You are currently browsing the daily archive for May 25th, 2008.
I suspect that many in Britain will not be really too concerned about the differences between Republican and Democrat in the USA, perhaps being prepared to tar all with the same brush.
This post and its accompanying picture from Ed Morrissey of ‘Captains Quarters’ ought to give a glimpse into the fundamental divide between the two. Democrat activists working under the banner of Cuba with a picture of Che looking on does I think illustrate the reality of the crypto-communist left wing that hangs on to the Democrats in America, and probably shows why they have of late lost the blue collar vote.
Equally the attitude of Senator John Kerry (and the right wing response) on how to deal with Iran is quite instructive. Kerry says “By engaging Iran, we reclaim the moral high ground”. Oh, the right wing response of course is “from whom will we be reclaiming it?”
To put this in a British perspective we would have to imagine Ken Livingstone supporters parading the Venezuelan flag during the London mayoral elections. Come to think about it they all but did. I suppose if Americans want to understand the true atavistic tendency of Labour activists (as opposed to voters) then the Crewe by election and its now notorious class warfare depiction of the Conservatives as ‘toffs’ would be correspondingly instructive.
Although what they would make of the way Labour played the race and immigration card in the same election is anybody’s guess.
Frasier Nelson from The Spectator is in Afghanistan and speculates that the Taliban are in disarray if not retreat.
It seems they have given up. Fighting was expected to start three weeks ago but hasn’t. Instead the Taliban have switched to roadside bombs and suicide attacks
This is the first I have read about this and lets hope it is true, although the bombing campaign clearly is frought with dangers for our troops and Afghan civilians.
Its good news for our troops if this continues and makes their efforts worthwhile. However we should not forget that there has also been some not insignificant US involvement in Helmund. The Americans are not likely to be there forever and the British and Afghan forces will need to hold the gains made. But success of the surge here and in Basta and Baghdad and elewhere in Iraq really give the lie to the doomsayers who have been belittling our activities there. Its just important to remember that ultimately its taken intervention by the US Army/Marines to force the issue.
