How The Brits are Cheated

BRITS are hard-done by when it comes to software. This is a constant annoyance to me because I use a lot of software all day long. The problem is down to the difference between the USA and the UK — the so-called American English and British English.

Why Name Changes are Bad

I AM going to argue here that we ought to refuse to accept requests from abroad to change English names of countries and cities on the grounds that it is potentially manipulative, definitely confusing, and that it robs that country of all respect due from an historical association.

What The 1970s Were Really Like (Part Two)

HERE I will attempt to show that the 1970s was one of the most culturally varied and creative periods of human history.

This was against a back-drop of gloom and doom (as outlined in Part One of this article published last year).

As I stated last year, to condense all of this down to an Abba wig, an afro or an Elvis Las Vegas costume is appalling!

Who is Insane?

When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear and life stands explained. – Mark Twain

I WILL show here that there are a lot of popular misconceptions and misunderstandings about mental illness, and that we are being seriously manipulated by celebrities, the media and the legal system.

It is a very human trait to attempt to

What is Class?

CLASS is an emotive word, it is in common usage — yet it is often hard to pin down; everyone seems to have a different opinion on the meaning of class, and — perhaps more importantly, on the effects and implications of a class system.

There are different

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.