President Donald Trump and International Women’s Day have both featured on our regular discussion forum.

PRESIDENT TRUMP, the Death Penalty, the EU Referendum & International Women’s Day – what do they all have in common?  Well nothing that we know of – except that they’ve all been hot topics of debate for National Liberal Party members and supporters!

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Let us explain.  Regular readers will know the NLP hosts on-line debates relating to a varirty of subjects.  We do this for a couple of reasons:

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• We’ve always been wary of both deliberate lies (now commonly known as ‘fake news’) and also what passes for ‘news’ these days – such as that based on gossip, rumour, speculation, allegation, innuendo, voyeurism and propaganda.

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We also reject macho–posturing and gesture politics. National Liberals are therefore in favour of informed and reasoned debate. Here we concentrate on arguments, points of view and facts. We are not interested in personalities, prejudice or promoting self-interest.

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• At the very heart of National Liberalism is the desire for self-determination.  The three principle strands of self-determination are national, political and economic.  Political self-determination seeks to ensure that the collective will of the people is reflected in decision making.  One way to do this is via referendums, preferendums.  And these can only be held if we have the absolute right to free speech, free debate and free assembly.

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That’s the theory out of the way.  Now we come to the practical.

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The best way to take part in our many debates is to wait until they appear on our Facebook page – https://www.facebook.com/groups/52739504313/ – and then have your say in the comments section below the article itself.

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We hope to hold our 21^st debate in the very near future.  In the meantime, readers can cast their eye over the previous twenty:

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Ten Of The Best! http://nationalliberal.org/ten-of-the-best

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National Liberal Debate 11 – Outside Of London Who Should National Liberals

Vote For In The Euro-Elections? Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-11-%E2%80%93-outside-of-london-who-should-national-liberals-vote-for-in-the-euro-elections-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 12 – What’s Our Take On UKIP? Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-12-what%e2%80%99s-our-take-on-ukip-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 13 – Should We Bring Back The Death Penalty? Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-13-should-we-bring-back-the-death-penalty-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 14 – I Am Charlie. I Am Not Charlie. Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-14-%e2%80%93-i-am-charlie-i-am-not-charlie-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 15 – What Action Should National Liberals Take At The Polling Stations?  Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-15-what-action-should-national-liberals-take-at-the-polling-stations

National Liberal Debate 16 – How Democratic Will The 2017 EU Referendum Be? Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-16-%e2%80%93-how-democratic-will-the-2017-eu-referendum-be

National Liberal Debate 17 – EU Referendum 2017: What Will Be The Dominant Issues?  Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-17-eu-referendum-2017-what-will-be-the-dominant-issues

National Liberal Debate 18 – Will Peace Ever Be Achieved In The Middle East? Have Your Say!
http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-18-%e2%80%93-will-peace-ever-be-achieved-in-the-middle-east-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 19 – International Women’s Day – Has Anything Changed? Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-18-%e2%80%93-international-women%e2%80%99s-day-%e2%80%93-has-anything-changed-have-your-say

National Liberal Debate 20 – President Donald Trump – Have Your Say! http://nationalliberal.org/national-liberal-debate-18-%e2%80%93-president-donald-trump-have-your-say

DOES YOUR SEXUALITY automatically determine your politics? Are gay people predestined to be ‘liberal-leftist’ in orientation whilst straight people are automatically more ‘conservative’ in outlook?

Both the ‘left’ and ‘right’ seem to think so. For instance, the ‘left’ (particularly groups like the Socialist ‘Workers’ Party) seem to believe that they have the monopoly when it comes to supporting gay rights and attracting gay support. On the other hand, many on the ‘right’ would automatically reject – without a moments thought – anything said by, or relating to, gays. Indeed, as we have seen, some folks in groups like the United Kingdom Independence Party have – in the past – blamed storms and heavy floods that have raged across Britain on the Government’s decision to legalise gay marriage!

In this highly personal article, South Derbyshire-based Liam Clarke argues that both ‘left’ and ‘right’ have got it wrong. Indeed, he effectively argues for a ‘Third Way’ beyond their positions and claims that it is possible to be both gay and patriotic. This is the first of a two part article.

(Please note that the use of the phrase ‘Third Way’ in this introduction does not imply any official link with any organisation or group of a similar name, In the context of this article, and as stated above, it is used to convey the idea of a political position that is neither ‘left’ nor ‘right’ – indeed a political position that goes way beyond ‘left’ and ‘right’ as they are traditionally understood).

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Alexander III of Macedon (356 – 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great. King, warrior, patriot … and gay?

I HAVE WARNED people many times about the dangers of extremism.  Not just from a moral standpoint, but also from the point of safety.  We know both extreme ‘left’ and ‘right’ have caused destruction, fear and death.  But now the ‘right’ have made it personal – for there are ramblings from the ‘right’ that you cannot be patriotic and gay.  I’m sure the intelligent among you can grasp the absolute stupidity of this statement.  But what is needed, I think, is a greater look into the folly of this idea.

The full extent of Alexander the Great’s empire.

At this point, it’s important to note that the relationship between Alexander and Hephaestion is put alongside that of Achillies and Patroclus (1 – 2) as well as bearing remarkable similarities to the love of David and Jonathan (3 – 4).  Here, the former was said to love the latter “more than a woman”.