Sunday, July 8, 2007

Saturday, July 7, 2007

George Washington and Civility

President WashingtonAnthony Arndt posts George Washington's rules of civility.

Mr. Arndt also notes that these rules are from a time before the monarchy was overthrown.

Moriarty Departs

Ambassador MoriartyMaila Baje comments on the departure of His Excellency Mr. James F. Moriarty as United States envoy to the Royal Nepalese Court.

More on King Gyanendra's Birthday

See reports at Baku Today and Tehelka.

King Gyanendra 60

King Gyanendra of NepalToday is the 60th birthday of His Majesty King Gyanendra of Nepal.

Foreign envoys declined to attend a reception yesterday. Attendance was reportedly said not to be “helpful.”

The envoy of His Majesty King Harald V of Norway to the Royal Nepalese Court, His Excellency Mr. Tore Toreng, confirmed to me Thursday this week that he would not attend. I have protested the Norwegian Ambassador’s non-attendance.

Among the alternatives; Wilsonian, full-fledged, unchecked mass democracy, Maoist rule, being swallowed by India, or whatever other alternative there might be, Nepal and her people is probably very lucky if they get away with some variant of Wilsonian democracy. For the record, that’s not supposed to be a compliment to Wilsonian democracy.

Neither SPA, SPAM, nor the process now going on are “helpful.”

See also news reports on the birthday celebrations here and here.

Congratulations to His Majesty King Gyanendra on his 60th birthday. May the Kingdom of Nepal prosper!

Please feel free to visit or revisit my article published on King Gyanendra’s 59th birthday.

Update: VOA News reports on the celebration.

Thursday, July 5, 2007

"Carte Blanche"

On this day in 1914, following the Sarajevo assassination, Imperial Germany gave Austria-Hungary a "blank check" assurance – or at least so it is said.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

Even More Food for Thought

After quoting the Persona Non Grata of this blog, Charles Glass presents a thought experiment on the relation between Cuba and those United States.

More Food for Thought on This Day

Charles A. Coulombe reflects on the political state of American society. And Daniel Larison reflects on the Loyalists.

H/T: Andrew Cusack

Land of...

On this day, some may appreciate visiting or revisiting the late Dr. John Attarian's perspective. Note also today's LRC article by Gary North on rising taxes since the days of the American War for Independence.

Others may appreciate visiting or revisiting an audio recording of a more moderate lecture by the now late Dr. Erik von Kuehnelt-Leddihn, including the statement that the American fight for independence was not initially anti-monarchical. The declaration celebrated today merely asserted His Britannic Majesty's personal unfitness for rule of a free people.

Some may appreciate both.

Yet all should note Dr. Kevin R. C. Gutzman's statement on "spreading democracy":

The fulfillment of the 4th of July will come when the United States has sponsored democratic revolutions throughout the world.

No. Both George Washington (in an address he co-wrote with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay) and Thomas Jefferson counseled that the U.S. avoid foreign entanglements, and thus foreign wars.
BTW, yesterday was the anniversary of the end of the Battle of Gettysburg. Had that battle gone the other way, we very well might not have known the term "Wilsonianism."

Monday, July 2, 2007

Sunday, July 1, 2007

Would George III Have Felt at Home in Today's D.C.?

Geoffrey Wheatcroft at the Boston Globe writes on why George III would have found himself at home in today's District of Columbia.

While Mr. Wheatcroft certainly has some points in his article, he fails to recognize – or at least fails to demonstrate such recognition – the immense expansion of the reach and the size of the state since the times of George III. Both the London and the Washington, D.C. of our times are probably far beyond what George III could have dreamt of.

Vintage Onion

The Onion from June 29, 1919:

New 'League of Nations' to Offer Gift Shop, Guided Tours
H/T: Max Raskin, LRC Blog