Richard's Blog

Home
About Us
News
Richard's Blog
Cheshunt Central Ward
Cheshunt North Ward
What We Cost You
Committees We Serve On
Meetings We Attend
Events
Contact Us
Links
Tell A Friend

Richard's Blog

RSS Feed

American Independence Day

Posted on Saturday Jul 4 10:05:00 BST 2009

It’s now 233 years since the 13 British North American Colonies declared their independence and started on the journey that forged the United States of America into the world’s greatest economy and (arguably) greatest democracy.

In those years Britain has had a turbulent relationship with the USA – there have been wars (1775 – 83 and 1812), we came close to war (1861 – The Trent Affair), we have been economic and diplomatic rivals and for much of the last 100 years we have been friends and allies.

(Although curiously in the 1920’s the United States Navy considered the British Empire to be it’s most likely future enemy and planned accordingly)

Since the end of the “cold war” it is probably true that the so called “special relationship” has cooled somewhat – in spite of Mr Blair doing his best to ingratiate himself to the Bush regime – and it is likely that President Obama looks on the relationship with Britain no more favourably than with other European powers.

The United States has, on the whole, been a good friend to Britain so it is really disappointing to read of the impending extradition of computer hacker and Asperger’s sufferer Gary McKinnon under the terms of what seems to be a very one sided extradition treaty.

Mr McKinnon has admitted to hacking into CIA and Pentagon computer systems – however his aims seems to have been no more sinister than looking for evidence of UFO’s and “Little Green Men”

The Daily Mail has launched a campaign to ask that Mr McKinnon, who has admitted his guilt, be tried and serve a sentence under British law rather than face a possible 60 year jail sentence in the USA.

I support this campaign.

I am at a loss to understand why the world’s only superpower is so hell bent on extraditing a seemingly troubled man to face such a punitive and disproportionate sentence.

I wonder if Gary McKinnon’s real crime is that he embarrassed the USA by being able to hack into their intelligence and defence systems with apparent ease and then had the temerity not to indulge in the American legal systems practice of entering into a “plea bargin”?

If you want to read more about Mr McKinnon please follow this link and if you wish to support the campaign click here.

Read more / Comments(0)

ID cards - Government Climbdown

Posted on Tuesday Jun 30 16:50:00 BST 2009

I am delighted that Alan Johnson has announced a climbdown on the ID card trial planned for Manchester Airport.

I hope that this is one of the early nails in the coffin of a scheme I believe is unnecessary, unworthy and un-British.

I really don't see how forcing us all to have a national ID card will improve our security and help the so called "war on terror".

It does feel like yet another unwelcome Government intrusion into our lives - at best a further extension of the "nanny state" and at worst the start of something like an "Orwellian nightmare".

Hopefully the control freaks in the current government who are trying to force this scheme onto us will all be looking for a new job in the not too distant future!

Read more / Comments(0)

Quentin Letts

Posted on Friday Jun 26 12:40:00 BST 2009

Parliamentary sketch writer Quentin Letts does have a knack for creating memorable nicknames.

Former Speaker Michael Martin memorably became "Gorbals Mick".

Quentin now has a great name for John Bercow who has become "Mr Squeaker"

Cruel, but it made me smile

Read more / Comments(0)

Jerry Springer on the licence fee

Posted on Friday Jun 26 12:30:00 BST 2009

I like the quote in todays Mail, attributed to Jerry Springer, regarding the BBC licence fee:

"Why should people be forced to pay taxes for television"

My thoughts exactly...............

Read more / Comments(0)

Michael Jackson

Posted on Friday Jun 26 6:45:00 BST 2009

Michael Jackson's premature death, at the age of only 50, has now been confirmed.

In recent years he has been in the news more for the lurid allegations about his private life and for the ongoing media fascination about his "freak show" life.

It has been easy to forget that in the 1980's he produced some of the greatest pieces of pop music of the 20th century and was very much the seminal pop star of my generation.

Although I was never a fan of Michael Jackson, I appreciated his music and he brought pleasure to countless millions of people around the world - no bad thing & what he should be remembered for.

I think it is only right to acknowledge and mourn the passing of a musical genius.