Publisher: Phoemixx Classics Ebooks
Rights of Man Thomas Paine - Rights of Man posits that popular political revolution is permissible when a government does not safeguard the natural rights of its people. Using these points as a base it defends the French Revolution against Edmund Burke's attack in Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790).
The Inside Story of Ireland's Pandemic: Every Decision, Every Player, Every Text, Every Leak Ireland's lockdowns were among the harshest and longest in Europe. As the state was battered by waves of disease time and again, unparalleled pressures and untold tensions emerged as the country went to war with Covid, and policymakers and politicians did battle with each other. How were the key decisions made? Who held all the power? Boasting unrivalled access to the key decision-makers and drawing on hundreds of hours of interviews and thousands of pages of documents, including confidential and unpublished material, Pandemonium reveals the moves, the power-plays and the – at times jaw-dropping – tactics of a government with the health of a nation in its hands. 'If a movie is ever made of how Ireland responded to the Covid-19 pandemic, Pandemonium may well provide the script … You will feel as if you were in the room when key conversations happened and decisions were made.' Professor Luke O'Neill 'Illuminates the corners of institutions usually able to operate in the dark' Fintan O'Toole 'A page-turner … an exceptional insight' Matt Cooper 'Unflinching and unrelenting' Dearbhail McDonaldShow book
Wilhelm von Humboldt (1767-1835) now lives under the shadow cast by his more famous brother Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859, naturalist, explorer, geographer and much else), but Wilhelm was an important figure in Prussian-German history in his own right. He contributed considerably through his work as a diplomat, educationalist (he was one of the principal founders of the Humboldt University of Berlin), philologist and linguist. Yet The Sphere and Duties of Government (originally titled The Limits of State Action) has proved to be one of his most enduring legacies. It dates, surprisingly, from 1791, which explains its comparatively youthful sense of idealism and its overtly liberal stance, which countered the existing stifling political and social views. This is why it was never published in his lifetime, and only appeared in 1852 when Alexander, realising its importance, arranged for its publication. The purpose of the work, as Wilhelm von Humboldt expressed in his introduction, was ‘to discover the legitimate objects to which the energies of State organisations should be directed and define the limits within which those energies should be exercised'. Humboldt's views and works became an important source for John Stuart Mill's better-known work On Liberty which appeared in 1859 - five years after Humboldt's book first appeared in English. In short, the fundamental view of both was that the functions, and limits of government interference, were to be defined by ‘the prevention of harm to others'. This was a liberal view in the mid-19th-century world of Mill, but revolutionary in the closing decade of the 18th century. Humboldt considers his general topic in 16 chapters, beginning with the crucial overview: ‘Of the individual man, and the highest ends of his existence.' He pursues his theme through ‘the solicitude of the state for the positive welfare of the citizen', his personal security and his security ‘against foreign enemies'. He scrutinises subjects such as religion and ethics, the exercise of the judiciary and the role of punishment; and he even examines the welfare of minors and the less able. He concludes with the ‘practical application of the theory proposed'. As such, The Sphere and Duties of Government is an absorbing and questioning listen, and just as relevant today as controversy rages over the role and application of democracy versus other 21st-century forms of government, such as communism, totalitarianism, religious fundamentalism and those based on outright dictatorship.Show book
One of the most misunderstood and oft-caricatured jobs in British politics whips are the unseen unsung heroes of the parliamentary system without whom governments would doubtless crumble and legislative business would almost certainly grind to a halt. Whips are shrouded in mystery however often portrayed in the media and by colleagues as a brutish bullying bunch of thugs with a reputation for using blackmail and torture to achieve party discipline and get legislation through the House. How to Be a Government Whip is a frank and light-hearted guide to the forgotten engine room of Parliament perfect for those who aspire to be amongst their ranks as well as those just hoping to avoid them. From the mind-numbing tedium of debates to the dark arts of dealing with rebellious or disaffected members of their 'flock' former whip Helen Jones reveals how they really get business done - and what they say about their colleagues behind the closed door of the Whips' Office.Show book
Warnings is the story of the future of national security, threatening technologies, the U.S. economy, and possibly the fate of civilization. In Greek mythology Cassandra foresaw calamities, but was cursed by the gods to be ignored. Modern-day Cassandras clearly predicted the disasters of Katrina, Fukushima, the Great Recession, the rise of ISIS, and many more. Like the mythological Cassandra, they were ignored. There are others right now warning of impending disasters, but how do we know which warnings are likely to be right? Through riveting explorations in a variety of fields, the authors—both accomplished CEOs and White House National Security Council veterans—discover a method to separate the accurate Cassandras from the crazy doomsayers. They then investigate the experts who today are warning of future disasters: the threats from artificial intelligence, bio-hacking, mutating viruses, and more, and whose calls are not being heeded. Clarke's and Eddy's penetrating insights are essential for any person, any business, or any government that doesn't want to be a blind victim of tomorrow's catastrophe.Show book
On Liberty, a philosophical work by John Stuart Mill, published in 1859 discuses ethical system of utilitarianism of the society and the state. In it, Mill advocates the rights of the individual against Society, with special emphasis to the importance of individuality. The main focus of this book is on nature and the limits of power which can be legitimately exercised by society over the individual. Among others, Mill examines the questions of whether one or more persons should be able to curtail another person's freedom, to express a divergent point of view and whether there are instances when society can legitimately limit individual liberty. On Liberty remained one of the most read works of the political philosophy to this day. Contents: Of the Liberty of Thought and Discussion Of Individuality, as One of the Elements of Well-being Of the Limits to the Authority of Society Over the Individual ApplicationsShow book
The nation’s most celebrated First Amendment lawyer“explores the American right to free speech in this thoughtful and concise volume” (Publishers Weekly). The right of Americans to voice their beliefs without government approval or oversight is protected under what may well be the most honored and least understood addendum to the US Constitution—the First Amendment. Floyd Abrams, a noted lawyer and award-winning legal scholar specializing in First Amendment issues, examines the degree to which American law protects free speech more often, more intensely, and more controversially than is the case anywhere else in the world, including democratic nations such as Canada and England. In this lively, powerful, and provocative work, the author addresses legal issues from the adoption of the Bill of Rights through recent cases such as Citizens United. He also examines the repeated conflicts between claims of free speech and those of national security occasioned by the publication of classified material such as was contained in the Pentagon Papers and was made public by WikiLeaks and Edward Snowden. “Abrams’s engaging and plain-spoken reflections will be of interest to those already steeped in constitutional law as well as young readers curious about the nation’s founding ideals . . . For Abrams, one inescapable truth applies across the history of First Amendment disputes. To allow the government to determine whose speech can be regulated . . . is, as [his] fascinating history shows, literally to play with fire.”—The Wall Street Journal “He dives into historic and contemporary controversies that test our adherence to these principles, noting, ‘Speech is sometimes ugly, outrageous, even dangerous.’”—The Washington PostShow book
