Skip to main content

Say not the struggle naught availeth

"Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value." Thomas Paine.

Today is February 24th. It is the anniversary of the Estonian declaration of independence. Last night Cicero attended a very crowded reception held by the Estonian Embassy. A pleasant excursion meeting dozens of old friends. I reflect on what has been achieved by such a small country. In particular I am touched by how quickly the country has recovered from the dispoilation of the Soviet era. Although several elderly stalwarts of the exile community shake their heads sadly when they discuss the "Second" Republic, in general it has been a positive story. It has been a triumph for Freedom over dictatorship.

Elsewhere in Europe the position of Freedom is a lot less happy. As I noted on this blog a few days ago, Belarus now represents a clear example of an old fashioned tyranny. It is with some satisfaction that I note that the LDYS group have started a new website to support the campaign for freedom in that benighted country: http://www.united4belarus.org.uk/
Although some elections will take place in March, it is hard to be optimistic about the removal of the odious Oleksander Lukashenka. However it is important to stand up for the right thing and part of our Liberal DNA.

More than twenty years ago, I was interviewed for entry into a famous University. My support for the Baltic countries and my membership, even then, of the Liberal Party, we all duly noted on my application form. While it is fair to say, that my qualifications were probably not up to the required standard, I still raise a wry smile at the withering comment that the rather dry academic made as he went over the form:

"Mr Cicero, with your interest in the Baltic States and the Liberal Party, we think you might be too obsessive about lost causes".

Seven years later Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were admitted to the United Nations.

I find myself discussing freedom quite often these days, and even the foundations of the debate for the next British election seem to be emerging as a choice between liberal and authoritarian. So, the battle for Liberalism has been a longer one, but "say not the struggle naught availeth", after a recovery in the opinion polls, and the prospect of a new leader, the Liberal Democrats look better than ever. It also particularly pleases me that the youth wing of the party should stand up for "lost causes" like freedom against the tyrant of Miensk. It is principled and consistent with Liberalism's instinctive internationalism.


A few days ago our local party treasurer in Westminster LD's, Angela Whitelegge, died. A humorous and game women, she peppered her conversations with smiles and beaming goodwill. I always think of such instinctive Liberals when I think of our party, and she will be missed. One day I believe that the work of such people as Angela will be rewarded with a far more Liberal Britain.

Comments

Anonymous said…
thank you nice sharing

cep program

Popular posts from this blog

Concert and Blues

Tallinn is full tonight... Big concerts on at the Song field The Weeknd and Bonnie Tyler (!). The place is buzzing and some sixty thousand concert goers have booked every bed for thirty miles around Tallinn. It should be a busy high summer, but it isn´t. Tourism is down sharply overall. Only 70 cruise ships calling this season, versus over 300 before Ukraine. Since no one goes to St Pete, demand has fallen, and of course people think that Estonia is not safe. We are tired. The economy is still under big pressure, and the fall of tourism is a significant part of that. The credit rating for Estonia has been downgraded as the government struggles with spending. The summer has been a little gloomy, and soon the long and slow autumn will drift into the dark of the year. Yesterday I met with more refugees: the usual horrible stories, the usual tears. I try to make myself immune, but I can´t. These people are wounded in spirit, carrying their grief in a terrible cradling. I try to project hop

Media misdirection

In the small print of the UK budget we find that the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the British Finance Minister) has allocated a further 15 billion Pounds to the funding for the UK track and trace system. This means that the cost of the UK´s track and trace system is now 37 billion Pounds.  That is approximately €43 billion or US$51 billion, which is to say that it is amount of money greater than the national GDP of over 110 countries, or if you prefer, it is roughly the same number as the combined GDP of the 34 smallest economies of the planet.  As at December 2020, 70% of the contracts for the track and trace system were awarded by the Conservative government without a competitive tender being made . The program is overseen by Dido Harding , who is not only a Conservative Life Peer, but the wife of a Conservative MP, John Penrose, and a contemporary of David Cameron and Boris Johnson at Oxford. Many of these untendered contracts have been given to companies that seem to have no notewo

Bournemouth absence

Although I had hoped to get down to the Liberal Democrat conference in Bournemouth this year, simple pressure of work has now made that impossible. I must admit to great disappointment. The last conference before the General Election was always likely to show a few fireworks, and indeed the conference has attracted more headlines than any other over the past three years. Some of these headlines show a significant change of course in terms of economic policy. Scepticism about the size of government expenditure has given way to concern and now it is clear that reducing government expenditure will need to be the most urgent priority of the next government. So far it has been the Liberal Democrats that have made the running, and although the Conservatives are now belatedly recognising that cuts will be required they continue to fail to provide even the slightest detail as to what they think should guide their decisions in this area. This political cowardice means that we are expected to ch