Cheering UP 98

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Unfortunately my plans for a weekend of drinking and watching golf were foiled on Friday by a really acute attack of illness, which by 3am Sunday morning had become quite alarming. Happily I feel a good bit stronger now. I did watch the golf all day yesterday, but I felt so unwell that when I awoke this morning I could not recollect any of it.

I am much cheered to learn that Sheikh Raed Saleh was released from jail on Friday. It is quite incredible that he could be imprisoned on the word of the Home Secretary – as grubby third rate politician – for his political opinions, but without clearly definable cause, and after he had already given on this visit a couple of public speeches in which he had said not one word which anyone claimed as constituting an offence.

Both the UK and US governments encouraged the Greeks to prevent the Gaza peace convoy from sailing. This from the invaluable Mary, who should take over writing this blog:

Anas Sarwar (Glasgow Central, Labour)
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To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Greek Government on the Gaza Aid flotilla.
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Hansard source (Citation: HC Deb, 13 July 2011, c385W)
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David Lidington (Minister of State (Europe and NATO), Foreign and Commonwealth Office; Aylesbury, Conservative)
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Officials from our embassy in Athens have discussed the matter of the Gaza flotilla with the Greek authorities and have relayed to them the United Kingdom’s position on this. Our travel advice for Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories gives clear guidance against any attempt to enter Gaza by sea. We continue to advise against participating in flotillas or overland convoys to Gaza because of the risks involved.

So between Saleh and that, it seems any attempt to support Palestine is simply to be blocked by the force of the state. What astonishes me is that so few people seem to care about this growing fascism.

When you have a fever, thoughts run though your head insistently, in a different pattern of thinking to the normal. Anyone know why this is? While I was ill this morning, I kept remembering one incident. When I stood as an independent anti-war candidate against Jack Straw in Blackburn, the large body of New Labour supporters inside the count booed and jeered me like a football crowd when my result was read out. The BNP candidate – who had been booed a little – turned to me in some astonishment and said “They hate you more than they hate me.”

I did record that in Murder in Samarkand, but had only ever thought of it as an amusing incident. While I was sweating last night, it kept hammering at my brain as important. Now I feel a bit better, it still seems important.

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98 thoughts on “Cheering UP”

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  • ingo

    Not something to cheer us up, but the fears we uttered for some time are about to become true so it seems. netanyahu, pressed into a corner and forced to consider peace and negotiations with Palestinians, is taking the flight forward into war.
    Sadly I’m not equipped anymore but I hope someone shoots the bugger before he gets going.

  • Jonangus Mackay

    No truth in rumour, apparently, that Rebekah has just signed £2k-a-day Scotland Yard consultancy deal.

  • Jonangus Mackay

    Met contempt for public knows no limit. Why Sunday? Why not Wednesday? Who decided to arrest Rebekah now?And help her—& by extension Met itself—dodge much of Tuesday’s obvious & worst questions?
    .
    Does FOI Act permit identification of exactly who took the arrest decision—and thus effectively sabotage the Commons?
    .
    Operation Weeting’s Sue Akers? Surely not. She has as all the appearances of Scotland Yard’s top token woman. Particularly now.
    .
    Dowler family lawyer says: ‘This timing stinks.’
    .
    Sure. UltraDoublePlusStinks:
    .
    http://tinyurl.com/3aoqzea
    ::

  • John Goss

    Hope you were well enough to watch the final round, Craig. There was some lovely commentary, like: “You can see how much the wind is blowing by looking at his trousers”.
    The wine was not totally neglected and it still seems to be doing its job, with RB turning herself in, for hacking crimes.
    The reason New Labour supporters treated you with such disrespect when you stood against Straw is because they were “New Labour” and tarred with the Blair brush. Tainted might be a better word. As Clare Short said cabinet meetings were just a series of dictates; because, perhaps, Bush had offered Blair the vice-presidency of the New World Order. Straw went along with everything, and if there ever is retribution, it should never be forgotten that he was just as culpable as Blair. Take heart that some sort of restructure is taking place.

  • angrysoba

    I am in favour of anyone being able to turn up in Britain and spreading their bullshit beliefs. Let them all in. And let those who oppose bullshit beliefs turn up to refute them.

  • angrysoba

    I have no personal animosity towards the bullshit beliefs of Sheikh Raed Saleh. All I request is that I can say that his beliefs are bullshit.

  • Jonangus Mackay

    7.31P:M>
    .
    arusbridger alan rusbridger RT @jameschappers: BREAKING Sources tell me Sir Paul Stephenson is about to resign #hackgate

  • Clark

    Angrysoba, by “bullshit” do you mean “religious”? From what I’ve found looking about, Israel and much of the media seem to be conducting a smear campaign against this man.

  • craig Post author

    Clark,

    You may be right. I was told by email, but it might have been someone celebrating prematurely.

    Angrysoba, certainly you should be able to say that. But are you any better than Teresa May at knowing what Sheikh Saleh’s beliefs are, that you can argue against them?

    You may recall I was against banning Wilders also.

  • angrysoba

    “Angrysoba, by “bullshit” do you mean “religious”? ”

    It doesn’t matter at all. I could hate someone’s beliefs or love their beliefs and still think they should be free to say them. That’s what I think about this guy. I don’t even have to know what he thinks to know that he shouldn’t be barred from saying and thinking what he thinks.

  • Clark

    Oh, I’ve now found other articles that say he has been released. Varying spellings of Salah / Saleh caused my problem.
    .

  • Clark

    Well, good on you for that, Angrysoba, but if someone is the subject of a smear campaign, I think you should be specific, as people may misinterpret you. Much of the media are calling him antisemitic, an accusation he denies. He was accused of this in Israel, but acquitted.

  • angrysoba

    Well, good on you for that, Angrysoba, but if someone is the subject of a smear campaign, I think you should be specific, as people may misinterpret you.
    .
    All I think is that he should be allowed to say and think what he wants. I don’t care what it is that he says and thinks, very much. If it turns out that he says lots of things that I am vehemently opposed to then it is important for me to vehemently oppose what he says.
    .

  • angrysoba

    Much of the media are calling him antisemitic
    .
    Maybe he is. So what? I said already that what he thinks and says should not end up with him not being allowed to go to the UK. Why should I start concerning myself about whether or not he is anti-Semitic? All I will say is that if he is then I hate him and yet whether or not he is he should be allowed to go to the UK and talk.

  • angrysoba

    Well, apparently he isn’t allowed to say what he thinks. He’s been banned from speaking in public by the UK High Court.

    .
    Well then the UK high court is bullshit isn’t it? What do you propose to do about your crappy country?

  • dreoilin

    Paul Stephenson has resigned? This is never-ending!
    .
    “The Mayor of London Boris Johnson told Sky News he had accepted his resignation with “great sadness and reluctance” and said there was “no question about his personal integrity”.”

  • angrysoba

    Angrysoba (sigh), what did he say that you regard as “bullshit”?

    .
    What he may have said is that Europeans have learnt that Jews have used the blood of Christians to bake matzos. I don’t have to think that he said that or not to say that he should still be allowed into the UK to preach his beliefs. One way or another what he wants to preach IS bullshit but I think he should be allowed to preach bullshit because I am one of those smug happy-clappy wishy-washy liberals.

  • Clark

    Angrysoba, what you mention seems to be what he was acquitted of. I want the media to be accurate. If he wants to speak about how to achieve peace between Palestine and Israel, that is valuable. That is what his engagement at the House of Commons would have been about, had he not been arrested. If the media are smearing a peacemaker, that is bad. If attempting to promote peace is what he was arrested to prevent, that is a dreadful politically motivated arrest.
    .
    Angrysoba, do you really mean to be linking to YouTube on every comment?

  • johnstone

    Hackgate the movie is so funny Thanks Drioilin

    The wapping haired witch
    on her magical brookstick
    has swept all the hackings away
    Old Bills been turning a blind eye
    to the evidence said ‘Bye, Bye’
    We can now arrest the redhead, And say
    ‘You have the right to remain silent.
    On Tuesday’

  • angrysoba

    “Don’t you mean “our crappy country”, Angrysoba?”
    .
    Not really. I don’t even live in the UK anymore and neither of my parents were born in your country. Would it wind you up just a little for me to denigrate the UK to the best of my ability and convince you that I have absolutely no kind of love for your country at all?

  • mary

    So as well as being a useless troll blocking and diverting the conversation here, he tells lies too?
    .
    His blog profile
    angrysoba
    Gender: Male
    Industry: Education
    Location: Osaka : Japan

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