Author Archives: davidsberry

About davidsberry

Local ex-councillor, tour guide and database designer. Keen on wildlife, history, boats and music. Retired in 2017.

An Unspoken Reason Behind 9/11—Part IV

Posted on September 16, 2021 by davidsberry

Inshallah  “And spend of your substance in the cause of Allah, and make not your own hands contribute to your destruction; but do good; for Allah loves those who do good.” —Qur’an, 2:195 But the spider that sits at the … Continue reading →

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An Unspoken Reason Behind 9/11—Part III

Posted on September 14, 2021 by davidsberry

Diplomacy by Other Means “You may fight in the cause of Allah against those who attack you, but do not aggress. Allah does not love the aggressors.” —Qur’an, 2:190 That complacency changed in September 11th 2001 when in a well prepared … Continue reading →

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An Unspoken Reason Behind 9/11—Part II

Posted on September 12, 2021 by davidsberry

Accommodating the Infidel “Feed the needy wretch, the orphan and the prisoner, for love of Allah, saying: We feed you, for the sake of Allah only, for we wish for no reward nor thanks from you.” —Qur’an, 76:8 Clashes with … Continue reading →

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An Unspoken Reason Behind 9/11—Part I

Posted on September 10, 2021 by davidsberry

Boiling Out of Arabia “By the brightness of the noonday sun, and in the night when all is still, your Lord has not forsaken you, nor is He displeased. Soon your Lord will be bountiful to you and you be … Continue reading →

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The Entropy of England—IV

Posted on September 1, 2021 by davidsberry

The Centre Cannot Hold A haughty British indifference to the world outside the Empire applied as much to Lancashire mill workers as to victims of the Irish potato famine in Connemara. As long as mastery of global wealth and of … Continue reading →

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The Entropy of England—III

Posted on August 30, 2021 by davidsberry

The English in British Clothing The Georgian cultural package was British, not English. The gentry, lairds and clan chiefs of “North Britain” were no longer dragooned by Cromwellian English populism, but invited to partake in a multilingual, classically branded culture … Continue reading →

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The Entropy of England—II

Posted on August 28, 2021 by davidsberry

Is it English to Be Nationalist?  “Welsh, Irish and Scots nationalisms could all be catered for, but English nationalism, however, cannot”. —Winston Churchill, Westminster Gazette 1912            For the last millennium, English nationalism appears to have suffered from a kind … Continue reading →

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The Entropy of England—I

Posted on August 26, 2021 by davidsberry

Fragmentary Foundations  “What do they know of England who only England know?” —Rudyard Kipling Brexit and its aftermath have brought a renewed focus on what it means to be British. Cabinet Ministers giving endless Covid briefings in front of union … Continue reading →

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Can You Canute?

Posted on August 21, 2021 by davidsberry

(Note: this is the column I would like to have written for my local paper, The East Lothian Courier, but was constrained to half the words and neither of the maps) The new agreement between the SNP and Greens to … Continue reading →

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The Two Trillion Dollar Tragedy III

Posted on August 11, 2021 by davidsberry

On the Laws of Engineering A mere four days after the first part of this article was published, the tally of Afghan provincial capitals taken by the Taliban has tripled to nine—a full quarter of the total—and some 65% of … Continue reading →

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