Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
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Scotland May Vote on Independence Again -- If the Scottish National Party has its way, Scotland will go to the polls October 19, 2023, to vote on whether to remain a part of the United Kingdom or become an independent state. The referendum needs the approval of the Parliament in Westminster to be perfectly legal, but the SNP is also appealing to the Supreme Court of the UK. If neither route pans out, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said the next election will be fought on the issue of independence, and if the SNP wins, she will declare independence. It would be best for Mr. Johnson in Number 10 to allow the vote. If it fails, the SNP is finished. [30 June]
Turkey Drops NATO Veto for Finland, Sweden -- NATO summits can be huge non-events. The leaders of the world\\'s biggest military alliance sometimes turn up to meet for no other reason than that it was on the schedule. This week, the summit is very different. Finland and Sweden have asked to join the alliance, and Turkey was holding those requests up due to the Finns and the Swedes giving asylum to certain Kurdish activists whome Ankara calls terrorists. The three nations signed a joint declaration yesterday that effectively drops the Turkish objects in exchange for some help with extradition of wanted persons and an end to support for a Kurdish group that Ankara says is a terrorist organization. The settlement was inevitable; Turkish President Erdogan just needed a fig leaf. [29 June]
Russian Rate of Fire is Unsustainable -- The war in Ukraine has been bloody and destructive. That is not a surprise to anyone who understands Russian military culture. The idea is to unleash horrors so unacceptable that the enemy surrenders. To do that, the Russian military relies on heavy artillery and missiles to wreck whole cities. That is, obviously, bad for the defender. At the same time, however, it stresses Russian military production. Western intelligence says that the current rate of fire is outpacing production capacity. That means the current offensive, which is creeping forward into Ukraine, will grind to a halt soon due to lack of ammunition. That makes this a long, slow war that will flare up from time to time, hardly ideal for European stability. [28 June]
Supreme Court Overturns Roe -- The Supreme Court of the United States announced a ruling on Friday that overturned the Roe v. Wade decision that recognized a right to abort a pregnancy, a ruling that undoes 50 years of medical and legal history. Protesters filled the streets, and politicians found the nearest microphone to voice their support or otherwise to the decision. But that will do no good. The Supreme Court has laid bare what the Republican agenda has for a foundation. It is not principle, nor is it tradition. It is simply raw power. The patina of constitutional government proved to be a thin, single-coat of varnish easily rubbed away. The court did what it did because it can. There is a majority on the court interested only in power and its exercise, to mirror the attitudes in the Congress and state legislatures. The only principle now relevant is who has the most votes in the judiciary. Democracy itself, however, is withering. [27 June]
Supreme Court Tosses Century-Old Gun Law -- The United States Supreme Court overturned a gun control law that has been on the books in New York City since 1913. The law prevented virtually all residents and visitors from carrying conceals guns outside the home. Now, six states in all will have to re-write their gun laws to comply with the ruling. When they do, further litigation will ensue, returning again to the Supreme Court for further misjudgments. As a side note, shares of gun-maker Smith & Wesson rose 9% on the news. [24 June]
© Copyright 2022 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux
Volume XX, Number 110
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