The London Telegraph reports that Barack Obama has returned a bust of Sir Winston Churchill to the British government. The bronze by Sir Jacob Epstein would be worth hundreds of thousands of pounds, if it were sold on the open market. It was loaned by the British Government to President Bush after the 9/11 attacks as a gesture of solidarity. Obama turned down a British offer to continue the loan. A bust of Abraham Lincoln now occupies pride of place in the Oval Office. Obama’s affection for Lincoln – the …
The British Government’s decision to ban Dutch MP Geert Wilders from entering the country is another chapter in Britain’s story of shamefully appeasing radical Islamists. Mr. Wilders had been invited by Lord Pearson of Ranoch to show his film, Fitna, in the House of Lords. Fitna is a short, online film which discusses radical Islamist terrorism, and has resulted in a number of legal actions against Mr. Wilders. However, whilst certainly a controversial figure Mr. Wilders has never advocated violence, public disorder or the targeting of any particular religious faith. …
As the world honors Abraham Lincoln on the 200th anniversary of his birth, it’s worth recalling one of the less well-remembered moments of his career: his letter on January 19, 1863 to “the Workingmen of Manchester,” responding to their earlier address and resolutions in support of the North. This was one of Lincoln’s earliest public letters, an art form he used to increasing effect throughout the remainder of the Civil War. The Manchester letter, though not as well known as his later letter on Clement Vallandigham, the ‘wily agitator’ and …
In the world of international affairs, popular phrases usually signify not thought, but its absence. Calls for ‘a new Marshall Plan,’ for example, are invariably made by people who know absolutely nothing about the original one. The appearance of these phrases is the surest proof that the speaker is content to think in cliches. The latest catchphrase is ‘smart power,’ which is what Secretary of State Hilary Clinton has promised the Obama Administration will wield. In theory, ‘smart power’ is the use of diplomacy, economic leverage, military muscle, political suasion, …
In Britain, London’s buried under eight inches of snow, the trains don’t work, the economy’s collapsing, and a Labour government’s put the nation deeper in debt that it has been in thirty years. The Adam Smith Institute, preferring to laugh instead of cry, jokes that it looks like the 1970s all over again. And the strikes are back too. In late January, workers walked off the job at the Lindsey oil refinery. Sympathy strikes – technically illegal – followed at power stations and refineries around Britain. The cause of the …
We like to think of Britain, the U.S. and the rest of the Anglosphere as nations that reject the statist European economic model. But from 1997 to 2008, the government’s share of the British economy increased from 38.4 percent to 41.9 percent. This expenditure was funded by debt that the government, as the Financial Times put it, “concealed . . . with off-balance-sheet finance that would have made Wall Street blush.” These off-balance-sheet liabilities, taken together, raise Britain’s official public debt by almost one-third, to 62.8 percent of GDP. And …
In its latest issue, the Economist reports on the state of Britain’s armed forces. It answers the question posed in the title of the piece, “Losing Their Way?,” with a resounding “Yes,” blaming underfunding, recruiting shortfalls, and a loss of institutional confidence. The joke among Americans in Afghanistan, it reports, is that ISAF – the International Security Assistance Force –stands for “I Saw Americans Fight.” As the Economist points out, given the casualties Britain is taking in Afghanistan, this is wounding and unfair. But like most military jokes, it captures …
The amount of money the U.S. is spending in its vain effort to stimulate the economy is hard to grasp. As we’ve pointed out, $819 billion is equivalent to borrowing $10,520 from every family in America. That’s $819 billion that individual Americans will no longer be able to spend freely, as they see fit, and used instead to expand the power of the state. If that number still boggles the mind, here’s one to contemplate from our friends in Britain. We like to think of Britain as being true to …
As the world marks the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War, it seems a lifetime ago that Europe was plunged into unimaginable darkness, resulting in approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths within four short years. Yet four British veterans of World War I survive today, and three were in London to mark the special anniversary. They stand as testimony to the generation of men and women who shared their sacrifice in pursuit of freedom and liberty. More than any other countries, Britain and America know …
It will come as no surprise that Barack Obama’s emphatic victory has been warmly greeted in the United Kingdom and across Europe. Newspapers are covered with proclamations of a history-changing moment for the United States. The record turnout, particularly among groups that previously felt they belonged only on the margins of society, is surely something to be impressed by — and a trend all Western parties will hope to learn from. The so-called “Bradley effect” never materialized. And there stands a good chance that race may now be laid to rest …
