Let Afghanistan be the last liberal crusade | Dominic Lawson
The Afghan debacle provides very real and painful examples of what happens when foreign policy is directed by ideological arrogance completely removed from both the facts on the ground and the truths of human nature and civilisational conflict. To understand this, we need to return to the original casus belli of the conflict.
Social care reform and the west’s fiscal future | OC Comment
The Prime Minister’s new social care reform is an attempt to reform the outdated and dysfunctional care system. Unfortunately, it has stumbled on the issue that perennially flagellates all economic activity: scarcity. Even with increased taxes that are projected to raise £12 billion over the next three years, the fact remains that there is not enough money to go around.
Boris’ tax hikes are wrong - but not for the reasons you might think | Sam Hall
Before the UK can fix its social and healthcare problems, it needs to fix its personnel problem in the long-term. We don’t need more tax that will be swallowed by the bureaucratic machine of ‘Diversity Managers’ and overpaid NHS managers, long before it reaches the hard-working front-line staff- nor can we consider nationalising social care without the people to fund it- the long-term investment to make the system fair and sustainable now we're all living longer, healthier lives.
Tackling obesity: a cause for social conservatism | OC Comment
The obesity epidemic that has swept the West has received relatively little media attention despite the devastation it has wreaked. Causing an estimated 40,000 premature deaths and costing £27 billion to wider society, along with the innumerable accompanying long-term side effects, obesity is a serious public health risk that is strangely ignored. Compared to other long-term diseases like cancer or heart problems, obesity has been relegated to the sidelines. Most political figures maintain an embarrassed silence on the topic, while even our habitually outspoken Prime Minister has only intermittently commented on the issue. This is made all the more striking when one considered the degree to which this issue is dear to Boris Johnson’s heart; he blames his excess body weight for his extended hospitalisation after being infected with COVID-19.
Social conservatism and the individual | OC Comment
Fortunately, social conservatism has the success and prosperity of the individual as key tenet that undergirds the ideological superstructure. However, instead of being at odds with each other, social conservatives believe that society and the individual are mutually reinforcing concepts. In many cases these two tenets are indistinguishable; a society is made up of individuals and individuals find meaning, happiness, and prosperity in society. It is this high regard for the individual in social conservatism that sets it apart from other ideologies. It is the only political structure that keeps the individual and their relation to society as the permanent focus of all political activity.
What we can learn from the Duke of Edinburgh | OC Comment
Prince Phillip was a citizen who respected institutions and wider society by sacrificing personal gratifications in their service. He sacrificed innumerable evenings at home in front of the TV during his 22,191 solo public engagements and doubtlessly gave up far more in the course of his service to the nation. We can all hope to measure up, in some small way, to his example, and recognize our duty and commitment to those around us.
Free speech as an antidote to error and falsity | Lili N. Zemplényi
We all come across error in the form of various kinds of extremism our lives. While the British education system is unable to prepare us specifically for the individual moments when we will face such comments or situations, during our education we are supposed to be given guidelines to be able to recognise the worst forms of radicalism when it materialises.
Protecting women | OC Comment
Though we all wish women and children could walk the streets without fear, that is not the world we live in. Though progressives would have us believe utopia was around the corner, necessitating only a bit of social engineering here and radical ideology there, social conservatism requires a recognition of reality.
The corporate and metropolitan assault on the British countryside | Adam James Pollock
While a sensible degree of competition is healthy and integral in capitalist societies, malicious intent is not; the CEO of Impossible Foods, Patrick Brown, has recently stated that his sole aim is to “put the animal agriculture industry out of business”.