Delhi Delirium 355

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I am well aware that Osborne has been redistributing money to the rich in his budget. I am also stunned by the idea that the state should see its role not as reducing regional inequality of wealth, but as reinforcing it through regional public sector pay rates.

But my days at the moment are like this. I get up at 7.30 am and after a very frugal breakfast I take a local taxi to the disastrously neglected and underfunded National Archive of India. I spend eleven hours there hastily transcribing from an enormous wealth of documents on Alexander Burnes – really beyond my wildest hopes – and then at 8.00pm the security guards kick me out, the curators having left some time ago. I get back to my budget hotel, take a light supper of imodium and activated charcoal, chat with Nadira, and then fall asleep exhausted.

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355 thoughts on “Delhi Delirium”

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  • Vronsky

    “Your solution?”
    .
    Ahem. I’ve told you – devolution, separation, fragmentation, ungovernability. Set up local, parochial parties, vaguely socially democratic, definitely anti-centrist, thrusting on local issues, difficult for the Bullingdon Boys (of whichever party) to challenge without seeming remote and disengaged. Yes it’s scummy, but I hope you don’t imagine that the punters will traipse away from their tellies and vote for abstract intellectual liberalism. I also presume you’re aware that the only realistic (and darkly attractive) option is shooting a few carefully chosen arseholes, as thoughtfully recommended by Boniface (perhaps I over interpret his position).
    .
    Or you can just keep posting here. That’s really going to worry the bastards to death, that is.
    .
    I’m probably talking crap as usual, but there needs to be some imagining done ‘here or there or elsewhere’ (Eliot) of what we must do – not just this endless despondent cataloguing of the evils of our masters.

  • Komodo

    Agree with bits of that, Vronsky. Particularly the shooting bit, although I do not imagine the punters will traipse away from their tellies when you offer them the opportunity of stopping a police bullet themselves, in a noble cause; and new arseholes usually arise to replace the ones with extra apertures (see Egypt, eg). We’re not NEARLY poor and oppressed enough for that. What is slowly sinking in is that the forms of national and transnational government are completely irrelevant: these exist solely as the tools of the extremely greedy and their life-support system, “the markets”. So I have some sympathy with the idea of devolution and downsizing of democracy.
    .
    Will this reduce the influence of capital? Somehow I doubt it. The downsized democratic units will still need funding, and deals will still be made. And I have no trustworthy method of ensuring that someone I vote for is not will not fill his boots courtesy of Tesco or PWC in exchange for his democratically assigned influence.
    I guess I’ll carry on coming here, then.
    1. Because it publicises – to some extent – issues which are poorly or not treated at all in the MSM,
    2. Because it enables debate, and this exchange is a good example
    3. Because the company is by and large congenial.

  • boniface goncourt

    “Key questions include how Merah, described by French intelligence boss Ange Mancini as ‘a little failure from the suburbs’, was able to amass an arsenal of weapons – including an Uzi sub-machinegun – and rent a car, despite having no clear source of income.”
    LOL…..remember the shoe bomber, the underpants bomber, all those other penniless morons with non-explosive devices who somehow had loadsa money after mysterious trips to Israhell…? And their little comedies always happen when Israhell needs a boost..?
    Just like Paris, 1938, where unemployed Polish Jew Herschel Grynszpan, having survived for 2 years without papers, job, money, or even knowing French, gunned down a German embassy official, thus
    provoking the anti-Jewish riots of Kristallnacht…
    “The assassin, who was well-heeled with both money and an expensive gun that he had just bought for cash, pumped the bullets into Ernst vom Rath…..Grynszpan had checked into an expensive hotel just round the corner from the offices of LICA, the forerunner of the modern Jewish activitist group LICRA, and it was LICA who at once hired one of the foremost barristers in Paris, and paid his legal costs when he was arrested. People are entitled to draw their own conclusions.”

  • Jives

    I don’t sctually believe this guy is dead-apart from officially.
    .
    A bit like Osama bin Laden.
    .
    It strikes me as being extremely remiss of the spooks to kill someone when they could capture and torture them for months using the latest brain toys,trying to find out the extent of their network and bakckers.
    .
    I’d imagine in the case of Osama bin Laden,after months of torture and,ahenm,brain-probing as to who his network and funders for 911 were the spooks are tired of Osama repeatedly moan -thru the waterboarding and torture- “Bush”.

  • Mary

    Thanks for finding that piece by Ms Roy. Although long, it is excellent.
    .
    On the Wikipedia page for Mukesh Ambani, the main subject of that article, it says he is … a member of the board of directors of Bank of America Corporation and a present member of the international advisory board of the Council on Foreign Relations.

    .

    Enough said.

    .
    Incidentally Writerman had mentioned it earlier but there was no link.
    ‘writerman 24 Mar, 2012 – 8:34 am
    Dear Craig,

    There’s an interesting article by the novelist, activist, and writer, A. Roy about Indian capitalism and the vast disparity of wealth there, that Osborne seems intent on introducing back in the UK.’

  • guano

    Yesterday I was driving down the M5 at 06.20 in the morning and I overtook the coach which was crawling up a slope belching blue smoke as if the head gasket was gone.
    Possibly the driver was making for the Frankley Services to get his passengers out of harm’s way, but the engine must have seized exactly at a point where there was a footbridge and where there was no hard shoulder a few hundres metres short of the Services slipway.
    With hindsight he would have been better to have pulled over before the bridge. With hindsight I was going much too fast myself for the foggy conditions. One never thinks there will be a stationary object in the way. If I had been two minutes later I might have run straight into the coach which was sprawled right across the carriageway.
    Many Muslims are bussed to horticultural sites around the country to earn a living on the land for all our benefit.
    But when disaster strikes as on this occasion we believe in Allah’s control over our destinies.
    Indeed we belong to God and to Him is our return.

  • me in us

    Hi Craig — o/t — I did transcripts of your briefly missing ICD youtubes and sent them as attachments to you at the ru e-mail address. Hope you get them, hope they’re wanted.

  • Mary

    Guano Noted. You were lucky. You draw attention to the hidden world of the poor. Travelling on a crap bus, no limos for those workers going to a gang master’s packing shed for the minimum wage.

    When Cameron’s friends take over the road system, they will appropriate all the hard shoulders for extra lanes or widening. What then? Crash after crash?

  • Komodo

    Fink returns to lead treasurer role

    (UKPA)

    Tory peer Lord Fink is to replace Peter Cruddas as the party’s principal treasurer, it has been announced.

    Hedge fund millionaire Lord Fink previously held the role until earlier this month, when it was taken over by Mr Cruddas.

    A Conservative Party spokesman said: “In the light of the resignation of Peter Cruddas yesterday, Lord Fink has agreed to return as the party’s principal treasurer, the role he stepped down from at the beginning of March. Michael Farmer will continue to support Stanley Fink as a co-treasurer.

    “We are grateful to Stanley for agreeing to this and we believe that this will ensure that the treasurers’ department will continue to operate to the highest possible standards under his stewardship.”

    Hmmmm. Lord Fink…some cosy connections here.
    http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/41516/oona-king-michael-grade-stanley-fink-go-house-lords

  • Komodo

    Now I am wondering….Murdoch’s Times broke the Cruddas story. Is the old bastard getting his own back for something Cameron did or didn’t do for him? Has Rebekah been thrown to thw wolves at last? How much deeper does this go?

  • Mary

    Thanks Komodo. They can always rely on Fink.
    .
    Listen to Paul Mason speaking to the useless drip Sir Christoper Kelly Committee on Standards ib Public Life on Broadcasting House this morning. Kelly does not speak of the complete lack of morals in this unpleasant affair, merely of the dangers of individuals funding parties. He even chuckled. He advocates public funding of course.
    .
    No rules broken. No laws broken. No money changed hands. The whole segment indicates that Whitewash Mason sees this as a close shave for the Tories but carry on boys making sure to keep it all under cover.
    .
    http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/b01dtfxd 6′ 45″ secs in

    Friends of Israel lobbies and party funding by UK/Israel dual passport holders were not mentioned of course.
    .
    Better stick to Newsnight Mason.

  • Mary

    Hidari on Medialens has produced this list.
    .
    Amid the ‘concern’ for cash for access…..
    Posted by Hidari on March 25, 2012, 1:06 pm
    .
    Amid the media’s oh-so-sincere concern about ‘cash for access’, remember that this (below) is all perfectly legal and, indeed, is the oil on which our ‘democracy’ runs.
    .
    ‘The Front Bench Club
    Annual membership: £5,000
    Chairman: The Hon Nicholas Soames MP
    For those with a deep interest in politics and current affairs who want to make a serious contribution to our Party. Members have the opportunity to meet and debate with MPs at a series of political lunches and receptions held throughout the year. Members will also be invited to all Team 2000 club events and other social events.

    .
    The Renaissance Forum
    Annual membership: £10,000 Chairman: James Stewart
    For our closest supporters to enjoy dinners and political debate with eminent speakers from the world of business and politics. Members are invited to all Team 2000 events.

    .
    Treasurers’ Group
    Annual membership: £25,000
    The Treasurers’ Group is aimed at substantial financial supporters with a keen interest in politics. Members are invited to join senior figures from the Conservative Party at dinners, lunches, drinks receptions, election result events and important campaign launches.
    .
    The Leader’s Group
    Annual membership: £50,000 Chairman: Howard Leigh
    The Leader’s Group is the premier supporter Group of the Conservative Party. Members are invited to join David Cameron and other senior figures from the Conservative Party at dinners, post-PMQ lunches, drinks receptions, election result events and important campaign launches.’
    .
    http://www.conservatives.com/Donate/Donor_Clubs.aspx

  • Rose

    Vronsky at 11.50 – Yes it all does seem a little bit Monty Python – we go round like farts in a colander don’t we.

    I try and resist considering the “darkly attractive” alternatives (and they are attractive) because not to would be to drop to the level of those whose activities and attitudes I despise.

    As Komodo says you can find out stuff here not always published in the mainstream press, and for me there are some knowledgeable and thoughtful contributors whose insights are worth reading.

    And who knows – perhaps there are those out there who may have practical and acceptable answers to “What can we do?” Without wishing to be condemned as a God botherer (Kom) I would recommend the parable of the mustard seed.

  • Tom

    SCCRC Statement of Reasons

    “http://www.heraldscotland.com/fwd.cgi?l=http%3A%2F%2Flogin.heraldscotland.com%2FSCCRC-Statement-of-Reasons-red.pdf”

  • Vronsky

    The publication by The Sunday Herald of the SCCRC report on Megrahi may be significant. Clearly the Scottish Crown Office thinks so, as they have been desperately leaking their own agenda to the right wing press. But I say ‘may be significant’ because already the signs are that the Scottish legal establishment intends to just deny, deny, deny and ride the thing out. Salmond has been declaring his belief that the release of the report is a good thing, an expression that might have been a tad more convincing if he had said so before the Sunday Herald printed the stuff anyway.
    .
    Salmond was anxious to point out that most of Megrahi’s claims of grounds for appeal were dismissed, ignoring that legally having just one validates the appeal. The SCCRC conceded Megrahi six justifications for appeal, not one.
    .
    I’m always (as you know) of the view that things are better in Scotland and we don’t roll over for the bastards as easily as you feckless lot dahn sarf, but the SNP’s repetitive fumbling of this issue is depressing. What have the CIA got on Salmond that he can’t do the obviously decent thing? And what next?
    .
    http://lockerbiecase.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/salmond-thinks-again.html

  • boniface goncourt

    @Guano

    “But when disaster strikes as on this occasion we believe in Allah’s control over our destinies. Indeed we belong to God and to Him is our return.”

    So if ‘allah’ gets bored being cooped up in the right hemisphere of
    your brain, he does a coach crash and kills a whole bunch of people, for kicks? It’s just as well he and his bruv ‘yahweh’ are
    imaginary products of psychopathic vanity. If those twunts really existed, things would be even worse than they are!

    BTW Guano you seem to be a legal UK resident. When settling in a secular, modern society, why not take advantage of it, and in courtesy to your hosts, cleanse yourself of backward superstition?

  • Mary

    Vronsky – Did you hear that St Theresa of May is threatening border controls and checks if Scotland becomes independent?!
    .
    Scottish independence: ‘Border checks’ warning from home secretary
    Home Secretary Theresa May says border checks are a possibility
    .
    Scotland’s Future
    STUC backs SNP referendum terms
    Watchdog makes voting age warning
    Scots ‘Yes’ campaign set for May
    UK’s future addressed in speeches
    .
    An independent Scotland could face the prospect of checks at its border with England, Home Secretary Theresa May has ++warned++.
    .
    It comes after a conference speech when Ms May claimed independence could lead to mass immigration problems.
    .
    Afterwards, the home secretary said she envisaged “some sort of border check” if Scotland joined the European Schengen common travel area.
    .
    The SNP dismissed Ms May’s comments as “scaremongering nonsense”.
    .
    Ms May called for clarity on the issue as part of the independence debate.
    .
    The Scottish government has said it wants to hold the referendum on independence in autumn 2014.
    .
    At the Scottish Conservative party conference in Troon on Saturday, the home secretary highlighted the danger of joining Europe’s Schengen area, which allows free movement of people within a number of EU countries.

    .
    “An independent Scotland will be part of the common travel area which already exists within and between the UK and Ireland” Pete Wishart
    SNP Home Office Affairs spokesman

    She said: “Joining Europe’s borderless Schengen area could open Scotland’s border up to mass immigration.”
    /…

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-17505302

  • Duncan McFarlane

    Was watching David Davis (don’t dislike him though i generally disagree with him) on Question Time on Thursday explaining that the problem was that in some parts of the country public sector workers got 18 to 20% more pay than their equivalents in the private sector. The fact that many bank executives are getting hundreds of times the average wage, some of them funding it from bail-outs from taxpayers on average or low wages, doesn’t bother the Conservatives, but anyone in the public sector being paid slightly more than someone in the private sector, that is unfair and must be changed as far as they’re concerned.

    The only good thing about this budget is that it will have lost the Conservative party a lot of votes. That won’t make up for all the people made to suffer between now and the next election though – and Cameron seems ot be hoping for another Falklands War rather than negotiating resource sharing on any oil and gas revenues from the Falklands’ waters with the Argentinians (i’m sure Kirchner is using the Falklands as a distraction from Argentine economic problems and unemployment too, just as with Thatcher and the Argentine junta in 1982 – i doubt an elected Argentinian government will be as reckless as the military regime were though – they’ll stick to economic sanctions rather than war)

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