Free Republic

Like pensions and insurance, defence is one of those subjects to which too many people only pay attention when things go wrong. You might think, in the light of the past decade, that this would have changed. But you would be sadly mistaken. Even today, even after Iraq, few mainstream MPs without an immediate personal or constituency interest in the subject turn up in the Commons for defence debates. Many politicians who are thoughtful about a range of domestic issues still pass by on the other side when the conversation gravitates to the military. In this they reflect the British...

From Bangladesh to Paris, speaking out against Islamic outrages can get you in serious trouble --- and worse Now that Baby New Year is taking over again from Father Time, the observant celebrant might notice something new. In addition to the traditional top hat and diaper, and besides the 2006 banner across his chest, Baby New Year has something else in his kit: a gag. That's because 2006 is shaping up to be the "Year of Speaking Dangerously." This isn't to suggest that 2005 was a banner year for freedom of speech. But the reaction, tepid at best, to significantly...

France Defends Its Flouting of Europe's Rules on Deficits By THOMAS FULLER BRUSSELS, Aug. 27 - Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin of France defended his country's continued violation of Europe's budget rules today, saying his primary job was to restore growth and increase employment in France. Defiant amid criticism from countries with balanced budgets, Mr. Raffarin urged that the rules underpinning the euro be interpreted in a more flexible way to allow countries with faltering economies to stimulate growth. His comments came at a news conference after a meeting of the European Commission. The president of the European Commission, Romano Prodi,...