There is an interesting post on the blog Legal Fiction asking if FEMA is constitutional from an “originalist” perspective. I’m not sure whether I am an “originalist” or not, but I certainly believe that a fair reading of the constitution would be much more restrictive of the federal government, so I’ll take a swing at the question.
To answer the question is FEMA constitutional one must answer three questions, A) what is FEMA, what functions does it carry out; B) does the function violate the bill or rights; and C) are these functions among the enumerated powers of congress, the president, or the judiciary.
Question A
What is the function of FEMA?
According to a FEMA document, “Since its founding in 1979, the mission of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been clear: to prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and help individuals and communities recover from natural and man-made disasters.” Thus the function of FEMA is to provide disaster relief.
Question B
Does providing disaster relief INHEREENTLY violate a provision of the bill of rights?
Providing disaster relief does not seem to inherently establish or prohibit the free exercise of religion or abridge freedom of speech or press or of the right of the people to peaceably assemble to petition the government.
This function does not seem to inherently interfere with the individual right to own arms or the right of the states to organize a militia.
It does not seem to inherently require the quartering of soldiers in homes in time of peace.
This function does not seem to inherently involve unreasonable searches and seizures, unless rescue searches are used to find evidence for criminal prosecution, but that is not inherent. FEMA does not issue warrants so that does not seem to apply.
Disaster relief does not seem to inherently require trial without indictment, double jeopardy, forced self incrimination, a lack of due process, or the seizure of property without compensation.
It does not seem to inherently require: slow or closed trial, the suspension of trial by jury, the suspension of informing the accused of the charges against him and allowing him to confront the witnesses against him, the suspension of compulsory process for obtaining of witnesses in his favor, or the suspension of the provision of council.
This function does not seem to inherently involve suspending trial by jury in civil cases or require courts to overturn jury verdicts.
It does not seem to inherently require excessive bail, excessive fines, or cruel and unusual punishment.
Government disaster relief, being a species of forced charity, may violate the right to property which was an accepted right under the natural law framework and thus may violate the ninth amendment. However I admit that this is a quasi political judgment based, on exactly how you understand the right to property, that should to the largest possible extent, be worked out through the legislative process.
This function does not violate the 10th Amendment unless it exceeds the enumerated powers of congress, the president, or the judiciary, which brings us to the third question.
Question C
Is disaster relief an enumerated power of congress, the president, or the judiciary?
Article I
The first of the powers (Art. I, Sec. 1) is the legislative power of congress, but since it is limited to “powers herein granted” it is not a general grant of authority, but a restriction on the authority of the executive and judicial branches.
The first enumerated power of Congress (Art. I, Sec. 2) is the power (the exercise of which is required) to conduct a census. Disaster relief does not seem to be authorized by this provision. Nor does the election of a Speaker of the house or the other officers thereof seem to authorize disaster relief.
The Senate’s power to elect its officers and a President Pro Tempore (Art. I, Sec. 3) does not seem to grant power to provide federal disaster relief. The power to try impeachments seems far removed from a power to provide disaster relief.
Congress’s power to regulate elections and set the day for there first session of the year (Art. I, Sec. 4) does not seem to give authority to provide disaster relief.
The power of each house to judge the election of its members, compel attendance, make its own rules, punish its members, keep a journal of its proceedings and publish it, and to require the other house to hold near simultaneous meetings at a place agreed upon by both houses (Art. I, Sec. 5) does not seem to authorize disaster relief.
The power of Congress to set its own salary (Art. I, Sec. 6) does not seem to authorize disaster relief.
The House’s power to originate revenue bills, the president’s power of veto, and the power of congress to override such veto by a 2/3rds majority (Art. I, Sec. 7)does not seem to grant any legislative power over and beyond the other “powers herein granted.”
Section 8
Article I, Section 8, lists most of the powers of Congress.
Congress’s power to lay and collect taxes for “to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” is the one most often cited by those who want to expand the powers of the federal government to reach such objects as disaster relief. However this interpretation is almost certainly mistaken because, A) such interpretation is specifically disavowed by James Madison the father of the constitution, B) it is contrary to the doctrine of enumerated powers which has been held since the earliest days of the republic, C) if taken seriously, it along with the necessary and proper clause would make the rest of article 8 meaningless, and most importantly D) because it is contrary to the grant of general legislative authority over federal enclaves. However I think there it a proper interpretation that may allow some federal disaster relief which I will explain at the end of this essay.
The powers to borrow money, regulate commerce, establish uniform rules of naturalization, establish uniform rules for bankruptcy, coin money, regulate the value of foreign coin, fix standards of weights and measures, punish counterfeiting, establish post offices and post roads, grant patents and copyrights, establish courts inferior to the supreme court, to codify international law as it applies to the United States, to declare war, commission privateers, raise armies, provide a navy, set standards for the militia, and to exercise general legislative authority over federal enclaves does not seem to include a power to provide federal disaster relief outside of federal enclaves.
Article I, Sec. 9 and 10
Section nine mostly limits the power of Congress to take certain actions. The only grants of power are to end the importation of slaves after the year 1808 (though that may have been granted in the commerce clause) and to suspend the writ of habeas corpus in time of invasion or insurrection, neither of which would seem to grant a disaster relief power.
Section 10 mostly limits the power of the states. However four powers are granted to Congress, the power to regulate state tariffs, the power to regulate and abolish the active duty armed forces of the states, the power to control the foreign policy of the states, and the power to allow or forbid agreements among the states. The first three clearly do not grant the federal government the power to provide disaster relief. The fourth power may have an interpretation that could allow some federal disaster relief which I will explain at the end of this essay.
Article II
The executive power granted to the President (Art. II, Sec.1) is to execute the laws made by congress, this is no increase in federal authority. Congress’s power to regulate the election of electors and to break a tie does not seem to authorize a federal disaster relief power.
As commander in chief, (Art. II, Sec.2) the president can order the military around. This would seem to allow the president to use the armed forces for disaster relief when needed, but it is questionable if this allows the establishment of a disaster relief organization separate from the armed forces in general. The Presidents powers to make treaties, appoint ambassadors and other public officials with the consent of the senate does not seem to grant additional federal authority for disaster relief.
The president’s power to prorogue, convene, and adjourn congress, settle disputes between the houses, receive ambassadors, and commission officers (Art. II, Sec.3) would not seem to include a federal disaster relief power.
Section 4 relates to the removal of officers of the government by impeachment and hardly seems relevant to this discussion.
Article III
Section 1 grants no powers.
The power to try all cases arising in law and equity under the constitution (Art. III, Sec.2) does not seem relevant. The power to try ambassadors would not seem relevant. The power to hear cases of admiralty and maritime jurisdiction could only be relevant by way of a sick joke. The power to hear controversies between the states and between the states and the federal government could be relevant, but I will return to this point at the end of my essay.
Section 3 simply defines treason and is in general a limitation on federal power.
Article VI
The powers granted by this article are to harmonize state law (Art. IV, Sec.1), make states grant extradition to other states (Art. IV, Sec.2), admit new states to the union and govern the territories (Art. IV, Sec.3), and the power to make every state be a republic (Art. IV, Sec.4). None of this seems relevant to disaster relief.
Article V
The congress has the power to propose amendments to the constitution by a vote of 2/3rds of its members. This would be relevant if those who want federal disaster relief would chose it
Article VI
This article grants federal supremacy in areas of concurrent legislative authority.
Article VII
The article grants no powers, but sets the conditions of ratification.
Amendments XI-XIII
Amendment XI reduces federal authority. Amendment XII relates to choosing the president and grants no new authority. Amendment XII grants congress the power to enforce the abolition of slavery, but this hardly seems relevant.
Amendment XIV
This amendment gives congress broad authority to protect individual rights against state action. It disallows the holding of state or federal office of those involved in past insurrection against the federal government. It hardly seems relevant to disaster relief.
Amendments XV – XXVII
Amendment XV grants the federal government the right to enforce equal voting rights between the members of all races. Amendment XVI allows the federal government to levy an income tax. Amendment XVII establishes the direct election of senators. Amendment XVIII has been repealed. Amendment XIX grants congress power to enforce equal voting rights between men and women. Amendment XX regards the election of the president and the presidential succession . Amendment XXI grants the states limited powers to interfere in the interstate commerce in alcohol. Amendment XXII limits the president to two terms of office. Amendment XXIII allows the Dirstrict of Columbia to chose presidential electors. Article XXVI forbids pole taxes. Amendment XXV relates to the presidential succession and the issue of presidential incapacity. Article XXVI reduces the voting age to 18. Article XXVII restricts congress’s power to increase its own salary. None of this is a grant of disaster relief authority.
My Conclusion as to Question C
The federal government has no specific grant of disaster relief authority.
General Conclusion
FEMA as currently organized is beyond the enumerated powers of the federal government and thus violates the 10th Amendment and is unconstitutional. It may also be a violation of the ninth amendment but that is less certain.
However, if congress wanted to authorize a logistics corps far in excess of the needs of the armed forces of the republic so that it would be there for the president to use for disaster relief, this would be marginally constitutional.
Further there is another option for a nation wide government disaster relief organization. As I mentioned earlier, Article I, Section 10, allows the states to make compacts or agreement with one another. It seems to me that if the states got together and made an agreement to create an agency to provide disaster relief, congress could ok this. Such an agency could stockpile emergency equipment, allocate financial aid and organize the deployment of national guardsmen to effected states in the event of a natural disaster. This would have to be paid for by the states, but it is certainly possible. If all of the states joined the compact, then I think one might agree that it was ok for congress to help fund the agency under its Article 8 powers. This would be so because an agency created by the unanimous 50 states would be an agency of the United States (i.e. of the union) and it would not expand federal power without limit. In the event of a disaster, the president could coordinate his use of the armed forces for relief with such an agency. The federal courts counld enforce the agreement under their power hear cases between the states.
Lastly, congress could propose an amendment with the following words, “Congress shall have the power to create an emergency relief organization to provide disaster relief.” I have a feeling that this would probably get the consent of ¾ of the state legislatures fairly easily.
The government can address disaster relief, but not though the current FEMA framework, at least not if we are going to take the constitution seriously.
Last Thoughts
What I severely object to is the belief that the constitution doesn’t matter. It does, it is the law of the land. If we don’t like it, we can change it, but why even bother having a written constitution if we aren’t going to follow it. A written constitution was the great innovation of the American Revolution, but a lot of people on both the left and the right and for that matter in the center don’t seem to value the constitution. That thought frankly saddens me. Did the founders live in vain?
Thursday, September 08, 2005
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Assimilation
There is an excelent post here on the evil of multiculturalism and the solution. The Mixing of peoples has long been an anglosphere tradition and hope we see more of it.
Monday, July 18, 2005
Proposal Constitution for the Crown Commonwealth
PREAMBLE
In order to unite the Crown Commonwealth for the protection of life, liberty, and property, be it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty and with the consent and by the authority of the peoples of: the Province of Alberta, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Kingdom of Barbados, the Province of British Columbia, the Kingdom of England, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Kingdom of Jamaica, the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Mann, the Province of Manitoba, the province of New Brunswick, the State of New South Wales, the Nunavut, the Kingdom of New Zealand, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Territory of North Australia, the Kingdom of Northern Ireland, the Northwest Territory, the Province of Nova Scotia, the Province of Ontario, the Province of Prince Edward Island, the Province of Quebec, the State of Queensland, the Province of Saskatchewan, the Kingdom of Scotland, the State of South Australia, the State of Tasmania, the State of Victoria, the Principality of Wales, the State of Western Australia, and the Yukon Territory, that the aforementioned states hereby form the United Commonwealth Federation and that this Constitution shall be the supreme law thereof.
PART A – DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
ARTICLE 1 – INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
Sec 1
The protection of individual rights is the first duty and sole justification of all state authority.
Sec 2 The Right to Life
No person shall be deprived of their life without due process of law upon a charge of treason, premeditated murder, murder in the commission of a crime, slave ownership, or slave trading.
Sec 3 The Right to Liberty
No person shall be deprived of their liberty without due process of law upon a charge of committing a crime which violates the right of life liberty or property of another or of attempting to commit such crime or endangering others rights by breach of the peace or attempt to commit the same.
Sec 4 The Right to Property
No person shall be deprived of their property without due process of law upon a charge of committing a crime which damages the person or property of another.
Sec 5 The Right to Freedom of Opinion, Expression and Assembly
The legislature shall make no law regarding the establishment of a religion. The legislature shall make no law to restrict or prevent an individual from using his property to proselytize his views. The legislature shall make no law to restrict or prevent a peaceful assembly of people on private property.
Sec 6 The Right to Bear Arms
An armed citizenry being the bulwark of a free state, the right of the individual to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Sec 7 Freedom of Association and Non Association
No person shall be deprived of their right to form associations for: the corporate or communal use of their property; forming by contract families to raise their natural and adopted children; for non treasonous and non violent political purposes; to negotiate with their employer; or for any lawful purpose. No person shall be deprived of their right to contract freely with others for any lawful purpose. No person shall be deprived of their right not to associate or contract with others.
Sec 8 Rights Not Enumerated
The Enumeration of certain rights in this document shall not be held to disparage others, not enumerated, which are retained by the people.
ARTICLE 2 -ANCIENT LIBERTIES
Sec 1 Ancient Liberties Protected
Since the purpose of the confederation, is to protect and secure our ancient liberties and in no way to surrender them, Her Majesty and her government shall abide by them. In addition to the universal individual rights enumerated in Article 1, these ancient liberties of our people are protected.
Sec. 2 No Taxation by Royal Fiat
No scutage, aid or other tax shall be imposed on the nation, unless by common counsel of the nation.
Sec. 3 Parliament
And for obtaining the common counsel of the kingdom for the assessing of an aid, a scutage or other tax, the monarch will cause to be summoned representatives of the people, orders, and states of the nation in a parliament as here in after detailed.
Sec. 4 Right to Local Self Government
The city of London shall have all it ancient liberties and free customs, as well by land as by water; furthermore, it is decreed and granted that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall have all their liberties and free customs.
Sec. 5 Right to Property
No officer of the crown shall, take the property of any freeman, against the will of the said freeman, except in time of war or insurrection and then only after just compensation is paid.
Sec 6 Warrants Necessary for Searches and Seizures and Limited
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. Warrants shall be issued only on probable cause upon oath or affirmation and particularly naming the place to be searched and persons or things to be seized.
Sec. 7 Indictment Only After Third Party Complaint
No officer of the crown shall, upon his own unsupported complaint, charge any freeman with a crime, without credible witnesses brought for this purposes.
Sec. 8 Right to Trial by Jury
No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised or exiled or in any way destroyed, except by the lawful judgment of his peers in accordance with the law of the land.
Sec. 9 Right to Fair and Speedy Trial
To no one will the crown sell, refuse or delay, right or justice.
Sec. 10 Crown will Obey the Law
The Crown will appoint as executive and judicial officers only such as know the law of the realm and mean to observe it well.
Sec. 11 Standing Army Limitations
As soon as peace is restored, the crown will disband all armed forces other than those authorized by this constitution.
Sec. 12 Treason Limitations
Treason against the United Commonwealth Federation, shall consist only in levying war against it, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort.
Sec. 13 Right of Resistance and Revolt
The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind. If the rights and liberties enumerated by this constitution are not respected or the restrictions on the power of the crown, parliament, and the courts instituted by this constitution are not followed, then the authority given to officers under it are like wise invalid and the community of the realm have the right to over throw it or to distrain and distress the officials there of until such time as they content themselves with their lawfully given authority.
In order to unite the Crown Commonwealth for the protection of life, liberty, and property, be it enacted by the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty and with the consent and by the authority of the peoples of: the Province of Alberta, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Kingdom of Barbados, the Province of British Columbia, the Kingdom of England, the Bailiwick of Guernsey, the Kingdom of Jamaica, the Bailiwick of Jersey, the Isle of Mann, the Province of Manitoba, the province of New Brunswick, the State of New South Wales, the Nunavut, the Kingdom of New Zealand, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador, the Territory of North Australia, the Kingdom of Northern Ireland, the Northwest Territory, the Province of Nova Scotia, the Province of Ontario, the Province of Prince Edward Island, the Province of Quebec, the State of Queensland, the Province of Saskatchewan, the Kingdom of Scotland, the State of South Australia, the State of Tasmania, the State of Victoria, the Principality of Wales, the State of Western Australia, and the Yukon Territory, that the aforementioned states hereby form the United Commonwealth Federation and that this Constitution shall be the supreme law thereof.
PART A – DECLARATION OF RIGHTS AND LIBERTIES
ARTICLE 1 – INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS
Sec 1
The protection of individual rights is the first duty and sole justification of all state authority.
Sec 2 The Right to Life
No person shall be deprived of their life without due process of law upon a charge of treason, premeditated murder, murder in the commission of a crime, slave ownership, or slave trading.
Sec 3 The Right to Liberty
No person shall be deprived of their liberty without due process of law upon a charge of committing a crime which violates the right of life liberty or property of another or of attempting to commit such crime or endangering others rights by breach of the peace or attempt to commit the same.
Sec 4 The Right to Property
No person shall be deprived of their property without due process of law upon a charge of committing a crime which damages the person or property of another.
Sec 5 The Right to Freedom of Opinion, Expression and Assembly
The legislature shall make no law regarding the establishment of a religion. The legislature shall make no law to restrict or prevent an individual from using his property to proselytize his views. The legislature shall make no law to restrict or prevent a peaceful assembly of people on private property.
Sec 6 The Right to Bear Arms
An armed citizenry being the bulwark of a free state, the right of the individual to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.
Sec 7 Freedom of Association and Non Association
No person shall be deprived of their right to form associations for: the corporate or communal use of their property; forming by contract families to raise their natural and adopted children; for non treasonous and non violent political purposes; to negotiate with their employer; or for any lawful purpose. No person shall be deprived of their right to contract freely with others for any lawful purpose. No person shall be deprived of their right not to associate or contract with others.
Sec 8 Rights Not Enumerated
The Enumeration of certain rights in this document shall not be held to disparage others, not enumerated, which are retained by the people.
ARTICLE 2 -ANCIENT LIBERTIES
Sec 1 Ancient Liberties Protected
Since the purpose of the confederation, is to protect and secure our ancient liberties and in no way to surrender them, Her Majesty and her government shall abide by them. In addition to the universal individual rights enumerated in Article 1, these ancient liberties of our people are protected.
Sec. 2 No Taxation by Royal Fiat
No scutage, aid or other tax shall be imposed on the nation, unless by common counsel of the nation.
Sec. 3 Parliament
And for obtaining the common counsel of the kingdom for the assessing of an aid, a scutage or other tax, the monarch will cause to be summoned representatives of the people, orders, and states of the nation in a parliament as here in after detailed.
Sec. 4 Right to Local Self Government
The city of London shall have all it ancient liberties and free customs, as well by land as by water; furthermore, it is decreed and granted that all other cities, boroughs, towns, and ports shall have all their liberties and free customs.
Sec. 5 Right to Property
No officer of the crown shall, take the property of any freeman, against the will of the said freeman, except in time of war or insurrection and then only after just compensation is paid.
Sec 6 Warrants Necessary for Searches and Seizures and Limited
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated. Warrants shall be issued only on probable cause upon oath or affirmation and particularly naming the place to be searched and persons or things to be seized.
Sec. 7 Indictment Only After Third Party Complaint
No officer of the crown shall, upon his own unsupported complaint, charge any freeman with a crime, without credible witnesses brought for this purposes.
Sec. 8 Right to Trial by Jury
No freemen shall be taken or imprisoned or disseised or exiled or in any way destroyed, except by the lawful judgment of his peers in accordance with the law of the land.
Sec. 9 Right to Fair and Speedy Trial
To no one will the crown sell, refuse or delay, right or justice.
Sec. 10 Crown will Obey the Law
The Crown will appoint as executive and judicial officers only such as know the law of the realm and mean to observe it well.
Sec. 11 Standing Army Limitations
As soon as peace is restored, the crown will disband all armed forces other than those authorized by this constitution.
Sec. 12 Treason Limitations
Treason against the United Commonwealth Federation, shall consist only in levying war against it, or in adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort.
Sec. 13 Right of Resistance and Revolt
The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind. If the rights and liberties enumerated by this constitution are not respected or the restrictions on the power of the crown, parliament, and the courts instituted by this constitution are not followed, then the authority given to officers under it are like wise invalid and the community of the realm have the right to over throw it or to distrain and distress the officials there of until such time as they content themselves with their lawfully given authority.
Constitution Part 2
PART B – FRAME OF GOVERNMENT
ARTICLE 3 – THE FEDERATIONSec. 1 The ratification of this Constitution shall not dissolve the governments of the states ratifying it which shall remain sovereign surrendering only such powers as are here in reserved to the federal government.
Sec. 2 The ratification of this constitution shall not dissolve the governments of the Commonwealth of Austrialia, the Confederation of Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Briton and Northern Ireland.
Sec. 3 New States may be admitted by Parliament into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Parliament.
Sec. 4 Parliament shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United Commonwealth Federation; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United Commonwealth Federation, or of any particular State.
Sec. 5 This Constitution, and the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United Commonwealth Federation, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
Sec. 6 The Senators and Representatives, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United Commonwealth Federation and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United Commonwealth Federation.
ARTICLE 3 – THE FEDERATIONSec. 1 The ratification of this Constitution shall not dissolve the governments of the states ratifying it which shall remain sovereign surrendering only such powers as are here in reserved to the federal government.
Sec. 2 The ratification of this constitution shall not dissolve the governments of the Commonwealth of Austrialia, the Confederation of Canada and the United Kingdom of Great Briton and Northern Ireland.
Sec. 3 New States may be admitted by Parliament into this Union; but no new State shall be formed or erected within the Jurisdiction of any other State; nor any State be formed by the Junction of two or more States, or Parts of States, without the Consent of the Legislatures of the States concerned as well as of the Parliament.
Sec. 4 Parliament shall have Power to dispose of and make all needful Rules and Regulations respecting the Territory or other Property belonging to the United Commonwealth Federation; and nothing in this Constitution shall be so construed as to Prejudice any Claims of the United Commonwealth Federation, or of any particular State.
Sec. 5 This Constitution, and the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation which shall be made in Pursuance thereof; and all Treaties made, or which shall be made, under the Authority of the United Commonwealth Federation, shall be the supreme Law of the Land; and the Judges in every State shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding.
Sec. 6 The Senators and Representatives, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United Commonwealth Federation and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United Commonwealth Federation.
Constitution Crown
ARTICLE 4 – THE MONARCH
Sec. 1 The Sovereign and Head of State shall be Elizabeth Windsor and Her Heirs and Successors in accordance with the Act of Settlement of 1701. The Monarch’s title shall be N. of Great Briton and Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth of Austrialia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Kingdom of Barbados, the Confederation of Canada, the Kingdom of Jamaica, the Kingdom of New Zealand, Queen (King), Duke of Normandy, Lord of Mann, Empress (Emperor) of the United Commonwealth Federation. All acts of state shall be done in the monarch’s name.
Sec. 2 The monarch shall be president of the Senate. S/he shall have the power to prorogue parliament. S/he shall have power to desolve parliament and issue writs of election. The monarch shall be chairman of the Committee for judicial nominations.
Sec. 3 Every bill which shall have passed the House of Commons and the Senate shall before it becomes law be presented to the monarch; if s/he approve s/he shall sign it and it shall become law. If s/he does not approve it, s/he shall return it to the house of origin with objections. That house shall proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration six-tenths of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered and if approved by six-tenths of that house it shall be again presented to the monarch for signing, but if not it shall not become law. If the monarch a second time refuses to sign the bill then it shall be put to a referendum of the citizens who if they approve it, it shall become law in like manner as if the monarch had signed it, but if they do not approve it, it shall not become law.
ARTICLE 5 – FIRST MINISTER
Sec. 1 the Executive authority of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be excercised on behalf of the monarch by a First Minister who shall serve for a term of four years unless sed term is terminated by a vote of no confidence sustained by the electorate. S/he shall be elected as follows, the heads of government of the several states, the First Minister, the ministers of the previous government, the Second Minister, and five other persons chosen by the monarch shall be candidates. The electorate shall chose between them using a single transferable ballot.
If the First Minister should lose the confidence of Parliament s/he will face a plebiscite with in one week. If the majority of votes cast in the plebiscite are to retain the First Minister, then Parliament will be desolved and writs of election issued. Having once been sustained by the electorate, the First Minister shall not have to face a plebiscite for the next nine months even if he should lose the confidence of the new parliament in that time. However if within that nine month period the First Minister loses the confidence of parliament, the monarch may at his/er discretion call for a new election for First Minister. If the First Minister loses the plebiscite, the Monarch shall call for a new election for First Minister.
Sec. 2 The First Minister shall act as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the Commonwealth Federation, and of the Armed Forces and Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the Commonwealth Federation; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the Commonwealth Federation, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and all other Officers of the Commonwealth Federation, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Parliment may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the First Minister alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. He shall be a member of the Committee for Judicial Nominations
The First Minister shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Sec. 3 S/he shall from time to time give to the Parliment Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; s/he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, s/he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; s/he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the Commonwealth Federation.
ARTICLE 6 – THE SECOND MINISTER
Sec. 1 The Second Minister shall be the candidate for First Minister who has the second largest number of votes when the First Minister has a majority.
Sec. 2 In the event that the First Minister loses the Confidence of Parliament and has to face a plebiscite, in the event that the First Minister loses the confidence of Parliament and the Monarch calls for new Elections for First Minister, or in the event that the First Minister loses a plebiscite and the Monarch calls for new Elections for First Minister, the Second Minister shall be acting First Minister. The Second Minister shall by virtue of his office be a member of the Senate. S/he shall be a member of the Committee for Judicial Nominations.
ARTICLE 7 – CABINET
Sec. 1 The Cabinet shall be composed of the First Minister, the Minister of War, the First Lord of Admiralty, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the attorney general.
Sec. 2 The members of the cabinet shall be appointed by the First Minister with the advice and consent of the House of Commons.
Sec. 3 The Cabinet shall advise the First Minister. They shall take with the First Minister responsibility for all decisions made by him or any one of them.
Sec. 1 The Sovereign and Head of State shall be Elizabeth Windsor and Her Heirs and Successors in accordance with the Act of Settlement of 1701. The Monarch’s title shall be N. of Great Briton and Northern Ireland, the Commonwealth of Austrialia, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Kingdom of Barbados, the Confederation of Canada, the Kingdom of Jamaica, the Kingdom of New Zealand, Queen (King), Duke of Normandy, Lord of Mann, Empress (Emperor) of the United Commonwealth Federation. All acts of state shall be done in the monarch’s name.
Sec. 2 The monarch shall be president of the Senate. S/he shall have the power to prorogue parliament. S/he shall have power to desolve parliament and issue writs of election. The monarch shall be chairman of the Committee for judicial nominations.
Sec. 3 Every bill which shall have passed the House of Commons and the Senate shall before it becomes law be presented to the monarch; if s/he approve s/he shall sign it and it shall become law. If s/he does not approve it, s/he shall return it to the house of origin with objections. That house shall proceed to reconsider it. If after such reconsideration six-tenths of that house shall agree to pass the bill, it shall be sent with the objections to the other house, by which it shall likewise be reconsidered and if approved by six-tenths of that house it shall be again presented to the monarch for signing, but if not it shall not become law. If the monarch a second time refuses to sign the bill then it shall be put to a referendum of the citizens who if they approve it, it shall become law in like manner as if the monarch had signed it, but if they do not approve it, it shall not become law.
ARTICLE 5 – FIRST MINISTER
Sec. 1 the Executive authority of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be excercised on behalf of the monarch by a First Minister who shall serve for a term of four years unless sed term is terminated by a vote of no confidence sustained by the electorate. S/he shall be elected as follows, the heads of government of the several states, the First Minister, the ministers of the previous government, the Second Minister, and five other persons chosen by the monarch shall be candidates. The electorate shall chose between them using a single transferable ballot.
If the First Minister should lose the confidence of Parliament s/he will face a plebiscite with in one week. If the majority of votes cast in the plebiscite are to retain the First Minister, then Parliament will be desolved and writs of election issued. Having once been sustained by the electorate, the First Minister shall not have to face a plebiscite for the next nine months even if he should lose the confidence of the new parliament in that time. However if within that nine month period the First Minister loses the confidence of parliament, the monarch may at his/er discretion call for a new election for First Minister. If the First Minister loses the plebiscite, the Monarch shall call for a new election for First Minister.
Sec. 2 The First Minister shall act as Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the Commonwealth Federation, and of the Armed Forces and Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the Commonwealth Federation; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any Subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offences against the Commonwealth Federation, except in Cases of Impeachment.
He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and all other Officers of the Commonwealth Federation, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Parliment may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the First Minister alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments. He shall be a member of the Committee for Judicial Nominations
The First Minister shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.
Sec. 3 S/he shall from time to time give to the Parliment Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; s/he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, s/he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; s/he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the Commonwealth Federation.
ARTICLE 6 – THE SECOND MINISTER
Sec. 1 The Second Minister shall be the candidate for First Minister who has the second largest number of votes when the First Minister has a majority.
Sec. 2 In the event that the First Minister loses the Confidence of Parliament and has to face a plebiscite, in the event that the First Minister loses the confidence of Parliament and the Monarch calls for new Elections for First Minister, or in the event that the First Minister loses a plebiscite and the Monarch calls for new Elections for First Minister, the Second Minister shall be acting First Minister. The Second Minister shall by virtue of his office be a member of the Senate. S/he shall be a member of the Committee for Judicial Nominations.
ARTICLE 7 – CABINET
Sec. 1 The Cabinet shall be composed of the First Minister, the Minister of War, the First Lord of Admiralty, the Foreign Minister, the Minister of Finance, and the attorney general.
Sec. 2 The members of the cabinet shall be appointed by the First Minister with the advice and consent of the House of Commons.
Sec. 3 The Cabinet shall advise the First Minister. They shall take with the First Minister responsibility for all decisions made by him or any one of them.
Constitution Parliament
ARTICLE 8 – PARLIAMENT
The Parliament shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United Commonwealth Federation; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United Commonwealth Federation;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United Commonwealth Federation;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War;
To raise and support Armies as here in after detailed, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To provide and maintain an Air Force;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land air and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United Commonwealth Federation, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Parliament;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Parliament, become the Seat of the Government of the United Commonwealth Federation, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; — And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United Commonwealth Federation, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
ARTICLE 9 – HOUSE OF COMMONS
The House of Commons shall be composed of Members chosen from multiple member districts. The citizens in each district shall elect two members on a first and second past the post basis for a term not to exceed seven years. One member shall be chosen by lot from among the citizens in the district for a term of five years. The Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United Commonwealth Federation, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Districts and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective number of citizens, which shall be determined by an actual Enumeration which shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Parliment of the United Commonwealth Federation, and within every subsequent Term of twenty Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Districts shall not exceed one for every 750,000 citizens nor shall there be less than one district for every six million citizens, but each State shall have at Least one District, except that states with less than 100,000 residents shall elect one member and shall be joined with one or two other such states for the purpose of chosing a member by lot; and until such enumeration shall be made: the Province of Alberta shall have 4 districts, the Australian Capital Territory 1, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas 1, the Kingdom of Barbados 1, the Province of British Columbia 5, the Kingdom of England 73, the Bailiwick of Guernsey shall elect one member and, with the Bailiwick of Jersey which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Kingdom of Jamaica shall have 3 districts, the Isle of Mann shall elect one member and, with the Nunavut which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Province of Manitoba shall have 1 district, the province of New Brunswick 1, the State of New South Wales 8, the Kingdom of New Zealand 5, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador 1, the Territory of North Australia 1, the Kingdom of Northern Ireland 2, the Northwest Territory shall elect one member and, with the Yukon Territory which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Province of Nova Scotia shall have 1 district, the Province of Ontario 16, the Province of Prince Edward Island 1, the Province of Quebec 10, the State of Queensland 5, the Province of Saskatchewan 1, the Kingdom of Scotland 6, the State of South Australia 2, the State of Tasmania 1, the State of Victoria 6, the Principality of Wales 3, and the State of Western Australia 2.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
ARTICLE 10 – SENTATE
The Senate of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be composed of: two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states elected by the people of the Confederation at large using a single transferable ballot, for a term of six years; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states chosen from among the citizens of the Commonwealth by lot, for a life term; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states appointed by the Monarch, for a life term; and a number of senators, not to exceed 5 percent of the whole number of senators, who shall be chosen by the House of Peers for a life term; each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, the members of the senate chosen by the first two methods shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
The Senate shall try all impeachments. The vote of two thirds of the members shall be necessary for conviction. If the Monarch is tried the Chief Justice shall preside.
ARTICLE 11 – HOUSE OF PEERS
All peers of England, Scotland, and the United Kingdom and all peers created by the monarch in the future shall be members of the House of Peers which shall debate the issues of the day, give the government its advice, and chose senators.
The Parliament shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United Commonwealth Federation; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United Commonwealth Federation;
To borrow Money on the credit of the United Commonwealth Federation;
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;
To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offences against the Law of Nations;
To declare War;
To raise and support Armies as here in after detailed, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;
To provide and maintain a Navy;
To provide and maintain an Air Force;
To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land air and naval forces;
To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;
To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United Commonwealth Federation, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Parliament;
To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the Acceptance of Parliament, become the Seat of the Government of the United Commonwealth Federation, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; — And
To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United Commonwealth Federation, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
ARTICLE 9 – HOUSE OF COMMONS
The House of Commons shall be composed of Members chosen from multiple member districts. The citizens in each district shall elect two members on a first and second past the post basis for a term not to exceed seven years. One member shall be chosen by lot from among the citizens in the district for a term of five years. The Electors in each State shall have the Qualifications requisite for Electors of the most numerous Branch of the State Legislature.
No Person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the Age of twenty five Years, and been seven Years a Citizen of the United Commonwealth Federation, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State in which he shall be chosen.
Districts and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective number of citizens, which shall be determined by an actual Enumeration which shall be made within three Years after the first Meeting of the Parliment of the United Commonwealth Federation, and within every subsequent Term of twenty Years, in such Manner as they shall by Law direct. The Number of Districts shall not exceed one for every 750,000 citizens nor shall there be less than one district for every six million citizens, but each State shall have at Least one District, except that states with less than 100,000 residents shall elect one member and shall be joined with one or two other such states for the purpose of chosing a member by lot; and until such enumeration shall be made: the Province of Alberta shall have 4 districts, the Australian Capital Territory 1, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas 1, the Kingdom of Barbados 1, the Province of British Columbia 5, the Kingdom of England 73, the Bailiwick of Guernsey shall elect one member and, with the Bailiwick of Jersey which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Kingdom of Jamaica shall have 3 districts, the Isle of Mann shall elect one member and, with the Nunavut which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Province of Manitoba shall have 1 district, the province of New Brunswick 1, the State of New South Wales 8, the Kingdom of New Zealand 5, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador 1, the Territory of North Australia 1, the Kingdom of Northern Ireland 2, the Northwest Territory shall elect one member and, with the Yukon Territory which shall elect one member, shall have one member chosen by lot from among both, the Province of Nova Scotia shall have 1 district, the Province of Ontario 16, the Province of Prince Edward Island 1, the Province of Quebec 10, the State of Queensland 5, the Province of Saskatchewan 1, the Kingdom of Scotland 6, the State of South Australia 2, the State of Tasmania 1, the State of Victoria 6, the Principality of Wales 3, and the State of Western Australia 2.
When vacancies happen in the Representation from any State, the Executive Authority thereof shall issue Writs of Election to fill such Vacancies.
The House of Representatives shall choose their Speaker and other Officers; and shall have the sole Power of Impeachment.
ARTICLE 10 – SENTATE
The Senate of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be composed of: two Senators from each State, chosen by the Legislature thereof, for six Years; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states elected by the people of the Confederation at large using a single transferable ballot, for a term of six years; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states chosen from among the citizens of the Commonwealth by lot, for a life term; a number of senators equal to 15 percent of the ones elected by the states appointed by the Monarch, for a life term; and a number of senators, not to exceed 5 percent of the whole number of senators, who shall be chosen by the House of Peers for a life term; each Senator shall have one Vote.
Immediately after they shall be assembled in Consequence of the first Election, the members of the senate chosen by the first two methods shall be divided as equally as may be into three Classes. The Seats of the Senators of the first Class shall be vacated at the Expiration of the second Year, of the second Class at the Expiration of the fourth Year, and of the third Class at the Expiration of the sixth Year, so that one third may be chosen every second Year; and if Vacancies happen by Resignation, or otherwise, during the Recess of the Legislature of any State, the Executive thereof may make temporary Appointments until the next Meeting of the Legislature, which shall then fill such Vacancies.
The Senate shall try all impeachments. The vote of two thirds of the members shall be necessary for conviction. If the Monarch is tried the Chief Justice shall preside.
ARTICLE 11 – HOUSE OF PEERS
All peers of England, Scotland, and the United Kingdom and all peers created by the monarch in the future shall be members of the House of Peers which shall debate the issues of the day, give the government its advice, and chose senators.
Constitution Next to Last
ARTICLE 12 – NATIONAL DEFENSE
Sec. 1 Upon ratification of this Constitution: the nuclear weapons of all member states and the federations and unions to which they belong will be transferred to the federal government.
Sec. 2 The Navy’s of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one federal Royal Navy.
Sec.3 All of the active duty Marine forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong will be transferred to the federal government and amalgamated to form a federal Royal Marine Corps. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Marines shall not exceed twice the number at the time of amalgamation or 40,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 4 The brigade of gurkhas shall be transferred to the Federal government. Except in time of declared war, the Brigade of Gurkhas shall not have more than 20,000 officers and men
Sec. 5 The Guards regiments of the British Army shall be transferred to the Federal government. Additional guards regiments shall be formed as parliament shall direct, but, except in time of declared war, the total force of the Royal Guards Corps shall not exceed 20,000 officers and men.
Sec. 6 The airborne forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one Royal Airborne Corps. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Airborne Corps shall not exceed the number at the time of amalgamation or 20,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 7 The commando and special forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one Royal Commando Corps Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Commando Corps shall not exceed the number at the time of amalgamation or 10,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 8 A Royal Tank Corps may be formed, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 9 A Corps of Royal Engineers maybe formed, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 10 An active duty cadre of officers and senior enlisted men for training and leading the Federal army in time of war may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 11 A General Staff may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 1,000.
Sec. 12 The government may by law require member states and/or the federations and unions to which they belong to maintain active and reserve infantry and armored forces proportional to their population. The member states and the federations and unions to which they belong may maintain forces in excess of those required by law. All states shall maintain a number of rifles suitable for infantry use equal to the number of their citizens between the age of 16 and 50.
Sec. 13 The active and reserve forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall come under the control of the federal government only in time of declared war or with the permission of the chief executive of the state, except that in the event of the actual invasion of the territory of a member state, the federal government may automatically take control of the active and reserve forces of the states. However such forces shall not leave the territory of the United Commonwealth Federation with out a declaration of war or the permission of the governor. The militia shall only be called into federal service by a declaration of war, but the chief executive of each state may call them into the service of the state by the means laid out in state law.
ARTICLE 12 – TRADE AND MONEY
Sec. 1 No member state or the federations and unions to which they belong shall levy any tariff or restriction against imports from another member state.
Sec. 2 The United Commonwealth Federation shall have power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
Sec. 3 The United Commonwealth Federation shall have power to coin silver, gold, or copper for use as money, to regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
Sec. 4 The government shall keep its accounts in a unit of 24 grains of fine silver alloyed to .925 fine. Parliament shall provide for coins of this type and multiples and fractions thereof to be minted.
Sec. 5 To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United Commonwealth Federation and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United Commonwealth Federation;
ARTICLE 13 – CITIZENSHIP
Sec. 1 All persons who where citizens or subjects of the member states or the federations and unions to which they belong are citizens of the United Commonwealth Federation.
Sec. 2 Parliament shall have authority to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization.
Sec. 3 In applications for naturalization, preference shall be to members of the Commonwealth of Nations who are not members of this federation.
Sec. 4 Citizens of members the Commonwealth of Nations who are not members of this federation may be given special status for immigration purposes.
Sec. 1 Upon ratification of this Constitution: the nuclear weapons of all member states and the federations and unions to which they belong will be transferred to the federal government.
Sec. 2 The Navy’s of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one federal Royal Navy.
Sec.3 All of the active duty Marine forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong will be transferred to the federal government and amalgamated to form a federal Royal Marine Corps. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Marines shall not exceed twice the number at the time of amalgamation or 40,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 4 The brigade of gurkhas shall be transferred to the Federal government. Except in time of declared war, the Brigade of Gurkhas shall not have more than 20,000 officers and men
Sec. 5 The Guards regiments of the British Army shall be transferred to the Federal government. Additional guards regiments shall be formed as parliament shall direct, but, except in time of declared war, the total force of the Royal Guards Corps shall not exceed 20,000 officers and men.
Sec. 6 The airborne forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one Royal Airborne Corps. Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Airborne Corps shall not exceed the number at the time of amalgamation or 20,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 7 The commando and special forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall be amalgamated into one Royal Commando Corps Except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men of the Royal Commando Corps shall not exceed the number at the time of amalgamation or 10,000 which ever is greater.
Sec. 8 A Royal Tank Corps may be formed, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 9 A Corps of Royal Engineers maybe formed, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 10 An active duty cadre of officers and senior enlisted men for training and leading the Federal army in time of war may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 10,000.
Sec. 11 A General Staff may be maintained, but except in time of declared war, the total number of officers and men shall not exceed 1,000.
Sec. 12 The government may by law require member states and/or the federations and unions to which they belong to maintain active and reserve infantry and armored forces proportional to their population. The member states and the federations and unions to which they belong may maintain forces in excess of those required by law. All states shall maintain a number of rifles suitable for infantry use equal to the number of their citizens between the age of 16 and 50.
Sec. 13 The active and reserve forces of the member states and the federations and unions to which they belong shall come under the control of the federal government only in time of declared war or with the permission of the chief executive of the state, except that in the event of the actual invasion of the territory of a member state, the federal government may automatically take control of the active and reserve forces of the states. However such forces shall not leave the territory of the United Commonwealth Federation with out a declaration of war or the permission of the governor. The militia shall only be called into federal service by a declaration of war, but the chief executive of each state may call them into the service of the state by the means laid out in state law.
ARTICLE 12 – TRADE AND MONEY
Sec. 1 No member state or the federations and unions to which they belong shall levy any tariff or restriction against imports from another member state.
Sec. 2 The United Commonwealth Federation shall have power to regulate commerce with foreign nations.
Sec. 3 The United Commonwealth Federation shall have power to coin silver, gold, or copper for use as money, to regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;
Sec. 4 The government shall keep its accounts in a unit of 24 grains of fine silver alloyed to .925 fine. Parliament shall provide for coins of this type and multiples and fractions thereof to be minted.
Sec. 5 To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United Commonwealth Federation and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United Commonwealth Federation;
ARTICLE 13 – CITIZENSHIP
Sec. 1 All persons who where citizens or subjects of the member states or the federations and unions to which they belong are citizens of the United Commonwealth Federation.
Sec. 2 Parliament shall have authority to establish a uniform Rule of Naturalization.
Sec. 3 In applications for naturalization, preference shall be to members of the Commonwealth of Nations who are not members of this federation.
Sec. 4 Citizens of members the Commonwealth of Nations who are not members of this federation may be given special status for immigration purposes.
Constitution Last Part
ARTICLE 14 – JUDICIARY
Sec. 1 All judges whose appointment is not here in after provided for shall be chosen as follows. A committee for judicial nominations shall nominate judges for the federal court. The Committee shall chaired by the monarch. The other members shall be the Heir to the throne, the First Minister, the Second Minister, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court once such have been appointed. The Senate shall vote weather or not to confirm the nominees.
Sec. 2 The judicial Power of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Parliament may from time to time by law establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Sec. 3 The Supreme Court shall be composed of the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and eight Associate Justices. The Chief Justice and four of the Associate Justices shall be nominated as any other judge. The other Four Associate Justices shall be nominated in turn by the heads of government of the several states and confirmed by the Senate.
Sec. 4 The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to which the United Commonwealth Federation shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or more States; — between a State and Citizens of another State — between Citizens of different States; — between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
Sec. 5 In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Parliament shall make.
Sec. 6 The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Parliment may by Law have directed. In any criminal trial the jury shall be the judge of both the facts and of the law in controversy. The jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask the judge for his opinion on any relevant matter of law and access to the statute upon which the judges opinion is based. In any criminal case if the jury is unable to unanimously conclude that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt they shall hand down a verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty. The correctness of a jury verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty shall not be questioned in any court. No juror shall be held liable for their verdict unless the juror is proved to have voted in accordance with a bribe.Sec. 7 Except in Cases of Impeachment no person shall be indicted for trial except by a Grand Jury. A Grand Jury shall be composed of 24 persons chosen at random from the state and district where they are impaneled. A quorum shall consist of 19 persons. The Grand Jury shall be informed of their rights and obligations. No indictment shall be handed down without the concurrence of 12 members of the Grand Jury. In addition to hearing cases brought before it by a Crown Prosecutor, the grand jury shall hear cases brought by private prosecutors against government officials and has the power to investigate any other criminal complaints brought to their attention. In any case the grand jury shall have the right to call witnesses and though their foreman put questions to all witnesses. In any case the grand jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask any judge from the district from which they are impaneled for his opinion on any relevant matter of law. All Grand Juries shall keep a record of their proceedings.
ARTICLE 15 – RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT
Sec. 1 The Ratification of the Conventions of twelve States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Sec. 2 The Parliament, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by Parliament; Provided that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Sec. 1 All judges whose appointment is not here in after provided for shall be chosen as follows. A committee for judicial nominations shall nominate judges for the federal court. The Committee shall chaired by the monarch. The other members shall be the Heir to the throne, the First Minister, the Second Minister, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court once such have been appointed. The Senate shall vote weather or not to confirm the nominees.
Sec. 2 The judicial Power of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Parliament may from time to time by law establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Sec. 3 The Supreme Court shall be composed of the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and eight Associate Justices. The Chief Justice and four of the Associate Justices shall be nominated as any other judge. The other Four Associate Justices shall be nominated in turn by the heads of government of the several states and confirmed by the Senate.
Sec. 4 The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to which the United Commonwealth Federation shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or more States; — between a State and Citizens of another State — between Citizens of different States; — between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
Sec. 5 In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Parliament shall make.
Sec. 6 The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Parliment may by Law have directed. In any criminal trial the jury shall be the judge of both the facts and of the law in controversy. The jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask the judge for his opinion on any relevant matter of law and access to the statute upon which the judges opinion is based. In any criminal case if the jury is unable to unanimously conclude that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt they shall hand down a verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty. The correctness of a jury verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty shall not be questioned in any court. No juror shall be held liable for their verdict unless the juror is proved to have voted in accordance with a bribe.Sec. 7 Except in Cases of Impeachment no person shall be indicted for trial except by a Grand Jury. A Grand Jury shall be composed of 24 persons chosen at random from the state and district where they are impaneled. A quorum shall consist of 19 persons. The Grand Jury shall be informed of their rights and obligations. No indictment shall be handed down without the concurrence of 12 members of the Grand Jury. In addition to hearing cases brought before it by a Crown Prosecutor, the grand jury shall hear cases brought by private prosecutors against government officials and has the power to investigate any other criminal complaints brought to their attention. In any case the grand jury shall have the right to call witnesses and though their foreman put questions to all witnesses. In any case the grand jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask any judge from the district from which they are impaneled for his opinion on any relevant matter of law. All Grand Juries shall keep a record of their proceedings.
ARTICLE 15 – RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT
Sec. 1 The Ratification of the Conventions of twelve States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Sec. 2 The Parliament, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by Parliament; Provided that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Constitution Last
ARTICLE 14 – JUDICIARY
Sec. 1 All judges whose appointment is not here in after provided for shall be chosen as follows. A committee for judicial nominations shall nominate judges for the federal court. The Committee shall chaired by the monarch. The other members shall be the Heir to the throne, the First Minister, the Second Minister, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court once such have been appointed. The Senate shall vote weather or not to confirm the nominees.
Sec. 2 The judicial Power of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Parliament may from time to time by law establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Sec. 3 The Supreme Court shall be composed of the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and eight Associate Justices. The Chief Justice and four of the Associate Justices shall be nominated as any other judge. The other Four Associate Justices shall be nominated in turn by the heads of government of the several states and confirmed by the Senate.
Sec. 4 The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to which the United Commonwealth Federation shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or more States; — between a State and Citizens of another State — between Citizens of different States; — between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
Sec. 5 In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Parliament shall make.
Sec. 6 The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Parliment may by Law have directed. In any criminal trial the jury shall be the judge of both the facts and of the law in controversy. The jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask the judge for his opinion on any relevant matter of law and access to the statute upon which the judges opinion is based. In any criminal case if the jury is unable to unanimously conclude that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt they shall hand down a verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty. The correctness of a jury verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty shall not be questioned in any court. No juror shall be held liable for their verdict unless the juror is proved to have voted in accordance with a bribe.Sec. 7 Except in Cases of Impeachment no person shall be indicted for trial except by a Grand Jury. A Grand Jury shall be composed of 24 persons chosen at random from the state and district where they are impaneled. A quorum shall consist of 19 persons. The Grand Jury shall be informed of their rights and obligations. No indictment shall be handed down without the concurrence of 12 members of the Grand Jury. In addition to hearing cases brought before it by a Crown Prosecutor, the grand jury shall hear cases brought by private prosecutors against government officials and has the power to investigate any other criminal complaints brought to their attention. In any case the grand jury shall have the right to call witnesses and though their foreman put questions to all witnesses. In any case the grand jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask any judge from the district from which they are impaneled for his opinion on any relevant matter of law. All Grand Juries shall keep a record of their proceedings.
ARTICLE 15 – RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT
Sec. 1 The Ratification of the Conventions of twelve States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Sec. 2 The Parliament, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by Parliament; Provided that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Sec. 1 All judges whose appointment is not here in after provided for shall be chosen as follows. A committee for judicial nominations shall nominate judges for the federal court. The Committee shall chaired by the monarch. The other members shall be the Heir to the throne, the First Minister, the Second Minister, the Speaker of the House, and the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and the senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court once such have been appointed. The Senate shall vote weather or not to confirm the nominees.
Sec. 2 The judicial Power of the United Commonwealth Federation shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Parliament may from time to time by law establish. The Judges, both of the supreme and inferior Courts, shall hold their Offices during good Behaviour, and shall, at stated Times, receive for their Services a Compensation, which shall not be diminished during their Continuance in Office.
Sec. 3 The Supreme Court shall be composed of the Chief Justice of the United Commonwealth Federation and eight Associate Justices. The Chief Justice and four of the Associate Justices shall be nominated as any other judge. The other Four Associate Justices shall be nominated in turn by the heads of government of the several states and confirmed by the Senate.
Sec. 4 The judicial Power shall extend to all Cases, in Law and Equity, arising under this Constitution, the Laws of the United Commonwealth Federation, and Treaties made, or which shall be made, under their Authority; — to all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls; — to all Cases of admiralty and maritime Jurisdiction; — to Controversies to which the United Commonwealth Federation shall be a Party; — to Controversies between two or more States; — between a State and Citizens of another State — between Citizens of different States; — between Citizens of the same State claiming Lands under Grants of different States, and between a State, or the Citizens thereof, and foreign States, Citizens or Subjects.
Sec. 5 In all Cases affecting Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, and those in which a State shall be Party, the supreme Court shall have original Jurisdiction. In all the other Cases before mentioned, the supreme Court shall have appellate Jurisdiction, both as to Law and Fact, with such Exceptions, and under such Regulations as the Parliament shall make.
Sec. 6 The Trial of all Crimes, except in Cases of Impeachment, shall be by Jury; and such Trial shall be held in the State where the said Crimes shall have been committed; but when not committed within any State, the Trial shall be at such Place or Places as the Parliment may by Law have directed. In any criminal trial the jury shall be the judge of both the facts and of the law in controversy. The jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask the judge for his opinion on any relevant matter of law and access to the statute upon which the judges opinion is based. In any criminal case if the jury is unable to unanimously conclude that the defendant has been proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt they shall hand down a verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty. The correctness of a jury verdict of guilt not proven or not guilty shall not be questioned in any court. No juror shall be held liable for their verdict unless the juror is proved to have voted in accordance with a bribe.Sec. 7 Except in Cases of Impeachment no person shall be indicted for trial except by a Grand Jury. A Grand Jury shall be composed of 24 persons chosen at random from the state and district where they are impaneled. A quorum shall consist of 19 persons. The Grand Jury shall be informed of their rights and obligations. No indictment shall be handed down without the concurrence of 12 members of the Grand Jury. In addition to hearing cases brought before it by a Crown Prosecutor, the grand jury shall hear cases brought by private prosecutors against government officials and has the power to investigate any other criminal complaints brought to their attention. In any case the grand jury shall have the right to call witnesses and though their foreman put questions to all witnesses. In any case the grand jury shall have the right before retiring to deliberate and at any time during their deliberations to ask any judge from the district from which they are impaneled for his opinion on any relevant matter of law. All Grand Juries shall keep a record of their proceedings.
ARTICLE 15 – RATIFICATION AND AMENDMENT
Sec. 1 The Ratification of the Conventions of twelve States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Sec. 2 The Parliament, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as Part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by Parliament; Provided that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
The Heart of a Lion
I know I join many others in expressing my unshakeable solidarity with the people of London who have just suffered from a major blow in the war against Islamic Fascism.
All of the reports that have come out of London to day speak of the stoicism and refusal to panic of the people of the great capital of the United Kingdom and the english speaking people. Just as their grandparents stood firm in the face of six years of terror bombing by the Luftwaffe, I am confident that the people of London and all of the subjects of Her Majesty will rally to defy those who would impose their religion and backward political views on the rest of the world by force.
Sir Winston L. S. Churchill KG, defined the stakes and the attitude necessary to meet the threat in his speeches to the nation of May 19 and June 18 1940.
“I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister
in a solemn hour for the life of our country,
of our empire, of our allies,
and, above all, of the cause of Freedom…
..Having received His Majesty's commission,
I have formed an Administration of men and women
of every Party and of almost every point of view.
We have differed and quarreled in the past;
but now one bond unites us all
to wage war until victory is won,
and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and shame,
whatever the cost and the agony may be.
This is one of the most awe-striking periods
in the long history of France and Britain.
It is also beyond doubt the most sublime.
Side by side,
unaided except by their kith and kin in the great Dominions
and by the wide empires which rest beneath their shield
side by side, the British and French peoples
have advanced to rescue not only Europe but mankind
from the foulest and most soul-destroying tyranny
which has ever darkened and stained the pages of history.
Behind them - behind us-
behind the Armies and Fleets of Britain and France –
gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned races:
the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians,
the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians –
upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend,
unbroken even by a star of hope,
unless we conquer, as conquer we must;
as conquer we shall.”
On June 18th with the French on verge of defeat Churchill told the nation
“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over.
I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.
Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization.
Upon it depends our own British life,
and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire.
The whole fury and might of the enemy
must very soon be turned on us.
Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island
or lose the war.
If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free
and the life of the world may move forward
into broad, sunlit uplands.
But if we fail, then the whole world,
including the United States,
including all that we have known and cared for,
will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age
made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted,
by the lights of perverted science.
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties,
and so bear ourselves that,
if the British Empire and its Commonwealth
last for a thousand years,
men will still say,
‘This was their finest hour.’”
Churchill’s words should both inspire and instruct us on this tragic day. However the greatest lesson we should draw comes from a later remark by Churchill on his role in the war effort. He said, “It was the nation dwelling all around the globe that had the lion’s heart, I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.”
I believe profoundly that the English speaking people, dwelling around the globe in London, Delhi, New York, Melbourne, Kingstown, Capetown, Singapore, Toronto, Christchurch, and a million places in between where our tongue is spoken and the spirit of Magna Carta lives, still have the lion’s heart in them.
They showed it on September 11 in New York, they are showing it in London today. Our soldiers show it every day in Afganistan and Iraq.
It is pointless, it is counter productive, to deny that we have suffered a defeat today, nor do I want to pretend that this is the last of the attacks that we will suffer, but I know as surely as I know the history of our glorious past that if we face the adversity of this war with the stoutness of heart, the inflexible determination, and the confidence in our institutions and in the future, that have long marked the character of our people then we have nothing to fear from an ideology that is nothing more than death worshiping nihilism, the dieing remnant of 20th century totalitarianism.
All we wait now is a war leader to give the roar and the enemy will tremble before the people of London, the United Kingdom, and the English Speaking Nation. A people who have shown once again that they have, the Heart of a Lion.
All of the reports that have come out of London to day speak of the stoicism and refusal to panic of the people of the great capital of the United Kingdom and the english speaking people. Just as their grandparents stood firm in the face of six years of terror bombing by the Luftwaffe, I am confident that the people of London and all of the subjects of Her Majesty will rally to defy those who would impose their religion and backward political views on the rest of the world by force.
Sir Winston L. S. Churchill KG, defined the stakes and the attitude necessary to meet the threat in his speeches to the nation of May 19 and June 18 1940.
“I speak to you for the first time as Prime Minister
in a solemn hour for the life of our country,
of our empire, of our allies,
and, above all, of the cause of Freedom…
..Having received His Majesty's commission,
I have formed an Administration of men and women
of every Party and of almost every point of view.
We have differed and quarreled in the past;
but now one bond unites us all
to wage war until victory is won,
and never to surrender ourselves to servitude and shame,
whatever the cost and the agony may be.
This is one of the most awe-striking periods
in the long history of France and Britain.
It is also beyond doubt the most sublime.
Side by side,
unaided except by their kith and kin in the great Dominions
and by the wide empires which rest beneath their shield
side by side, the British and French peoples
have advanced to rescue not only Europe but mankind
from the foulest and most soul-destroying tyranny
which has ever darkened and stained the pages of history.
Behind them - behind us-
behind the Armies and Fleets of Britain and France –
gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned races:
the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians,
the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians –
upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend,
unbroken even by a star of hope,
unless we conquer, as conquer we must;
as conquer we shall.”
On June 18th with the French on verge of defeat Churchill told the nation
“What General Weygand called the Battle of France is over.
I expect that the Battle of Britain is about to begin.
Upon this battle depends the survival of Christian civilization.
Upon it depends our own British life,
and the long continuity of our institutions and our Empire.
The whole fury and might of the enemy
must very soon be turned on us.
Hitler knows that he will have to break us in this Island
or lose the war.
If we can stand up to him, all Europe may be free
and the life of the world may move forward
into broad, sunlit uplands.
But if we fail, then the whole world,
including the United States,
including all that we have known and cared for,
will sink into the abyss of a new Dark Age
made more sinister, and perhaps more protracted,
by the lights of perverted science.
Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties,
and so bear ourselves that,
if the British Empire and its Commonwealth
last for a thousand years,
men will still say,
‘This was their finest hour.’”
Churchill’s words should both inspire and instruct us on this tragic day. However the greatest lesson we should draw comes from a later remark by Churchill on his role in the war effort. He said, “It was the nation dwelling all around the globe that had the lion’s heart, I had the luck to be called upon to give the roar.”
I believe profoundly that the English speaking people, dwelling around the globe in London, Delhi, New York, Melbourne, Kingstown, Capetown, Singapore, Toronto, Christchurch, and a million places in between where our tongue is spoken and the spirit of Magna Carta lives, still have the lion’s heart in them.
They showed it on September 11 in New York, they are showing it in London today. Our soldiers show it every day in Afganistan and Iraq.
It is pointless, it is counter productive, to deny that we have suffered a defeat today, nor do I want to pretend that this is the last of the attacks that we will suffer, but I know as surely as I know the history of our glorious past that if we face the adversity of this war with the stoutness of heart, the inflexible determination, and the confidence in our institutions and in the future, that have long marked the character of our people then we have nothing to fear from an ideology that is nothing more than death worshiping nihilism, the dieing remnant of 20th century totalitarianism.
All we wait now is a war leader to give the roar and the enemy will tremble before the people of London, the United Kingdom, and the English Speaking Nation. A people who have shown once again that they have, the Heart of a Lion.
Sunday, June 12, 2005
On the Verge of Democide
Rallying the Anglosphere to Prevent Mass Murder in Zimbabwe Before it’s to Late
The Blogosphere is alive with posts here, here, and here (among many others) condemning the actions of Robert Mugabe who, having wrecked the economy of Zimbabwe, suppressed the opposition, and rigged elections is now beginning a systematic rurualization program reminiscent of Cambodia under Pol Pot. If he is not stopped mass starvation is going to stalk his country.
After the holocaust we said “never again”, but again and again governments have turned on their people and used starvation, guns and other implements of death to massacre their own people while the world looked on. After each new democide we said “never again” and added “this time we mean it.” Unfortunately this has not stopped democide. Now in Zimbabwe it is about to happen again.
It is clear that if we wait for the governments of the world to put a stop to the emerging democide in Zimbabwe, we will be waiting for ever. Unless we organize to stop it, the time democide will “never again” happen will be never. Only by arming the people of Zimbabwe can we stop this atrocity in the making.
The right of the English Speaking People to own arms to defend themselves against oppression is well established. Beginning with the Bill of Rights of 1688 and continuing into the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Bills of Rights of the States of the U.S. the right is enshrined in many Anglsophere Constitutions.
The right of the English Speaking People to revolt against oppressive governments was first enshrined in Magna Charta and was no where better said than in Article 10 of the New Hampshire Constitution, “Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.”
We have been discussing the ongoing crises in Zimbabwe for several years now. The talk has gone on long enough. The question we must now face is weather we wish to be complicit by omission in the coming democide. If we really mean “Never Again!” the time for idle talk is over and the time for action has come.
I propose the formation of a international committee to stop this democide in its tracks. The committee would raise money to a) publicize the plight of the Zimbabwean people b) organize protests outside Zimbabwean embassies world wide, c) buy small arms and ammunition for distribution to the people of Zimbabwe so they can resist and over throw the murderous Mugabe regime and d) buy food for distribution to the people of Zimbabwe to ameliorate the coming famine.
I hereby nominate: Glen Reynolds of Instapundit, who has kept the issue before us by linking to many stories about the crises; Perry de Havilland of Samizdata, who has written many articles about the crises; Michael J. Totten, who has been a blogosphere leader in promoting democracy; and Rudolph J. Rummel, the leading scholar of democide, to be the first members of the board of directors of an International Committee for the Relief and Liberation of Zimbabwe. I volunteer, if no one better can be found, to be the organization’s executive director.
I believe we need to find other people for the board of directors. One of the famous Nazi hunters or an important Holocaust scholar would be useful. A famous leader of the anti communist revolution such as Vaclav Havel or Lech Walesa would be another good idea.
We should also have an advisory board of the leaders from the various international organizations such as the International Society for Individual Liberty, the International Democrat Union, etc. This would give us increased institutional support..
There are many details that need to be worked out, but I think that if we put our minds to it, we can build an organization that will stop the looming democide in Zimbabawe.
I realize that I am an extremely new member of the blogosphere and that it is rather forward of me to make this proposal and to put well known bloggers in the hot seat by nominating them to lead this movement. However, some one has to make this proposal if we are going to do something about the Zimbabwe crises. I hope this post I taken in this spirit, as the beginning of the discussion of how to stop the coming democide in Zimbabwe.
The Blogosphere is alive with posts here, here, and here (among many others) condemning the actions of Robert Mugabe who, having wrecked the economy of Zimbabwe, suppressed the opposition, and rigged elections is now beginning a systematic rurualization program reminiscent of Cambodia under Pol Pot. If he is not stopped mass starvation is going to stalk his country.
After the holocaust we said “never again”, but again and again governments have turned on their people and used starvation, guns and other implements of death to massacre their own people while the world looked on. After each new democide we said “never again” and added “this time we mean it.” Unfortunately this has not stopped democide. Now in Zimbabwe it is about to happen again.
It is clear that if we wait for the governments of the world to put a stop to the emerging democide in Zimbabwe, we will be waiting for ever. Unless we organize to stop it, the time democide will “never again” happen will be never. Only by arming the people of Zimbabwe can we stop this atrocity in the making.
The right of the English Speaking People to own arms to defend themselves against oppression is well established. Beginning with the Bill of Rights of 1688 and continuing into the U.S. Bill of Rights and the Bills of Rights of the States of the U.S. the right is enshrined in many Anglsophere Constitutions.
The right of the English Speaking People to revolt against oppressive governments was first enshrined in Magna Charta and was no where better said than in Article 10 of the New Hampshire Constitution, “Government being instituted for the common benefit, protection, and security, of the whole community, and not for the private interest or emolument of any one man, family, or class of men; therefore, whenever the ends of government are perverted, and public liberty manifestly endangered, and all other means of redress are ineffectual, the people may, and of right ought to reform the old, or establish a new government. The doctrine of nonresistance against arbitrary power, and oppression, is absurd, slavish, and destructive of the good and happiness of mankind.”
We have been discussing the ongoing crises in Zimbabwe for several years now. The talk has gone on long enough. The question we must now face is weather we wish to be complicit by omission in the coming democide. If we really mean “Never Again!” the time for idle talk is over and the time for action has come.
I propose the formation of a international committee to stop this democide in its tracks. The committee would raise money to a) publicize the plight of the Zimbabwean people b) organize protests outside Zimbabwean embassies world wide, c) buy small arms and ammunition for distribution to the people of Zimbabwe so they can resist and over throw the murderous Mugabe regime and d) buy food for distribution to the people of Zimbabwe to ameliorate the coming famine.
I hereby nominate: Glen Reynolds of Instapundit, who has kept the issue before us by linking to many stories about the crises; Perry de Havilland of Samizdata, who has written many articles about the crises; Michael J. Totten, who has been a blogosphere leader in promoting democracy; and Rudolph J. Rummel, the leading scholar of democide, to be the first members of the board of directors of an International Committee for the Relief and Liberation of Zimbabwe. I volunteer, if no one better can be found, to be the organization’s executive director.
I believe we need to find other people for the board of directors. One of the famous Nazi hunters or an important Holocaust scholar would be useful. A famous leader of the anti communist revolution such as Vaclav Havel or Lech Walesa would be another good idea.
We should also have an advisory board of the leaders from the various international organizations such as the International Society for Individual Liberty, the International Democrat Union, etc. This would give us increased institutional support..
There are many details that need to be worked out, but I think that if we put our minds to it, we can build an organization that will stop the looming democide in Zimbabawe.
I realize that I am an extremely new member of the blogosphere and that it is rather forward of me to make this proposal and to put well known bloggers in the hot seat by nominating them to lead this movement. However, some one has to make this proposal if we are going to do something about the Zimbabwe crises. I hope this post I taken in this spirit, as the beginning of the discussion of how to stop the coming democide in Zimbabwe.
Monday, June 06, 2005
Thomas for Chief Justice
One of the most important principals of the english speaking nation is the Rule of Law. The courts are never so important as when the government wants to userp power to itself that it was never granted. The government of the United States has done so repeatedly under the guise of regulating interstate commerce. The Supreme Court of the United States unfortunatly let the federal government get away with another such power grab in Gonzales v. Raich, decided on Monday. Three justices decented from this decision. Justice O'Conner, Justice Thomas, and the Chief Justice of the United States. Both O'Conner and Thomas wrote opinions. O'Conner's here.
But the better of the two opinions was by Justice Thomas. It begins, "Respondents Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anything–and the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers."
Thomas concludes "The majority prevents States like California from devising drug policies that they have concluded provide much-needed respite to the seriously ill. It does so without any serious inquiry into the necessity for federal regulation or the propriety of “displac[ing] state regulation in areas of traditional state concern,” United States v. Lopez. 514 U.S. 549, at 583 (Kennedy, J., concurring). The majority’s rush to embrace federal power “is especially unfortunate given the importance of showing respect for the sovereign States that comprise our Federal Union.” United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative, 532 U.S. 483, 502 (2001) (Stevens, J., concurring in judgment). Our federalist system, properly understood, allows California and a growing number of other States to decide for themselves how to safeguard the health and welfare of their citizens. I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals. I respectfully dissent."
This is the sort of coragious opinion that Thomas turns in 9 times out 10 when the stakes are high. I think he deserves more than another member of the court to be made the next Chief Justice of the United States. Not that the president or congress would tie their own hands that way, but we can hope.
But the better of the two opinions was by Justice Thomas. It begins, "Respondents Diane Monson and Angel Raich use marijuana that has never been bought or sold, that has never crossed state lines, and that has had no demonstrable effect on the national market for marijuana. If Congress can regulate this under the Commerce Clause, then it can regulate virtually anything–and the Federal Government is no longer one of limited and enumerated powers."
Thomas concludes "The majority prevents States like California from devising drug policies that they have concluded provide much-needed respite to the seriously ill. It does so without any serious inquiry into the necessity for federal regulation or the propriety of “displac[ing] state regulation in areas of traditional state concern,” United States v. Lopez. 514 U.S. 549, at 583 (Kennedy, J., concurring). The majority’s rush to embrace federal power “is especially unfortunate given the importance of showing respect for the sovereign States that comprise our Federal Union.” United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers’ Cooperative, 532 U.S. 483, 502 (2001) (Stevens, J., concurring in judgment). Our federalist system, properly understood, allows California and a growing number of other States to decide for themselves how to safeguard the health and welfare of their citizens. I would affirm the judgment of the Court of Appeals. I respectfully dissent."
This is the sort of coragious opinion that Thomas turns in 9 times out 10 when the stakes are high. I think he deserves more than another member of the court to be made the next Chief Justice of the United States. Not that the president or congress would tie their own hands that way, but we can hope.
Saturday, May 28, 2005
Patriotic and Folk Songs of the Anglosphere
I should note here that this list has a definite American bias in so far as I know those songs best and these come from my play list.
National Anthems
Advance Australia Fair
http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance.html
God Save the Queen
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/5636/godsave.html
this is not a very good web page, the info on the order of the writing of the verses is not correct, but it was the best I could find with music and text.
http://www.contemplator.com/england/godsave.html
another version
God Defend New Zealand
http://www.navyband.navy.mil/anthems/new_zealand.htm
O’Canada
http://www.singforcanada.ca/anthem.html
The Star Spangled Banner
http://www.contemplator.com/america/ssbanner.html
Folk and Other Patriotic Songs
America the Beautiful
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/america.htm
Ballad of the Green Berets
http://www.brownielocks.com/balladofthegreenberetsWAVE.html
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/h/bhymnotr.htm
The Battle Cry of Freedom
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/bcry.html
Danny Boy
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/dannyboy.shtml
Hail to the Chief
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/hail.html
Heart of Oak
http://www.contemplator.com/england/heartoak.html
Land of Hope and Glory
http://12121.hostinguk.com/Glory.htm
Marine Corps Hymn
http://www.contemplator.com/america/marine.html
Over the Hills and Far Away
http://www.contemplator.com/england/overhls.html
Rule Britannia
http://hereditarytitles.com/Page9.html
Scotland the Brave
http://cityofoaks.home.netcom.com/tunes/ScotlandTheBrave.html
The Cruel War (and many other songs)
http://www.redcoat.org/Songs/music/english/englmenu.htm
The Girl I left Behind Me
http://www.contemplator.com/england/girl2.html
Tramp Tramp Tramp
http://www.contemplator.com/america/tramptramp.html
Waltzing Matilda
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/matilda.htm
The World Turned Upside Down
http://www.contemplator.com/england/worldtur.html
Yankee Doodle
http://www.contemplator.com/america/ydoodle.html
Hymns
Abide With Me
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/b/abidewme.htm
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/h/bhymnotr.htm
Eternal Father Strong to Save
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/e/t/eternalf.htm
a great additional verse for space travel by R.A. Heinlein is
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1162.html
Jerusalem
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/e/r/jerusalem.htm
National Anthems
Advance Australia Fair
http://www.hamilton.net.au/advance.html
God Save the Queen
http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/5636/godsave.html
this is not a very good web page, the info on the order of the writing of the verses is not correct, but it was the best I could find with music and text.
http://www.contemplator.com/england/godsave.html
another version
God Defend New Zealand
http://www.navyband.navy.mil/anthems/new_zealand.htm
O’Canada
http://www.singforcanada.ca/anthem.html
The Star Spangled Banner
http://www.contemplator.com/america/ssbanner.html
Folk and Other Patriotic Songs
America the Beautiful
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/america.htm
Ballad of the Green Berets
http://www.brownielocks.com/balladofthegreenberetsWAVE.html
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/h/bhymnotr.htm
The Battle Cry of Freedom
http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/bcry.html
Danny Boy
http://www.ireland-information.com/irishmusic/dannyboy.shtml
Hail to the Chief
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/3-5/symbols/hail.html
Heart of Oak
http://www.contemplator.com/england/heartoak.html
Land of Hope and Glory
http://12121.hostinguk.com/Glory.htm
Marine Corps Hymn
http://www.contemplator.com/america/marine.html
Over the Hills and Far Away
http://www.contemplator.com/england/overhls.html
Rule Britannia
http://hereditarytitles.com/Page9.html
Scotland the Brave
http://cityofoaks.home.netcom.com/tunes/ScotlandTheBrave.html
The Cruel War (and many other songs)
http://www.redcoat.org/Songs/music/english/englmenu.htm
The Girl I left Behind Me
http://www.contemplator.com/england/girl2.html
Tramp Tramp Tramp
http://www.contemplator.com/america/tramptramp.html
Waltzing Matilda
http://www.niehs.nih.gov/kids/lyrics/matilda.htm
The World Turned Upside Down
http://www.contemplator.com/england/worldtur.html
Yankee Doodle
http://www.contemplator.com/america/ydoodle.html
Hymns
Abide With Me
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/a/b/abidewme.htm
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/b/h/bhymnotr.htm
Eternal Father Strong to Save
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/e/t/eternalf.htm
a great additional verse for space travel by R.A. Heinlein is
http://www.cs.rice.edu/~ssiyer/minstrels/poems/1162.html
Jerusalem
http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/j/e/r/jerusalem.htm
Friday, May 27, 2005
Letter to the WSJ re socialist letter to the editor
I wrote the following as a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, but decided to print it here instead.
"I was shocked to read the strait communist-Trotskyite line on Stalin’s terror put forward, by David North of the Socialist Equality Party, (“The How and Why of Russia’s Stalinist Terror” WSJ opinion page May 25) in this day and age. Mr. North pulls the normal socialist trick of context dropping to make it look like socialists were the major victims of Stalin.
While it is likely true that the majority of the one million victims of the Purges of 1937-1938 were party members, these were by no means the sum total of the victims of Stalin or of the soviet system. To take only one example, what of the six and a half million kulaks (better off peasants) slaughtered as part of the collectivization program. Mr. North of course will defend himself by saying that he and his Trotskyite comrades were opposed to Stalin. But the cold fact is that V.I. Lenin, Trotsky and their communist revolutionary brethren had managed to kill five million soviet citizens even before Stalin became general secretary of the Communist Party.
The Romanoff dynasty had ruled Russia for hundreds of years with a heavy handed authoritarianism that was the scandal of prewar Europe. Lenin has the dubious distinction of being one of the few figures in world history that could make the Romanoff dynasty look good by comparison. He and Trotsky have all too often, escaped the judgment of history because they were followed in power by Stalin, one of the three greatest murderers in the history of the world. Sir Winston L.S. Churchill summed up the proper judgment of Lenin when he wrote, “the Russian people’s second greatest tragedy, his birth, their greatest tragedy, his death.”
The fact that Mr. North and his friends are unwilling to face, is that as a form of collectivism, communism can have no other result than mass murder because it devalues the individual and blends people, in the minds of its adherents, into an amorphous collective. The members of that collective are both the justification for and the victims of a revolutionary socialist party. They are the justification, since having no voice except that of the individuals that make it up, a collective is ripe to be the justification for any gang fascist or socialist that claims to speak in its name. Its members are the victims since the collective is used by socialists and fascists to destroy the reality of the individuals that the collectivists lump together. The novelist Ayn Rand described what this collectivist perspective reduced humans to, “Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Millions of What? Stomachs and heads and legs and tongues and souls, and it doesn’t even matter if they fit together properly. Just millions. Just flesh.” Once people are “just flesh,” in the minds of their rulers any atrocity can be perpetrated upon them in the name of a twisted ideal.
Mr. North and his comrades are understandably in denial about the full horror of the socialist system, because if they admit to themselves even for a moment that more people have been killed during the 20th Century in the pursuit of their ideal, than the total population of Great Briton, they would have no choice but abandonment of their views or suicide.
The rest of us however, must, because our lives do in fact depend on it, face the facts. Revolutionary socialism in China and the Soviet Union alone killed tens of millions of human beings. That does not count the tens of millions killed by other communists in Cambodia, Korea, Vietnam and in other communist and socialist states, or the tens of millions killed by their collectivist brothers the fascists and national socialists, or the 15 million killed in the Second World War started jointly by the communists and fascists. In total the four most murderous regimes of the 20th century, the Soviet Union, the Peoples Republic of China, Nazi Germany, and Nationalist China all to one degree or another socialist and all certainly collectivist managed to slaughter 120 million human beings.
The plain fact is that power kills. As a state becomes more powerful and less democratic the more it kills. It is time for the people of the United States, the English Speaking Nation, and the World to say, 120 million dead is enough. "
For those interested the statistics on democide can be found here.
"I was shocked to read the strait communist-Trotskyite line on Stalin’s terror put forward, by David North of the Socialist Equality Party, (“The How and Why of Russia’s Stalinist Terror” WSJ opinion page May 25) in this day and age. Mr. North pulls the normal socialist trick of context dropping to make it look like socialists were the major victims of Stalin.
While it is likely true that the majority of the one million victims of the Purges of 1937-1938 were party members, these were by no means the sum total of the victims of Stalin or of the soviet system. To take only one example, what of the six and a half million kulaks (better off peasants) slaughtered as part of the collectivization program. Mr. North of course will defend himself by saying that he and his Trotskyite comrades were opposed to Stalin. But the cold fact is that V.I. Lenin, Trotsky and their communist revolutionary brethren had managed to kill five million soviet citizens even before Stalin became general secretary of the Communist Party.
The Romanoff dynasty had ruled Russia for hundreds of years with a heavy handed authoritarianism that was the scandal of prewar Europe. Lenin has the dubious distinction of being one of the few figures in world history that could make the Romanoff dynasty look good by comparison. He and Trotsky have all too often, escaped the judgment of history because they were followed in power by Stalin, one of the three greatest murderers in the history of the world. Sir Winston L.S. Churchill summed up the proper judgment of Lenin when he wrote, “the Russian people’s second greatest tragedy, his birth, their greatest tragedy, his death.”
The fact that Mr. North and his friends are unwilling to face, is that as a form of collectivism, communism can have no other result than mass murder because it devalues the individual and blends people, in the minds of its adherents, into an amorphous collective. The members of that collective are both the justification for and the victims of a revolutionary socialist party. They are the justification, since having no voice except that of the individuals that make it up, a collective is ripe to be the justification for any gang fascist or socialist that claims to speak in its name. Its members are the victims since the collective is used by socialists and fascists to destroy the reality of the individuals that the collectivists lump together. The novelist Ayn Rand described what this collectivist perspective reduced humans to, “Hundreds. Thousands. Millions. Millions of What? Stomachs and heads and legs and tongues and souls, and it doesn’t even matter if they fit together properly. Just millions. Just flesh.” Once people are “just flesh,” in the minds of their rulers any atrocity can be perpetrated upon them in the name of a twisted ideal.
Mr. North and his comrades are understandably in denial about the full horror of the socialist system, because if they admit to themselves even for a moment that more people have been killed during the 20th Century in the pursuit of their ideal, than the total population of Great Briton, they would have no choice but abandonment of their views or suicide.
The rest of us however, must, because our lives do in fact depend on it, face the facts. Revolutionary socialism in China and the Soviet Union alone killed tens of millions of human beings. That does not count the tens of millions killed by other communists in Cambodia, Korea, Vietnam and in other communist and socialist states, or the tens of millions killed by their collectivist brothers the fascists and national socialists, or the 15 million killed in the Second World War started jointly by the communists and fascists. In total the four most murderous regimes of the 20th century, the Soviet Union, the Peoples Republic of China, Nazi Germany, and Nationalist China all to one degree or another socialist and all certainly collectivist managed to slaughter 120 million human beings.
The plain fact is that power kills. As a state becomes more powerful and less democratic the more it kills. It is time for the people of the United States, the English Speaking Nation, and the World to say, 120 million dead is enough. "
For those interested the statistics on democide can be found here.
Monday, May 23, 2005
Canada is Dead - Long Live Canada!
Walsingham made an excellent and moving post about the on going crises in Canada and the American Revolution at the Monarchist. His central point is that the Liberal Party's defiance of the constitution has broken his faith in the Confederation. However Canada like all states of the English speaking nation is more than a state, it is an idea expressed in the Canadian verse of God Save the Queen. "And let our empire be loyal, united, free, true to herself and thee.." That idea will not die even if the confederation does. There is an excellent old expression that applies to this situation, "the King is dead - Long Live the King!" It is with this sense of rededicate to the idea that is the essence of Canada, that I named this post, and I hope that Walsingham and all those who are loyal to Her Majesty, the Constitution, and the Canadian idea can join in dedicating themselves to the future of their corner of the anglosphere with the words, "Canada is Dead - Long Live Canada!"
AUN! Thoughts: Happy Victoria Day
I want to wish all our friends in the United Kingdom and throughout the Crown Commonwealth a happy Victoria Day!
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
AUN! Opinion: Martin the Usurper
I have thus far refrained from commenting on the political scandal and resulting political situation in Canada, because I think it unwise to comment to freely on other states political affaires. I am against the national coverage of celebrity criminal trials in the U.S. for the same reason.
However, the situation in Canada has now risen to the level of an on going constitutional crisis and I feel compelled to speak. Prime Minister Martin and his Liberal Party are holding onto power seven days after they have lost the confidence of parliament. Now I am no expert on the Westminster system, but even I can tell that the question of the motion that the government lost Tuesday being a procedural one is a red herring.
The idea of the Westminster system is that since the crown, a) cannot legally raise taxes without the consent of parliament, b) therefore cannot in fact govern without a majority in parliament to raise money and spend it, c) therefore a government (the crown’s ministers) only has legitimacy in so long as it can command a majority in parliament to do the government’s business.
If after the vote against his government, Mr. Martin had been able to introduce and pass a major peace of legislation, then it might be arguable that the vote on Tuesday was procedural and of no significance. Given the fact that actually his government has lost control of the house, the vote is of more than procedural significance.
Since Mr. Martin’s government can in fact no longer control parliament, it has according to Westminster principals lost the confidence of the nation. It is therefore incumbent upon him to resign and call for new elections, so that a government with the confidence of the nation may be formed to lead the people of Canada.
For Mr. Martin’s government to spend money without “the common council of the nation” is contrary to Magna Carta, the foundation of all of the governments of the English speaking nation.
Since tradition and precedent are part of all of our systems of government it concerns the whole of the English speaking nation when the government of one part of it, ignores the traditions that have been an integral part of our free system of government.
The crises also shows why it is contrary to the proper functioning of the Westminster System for the governments of the dominions to recommend the Governor General. It would be better for the Crown to appoint either a member of the royal family or a well known apolitical member of Canadian society.
In fact I believe that her majesty would do well to send a prince or other royal to each of the crown commonwealth states to act as Governor General for 20 years or so. This would allow the member to put down roots in the local community. This would likely increase the popularity of the crown by making it more of a local institution.
With her majesty scheduled to be in Canada this week, maybe we will see some action taken to uphold the rights of parliament and disassociate her majesty from the usurpations of the Martin government.
However, the situation in Canada has now risen to the level of an on going constitutional crisis and I feel compelled to speak. Prime Minister Martin and his Liberal Party are holding onto power seven days after they have lost the confidence of parliament. Now I am no expert on the Westminster system, but even I can tell that the question of the motion that the government lost Tuesday being a procedural one is a red herring.
The idea of the Westminster system is that since the crown, a) cannot legally raise taxes without the consent of parliament, b) therefore cannot in fact govern without a majority in parliament to raise money and spend it, c) therefore a government (the crown’s ministers) only has legitimacy in so long as it can command a majority in parliament to do the government’s business.
If after the vote against his government, Mr. Martin had been able to introduce and pass a major peace of legislation, then it might be arguable that the vote on Tuesday was procedural and of no significance. Given the fact that actually his government has lost control of the house, the vote is of more than procedural significance.
Since Mr. Martin’s government can in fact no longer control parliament, it has according to Westminster principals lost the confidence of the nation. It is therefore incumbent upon him to resign and call for new elections, so that a government with the confidence of the nation may be formed to lead the people of Canada.
For Mr. Martin’s government to spend money without “the common council of the nation” is contrary to Magna Carta, the foundation of all of the governments of the English speaking nation.
Since tradition and precedent are part of all of our systems of government it concerns the whole of the English speaking nation when the government of one part of it, ignores the traditions that have been an integral part of our free system of government.
The crises also shows why it is contrary to the proper functioning of the Westminster System for the governments of the dominions to recommend the Governor General. It would be better for the Crown to appoint either a member of the royal family or a well known apolitical member of Canadian society.
In fact I believe that her majesty would do well to send a prince or other royal to each of the crown commonwealth states to act as Governor General for 20 years or so. This would allow the member to put down roots in the local community. This would likely increase the popularity of the crown by making it more of a local institution.
With her majesty scheduled to be in Canada this week, maybe we will see some action taken to uphold the rights of parliament and disassociate her majesty from the usurpations of the Martin government.
Monday, April 25, 2005
Wednesday, April 06, 2005
This is on the Mark
The World Bank is calling on the U.S. to reduce its curent account deficit. This is long over due.
Monetary Union
In the quest to reunite the English speaking people, one of the steps that will have to be taken eventually is monetary union. Before taking this step, it is important to think about what sort of monetary system we wish to have. Should we continue using a fiat system of paper money or should we adopt some form of commodity money, like the gold standard.
The problems with fiat money include: chronic inflation, a distorted business cycle, and a need for government old age pensions as peoples retirement savings are wiped out by inflation. Commodity money has the advantage that the only way the supply of money can increase is for the production of the monetary commodity or commodities to increase or for people to consume less of the monetary commodity or commodities. In other words, the only way to increase the supply of money in a system of commodity money is by production and savings.
The Empire among its notable features had a very stable money system based on the sovereign or 1 £ gold coin which weighed 123 grains. There are many things that can be said in favor of this system, however I believe that there are problems with a single commodity money system, like the 19th Century Gold Standard.
A single commodity monetary system is vulnerable to supply and demand shocks in a way that can hurt the economy. If an increase in production or reduction in non monetary use for the commodity causes the supply to increase rapidly, inflation results. Conversely if a decrease in production or an increase in the non monetary use causes the supply to contract, deflation results. I believe that a bimetallic (gold and silver) monetary system with no fixed exchange rate between the two metals is probably the best system.
Here I want to mention an additional advantage of commodity money, they allow informal monetary union. During the second half of the 19th Century and the first part of the 20th Century many countries, though continuing to use there traditional monetary unit, in fact, had a common money, gold. If the anglosphere nations adopt the same commodities as money, a formal union is not strictly necessary thought it would have benefits.
This discussion should start with a quick discourse on the Troy system of weights. One Troy ounce is 31.1035 grams. Twelve Tory Ounces (oz t.) is a Troy Pound (lb t.). There are 20 pennyweights (dwt) in an Ounce. A pennyweight contains 24 grains (gr.). A penny weight is thus 1.5551 grams and a grain is .0647 grams.
The British Pound and the U.S. Dollar are both in origin silver moneys. The Pound Sterling is an out growth of Charlemagne’s monetary reforms. Charlemagne introduced a new silver denarius (hence d as the symbol for pennies) with a weight of 24 grains or one penny. Twelve of them were supposed to equal one of the old roman gold solidus coins from which English gets the word shilling and the French the word sou. Since, there were no solidus coins floating around this was mostly a unit of account. Twenty shillings of course had a weight of one pound this was also a unit of account. Eventual governments produced shilling coins.
Over time, governments have a tendency to debase the coinage or reduce the weight of coins so that a given amount of bullion will make more coins for the government to spend. By 1816 shortly before the gold standard was introduced the penny had been reduced in weight from 24 grains to 7 and 3/11 grains. The penny, half penny and farthing which had originally been silver coins were now copper token coins. (If that sounds bad the French were even worse. It took two French sou (French shillings) to buy one English penny. Which just goes to show bad economic policy is not a recent French invention). At this point the coins in circulation were as follows: the Half Farthing with a value of 1/8 d, the Farthing with a value of ¼ d, the Half Penny, the Penny (all made of copper), the Three Pence, Six Pence, Shilling, Half Crown, and Crown. There were also gold coins, but I will come back to them later.
The U.S. dollar was based on the Spanish piece of eight or Spanish Dollar which was, itself based on the German Thaller. The Spanish Dollar was a coin widely minted in South America and it was used in British North America, since the colonies were not allowed to mint their own coins. After the Constitution was ratified, Congress ordered a sample of the coins to be assayed and found that on average the Spanish coins contained 371.25 grains of silver. Congress then authorized the minting of coins according to a decimal scheme using the dollar of 371.25 grains as the Unit. Thus coins of a Dollar, a Half Dollar, a Quarter Dollar, a Dime, a Half Dime, a Cent, and a Half Cent (the last two in copper) were minted.
Now by coincidence four full (i.e. 24 grain) pennies weigh slightly more than a Quarter Dollar, 96 grains v. 92.81 grains respectively. It occurs to me that by slightly increasing the weight of the dollar to 384 grains a Quarter Dollar and Four Pence will be the same coin.
I propose that such a coin be minted by all the states of the Crown Commonwealth and the government of the United States. The question of whether to use this coin as a quarter dollar, a four pence coin in a traditional 240 penny pound, or a 25th of a 100 penny pound can be left up to the country in question. The only thing that this system would seem to preclude is the decimalization of the true pound using the florin as a tenth pound piece.
The gold coinage question is more easily resolved since the gold coins of the U.K. were not central to the system until the adoption of the gold standard. The U.S. gold coin was the Eagle with 247.5 grains pure gold and the U.K gold coin was the Sovereign with 112.992 grain pure gold. Both coins were minted in 22 caret gold. I propose that the Sovereign be increased to 120 grains and the Eagle reduced to 240 grains. Thus a Half Eagle and a Sovereign would be the same coin as would the the Half Sovereign and the Quarter Eagle.
This would give the anglosphere nations a hard money based on common gold and silver coins. It would allow each county to use its own system, dollar, pound, or decimal ‘pound.’ It would be a step on the road to the closer union of the anglosphere nations.
The problems with fiat money include: chronic inflation, a distorted business cycle, and a need for government old age pensions as peoples retirement savings are wiped out by inflation. Commodity money has the advantage that the only way the supply of money can increase is for the production of the monetary commodity or commodities to increase or for people to consume less of the monetary commodity or commodities. In other words, the only way to increase the supply of money in a system of commodity money is by production and savings.
The Empire among its notable features had a very stable money system based on the sovereign or 1 £ gold coin which weighed 123 grains. There are many things that can be said in favor of this system, however I believe that there are problems with a single commodity money system, like the 19th Century Gold Standard.
A single commodity monetary system is vulnerable to supply and demand shocks in a way that can hurt the economy. If an increase in production or reduction in non monetary use for the commodity causes the supply to increase rapidly, inflation results. Conversely if a decrease in production or an increase in the non monetary use causes the supply to contract, deflation results. I believe that a bimetallic (gold and silver) monetary system with no fixed exchange rate between the two metals is probably the best system.
Here I want to mention an additional advantage of commodity money, they allow informal monetary union. During the second half of the 19th Century and the first part of the 20th Century many countries, though continuing to use there traditional monetary unit, in fact, had a common money, gold. If the anglosphere nations adopt the same commodities as money, a formal union is not strictly necessary thought it would have benefits.
This discussion should start with a quick discourse on the Troy system of weights. One Troy ounce is 31.1035 grams. Twelve Tory Ounces (oz t.) is a Troy Pound (lb t.). There are 20 pennyweights (dwt) in an Ounce. A pennyweight contains 24 grains (gr.). A penny weight is thus 1.5551 grams and a grain is .0647 grams.
The British Pound and the U.S. Dollar are both in origin silver moneys. The Pound Sterling is an out growth of Charlemagne’s monetary reforms. Charlemagne introduced a new silver denarius (hence d as the symbol for pennies) with a weight of 24 grains or one penny. Twelve of them were supposed to equal one of the old roman gold solidus coins from which English gets the word shilling and the French the word sou. Since, there were no solidus coins floating around this was mostly a unit of account. Twenty shillings of course had a weight of one pound this was also a unit of account. Eventual governments produced shilling coins.
Over time, governments have a tendency to debase the coinage or reduce the weight of coins so that a given amount of bullion will make more coins for the government to spend. By 1816 shortly before the gold standard was introduced the penny had been reduced in weight from 24 grains to 7 and 3/11 grains. The penny, half penny and farthing which had originally been silver coins were now copper token coins. (If that sounds bad the French were even worse. It took two French sou (French shillings) to buy one English penny. Which just goes to show bad economic policy is not a recent French invention). At this point the coins in circulation were as follows: the Half Farthing with a value of 1/8 d, the Farthing with a value of ¼ d, the Half Penny, the Penny (all made of copper), the Three Pence, Six Pence, Shilling, Half Crown, and Crown. There were also gold coins, but I will come back to them later.
The U.S. dollar was based on the Spanish piece of eight or Spanish Dollar which was, itself based on the German Thaller. The Spanish Dollar was a coin widely minted in South America and it was used in British North America, since the colonies were not allowed to mint their own coins. After the Constitution was ratified, Congress ordered a sample of the coins to be assayed and found that on average the Spanish coins contained 371.25 grains of silver. Congress then authorized the minting of coins according to a decimal scheme using the dollar of 371.25 grains as the Unit. Thus coins of a Dollar, a Half Dollar, a Quarter Dollar, a Dime, a Half Dime, a Cent, and a Half Cent (the last two in copper) were minted.
Now by coincidence four full (i.e. 24 grain) pennies weigh slightly more than a Quarter Dollar, 96 grains v. 92.81 grains respectively. It occurs to me that by slightly increasing the weight of the dollar to 384 grains a Quarter Dollar and Four Pence will be the same coin.
I propose that such a coin be minted by all the states of the Crown Commonwealth and the government of the United States. The question of whether to use this coin as a quarter dollar, a four pence coin in a traditional 240 penny pound, or a 25th of a 100 penny pound can be left up to the country in question. The only thing that this system would seem to preclude is the decimalization of the true pound using the florin as a tenth pound piece.
The gold coinage question is more easily resolved since the gold coins of the U.K. were not central to the system until the adoption of the gold standard. The U.S. gold coin was the Eagle with 247.5 grains pure gold and the U.K gold coin was the Sovereign with 112.992 grain pure gold. Both coins were minted in 22 caret gold. I propose that the Sovereign be increased to 120 grains and the Eagle reduced to 240 grains. Thus a Half Eagle and a Sovereign would be the same coin as would the the Half Sovereign and the Quarter Eagle.
This would give the anglosphere nations a hard money based on common gold and silver coins. It would allow each county to use its own system, dollar, pound, or decimal ‘pound.’ It would be a step on the road to the closer union of the anglosphere nations.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
First Sign of a Pandemic?
An article from the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy is reporting that 195 people in the Chau Hoa commune of Quang Binh province in central Vietnam are being tested for the H5N1 Bird Flu virus because they have suspicious symtems. Of the 195 people 108 live in only one village in the commune. The CIRRAP story quotes heavily from a story in Than Nien News apparently a local Vietnamese paper. The article states, "If many of the people test positive for H5N1, it could mean that the virus is improving its ability to spread from person to person, thereby increasing the risk of a flu pandemic." AFP has a story that is skeptical of the 195 person claim.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
George F. Kennan Dies at 101
George F. Kennan one of the grand strategists of the cold war died Thursday night. Kennan, a realist, developed the strategy of containment in his famous article The Sources of Soviet Conduct in Foreign Affairs magazine. Oxblog has an good obituary/look at his thought. The New York Times obit is here.
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Anglospere Bloggers Unite!
The Times of India Group is trying to squash an Indian Blogger who has had the gaul to comment on the corporation and its publications. Link here.
Taiwan Crises Update
There is an interesting post on the Dignified Rant about the possibility that the People's Republic of China will invade the Republic of China on Taiwan some time in the next three years. (Hat Tip InstaPundit) This follows up on my earlier post China "Advises" Australia. The New York Times has a interesting story about Sec. State Rice's reaction to China's bullying. In a speech in New Delhi Ms. Rice called on Europe to rethink its decision to sell arms to China. "I hope it will remind the Europeans that there are still tensions in the region," she said, speaking to reporters on her plane. "It is not a time to end the embargo." Knight Ridder has a story about Taiwanese protests against China's threats.
The misuse of Quote Marks
There is nothing so irritating as the press' misuse of quote marks to bring into question the validity of a statement. This headline from the BBC is partularly egregious. It reads "Elderly woman 'killed by burglar'. " Why quote marks? This is not a direct quotation and if it is why use it as a direct quote. It is a strait foreword statement that the paper can make on its own. Is it in doubt that she was killed? Do they think the police are not telling the truth about the killer being a burglar? If they just don't want to assert the fact on their own, the headline could have read "Elderly woman killed by burglar Police Say" or "police believe woman killed by burglar." Why the quote marks?
War Update
The Australian Broadcasting Company is reporting that Filipino Troops have stormed a prison where jailed members of Abu Sayyef an Islamic terrorist group had seized the prison.
Sunday, March 13, 2005
Bermuda Regiment
The Bermuda Royal Gazette has an interesting story on the carear of a Bermudian soldier.
Prince of Wales in Fiji
Charles, Prince of Wales arived in Fiji on March 10 as part of his visit to the South Pacific.
Bird Flu Update
The BBC reports a scientist is criticising the governments plans to deal with an outbrake of H5N1 flu virus. Professor Hugh Pennington, president of the Society for General Microbiology said the government is being over optomistic and not taking the problem seriously enough.
Thursday, March 10, 2005
The ebay of finance
This is an interesting story about a firm that conects lenders and borowers directly.
Anglosphere Naval Reform 1
While the union of the English speaking nations is still in the future, one area in which joint operations have occurred extensivly is in navel matters. This is also an area where increased coordination could show benefits, especially in navel construction.
After decades of shrinkage, the decision of the labor government in 1998 to build replacements for the Invincible class aircraft carriers marks a turning point in British navel policy. While HMS Invincible and her sister ships HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal have proven invaluable to the Royal navy, the fact is they were built as anti submarine warfare ships and originally they were intended to provide ASW power to a task force that would also include an attack carrier. When the CVA-01 project was cancelled the Royal Navy had to make do with just the Invincibles, but they are in reality not true capital ships.
When construction begins on HMS Queen Elizabeth next year, it will mark the first new construction of capital ships for the Royal Navy since the Second World War. (HMS Vanguard was the last RN battleship and HMS Ark Royal was the last fleet carrier) When she is launched in 2012, followed by HMS Prince of Wales (and isn’t it great to see that name being put back in commission) in 2015, it will transform the capability of the Royal Navy.
With a planed displacement of about 60,000 tons the Queen Elizabeth class (in depth here) is three times as large as the Invincible class and about 5,000 tons larger than the Audacious class ships, HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal which were the last fleet carriers operated by the Royal Navy. Her planed air wing of 35 strike fighters, 4 AEW aircraft and 6 helicopters is twice as large as the Invincible class’s wing of 22 aircraft. This however understates the improvement in combat power as the Harrier for all its virtues, has less range and speed compared to more conventional aircraft. Further the lack of AEW aircraft has left a serious hole in the Invicibles air wing.
In addition to the power it will give the Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth class represent an opportunity to strengthen both the Commonwealth of Nations and the Navies of Australia, Canada and India. The Royal Australian Navy has been without a carrier since HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned in 1982. The Royal Canadian Navy has been without a carrier since HMCS Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970. The Indian Navy is manfully struggling along with INS Viraat, ex MHS Hermes and is building a ship based on the Italian Cavor design, but it is no secret that India wants and needs a more powerful ship.
I propose that Australia, Canada and India take this opportunity to join in the Queen Elizabeth class program. Four additional ships could be built, one for each country and fourth to be shared among the four navies when their carriers are in for overhaul. I propose the ships be named HMAS Australia, INS India, HMCS Canada, and HMS Commonwealth. The cost of Commonwealth could be shared out among the UK, Australia, Canada, and India on a 40%, 20%, 20%, 20% basis.
This proposal would massively increase the power of the RAN and RCN and greatly increases the power of the Indian Navy. It would also increase the deployability of the RN carriers.
Since these ships probably could not be completed until after 2015, I propose that as the Invincibles are decommissioned from the Royal Navy they be transferred to the other Commonwealth Navies in the project. Officially, Invincible will decommission in 2010, Illustrious in 2012, and Ark Royal in 2015. It is believed that one of the Invincibles, presumably Ark Royal will be retained to supliment HMS Ocean in the helicopter carrier role.
This would result in a schedual like this:
2010 HMS Invincible transferred to the RAN
2012 HMS Queen Elizabeth commissioned
HMS Illustrious transferred to the Indian Navy
2015 HMS Prince of Wales commissioned
HMS Ark Royal converted to Helicopter Carrier
2018 HMAS Australia commissioned
HMAS Invincible transferred to RCN
2021 INS India commissioned
INS Illustrious transferred to the RCN
HMCS Invincible mothballed
2024 MHCS Canada commissioned
HMCS Illustrious mothballed
2027 HMS Commonwealth commissioned
From the perspective of a United Crown Commonwealth this would result in a navy with five fleet carriers, necessary to protect the Sea Lines Of Communication of a CANZUK federation. From an anglosphere perspective this would add three new carriers to the fleets of the anglosphere nations. From both perspectives it would be a good thing.
Similar buys of the new Type 45 destroyer could also be entered into. Uniting the Anglosphere is a long term project, but the rationalization and expansion of the Navies of anglosphere nations should begin now.
After decades of shrinkage, the decision of the labor government in 1998 to build replacements for the Invincible class aircraft carriers marks a turning point in British navel policy. While HMS Invincible and her sister ships HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal have proven invaluable to the Royal navy, the fact is they were built as anti submarine warfare ships and originally they were intended to provide ASW power to a task force that would also include an attack carrier. When the CVA-01 project was cancelled the Royal Navy had to make do with just the Invincibles, but they are in reality not true capital ships.
When construction begins on HMS Queen Elizabeth next year, it will mark the first new construction of capital ships for the Royal Navy since the Second World War. (HMS Vanguard was the last RN battleship and HMS Ark Royal was the last fleet carrier) When she is launched in 2012, followed by HMS Prince of Wales (and isn’t it great to see that name being put back in commission) in 2015, it will transform the capability of the Royal Navy.
With a planed displacement of about 60,000 tons the Queen Elizabeth class (in depth here) is three times as large as the Invincible class and about 5,000 tons larger than the Audacious class ships, HMS Eagle and HMS Ark Royal which were the last fleet carriers operated by the Royal Navy. Her planed air wing of 35 strike fighters, 4 AEW aircraft and 6 helicopters is twice as large as the Invincible class’s wing of 22 aircraft. This however understates the improvement in combat power as the Harrier for all its virtues, has less range and speed compared to more conventional aircraft. Further the lack of AEW aircraft has left a serious hole in the Invicibles air wing.
In addition to the power it will give the Royal Navy, the Queen Elizabeth class represent an opportunity to strengthen both the Commonwealth of Nations and the Navies of Australia, Canada and India. The Royal Australian Navy has been without a carrier since HMAS Melbourne was decommissioned in 1982. The Royal Canadian Navy has been without a carrier since HMCS Bonaventure was decommissioned in 1970. The Indian Navy is manfully struggling along with INS Viraat, ex MHS Hermes and is building a ship based on the Italian Cavor design, but it is no secret that India wants and needs a more powerful ship.
I propose that Australia, Canada and India take this opportunity to join in the Queen Elizabeth class program. Four additional ships could be built, one for each country and fourth to be shared among the four navies when their carriers are in for overhaul. I propose the ships be named HMAS Australia, INS India, HMCS Canada, and HMS Commonwealth. The cost of Commonwealth could be shared out among the UK, Australia, Canada, and India on a 40%, 20%, 20%, 20% basis.
This proposal would massively increase the power of the RAN and RCN and greatly increases the power of the Indian Navy. It would also increase the deployability of the RN carriers.
Since these ships probably could not be completed until after 2015, I propose that as the Invincibles are decommissioned from the Royal Navy they be transferred to the other Commonwealth Navies in the project. Officially, Invincible will decommission in 2010, Illustrious in 2012, and Ark Royal in 2015. It is believed that one of the Invincibles, presumably Ark Royal will be retained to supliment HMS Ocean in the helicopter carrier role.
This would result in a schedual like this:
2010 HMS Invincible transferred to the RAN
2012 HMS Queen Elizabeth commissioned
HMS Illustrious transferred to the Indian Navy
2015 HMS Prince of Wales commissioned
HMS Ark Royal converted to Helicopter Carrier
2018 HMAS Australia commissioned
HMAS Invincible transferred to RCN
2021 INS India commissioned
INS Illustrious transferred to the RCN
HMCS Invincible mothballed
2024 MHCS Canada commissioned
HMCS Illustrious mothballed
2027 HMS Commonwealth commissioned
From the perspective of a United Crown Commonwealth this would result in a navy with five fleet carriers, necessary to protect the Sea Lines Of Communication of a CANZUK federation. From an anglosphere perspective this would add three new carriers to the fleets of the anglosphere nations. From both perspectives it would be a good thing.
Similar buys of the new Type 45 destroyer could also be entered into. Uniting the Anglosphere is a long term project, but the rationalization and expansion of the Navies of anglosphere nations should begin now.
Tuesday, March 08, 2005
Possible Flu Pandemic?
The H5N1 Flu virus may have made the jump to human to human transmission. Acording to a AFP story on the Australian Broadcasting Company web sit, a nurse who was tending a 21 year old flu patent has contracted the virus. The grandfather of the male patent has also tested positive for the virus as has his sister, but it is possible that they got it directly from sick poultry. The nurse is a more worrisome development. As a gage of how serious this version of the flu is, the 21 year old has been in critical condition for two weeks. The Flu virus is, in general, no joke. The worst out brake of flu (the H1N1 or Spanish Flu) in 1918,1919,&1920 was the worst pandemic in human history. During the height of that episode, more people died of the flu in 24 weeks than have died in the 24 years of the AIDS epidemic. People who woke apparently healthy developed symptoms and died with in 12 hours. All told the H1N1 flu killed 50 to 100 million people. What is especially worrisome is that the 21 year old seems to have the worst case. Usually the flu hits the very old and very young hardest. One of the unique features of the H1N1 flu was that it killed predominantly those in the prime of life.
The Center for Desease Control fact sheet on the H5N1 flu was updated today it reads in part “The H5N1 virus does not usually infect humans. In 1997, however, the first case of spread from a bird to a human was seen during an outbreak of bird flu in poultry in Hong Kong. The virus caused severe respiratory illness in 18 people, 6 of whom died. Since that time, there have been other cases of H5N1 infection among humans. Most recently, human cases of H5N1 infection have occurred in Thailand and Vietnam during large H5N1 outbreaks in poultry. The death rate for these reported cases has been about 70 percent. Most of these cases occurred from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces; however, it is thought that a few cases of human-to-human spread of H5N1 have occurred.” A CBC article is here.
The Center for Desease Control fact sheet on the H5N1 flu was updated today it reads in part “The H5N1 virus does not usually infect humans. In 1997, however, the first case of spread from a bird to a human was seen during an outbreak of bird flu in poultry in Hong Kong. The virus caused severe respiratory illness in 18 people, 6 of whom died. Since that time, there have been other cases of H5N1 infection among humans. Most recently, human cases of H5N1 infection have occurred in Thailand and Vietnam during large H5N1 outbreaks in poultry. The death rate for these reported cases has been about 70 percent. Most of these cases occurred from contact with infected poultry or contaminated surfaces; however, it is thought that a few cases of human-to-human spread of H5N1 have occurred.” A CBC article is here.
China "Advises" Australia
In what can only be a threat, China is advising Australia to shirk its responsibilities under the ANZUS treaty in the event of a confrontation over Taiwan. China is scared because the U.S. and Japan have jointly warned china against invading the Republic of China on Taiwan. The People's Republic of China has been threatening the use of force if Taiwan, which has been defacto independent since 1949, formally declares its independance. An article in the Sidney Morning Herald reports that "US intelligence agencies have leaked details of a frenetic large-scale Chinese build-up of amphibious assault ships apparently intended to back up Beijing's threats of force." An Associated Press article reports that Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council has said the China's new anti-secession law gives China's military "a blank check to invade Taiwan" and "exposed the Chinese communists' attempt to use force to annex Taiwan." The article says that the Taiwanese army is preparing to receive an invasion by the so called People's Liberation Army. BBC report here. AFP reports "Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao urged greater development of China's military, saying modernization of the army was of strategic importance to safeguard the eventual reunification of Taiwan." The full story is here. Knight Rider's report on the Taiwan crisis is here. The Asia Times story is here. What interests me is that the PRC is so desperate that it is threatening other major powers.
Thursday, March 03, 2005
Canada's Global Role
This is an interesting assesment of Canada's Military power by Joseph R. Nunez in the Fall 2004 issue of Parameters the Quarterly Journal of the U.S. Army War College.
Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Bill Gates Knighted
The Sidney Morning Herald reports that Bill Gates is now a Knight Commander of the British Empire. The BBC has this story and photo. I like his software but why should be be knighted?
More: I want to add that I am happy that the tradition of giving honnorary knighthoods to Americans continues. The Queen clearly one of the points of unity for the anglospere even for a citizen of the great republic like myself.
More: I want to add that I am happy that the tradition of giving honnorary knighthoods to Americans continues. The Queen clearly one of the points of unity for the anglospere even for a citizen of the great republic like myself.
Prince of Wales in Australia
Sky news has some interesting pictures of the Prince in Alice Springs. I hadn't realized he was down under. The Sidney Morning Herold didn't seem to have anything on the story, but the Australian Broadcasting Company had a story that reported the prince had politely refuesed to eat a witchetty grub during the visit to the Alice Springs
Monday, February 28, 2005
Interesting Blog
I just ran across this blog on founding a south pacific federation. I found it on the always useful Federal Commonwealth Society discusion forum. The Federal Commonwealth Sociey proposes the Union of the Crown Commonwealth (i.e. those parts of the Commonwealth of Nations that Elizabeth II is Queen of).
Canadian Values
The third editorial into today's Wall Street Journal, "Canadian Free Riders," talk about the canadian government's decition to not participate in the U.S. missile defense system. What ever you think of the proposed system, what struck me was the mention of "Canadian Values" as a reason for Canada to not participate in its own defense. I had always thought Canadian Values were refered to in the royal anthem, "Let our empire be, loyal, united, free, true to herself and thee for ever more." Unfortunatly it seems now to be code for 60s leftist drivel.
Monday, February 07, 2005
AUN! Thoughts: A proposal for a declaration of Anglosphere Nationality
Declaration of Anglosphere Nationality
We the undersigned, being citizens or subjects of English speaking states, do solemnly declare that we are one nation bound together by:
a common English language,
a common literature,
a common history,
a strong civil society,
and common institutions of government rooted in Magna Carta including:
a tradition of constitutional government,
a tradition of representative democracy,
a tradition of independent courts,
and a tradition of protecting individual rights beginning with Magna Carta and developed in the English and American Bills of Rights which include,
the right to life, liberty, and property,
the right to trial by a jury of ones peers,
the rights to free speech, free conscience, and free association.
Ours is an open civilization, not defined by blood or ancestry, but by shared values. As such, we welcome others who wish to share in our culture and way of life.
By issuing this declaration, we hope that the English speaking people will become a more self aware nation, preserving and further developing their shared cultural and political tradition.
We pledge ourselves to build closer ties with our cousins around the globe and urge our political leaders to build closer ties among our nations.
We the undersigned, being citizens or subjects of English speaking states, do solemnly declare that we are one nation bound together by:
a common English language,
a common literature,
a common history,
a strong civil society,
and common institutions of government rooted in Magna Carta including:
a tradition of constitutional government,
a tradition of representative democracy,
a tradition of independent courts,
and a tradition of protecting individual rights beginning with Magna Carta and developed in the English and American Bills of Rights which include,
the right to life, liberty, and property,
the right to trial by a jury of ones peers,
the rights to free speech, free conscience, and free association.
Ours is an open civilization, not defined by blood or ancestry, but by shared values. As such, we welcome others who wish to share in our culture and way of life.
By issuing this declaration, we hope that the English speaking people will become a more self aware nation, preserving and further developing their shared cultural and political tradition.
We pledge ourselves to build closer ties with our cousins around the globe and urge our political leaders to build closer ties among our nations.
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