Support For Digital IDs Has Collapsed In The UK

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Nations without States supports the UN recognition of the sovereignty of an independent Palestinian state. This was most welcome but long overdue. However, delegates wondered why the UN ignores other nations & peoples who desire some form of Self-Determination.

• The UN not wishing to increase the number of states for practical purposes, supporting the status quo,

• Individual ties,

• Personal or state business interests,

• Not wishing to upset those relationships with existing states – usually a myriad of ex-colonial territories, and

• Fear that one successful cause of Self-Determination may set of a domino effect that may reach their own state.

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“While revolutionaries as individuals can be murdered, you cannot kill ideas.”

• Thomas Sankara

Thomas Sankara (1949 – 1987) has variously been described as a revolutionary, a progressive nationalist, a Marxist, and a pan-Africanist. He was the former President of Burkina Faso (from 1983 until his assassination in 1987) and in that short period of time he promoted land redistribution, a move towards food self-sufficiency, health initiatives, women’s rights & environmental initiatives. We feel that he represents a worthy ‘Point of Reference’ for National Liberals.
Picture Credit: https://ordaf.org/somurgecilige-direnen-devrimci-burkina-fasonun-lideri-thomas-sankara/

IT’S PROBABLY fair to say that many of those who National Liberals regard as a ‘Point of Reference’ hail from many years ago.

• Land Redistribution and Food Self-Sufficiency: Sankara confiscated land from feudal landlords and redistributed it to peasants, greatly increasing agricultural productivity. His Grow What You Eat and Eat What You Grow campaign led to a dramatic rise in food production. Indeed, Burkina Faso became nearly self-sufficient in staple foods by 1986.
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• Vaccination and Health Initiatives: In one of the most successful public health campaigns in Africa, Sankara’s government vaccinated between two – three million children against meningitis, yellow fever, and measles in just a few weeks.
• Women’s Rights: Sankara was a tireless advocate for gender equality. He outlawed forced marriages and female genital mutilation (FGM), promoted female education, appointed women to prominent government positions, and encouraged women to work outside the home and join the military. He famously declared, “The revolution and women’s liberation go together. We do not talk of women’s emancipation as an act of charity or out of a surge of human compassion. It is a basic necessity for the revolution to triumph.
• Environmental Initiatives: Recognising the looming threat of desertification, Sankara launched a massive tree-planting programme, creating “green belts” to combat the desert and conserve the environment. (It’s thought that around ten million trees were planted during this initiative.)
• Infrastructure and Public Works: The government built railways, schools, health clinics, and water reservoirs, largely through mass mobilisation and voluntary labour. It’s said that Sankara wanted to build a railroad to develop a rare-earth metal mine in Burkina Faso. However, the World Bank refused to loan the money. Therefore, he got a pick and shovel and started building the railroad by hand himself!
• Anti-Corruption Measures: Sankara led by example, reducing his own salary, banning government limousines, and selling off the fleet of Mercedes cars for more modest Renault 5s. Civil servants were required to swear an oath of honesty, and government waste was drastically reduced. In particular, he curtailed the traditional powers of tribal chiefs, who were seen by many as corrupt. 

OUR ATTENTION has been drawn to an online petition which may be of interest to our readers.

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We believe that consumers must be able to choose what payment method they want to use.

The petition – Stop Discriminating Against Cash Users At Self-Checkouts– calls on UK supermarkets to stop limiting cash payments at self-checkouts, ensuring that all customers, such as the elderly and people with disabilities, have equal access to payment options.

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As National Liberals we believe that consumers must be able to choose what payment method they want to use.

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Therefore, we have absolutely no problem if someone wants to live their life paying by card.  However, we feel that consumers must always be allowed the option to pay by cash.

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We realise that many people believe that paying by card is quick & easy.  However, we remain wary of the intentions of large corporations who may use card payment schemes as an excuse to get rid of workers.

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We feel that these corporations have a moral & social responsibility to their customers, the local community & their workforce.

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The petition reads:

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We, the undersigned, are calling on UK supermarkets to stop limiting access to cash payments at self-checkouts.

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More and more stores are installing banks of card-only self-checkouts, with just one or two accepting cash – or none at all.

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This creates a two-tier system that unfairly penalises:

•  Older people who rely on cash 

•  People with disabilities or mental health conditions who need to budget manually

•  Those on Universal Credit or without full access to banking

•  Anyone who prefers cash for budgeting, privacy, or safety

Hilaire Belloc (left) and G.K. Chesterton (right) were the main advocates of the alternative economic idea known as distributism. They were opposed to capitalism – where property & assets are in the hands of a few – and socialism and communism – where property & assets are in the hands of the state (and party bosses). Distributism stands in favour of property and productive assets being in the hands of the many.
(Picture Credits: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilaire_Belloc#/media/File:Hilaire_Belloc_(side_view,_1910).jpg & https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._K._Chesterton#/media/File:Gilbert_Chesterton.jpg Fair Use)

DISTRIBUTISM is an economic philosophy and doctrine. It advocates for a more widespread distribution of property and productive assets among individuals. It stands in opposition to capitalism – where property & assets are in the hands of a few – and socialism and communism – where property & assets are in the hands of the state (and party bosses).

• G.K. Chesterton (1874 – 1936) was an English writer and philosopher. He provided a passionate defence of distributism, arguing for the preservation of small property and the importance of family, community, and tradition.

• Hilaire Belloc (1870 – 1953) was a prolific historian and essayist, Belloc critiqued both capitalist and socialist systems for their dehumanising effects, advocating instead for a society of owners rather than wage slaves.

• Widespread Property Ownership. The core of distributist thought is that productive property (land, tools, businesses) should be owned by as many people as possible, rather than concentrated in the hands of a few or the state.

• Support for Small Businesses and Cooperatives. Distributists oppose monopolies and oligopolies (a market structure where a few firms control prices and output). Instead, they support a vibrant economy made up of small businesses, family farms, and worker-owned cooperatives.

• Family and Localism. The family is seen as the natural and fundamental unit of society. Policies and practices should support family stability and enable families to own property and earn a living.

• Subsidiarity. Decisions should be made at the most local level possible. Here, communities are empowered – rather than distant authorities or centralised corporations.

• Harmony with Nature. Distributism encourages stewardship of the environment and responsible land use, often aligning with agrarian or ecological principles.

• Ethics in Economics. Economic actions are viewed through a moral lens. Here, the focus is on justice, human dignity, and the common good (as opposed to outright greed).

• Worker Cooperatives. Enterprises owned and managed by their employees, sharing profits and decision-making.

• Credit Unions. Financial institutions owned by members, providing community-oriented financial services.

• Community Land Trusts. Organizations that acquire and steward land for the benefit of local residents, ensuring affordable housing and local enterprise.

• Smallholder Agriculture. Support for family farms and local food systems as opposed to industrial agribusiness.

• Versus Capitalism. While capitalism values private property, in practice it tends to concentrate ownership and create wage dependency. Distributism seeks to decentralise ownership and encourage economic self-sufficiency.

• Versus Socialism. Socialism often involves state ownership or control of productive assets. Distributism, by contrast, insists that property and productive assets should remain in private hands but be widely distributed.