How Sanctions Work

I HAVE heard far too many times that sanctions do not work, and so here I wish to make a case for them; I like sanctions.

It’s not a big, lengthy, complex case, just a simple one.

What is Justice?

KANT’S Categorical Imperative suggests that there is a morality based on duty. Duty is a morality that must be obeyed or else we become savages.

When I “did” Kant at university, it was explained to me that people sentenced to prison or death would have to be imprisoned or killed — even if the world was suddenly about to end! The law is the law regardless.

Kant tended to be used as the opposition to “Utilitarianism” — the philosophy that underpins the law of the United Kingdom.

Utilitarianism very much depends on

What is Terrorism?

LET’S begin with a quote from Winston Churchill:

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it”

This resonates with the famous dictum: that history is written by the victors.

In a conflict,

How To Learn Lessons

OUGHT we to get rid of someone who has been caught doing wrong, or ought we to given them another chance?

Put another way, how can lessons be learned from experiences if you are taken out of the situation?

I am thinking just now about the current “expenses scandal” where MPs have been caught red-handed fiddling expenses.

In any area of work, mistakes can be made, and lessons are gleaned from the experience — but only if

Who Should We Trust?

RESPONSIBILITY has shifted to the individual away from the likes of companies and institutions.

Long ago, when I was young, the world was quite different, fundamentally different in fact.  I know the world has changed, but I am not convinced that the changes have been for the better in respect of the individual.

You see, at one time, for example, criminals robbed banks.  So the banks shifted the onus over to us over a period of time, and under the guise of progress, security or even customer services!

As a result of one of the biggest changes, we are each of us at risk of being mugged when we visit ATMs.

What is Free Speech

A LOT of people seem to think that “Free Speech” is a basic human right, and that it allows you to say anything at all about anything or anyone at all.

However, that is not the case;

What is a Christian Now?

I HAVE heard people refer to “Born-Again Christians” (i.e. various Protestant sects) as “Christians” — and everyone else is a non-Christian!

Yet the original, or oldest, Christians are the Roman Catholics, and Catholics see themselves as Christian, and followers of Christ. They call themselves “Christians”.

I hope to show that this is an attempt to hijack the word for Evangelical Charismatic Protestant sects, and to show what a Christian really is, and what it really means today.

Why Jailhouse Rock is Gay

ELVIS made it a hit. It’s been covered by the Blues Brothers and many others. But Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller’s “Jailhouse Rock” is a very strange song indeed. It is all about homosexuality in prisons. There can be no question of that.

You see, it is

Why Hypocrisy is Good

AN hypocrite is someone who hides intentions or true personality. At least, it is almost everywhere except where people speak English.  For some unknown reason, in English, the word has a different meaning.

When someone preaches something, but practices the exact opposite, then (but only in English) that person is accused of being an hypocrite, or of acting hypocritically. I am going to show that being an hypocrite is (a) normal, (b) healthy, (c) necessary for a civil society, (d) honest and (e) one of your human rights.

Why You Should NOT Drop Your House Selling Price

THE British are obsessed with two things: the weather and house prices.

The great many TV shows relating to property is a clue to how important this is to us; there’s something about “bricks and mortar” we love to invest in. In this post I shall try to explain why dropping the price of your property is a bad idea, and that everyone should act like a proper investor and wait for the tide to turn!