Quote of the Month

Wrote Mr. Stephan Kinsella on the Declaration of Independence:

This is one source of our current troubles--a utopian experiment that led to the central-state-empowering Constitution, to democracy and to the abolition of monarchies, to the Civil War and greater centralism, to American entry into WWI, to the punitive Treaty of Versailles, and thus to the rise of German nationalism and Hitler and WWII, tens of millions dead and the Holocaust, nuclear bombings of Japan, the Cold War, etc.

No thanks. Give me back the modest taxes under King George III, and rule from over the Atlantic.

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One or Many?

Over at Theogothic's Blog, is written:

If society is ruled by only one ruler, and assuming that ruler is a tyrant and madman, then it only follows that you will have fewer people oppressing you. On the contrary, with a democracy’s tyranny of the majority, you have many people oppressing you with their “compassion” and bureacracies.

Yes, I know a monarch can employ secret police but so can a democracy. And the secret police of democracies and socialist republics have been far worse than those of monarchies.

Louisiana Purchase

Two centuries and six years ago today, the Louisiana Purchase was concluded.

The Onion Congress

Via the LRC Blog:

The Electoral College under Siege

Over at LewRockwell.com, Vin Suprynowicz states his case against an ongoing assault on the Electoral College.

Europe's and Turkey's Future

Over at Taki's Magazine, Mark Hackard gives his thoughts on Europe and Turkey.

Mr. Steyn on Modern Government

Mark Steyn gives some reflections on modern democratic government vs. that of kings of old and the Count Alexis de Tocqueville.


H/T: "Lord Tweedsmuir" of The Monarchist

The Aurum of China

The People's Republic of China is buying aurum. So AsiaNews reports.


H/T: The Western Confucian

Franz Joseph Haydn

Professor T.C.W. Blanning reflects on the life of Franz Joseph Haydn and the Habsburg Empire.


H/T: The Western Confucian

The Spoof

Please feel free to visit my The Spoof profile. It is available from the sidebar. Please feel free to rate the stories.

Amongst the material I have produced lately is:

• Democracy Indicted for the Crucifixion
• European Commission to Crack Down on Dissenters
• Cats to the White House

Guilford Courthouse Retreat

Eleven score and eight years ago today, General Lord Cornwallis retreated from Guillford Courthouse.

Happy Birthday!

The Monarchist honors Her Britannic Majesty on her 83^rd birthday.

William III and Mary II of England, Scotland, and Ireland

Sixteen score years ago today (April 11 in the old calendar), William III and Mary II were crowned, following the “Glorious Revolution.”

Spanish-American War

111 years ago today, President McKinley of those United States asked for a declaration of war against the Kingdom of Spain.

Robert E. Lee Resigned

Five score and four dozen years ago today, Colonel Robert E. Lee resigned from the army of those United States.

Italian Claims

Nine decades ago today, the Paris peace negotiators started talking about Italian claims on Austro-Hungarian territory.

April Theses

Four score and a dozen years ago today, the April Theses were let loose.

Lenin in Russia

Four score and a dozen years ago today, Lenin arrived back in Russia from exile.

Poll Results: Which Statement Is the One Most True?

The results for the poll, asking which statement was the one most true about monarchy and democracy, ending at midnight between March and April, are as follows:

Total votes: 78.

• Monarchy tends to give liberty: 40 (51 %)
• Democracy tends to give liberty: 16 (20 %)
• Monarchy is liberty: 12 (15 %)
• Democracy is liberty: 10 (12 %)

A new poll will be up shortly.

Russian Summer Ball 2009

The details of the London Russian Summer Ball for 2009 have been released. It's the 14^th annual ball in the series. It will take place on Saturday June 6^th.

The website has been refurbished recently as well.

The Amritsar Massacre

90 years ago today, in the aftermath of the Great War, the Amritsar Massacre took place.

Democracy in this Season

Dr. Erik Maria Ritter von Kuehnelt-Leddihn in Monarchy and War:

Democracy reappeared in a more civilized form in Athens, but when, in a truly political trial, Socrates praised monarchy, he was condemned to death. Remember also that Madariaga said rightly that our civilization rests on the death of two persons: a philosopher and the Son of God, both victims of the popular will.

The "Civil War" Commences

Seven score and eight years ago today, the American “Civil War” started by Confederate forces opening fire on Fort Sumter, a foreign held fort on Confederate soil.

Happy Easter!

Enjoy Easter Night in the Stephansdom of Vienna:

State and Society

The Ludwig von Mises Institute runs an article by Frank Chodorov on democracy, the difference between state and society, and the concept that “we are the government.”

The Grand Duke of Luxembourg

More reduction of the Grand Duke's powers are under way along with reductions in bank secrecy protection. So the New York Times reports.


H/T: Royal World

More on Possible Nepalese Restoration

King Gyanandra is working on a restoration. So AsiaNews reports.

Over at Nepali Netbook, Mr. Maila Baje reflects on the prospects.


H/T: Royal World

Those Confederate States of America Surrendered

Seven score and four years ago today, General Robert Edward Lee surrendered at Appomattox Court House in the Old Dominion, the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the behemoth that was to run around the world “making it safe for democracy” rose as a phoenix from the ashes of the war.

This Kingdom Invaded

69 years ago today, the Kingdom of Norway was invaded by Hitler's Germany.

Our nation suffered a consequence of democracy, not to speak of democratic imperialism. Our nation suffered a consequence of the attempt at creating a democratic Germany. Our nation suffered a consequence of a system where the government does all sorts of other things than basic protection. His Majesty did exercise his “Bagehot” right to warn against the consequences of disarmament, but the politicos would not listen, and on that morning of April 9, 1940 it was too late.

The Kingdom of Norway could probably under no circumstance have stood up against the entire Hitler war machine. However, as historical evidence suggests, Hitler's Germany would probably not have risked turning Norwegian fjords into the wet grave of the Hitler fleet. Indeed the Germans were surprised at the resistance. They were surprised it took two months before the surrender. They were surprised that the Blücher did not sail unopposed into the Oslo harbor. The Norwegian defense was at such a low level that it had not been taken seriously by the invading party.

Entente Cordiale

105 years ago today, the United Kingdom and the “Republic of France” signed the Entente Cordiale.

The Spoof: Bernanke in Zimbabwe

Yet another story at The Spoof.

Cromwell

Tea at Trianon reflects on the motion picture Cromwell.

Formal State of War

Four score and a dozen years ago today (here and here), the bête noire of this weblog signed the declaration passed by the Congress of those United States for a formal state of war with Imperial Germany.

More Big Brother

Not only is there an ongoing project of airport body scans, as reported here, here, here, and here, but also computer technology equipment is reportedly to be searched:



The Daily Telegraph also reports on plans to track travel plans for people leaving the United Kingdom.

More depressing news can be found here, here, and here.

Lew Rockwell and Professor Joseph Salerno talked recently on the Lew Rockwell Show about money and privacy, as well as other money related issues.

On a personal note, here in the Kingdom of Norway, the government gambling monopoly stopped permitting anonymous gambling this February, and this prompted a friend and me to send a copy of 1984 to the CEO.

To top it all, The Daily Mail reports on mind-reading technology under way.


Links are mostly via LRC.

The Present Money Trouble

Over at LRC, Peter Schiff takes to task the idea that if we pretend the problems are not there, they will go away.

Patrick J. Buchanan wonders whether the Federal Reserve should be killed.

Professor Jörg Guido Hülsmann talks about the present crisis being an insolvency crisis, not a liquidity crisis.

The Western Confucian draws our attention to a barter system based on modern technology:

The Luxembourg Case

The Station Network reports that an initiative to have a referendum on the constitutional powers of the Grand Duke of Luxembourg failed, and that the legislators voted unanimously to reduce the Grand Ducal powers last month.

Catholic News Agency reports that the euthanasia bill has been passed.

Over at the Remnant, Brian McCall, seemingly not totally updated on the history and status of European monarchs' powers in real and formal terms, gives his thoughts on the issue.

The Spoof: Obama's Daughters

I've signed up as a writer at The Spoof. My first contribution is on the Obama daughters caught in a labyrinth.

The G20 Summit

The summit reportedly went beyond the expectations of the President of the “Republic of France.”

As the Dialy Telegraph reports and reports, there will be a crackdown on tax havens. I am obviously not very intelligent, so would someone please explain to me what in the world bullying tax havens has to do with cleaning up after a fiat money system run amok?

At the Sunday Telegraph, Liam Halligan says price inflation is going to be a major problem. The Sunday Telegraph also reported that Russia wants some sort of gold standard. The Telegraph has more on the summit.

Bill Bonner says the Yankee dollar's days are numbered.

Gary North had something to say before and after the summit.

Anthony Gregory reflects on the humanitarian with the printing press, the POTUS that is.

The Western Confucian has some more.

Big Brother in Europe

A project of car surveillance is under way in Europe. So the Dialy Mail reports, and the Guardian too.

Congress Should Resign

So recommends Dr. Marc Faber in an interview with Peter Schiff. Or is his recommendation for the Fed Chairman or the Treasury Secretary?

That Infamous Speech

Four score and a dozen years ago today (here and here), the Persona Non Grata of this weblog gave his infamous speech to Congress, claiming that “the world must be made safe for democracy.”

The world needs to be made safe from mobocracy, kleptocracy, and ochlocracy.

Trends of Our Times

The Ludwig von Mises Institute posts Ludwig von Mises' reflections on the non-permanent nature of trends.