Technology"), published by the country's scientific funding agency TÜBITAK. The best-seller is a science monthly for kids. But Turkey is also a hotbed of creationism. So when a cover feature on Darwin planned for the March issue of Bilim ve Teknik was pulled at the last minute, it caused an uproar. Read
poor ken clarke
Just when you thought the Tories couldn't get more hardline on Europe William Hague announces Ken Clarke is expected to vote 'No' in any future EU treaty referendum. Overlooked in the Damian McBride furore the shadow foreign secretary used an Easter weekend interview in the Daily Telegraph to warn fellow Tory frontbencher Ken Clarke he must toe Hague's line on Europe and vote against ratifying new EU Treaties. Hague also says the Conservatives will call for a retrospective referendum to reject Europe if the Lisbon Treaty is ratified later this year. Read
todays pen and ink
the rogues gallery
uk news
us news
world news
analysis
quotations
cartoons
comedy
on this site
News & Politics; political philosophy; public ethics ; political history; animal rights; religious and atheist debate, political culture - art, film, music, and theatre; biographies of politicians old and new; political cartoons and jokes. Comments on posts are welcomed, as are anatomically possible suggestions to improve the site. All the best to you and yours.
thepolitweeter
video
podcast
quote of the day
Thomas Hobbes (5 April 1588 – 4 December 1679) was an English philosopher, remembered today for his work on political philosophy. His 1651 book Leviathan established the foundation for most of Western political philosophy from the perspective of social contract theory.
Hobbes also contributed to a diverse array of fields, including history, geometry, physics of gases, theology, ethics, general philosophy, and political science. His account of human nature as self-interested cooperation has proved to be an enduring theory in the field of philosophical anthropology.
"During the time men live without a common power to keep them all in awe, they are in that conditions called war; and such a war, as if of every man, against every man."
author
Despite 25 years active interest in politics, I have still managed to maintain a considerable ignorance of its many aspects. Nevertheless, I am selflessly prepared to share my opinions with you. No, there is no need to thank me.
