News from Elsewhere: DK is away

Devil's Kitchen informs us he's off to foreign climes, but has asked Tiny Judas to stand in. Who? I hear you ask. Well, precisely, so I went and had a look. Apart from the occasional frequent missing capitalisation, very impressive. Especially this on Godwin's law

Here is the crux. By Fetishizing Hitler and Nazism. By setting it to one side, as evil like no other, we devoid ourselves of responsibility for it. It was just a period in which Hell reigned on earth and there's not a lot anyone could have done about that, apart from be thankful that its over. By imagining that it is something that happened once, we soothe ourselves to the potential for cruelty we carry. We deny the possibility of it happening again.

and this and this on NuLab's continuing attacks on our liberties.

Blair's rhetoric is fucking bollocks. justice is not dickensian (its much older than that). and if all the above is Tony's vision of contemporary justice, then he's been getting a hard on from one too many judge dredd comics.

Good to know a more favoured blog from the sensible Right is in good hands, enjoy the break DK.

Meanwhile, in response to this discussion on here about the ECHR, Ken at EU Realist gives us this breakdown of the important differences between the Council of Europe (which was set up in 1949 and virtually all countries in the continent of Europe including Turkey are members of) and the European Union (which has grown out of the European Coal and Steel community established by 6 members of the Council who wanted something more). While I disagree with some of his conclusions (we're sort of in favour of remaining within a reformed EU in these parts) it isa pretty good summary of why the European Court of Human Rights and the European Court of Justice should not be confused, being,a s they are, the judiciaries of two, entirely separate, organisations.

The Council of Europe is the continent's oldest political organisation, founded in London 1949. the first major convention was drawn up: the European Convention on Human Rights, signed in Rome on 4 November 1950 and coming into force on 3 September 1953.
Shortly after the accession of the Federal Republic of Germany, Robert Schuman, French Foreign Minister approached all the Council of Europe countries with a proposal for a European Coal and Steel Community, to be provided with very different political and budgetary means.
The six countries most attached to the ideal of integration - Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany - joined, and on 9 May 1951 signed the very first Community treaty. Strengthened by the experience and commitment which had brought the "Greater Europe" into existence, the "Smaller Europe" was now making its own "leap into the unknown" of European construction

(my emphasis; regardless of what you think about the EU, we should be damned proud of our acheivements in WWII and the subsequent creation of the Council). Thanks Ken.

Elsewhere, Dead Men Left and everyone's favourite dairy product are slamming Blunkett for his latest misstatement of the facts and, well, him in general really. Can't say I blame them. Or disagree, for that matter.

In the meantime, I'm planning a long response to Gary's comments here in my post about the necessary break up of the Tory party. But, well, I'm a bit busy, and I want it to be a good one. In the meantime, definately appreciate the comments over the last few days, feedback makes it all seem worthwhile, and we wouldn't be doing this if we didn't like to argue with people.