The Spectator

Sunday

The Spectator

In defence of Boris Johnson’s water cannon

From our UK edition

The spat between Boris Johnson and Theresa May over the acquisition of three second hand ones from the German police has the air of a dormitory water pistol fight that has left an unprepared Johnson standing in dripping pyjamas. It has become a received wisdom that the incident raises questions about Johnson’s fitness for high office. But does it? May’s claim that water cannon are dangerous is somewhat at odds with them being in routine use in Northern Ireland and deployed 364 times in the past four years without problems. The 67 reported issues regarding the ex-German water cannon are mostly trivial and have all been resolved to the satisfaction of the Metropolitan Police. One, for example, involved an instruction panel in German inside one vehicle.

The Spectator

The Spectator at war: Coal and its problems

From our UK edition

From 'Coal and its Problems', The Spectator, 24 July 1915: The high price of domestic coal, though undoubtedly an immediate injury to the country, will prove an ultimate benefit. Politicians never seem capable of understanding that high prices if left alone kill themselves, first by reducing consumption, and secondly by stimulating production. The only condition under which this proposition fails is whore the supply is con- trolled by a ring. In that case it is possible for the controllers of the ring artificially to maintain extravagant prices for the benefit of themselves and their shareholders.

Saturday

The Spectator

The Spectator at war: Germania contra mundum

From our UK edition

From ‘Germania contra mundum’, by Lord Cromer, The Spectator, 24 July 1915: What, therefore, are we and our Allies fighting for? Without attempting to deal fully with the considerations which may be adduced in connexion with each separate branch of this subject, it may perhaps be as well to make a catalogue— and possibly an incomplete catalogue—of the objects which we seek to attain. In the first place, we are fighting for the maintenance of the British Empire and for our own existence as a nation. It may be hoped that the truth of this statement is now very generally recognized by the people of this country. There appears every reason to hold that it is now fully recognized by the people of that "Greater Britain" which lies overseas.

Friday

The Spectator

The Spectator at war: The ugliness of pacifism

From our UK edition

From ‘The Pacificist Vision’, The Spectator, 24 July 1915: It must not be supposed that the majority of Americans are pacificists, but there are enough pacificists to force a strong tide of feeling through the country. In the West an advanced pacificisin—what seems to us, when we reflect on the probable results, a hopelessly unthinking pacificism—is very popular. As an illustration of this present wave of pacificism we must refer to an article by Mr. Sydney Brooks, a student of American affairs, which was published in the Daily Mail on Monday. Mr. Brooks says:— "A friend of mine who has lately returned from a visit to America tells me that wherever he travelled he heard the Song of the Pacifist.

Thursday

The Spectator

Letters | 23 July 2015

From our UK edition

Don’t write off Assad Sir: Ahmed Rashid refers to our ‘Arab allies’ supporting al-Qaeda (‘The plan to back al-Qaeda against Isis’, 18 July). Clearly they are no allies of ours, so thank you Mr Rashid for pointing this out. Apart from that, his perspective is peculiar. He starts off by accusing Assad of plunging Syria into a bloody civil war. Clearly that is not the case. The civil war was started by Assad’s opponents, encouraged by the ‘success’ of the Arab Spring elsewhere. Of course we now see that the ‘success’ was illusory. He also suggests that Assad is finished. Now that his ally Iran has come in from the cold, I think it is a bit early to write him off.