Sorry for the hiatus. I am suffering one of my periodic periods of self-doubt and depression. This was caused in part by my being very disappointed at the number of people who listened to my talk at Occupy London, and subsequently by my inability to get anyone mainstream to publish a major piece I have been working on. That has never happened to me before.
A little niche on the web helps you forget how insignificant you are; try to step outside that niche and you are brutally reminded.
Some posts are quoting poems of encouragement, others suggesting tparticular religious way of life, so, Craig may I
Craig,
Personally I found your talk to be the best I’ve been to at olsx, and above the average in attendance. I’ve no doubt if there had been longer notice of the talk and a better time it would have been even better. Also, you did notice that after a while it was standing room only?
Secondly, by the evening all the books you brought had been borrowed from the library so there is obviously a serious interest in your views.
Best wishes, Niall Taylor.
Vronsky – we dont always see eye to eye but that Clough poem was excellent.
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Craig – a life without downs and ups, without light and shade, is nothing but a tabula rasa. We who must now and then walk the slough of despond truly understand and cherish those moments when the sun breaks through and clean air fills our lungs as we engage with the world and struggle against the ungodly.
Katabasis and Uzbek.
Please try not to be so silly.
Some posts are quoting poems of encouragement, others suggesting taking up a particular religious way of life, so, Craig, may I offer this from
‘Quaker Faith and Practice’ 21.14
“We know, with varying degrees of acceptance into awareness, our own weaknesses, and there is a tendency to think that others- who seem, on the surface, to be very sure and confident- do not struggle in the way we do. But many of those who appear to cope and be strong and tireless are indeed very different behind their masks. We are all wounded; we all feel inadequate and ashamed; we all struggle. But this is part of the human condition; it draws us together, helps us to find our connectedness.
Note how many are connected with you today, Craig. I detect many unfamiliar names posting above. We, who are usually just ‘blog watchers’ rather than contributers, are checking in today with encouragement.
Down hearted! Blimey! I’ve been campaigning for 6 years to get public toilets in a extremely busy suburb of Lambeth South London (Stockwell)and the local politicians of all established political outlooks couldn’t care less and totally ignore the problem which they caused by closing in 1988 those that’d existed for donkeys years. Disheartened? You bet!
Oops, sorry for earlier aborted post. How inadequate do I feel!
1) Plenty of exercise and fresh air
2) Look outward, not inward
3) Alcohol only at the mid-point of a walk
4) Collaborative artistic/creative effort
5) Time spent with children
6) Get away from your computer
7) Hone your profile – the economy working for ordinary people is going to be the overwhelming issue for the next ten years. Concentrate on that, put yourself in line with ordinary people, don’t do stunts, don’t be a commie, because I know you’re not, don’t let people think you’re a commie, and let people know you’re a nice bloke who wants to help. Forget about foreign weirdoes, unless they’re interfering in the European economy, and try and establish yourself as a media commentator in one of the areas in which they are going to want your expertise. You must know about gold mines in parts of the old Soviet Union? If so, everyone is going to be wanting to know about gold mining companies very soon indeed.
8)Strive to be happy, and turn things down that will make you unhappy.
There is Robert Fisk and then there is you..
Sorry to hear this news Craig. I am with everybody else here.
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Q Who loves you baby?
All together.
A We all do.
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We have great affection for you even though most of us have not met you. I was about 5 ft away from you in Whitehall when you were speaking but regret that I was too reserved and talk to you afterwards!
http://www.scribbler.co.uk/images/_lib/who-loves-ya-baby-love-you-cards-80000302-0-1258736166000.jpg
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In the absence of interest from the mainstream. ie corporate, media, why can’t we all read your piece. The readership here is massive and if we all pass the article round, it will soon exceed any readership figures from crapn papers like the Guardian or the Times.
…too reserved to come and talk…. !!
Craig- your posts are eagerly awaited by many who despair at the triteness of most of the guff extruded by the commentariat.
Don’t let the buggers in the MSM get you down. Your commentary on events here is much appreciated.
We all have moments like this, Craig – but as you have been told above, we need people like yourself who can give thoughtful analyses, well-expressed and well-argued.
I don’t agree with Uzbek by the way. I think that the Occupy movements, together with those who created the Arab Spring and others, could provide sources of ideas for a new way of striving against the united forces of globalisation, which have now clamped their authority on Greece and will no doubt try to do the same elsewhere in Europe and beyond.
It will need all those groups, plus the ideas of those from whom an opinion has never been sought, in Africa, in the Republics of Central Asia, in China, India, Latin America – all those on whom the globalisation juggernaut is rolling or is about to roll. The globalisation forces have their think-tanks and their organised (sometimes secretive) groupings – it is time for all those who have no vested interest in their rapidly developing stranglehold to take strength from each other and find a forum of debate that is not immediately in the power of media who are complicit in the neo-con, neo-liberal project.
This is the time when those who want to oppose that project need to debate and formulate the values which they want to see as universal. Each individual human being has a value; each thought has a value – but what we must remember is that one person’s hope may be another’s fear. Only by uniting in debate can we ensure that everyone’s view will be heard, will be counted – will be valued.
As I have said, I think most of the media – in Britain or elsewhere – are complicit, if not actively promoting, the neo-liberal agenda. I realise that you yourself may feel more ‘at home’ with those organs, but they are not a location from which many of us can draw any hope. I congratulate you on having had the courage to face the St Paul’s Occupy group – probably, if you were to visit them again, you would find that your talk made a positive contribution, and you would be welcome to go on visiting – and debating.
I would encourage you to return.
“subsequently by my inability to get anyone mainstream to publish a major piece I have been working on. That has never happened to me before”
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Craig, could it be because of the subject matter? (You had said you were writing about Fox/Werritty, Israel and Iran.)
Take your time, ride it out – w
We are all insignificant in our own unique way. That’s what make us great. Please stay insignificant, it means you are human just like the rest of us.
Call yourself Moshe Craigstein, Craig, and I am sure you will have no trouble placing pieces. But you’ll need to lay off the antisemitic tropes, like “jejeune” and “jewellery”.
Dogs have feelings, humans have souls. It is necessary to count blessings if you have a soul. Part of the problem is that we have a vision of the future which is grounded in experience of the past. Pakistani Muslims dream of the glories of their Mughal empire, even though it was an adulterated form of Islam. I take inspiration from the Protestant reformation based on translation of the Gospels into English. But the reality is that the future is better, inshallah than the imperfections of the past. All things are in the control of God, and while our aspirations slide away into disappointment, He is preparing a future incredibly better than our dreams.
It is the politicians job, as Ed Miliband says, to address the problems, not occupiers of church buildings. Parliament has become a system that reinforces the status quo, and we get diverted into attacking the system instead of addressing the problems. Mr Miliband has absoloutely no solution to the problems. Current political philosophy was a reaction back against socialist utopianism. Hence Mrs T was a reactionary, not a radical.
You are 100% right in mistrusting the far left and its reactionary adversaries as one completely failed molecule/item.
The next step is to look again at what a human being needs. Not the lowest common denominator model of the Church of England, that you have to put up with bankers stealing everything and work with them. But the Highest common denominator of the great Monotheistic faiths, that humans need security for their lives and families and possessions, including those who live abroad in places where there are also expensive items. Like water and oil.
Mrs T hijacked this country to the LCN, and we need to hijack it back to the HCN.
Thanks to Miss May my maths teacher when I was 8 years old, who sometimes used to carry naughty boys across the room by the hair and sometimes rest her enourmous bosom on your head while explaining the difference between LCN and HCN. Allah’s blessings on her.
You inspired Ali & Lee of ‘UKCollapse’ and made them stronger, more resilient, more ebullient to human rights. Occupylsx said, “Craig Murray is a good man, we like him.”
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You made a difference Craig, That’s what matters.
Off topic sorry but the lies of these criminals are overwhelming. However bad some of us are feeling, imagine how these prisoners, who have committed no crime, are feeling.
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Freedom Waves to Gaza
Palestine Office @PALWaves
7 November 2011 15.14 gmt
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UPDATE ON FREEDOM WAVES POLITICAL PRISONERS
RAMALLAH] Of the 27 human rights defenders captured during Israel’s illegal takeover of the Freedom Waves to Gaza vessels on Friday, 4 November, 20 remain in Givon prison and the whereabouts of one is unknown.
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Israeli officials have been claiming that all 27 people aboard the MV Tahrir and MV Saoirse have been released or are awaiting deportation. This is not true. Freedom Waves can confirm that six people have been released or deported. These are Majd Kayyal (Palestinian from Haifa), Lina Attalah (Journalist from Egypt), Casey James (Journalist from the US), Aimane Zoubir (Journalist from Morocco), Captain George Klontzas (Greece) and Captain Zacharias Stylianakis.
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The whereabouts of British journalist, Hassan Ghani of PressTV is unknown. On Saturday prison authorities told lawyers that Hassan was not at the prison, yet we know that he has not yet been released. Freedom Waves organizers demand that the Israeli authorities reveal where Hassan Ghani is being held and that he be allowed access to a lawyer.
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The Israeli authorities have tried to pressure the human rights defenders that remain in Israeli prison to sign a voluntary deportation agreement (waiver of right to see a judge) in order to be immediately deported. The activists refuse to sign, not because they want to come before an Israeli judge, but rather because the waiver states that they came to Israel voluntarily and entered the country illegally, which is patently untrue in light of the fact that Israeli naval ships violently seized the Tahrir and Saoirse, and forcibly transported them and all on board to Ashdod. Israeli authorities have ignored requests by the group’s lawyer to deport the activists immediately without having to sign this form that contains falsities meant to absolve Israel of responsibility for illegal abduction of foreign nationals in international waters.
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Because they have refused to sign the waiver, according to Israeli law, they will be detained for 72 hours and then brought before an immigration judge, who will rubberstamp the deportation order. After this mock legal process, deportation will commence. For the first 24 hours of their abduction, none of the activists, crew, or journalists, were allowed to call a lawyer or family members. On Sunday, a few were able to make one one-minute phone call.
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NOTE: Various accounts from prisoners have come out contradicting Israel’s claim of a peaceful takeover of the boats. Some activists were tasered and beaten, and at least one of the captains abused during interrogation. For accounts that we have been able to obtain, please see: {www.tahrir.ca and http://www.irishtogaza.org}
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For more information, please call:
+970-592-346-895 or
+970-598-336-215
http://www.witnessgaza.com
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Meanwhile St Theresa of May is lining up Brodie Clark, boss of UK Border Security, for the high jump. She is nastier than Thatcher but not as powerful,…yet. Did she care a hoot for the Malyshevs and Sheikh Raed Salah?
“That said, the instinctive closed shop operated by the mainstream UK media suggests that you and others like you need to find other ways into the bloodstreams of ideas and action. ”
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its why george galloway branched out to presstv and his US enterprise at WBAI radio not to mention talksport (though they did try to close him down) ..
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think like george .. a little voice is better than no voice
Spam box just now….Get Viagara now 60% discount…. I think they are getting confused with Niagara.
This probably won’t help any at all, but here I am, at the edges of the USA, reading your every word with bated breath.
Right. That’s enough hugs and cuddles. Hear me. Off topic as usual?
http://news.sky.com/home/politics/article/16105250
Boulter’s a very pissed off bunny, and he’s going to throw some light on Foxwerritty if he can.
@Havantaclu,
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Do not you think that globalisation has benefited many? Look at China and India. If it was not for globalisation how do you think these two nations with combined population of over 2 billion (more than 5 times larger than EU population) would survive? They are not resource rich like most Arabic nations, they are not technologically advanced like mane Western nations or Japan. It is their relatively cheap labour force and free movement of capital and technology that allowed these nations to benefit from globalisation. World population is growing like never before and whether we like it or not globalisation is the only way forward.
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There have been days when ideological antagonism and state protectionism have done the worst harm to the humanity than globalisation. If it is cheaper to produce goods in China then so be it, or would you like to pay more for what you are buying? It would benefit both sides, would not it?
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Of course globalisation has some pitfalls but this should not be the reason to dismiss whole process altogether. Globalisation gives a chance to developing nations to feel economic niches of the global world. It would not be acceptable if 700 million Chinese (twice the population of the EU) were forced to live in rural areas just because China is not allowed to sell its goods to the West because of protectionism and this resulted to the industries closure in China.
Craig, I keep coming across people who read your blog, people from all over the world. Every little helps. None of us can change the world single-handedly. The MSM is fickle, as you know. I suspect many of u experience such moments – days, weeks – of doubt and despair. So, as evidence from this thread, you are not alone! Keep on! It means something. Re-charge. Dive into music, or whatever suffices. Remember Spartacus, Anne Frank… no-one now rememebers their tormentors.
Best wishes,
Suhayl
Stop being such a self-pitying mopey bastard. Plenty of people have it worse off than you.
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Get a grip or I shall stop commenting here.
Play a few tunes you will lift you from the glums, Craig.
We’ve gotta gotta love for you here in the interweb
/A
Craig, I don’t entirely understand your disappointment. What were you expecting?
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I came down about 40 minutes late (I was held up at a meeting). I wandered around the camp, and it took me about 10 minutes to find your talk, because it was tucked away in an inner room at the back of the main tent. There was a crowd standing round the door, and I couldn’t get near enough to see you directly. Nor could I hear what you were talking about. After a few minutes, I gave up and went to Costa for a coffee. I came back about 15 minutes later, by which time the main tent was closed to the public for “re-organisation”, and I wasn’t allowed through. However, I slipped past the barrier anyway and found the situation was almost the same as before. I could only get close enough to crane my neck in the door to make sure the speech was still going on. Eventually someone else got up from the floor and people parted to let me through.
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From the comments, it seemed that people found your talk engaging and agreeable. You explained how foreign policy and economic policy were connected, and brought realism and nuance to political stereotypes. A few people hung around and accompanied you to the pub afterwards, and the conversation concurred with your analysis and your stance.
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So what, actually, went wrong?? That was a good turnout for TCU, especially on 2 days notice with no effective advertising, before lunch on a weekday when very few people can get off work. In fact, TCU can’t really handle many more than that. It’s true that Julian Assange got to address the masses over the PA, but he’s all over the news anyway; other speakers don’t that kind of exposure, unless they represent St Paul’s or the Occupy movement. I pointed out before the event that you would be addressing people unamplified. If it didn’t meet your expectations, then I think your expectations require some critical re-analysis.
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”Don’t demand that things happen as you wish, but wish that they happen as they do happen, and you will go on well.” Epictetus, Enchiridion, c.100AD.
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If you didn’t get the platform you’d hoped for, that’s no reflection on you personally. The egalitarian ethic pervading OccupyLSX means that they are wary of people who claim to speak from privileged platforms – and wisely so. I have no doubt your core message will percolate through, and affect key opinions, even if the authorship tag is lost. That’s the result that speakers should be aiming for, if they’re doing it for the right reasons.
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Well done, you!
@Havantaclu,
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Very generalised on Greece, it was not acceptable to have inflated salaries and labour system in Greece that is paid by the Greek government’s borrowing. Greece has sometimes reminded me USSR with its labour system. In Greece like in USSR jobs had to be created just to have population employed, whether or not these jobs have been economically beneficial was secondary.
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Systems like this are destined to fail.