Letter to the I: Returning ISIS Fighters Letter

Robert Readman's letter concerning the fate of returning British ISIS fighters seems to promote emotive argument over common sense.  Frankly I feel that those who speak so openly about bringing back the death penalty would be lacking in the steel to pull the lever themselves. This fixation on punishment would close the door to the possibility of leveraging certain returnees to become double agents.  It also ignores the remarkable examples of those ex-jihadists such as Maajid Nawaz who have turned their backs on extremism to become true believers in the democratic ideal.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Bristol

Letter to the I: Thinking About Brexit

Keith O'Neill's letter shows the depth to which Brexiters are addicted to the idea of thinking "positively" despite the obvious red flags around Brexit.  My friend has an independent haulage company.  His main routes are between this country and France and Germany, so Brexiter promises about sacrificing EU trade in favour of the Commonwealth does tend to make him think negatively.  Much like Climate Change deniers ignoring all scientific evidence proving that it exists, Bexiters refuse to listen to the economic forecasts presented by professionals.  If you are headed over  a cliff sometimes gravity tends overpower positive thinking.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Letter to the I: Brexit Negotiation Stance

It would seem that many of those who support Brexit have substituted their empathy and common sense for so-called 'patriotism'.  While originally sounding open to a Norwegian or Swiss style deal, we are suddenly against it.  We treat EU citizens rights post-Brexit cynically as a bargaining chip.  Only when talks are at a deadlock do we give some thought about our future relations with the EU. At the same time we threaten just to walk out of talks, giving mixed signals about how important we see them.  Negotiations are built on trust, and this record shows that there is little reason for the EU to trust us.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Letter to The Economist: 50th Anniversary of Che Guevara's Death

Your article concerning the 50th anniversary of Ernesto "Che" Guevara's death was an interesting read.  I would suggest though that the rise of militant leftism in Latin America, during Che's time, has much to do with the poor state of democracy and the right wing's seeming lack of concern for widespread poverty on the continent.  It should be noted that the violence of left wing militant movements has much to do with the rise of right wing military regimes in Latin America.  Why Che's mythic status for the left prevails, is perhaps explained by the few examples of successful moderate leftists on the continent.  Even the once legendary President of Brazil Lula has been mired with the vice of corruption.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Bristol, UK

Letter to the I: Trump and the Queen

With regards to Janet Street Porter insinuating that US President Donald Trump and the Queen do not have much in common, I beg to differ since they share many similarities.  Both of them earned and retain their positions through calls to archaic forms of nationalism.  Both of them live in their own privileged lives and are mostly cut off from reality.  Both of them have earned their privilege by dishonest means.  Both of them are surrounded by advisers and colleagues who are essentially 'yes' men, there to enhance their egos and cults of personality.  However they have one crucial difference.  Trump's career is answerable to a democratic mandate.

Regards

Zachary Barker

Bristol

Letter to the I: Brexit Article

I found much to agree with Stephen Bush in his article about what Remain voters face with Brexit.  I would add though that Leave voters constant demands for us to conform to their position, is undermined by them shifting exactly what that is.  Not long before the referendum a Norwegian type of deal was perfectly acceptable to them, now it is heresy.  Given their defiance and bullishness I believe us Remain voters are well entitled to harden our stance.  Stephen Bush compels us to watch and complain, I compel like-minded people to refuse and resist.

Regards

Zachary Barker 

Letter to the I: Anniversary of Che Guevara's death

On the 50th anniversary of his death there appears to be two main reactions concerning the legacy of Ernesto "Che" Guevara.  One side mainly hailing from the left portray him as a selfless freedom fighter.  The other side generally from the right see him as a murderer and supporter of totalitarianism.  The man was not without his faults.  He was a man of contradictions who had a fixation on violence as a way of attaining social justice, but undoubtedly was deeply emotionally effected by human suffering.  However the most important lesson he taught us was to see the world less in terms of borders and more in terms of common values and challenges.

Regards

Zachary Barker  

Letter to the I: US Gun Control

I applaud Paul Cross's creative thinking with regards to giving US citizens 18th century medical care for gunshot wounds to go with their similarly aged gun rights.  However I would point out to him the hazard of wounded innocent bystanders not getting the healthcare they deserve under this plan.  Instead I propose that the only firearms legal under the US Constitution's Second Amendment should be 18th century firearms.  It would be hard to carry out mass shootings or gangland drive-bys with muskets.  But if they were good enough to keep away the British Redcoats, surely they are good enough for self defense?

Regards

Zachary Barker

Letter to the I: Nationalism in Catalonia

While I am a sceptic about the merits of nationalism I do believe in the UN recognised principle of self-determination for those seeking their own nation-state.  The way the Catalan nationalists have brought about the referendum has taken lip service to the principle of democracy.  However the violent response by the Spanish state will only serve to fuel the fires of Catalan nationalism.  The Spanish Government would do well to learn from the way the UK addressed nationalism by political means within it's different nations.  They should beware what JFK said; "Those who will make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable".

Regards

Zachary Barker