Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Fantasy reformism

OK, back to fantasy reformism, again. I have two.

1) Recall - much in the news at the moment. Now, I've said before that I prefer frequent periodic election to recall, because the question of the trigger is a pesky one (set too low, political gridlock, too high and the measure becomes all but worthless). I was reading, though, the Wikipedia article on Constructive votes of no confidence. The idea being, you don't vote the incumbant out until there is a replacement candidate (i.e. you vote the new one in rather than the old one out). This sets the bar quite well, because a candidate wouldn't run unless they thought they were in with a chance of winning.

2) War!!!! - following Isaac Asimov's idea that war represents a failure of politics, herein a suggested new rule - the way a government declares war is by the Prime Minister making a statement admitting their failure, and resigning from office. A nice simple test, if they really think war is necessary, they should signal it by making a sacrifice themself.

Any suggestions out there for fantasy reformism?

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Tuesday, February 03, 2009

A century

"[It] is a vast military centre and militarily defended city in every sense of the laws of war, written or unwritten, as applicable to aerial warfare. We have no wish to destroy indiscriminately or to injure or kill women and children, or other non-combatants"

Israel Spokesperson? Hamas spokesperson?

No, German Zeppelin commander in World War I, called Mathy, talking about London. This is a man who commanded a raid that killed 109 civilians exclusively by dropping small incendiary bombs on Russell Square, through Clerkenwell and on into Hoxton - densely populated civilian areas all. On Portpool Lane a high explosive bomb killed four children and injured six adults.

A night earlier, another Zeppelin had bombed its way along the Kingsland Road from 10,000'. No military targets were in view.

Mathy claimed the British had posted an anti-aircraft gun under Saint Paul's, trying to use a historic monument as a shield. The British deny this. Sounding familiar?

In fact, if you travel on the C2 bus, you pass Regent's Park barracks, and then, onwards a little, less than two hundred yards i.e. missing distance) is a Church and an Infants school. Is the British government cowardly hiding it's military installations in civilian areas? or doesn't that matter, they'll be bombed anyway.

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