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Vine's Views
"Click" to a selection of full 01 Frontcover 04 Federation 05 Symbolic Sea 07 Revolution
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It is remarkable how Mr Vine's book, written during the Great War, seems to be mirrored by today media. The Daily Mail's front page splash on November 21, 2000 proclaimed: 'As Big Guns warn that Euro Army could threaten Nato - IS BLAIR PLAYING WITH FIRE? Mail Comment: 'What is happening is a fundamental threat to the security status quo - based on an intimate military relationship between Britain and the United States which has kept the peace in Europe since 1949. . . there is no possible advantage to be gained from the rapid reaction force which is worth the risk to our long term security. This is a dangerous step too far. '. . . suddenly the EU establishes a 60-strong rapid reaction force backed up by dozens of warships and hundreds of aircraft, which is without question the launch of a nascent European army. 'A quarter of Britain's ground troops, half its warplanes and half the ships in the Royal Navy are committed to a venture which is being undertaken without a shred of democratic consent. 'The voters weren't asked their views. There has been no Parliamentary debate. Yet Ministers are bending over backward to claim there is no such thing as a European Army, they say. British troops won't be sent into battle on the orders of Brussels. . .' The Mail commented on November 20, 2000: "Fundamental choices must be made soon about a European army, and about the concessions Britain will be expected to make if it is to retain its veto on taxation.. . . so why is Europe a potentially damaging an issue for Mr Blair and his squabbling colleagues. . . the answer is surely that they are united in their fearful knowledge that the public simply does not want to slip any further into the embrace of the emerging European superstate.' Prime Minister Tony Blair countered: "It's not a conflict force, it's a peacekeeping and humanitarian force.It is only a force when NATO doesn't want to be engaged. It is complementary. . . the idea of some European Army marching under the Brussels Commission with Romano Prodi at its head, directing the troops, this is just the usual scare story." Truth is that Britain will commit over 20,000 military personnel - including 12,500 land troops, 72 combat aircraft and 18 worships - to the EU pool from which forces would be drawn for different operations. |
History always repeats itself An extract from The Book of Knowledge, published by The Waverley Book Company Ltd. . . . Rome then set out to conquer Upper Italy, Sicily, Spain, Macedonia, Greece and Asia Minor (Turkey); they were subdued and made Roman provinces. Most of the conquered lands were administered by governors who rules like Oriental despots with the sole aim of amassing in their one year of office wealth for a lifetime. Such heavy taxes were wrung from the subject peoples that they not only defrayed most of the expenses of the Roman state, but enriched greedy tax-farmers (publicani , meaning contractors for public houses) who bought the privilege of collecting taxes. Hence the references to "publicans" in the New Testament. The ancient simplicity of Roman life thus gave way to Asiatic luxury and pomp. The suddenly enriched office-holders acquired estates, buying up the small farms of the poor peasants, who could not compete with the hordes of slaves that worked the larger plantations. The streets of the capital were flooded with poverty-striken rabble - ruined farmers, discharged soldiers, and idlers from all Italy - who lived on state and private charity and on bribes bestowed by office-seekers. Between the aristocracy of birth and wealth and the vast moneyless mob there was bitter hostility. . . The rich gave feasts of unparalleled splendour; the poor had their panem et circenses - free bread and free entertainments. Slave labour had degraded the once sturdy peasantry to the status of serfs or beggars. . |
