Author: Anthony

Condi Rice, America’s Secretary of State, delivered a stern dressing down to us pansy Europeans today, and we feel much bucked up for it. Stern words from Nanny never go amiss, particularly here in Britain.

If you missed it, here are the key points (in track changes):

• Our nationally shaming and probably illegal treatment of prisoners has saved European lives. Probably.
• The US doesn’t officially torture and when it does, it’s just over-eager lieutenants
• They are almost all guilty, anyway
• Obey.

The New York Times has the full details of the spanking.

Update: While the Administration has been trashing the US’s reputation around the world, it turns out they’ve also been falling down on prevention measures at home. A proud record, indeed.

PledgeBank is an excellent site, part of the MySociety network, where you can make a public pledge to do something if a certain number of other people will pledge to do the same.

That’s not to say there aren’t some strange pledges. Take this one, a natty fascist number, in which people are proposing the slaughter of the elderly, the forcible sterilisation of poor people and restricting the right to vote to (and I paraphrase) pointlessly angry ill-educated bigots like me.

So far, so FreeRepublic, you might think. But what is the ‘people who signed this pledge also signed…’ pledge? Lobbying their employers for fair trade coffee! Welfare: It’s OK for coffee-growers, but not for anyone else.

An interesting episode in the French Assemblée Nationale, not a place prone to interesting episodes. The UMP – Chirac’s party – have blocked an attempt by the left to repeal a provision in a proposed law that requires schools to put a positive spin on the French empire, particularly in North Africa.

The provision, which will now stand, stipulates:

“Les programmes scolaires reconnaissent en particulier le rôle positif de la présence française outre-mer, notamment en Afrique du Nord, et accordent à l’histoire et aux sacrifices des combattants de l’armée française issus de ces territoires la place éminente à laquelle ils ont droit.”

Compare Niall Ferguson’s series on the British Empire. Le Figaro discusses.

The BBC website discusses an intriguing idea – personal tradeable carbon allowances. The principle is the same as that used for large companies – you have an allowance, and if you exceed it you have to buy more, if you stay within it you can sell your surplus.

I think it’s a fascinating idea, myself – strong resemblance to rationing during the war, and might produce a similar community cohesion (though doubtless also a similar black market).

The Argus reports that Conservative clubs in Sussex (not part of the Tory party officially, but a related organisation) have been revelling in longer opening hours, despite the party’s threats of death, destruction and mayhem.

The member of the House of Representative for the San Diego area has resigned, after admitting to taking almost $2.5m in bribes from defence contractors. Brown envelopes were not for Randy Cunningham – they don’t come that big – rather, he just let defence contractors buy him a house, pay for his daughter’s graduation, and, oh yes, buy him a Roller.

Reports in the San Diego Union Tribune, and on The Fix at the Washington Post.