B E B E R E

Across the pond

"Why is it that we have to kill people to show people that killing is bad?"
The same reason some people seem to think that roughing people up is how you show you care for them, I guess.

I've not been looking across the ocean too much lately, but that's not to say that there isn't anything going on. Tomorrow is Election Day on the Sceptered Isle, and there's apparently quite a bit at stake. From what I can see, the major players this time around are Labour, the Silly Party, the Scary Party. I'm not really sure about how the Tories stand in all this, but I do know that Oliver Kamm was talking about voting conservative to support Blair.

Anyway - for more in depth coverage of what's going on Over There, do have a look at Oliver Kamm, Hurry Up Harry, Norm Geras.

In addition:

Natalie Solent has a post on the effects of banning parties such as UKIP/Respect (Unity)/Front National, where the poem (When the Nazis came for the Communists, I said nothing; I was no Communist...) by Niemoeller figures prominently. She also talks about selective law enforcement by the police to curry favor.

Melanie Phillips talks a bit about Gordon Brown (the "Anti-Blair?"), his creation of a sort of state-employee welfare class, and about the effects this will have on voter turn out, disaffectation with Labour, etc.

It's easy to stay in the insular mode here, and not take a look at what's going on in the politics of what seems a little island so far away. We should be interested, however. We are borne of them, and with little exception, they are some of our best friends out there. They also seem to be going through a lot of the same issues as we did during our last election.