The Last Ditch by Tom Paine

THE LAST DITCH

From my new home

Published by Tom

on

I moved into my new apartment in Shanghai yesterday and, as this is the first post from there, I have raised the new masthead. Sadly, my virtual private network doesn't work yet so – as Typepad and other blogging platforms are blocked here – I have write-only access to my blog. I can post, but I can't see what I have posted! If you see typos or other errors, please do point them out to me by email so that I can remedy them.

I shall not be posting about politics or society in China. Not only do I know too little to comment intelligently, I am only a guest here. As such, I consider myself bound by the laws of hospitality. Having observed that rule in Russia for 7 years, I guess I am now at liberty to comment on events in that country. I shall give some thought to that. Essentially, however, the Last Ditch is about civil liberties in Britain. If any government has cause to be offended with me, it is likely to be my own!

Posting will be light until I sort out my VPN access, not because I can't post but because I can't read many of the sources from which I get my news and ideas. I hope fellow-bloggers will also excuse me if I don't comment on their blogs for a while. Right now, I can't read them (except RSS feeds) so – although I may be bursting to do so – I am unable to chip in.

My new neighbours have kindly invited me to their Christmas party tonight, so the adventure of life in a foreign land begins. New places, new people, new ideas.

5 responses to “From my new home”

  1. JMB Avatar
    JMB

    You must have been quite taken aback there but now all is well. I imagined you rushing to a hotel and renting a room, simply to get online access to the outside world. I wonder if that would be a first or if it is done quite regularly given the control that is wielded over the internet in China.

    Like

    Reply
  2. Andrew Scott Avatar
    Andrew Scott

    It’s surely going to take some awesome tunnel vision or something to be complaining about “the death of liberty” in Britain while living in China and not complaining about civil liberties in China. Sounds a bit like living in a Gulag and criticising conditions in a cosy little open prison. How long until comments like this don’t make it through, or disappear? Will be interesting.

    Like

    Reply
  3. Tom Paine Avatar
    Tom Paine

    Britain is my country and it’s not merely my right but my civic duty to criticise its government when it attacks (as the current government frequently has) my liberties and those of my fellow-citizens. China’s government is a matter for her own people.

    Like

    Reply
  4. Andrew Scott Avatar
    Andrew Scott

    Surely the relevant point is that China’s government is clearly NOT a matter for her own people. They’ve got no say. They get gunned down in the streets when they try to have a say.

    Like

    Reply
  5. Port Douglas hotels Avatar
    Port Douglas hotels

    I’m also planning to move to China this year. I’m very nervous this my first time to live in a foreign land. The good news about it is that I’ll be enjoying the new places and new friends.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to JMB Cancel reply

Your blogger

Tom is a retired international lawyer. He was a partner in a City of London law firm and spent almost twenty years abroad serving clients from all over the world.

Returning to London on retirement in 2011, he was dismayed to discover how much liberty had been lost in the UK while he was away.

He’s a classical liberal (libertarian, if you must) who, like his illustrious namesake, considers that

“…government even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one.”

Socials
    Subscribe

    Receive content by email

    Latest comments
    1. Lord T's avatar

      They are servants. Just not of the public. He gets a full pension because he did his job for his…

    2. alec5384's avatar
    3. Lord T's avatar
    4. tom.paine's avatar
    5. Lord T's avatar
    Recent posts