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Continue reading →: Home from RomaniaOn my road trips, I was usually alone. Blogging about my experiences was a nice way to end each day. This trip (from which I returned at midnight last night) was different. A former law firm partner of mine (long-time readers will know him as the Quarterback) had been pressing…
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Continue reading →: Thoughts from the roadI am visiting friends in Romania. It’s the first trip of the post-Speranza era. I shall write more about the touristic aspects later, but I have not yet gone into travel blog mode. In a group of friends; Americans, Canadians and Romanians of varying political opinions, it’s been interesting to…
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Continue reading →: The Archbishop of Canterbury in the Holy LandI am not yet confirmed, but I have come to think of myself again – after a 55 year break – as a member of the Church of England. As far as my local church is concerned, that’s fine. I feel rather differently, however, about the leadership of the church…
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Continue reading →: Ukraine’s Cost-Effective Weaponry: A Game ChangerOne thought-provoking aspect of the way this war is progressing is the way Ukraine’s constraints (relative poverty, lack of equipment, non-membership of NATO) are stimulating its technological creativity. This might have been predicted if we’d thought about it. After all, World War II drove advances in nuclear technology. The Cold…
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Continue reading →: How did we come to this?The behaviour of Hampshire & Isle of Wight Police officers in relation to the murder of Henry Nowak is being treated as extraordinary. Alas, it really isn’t. Rather, it’s part of a consistent pattern of racist behaviour on behalf of the British state and its employees. Henry’s story is very…
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Continue reading →: Farewell to Speranza: My Ferrari JourneyThe author reflects on the sale of Speranza, his cherished 2009 Ferrari California, after driving over 105,000 miles during memorable journeys, including a significant road trip across the USA. The decision was bittersweet, stemming from increasing maintenance costs and a desire for financial prudence, resulting in a profound sense of…
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Continue reading →: Community and Change in the Church of EnglandThe author reflects on their experience as a member of a vibrant Anglican church in West London, contrasting it with a declining Low Church in North Wales. Themes of political shifts within the Church of England, community dynamics, and personal connections to faith emerge, alongside concerns about the future of…
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Continue reading →: Ukraine vs RussiaAmong the many subjects that mark me out as “mad” or “bad” to my West London neighbours is the war in Ukraine. I was a partner in an international law firm with offices in both countries. I lived and worked in Russia for seven years and visited Ukraine a fair…
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Continue reading →: Sadiq Khan demands stronger action on social media ‘outrage economy’Mayor Sadiq Khan warns that disinformation about crime erodes public trust, but the measures he proposes could lead to censorship. Concerns arise over social media companies screening posts for “danger” words, limiting free expression. Critics argue this climate stifles dissent and undermines democratic discourse, threatening the foundations of civilization.
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Continue reading →: Where did our morals go?The author reflects on the stress and cost of moving their blog to Wordpress, prompting a reevaluation of their writing style and moral perspective. Initially more confident and strident, their tone has softened post-bereavement. They critique contemporary politics, noting a decline in moral reasoning and the prioritization of self-interest within…
THE LAST DITCH
Your blogger
Tom is a retired international lawyer. He was a partner in a City of London law firm and spent almost twenty years abroad serving clients from all over the world.
Returning to London on retirement in 2011, he was dismayed to discover how much liberty had been lost in the UK while he was away.
He’s a classical liberal (libertarian, if you must) who, like his illustrious namesake, considers that
“…government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”
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It’s not “the whole of British society” that needs to row back… The divide between ‘the elites’ and us plebs…
I’m sure there are a few fire and brimstone types they could have had instead of a woke woman. Putting…
Almost. I think Archbishop Sarah is a Christian. I just think she’s at a loss to know how to reach…
It’s almost as if they are not actually Christian but simply a person being advised by woke PR people in…
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The Great American Road Trip of 2013
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First post (in case you want to read it from the beginning)
The Last Ditch by Tom Paine 
I rather like Romania; went in 1975 (I was 22, pretty broke, and wanted a holiday. Romania was incomparably cheap).…