Monday, September 30, 2013

Quote of the Month

Writes Mr. Raheem Kassam over at The Libertarian Republic:

Societies need some structure, and yes, leaders need lots of limitations – this is what America’s founding fathers envisaged when they framed your republic, and it is what centuries of evolution within Britain’s system has achieved through the remit of the monarch, the executive, and two legislative houses. Consulting parliament for a ‘final’ approval, rather than simply as an overseeing body. I cannot stand for it, and I am afraid I still do believe in the Royal Prerogative.
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Nisbet at 100

A century ago today, Robert A. Nisbet was born.

Brad Lowell Stone: Robert Nisbet

A quote:
Other and more powerful forms of association have existed, but the major moral and psychological influences on the individual’s life have emanated from the family and local community and the church. Within such groups have been engendered the primary types of identification: affection, friendship, prestige, recognition. And within them also have been engendered or intensified the principal incentives of work, love, prayer, and devotion to freedom and order.

Sunday, September 29, 2013

Schiff, Khan, and Clarke & Dawe

Peter Schiff's take on the money madness:





Khan Academy on policy rates, open market operations, and quantitative easing:





And Clarke & Dawe:


Saturday, September 28, 2013

Foreign Policy

Reactionary foreign policy, Radish Magazine and the Thomas Carlyle Club for Young Reactionaries


Via Ad Orientem

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Eliot 125

Five quarters of a century ago today, T.S. Eliot was born.


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Calling NSA

Apparently an immigrant in Amsterdam:



The NSA has backup


H/T: The Daily Paul

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Peter Hitchens Interview


Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Well...

It's just metadata

The Bill of Rights crossed out

Mark Twain: patriotism


Via Ad Orientem

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Ottoman Army Rejected

330 years ago today, the Turks were rejected at Vienna in the Battle of Vienna.




Details of the video are not endorsed as fully factual.

Mencken 133

Painting of H.L. Mencken133 years ago today, H.L. Mencken was born.

In November, the H.L. Mencken Club hosts its 2013 conference – November 1 through 3.

Monday, September 9, 2013

Battle of Ideas

Battle of Ideas 2013 will take place on the third weekend of October in London.

Amongst the topics are Is nothing private anymore? and First World War: the hundred years view.

Thursday, September 5, 2013

The Union Threatens

Seven and a half score years ago today, the United States Minister to the United Kingdom, Charles Francis Adams, Sr., threatened the United Kingdom if she were to help those Confederate States of America.


Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Lord Halsbury 190

Lord HalsburyA decade short of two centuries ago today, the 1st Earl of Halsbury – a leading opponent of the Parliament Act 1911 – was born.

Treaty of Paris at 230

The last page of the Treaty of Paris of 1783A score years short of a quarter of a millennium ago today, the Treaty of Paris was signed, recognizing each single of those 13 United States of America.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Tolkien Passing at 40

Four decades ago today, J.R.R. Tolkien passed from this world.




Sunday, September 1, 2013

A Summer of Monarchy and Democracy

June started off with the Britannic coronation anniversary: Ad Orientem, Tea at Trianon, The Mad Monarchist, No Republic! (again and again), Trond Norén Isaksen

Another Britannic event took place in July, with the arrival of Prince George: The Monarchist, The Mad Monarchist, Ad Orientem, Ad Orientem again, Altar and Throne, No Republic! (again, again, again, again, and again), Dag T. Hoelseth, Trond Norén Isaksen

Tea at Trianon posts generally about the British monarchy, also commenting on the French. The Thinking Housewife also reflects generally on the Britannic monarchy.

Over at Scotland on Sunday, Mr. Gerald Warner gives his thoughts on the new heir being a prince.

Over at the Mail on Sunday, Mr. Peter Hitchens gave his thoughts on the future of the Britannic monarchy. He followed up with some thoughts on monarchy and liberty – in two parts and some responses.

This is most definitely the year of abdications. In July we had the Belgian one: Trond Norén Isaksen, The Mad Monarchist (again and again)

Early in July we have the annual event of the anniversary of American independence: Mr. Paul Pirie at The Washington Post, The Mad Monarchist, The Pittsford Perennialist (quote of Mr. Daniel Hannan)

Over at Alternative Right, Mr. Mark Hackard reflects on Russia, concluding:

Vladimir Putin is far from a perfect counterrevolutionary, but he leads the last great people to oppose an incipient, inhuman world tyranny. His place in history’s saga depends on an ideal reborn- not bourgeois, technocratic Russia Inc., but a Third Rome, calling the nations to repentance and giving the enemies of God good cause to shudder.

Ad Orientem has a couple of posts on Russia. Tea at Trianon reflects on the mystery of Grand Duchess Anastasia, reviewing The Resurrection of the Romanovs.

The Mad Monarchist has some more post, some of which are:
Says Mr. Pax Dickinson:
[M]onarchy might result in a criminal sociopath becoming your leader. [D]emocracy guarantees it.
Also says Mr. Dickinson:
Democracy incentivizes the state to monitor and mold its citizens' public opinions. Privacy is incompatible with mass government.
Furthermore:
[V]oter compassion without awareness of facts is built into mass democracy.
Moreover:
If you laugh at how stupid internet commenters are but you also believe in democracy, the joke's on you.
Even more:
[O]f course democracy is compatible with mass surveillance, how else can you be sure the people have the correct opinions?
Yet more:
The GOP shouldn't compromise it's principles to cater to mass opinion? Are you stupid? If you're against that, stop supporting democracy.
Royal Central busts five anti-monarchy myths.

Over at Reason 24/7, Mr. Matthew Feeney presents benefits of monarchy.

Over at Taki's Magazine, Mr. John Derbyshire wonders whether democracy's sun is setting.

Over at Enter Stage Right, Mr. Bruce Walker argues for advantages of monarchy.

Over at The Washington Post, Mr. George F. Will explores the connection between Detroit's situation and democracy.

Foseti reviews The Problem of Democracy by Alain de Benoist.

28 Sherman gives a taste of democracy and illiteracy.

Tea at Trianon reviews the movie Farewell, My Queen of 2012.

Mr. William Gairdner ponders the role of a senate.

The Pittsford Perennialist is baffled by the call for expanding voting rights. Said weblog also quotes from a review by the recently late (RIP) Professor Kenneth Minogue of The Enlightenment by Anthony Pagden.

Hello Magazine reports on yesterday's wedding of Mr. Andrea Casiraghi, currently second in line to the Monegasque throne, only one of two thrones in Europe, not counting the Vatican, where the occupant has any real powers beyond “reserve and advisory powers.” This was high time – given the order of events...

Royal World has posts: August, July, June. So does Radical Royalist: August, July, June. Mr. Rafal Heydel-Mankoo also has lots of interesting commentary: August, July, June.

Mr. Michael Anissimov quotes Mr. William S. Lind:
In 1914, the West put a gun to its collective head and blew its brains out.
So does Konkvistador:
It may well be that European civilization’s last chance for survival was a German victory on the Marne in 1914.
Says Mr. Pax Dickinson:
Woodrow Wilson is an often under-estimated contender for the title of History's Greatest Monster.
Also says Mr. Dickinson:
[T]he world was made safe for democracy, and only then did we notice the predatory gleam in its eye and how sharp its teeth are.
Says The Mad Monarchist:
Sir Winston Churchill famously said, “Democracy is more vindictive than Cabinets. The wars of peoples will be more terrible than those of kings”. True words and easily proven so. In those backward, reactionary times of royal rule, wars tended to be fought for some specific aim. Enemies could meet on the field of battle while their rulers still held mutual respect for each other. Wars tended to end by negotiation. Capital cities were rarely taken and the physical destruction that accompanied war was limited to the battlefields themselves and the actual ground armies marched over. Compare that to the wars of the Twentieth Century in which whole cities, hundreds of miles from the front lines, were bombed to rubble. Sometimes even cities in neutral countries were bombed by mistake. Oops. In the past, when a negotiated peace was the aim of a war, it was usually necessary to have someone to negotiate with. After the wars of peoples took hold, in order to motivate an entire population to war, politicians had to enflame peoples against each other and nothing less than the total annihilation of the enemy and their government would suffice.
Over at LewRockwell.com, Mr. Jonathan Goodwin gives some thoughts on democracy and revenge.

Writes Ad Orientem:
In other words nothing of great importance was going on at the end of August 100 years ago. It will be six years before I will be able to write those words again.