I was called by a journalist yesterday who told me that in Dewsbury six years ago I shared a platform with Baroness Warsi’s now husband at a meeting against the persecution of Muslims. Sadly I couldn’t really help him as at the time I was doing hundreds such events and have only the dimmest of recollections of that one.
It is not merely amusing that Cameron refers Warsi for investigation for allegedly pocketing a couple of thousand quid while protecting Hunt who tried so hard to shepherd the Murdoch BSkyB bid past the winning post, while pretending to referee the event.
Nor is the lesson just that a Muslim woman will always be expendable while a fully paid up member of the ruling class will be less so.
The truth is that to trip up an MP over a little cash does not threaten the system. To tackle the massive institutional corruption by which corporate interests control the British state is a different question altogether.
Hunt is of course not the only case not to be referred. Nor was the Adam Werritty debacle, where rather than the proper investigative procedures Cameron organised a tidy little stitch-up by Gus O’Donnell which omitted almost all the key facts and particularly did not say what the entire scheme was about – the promotion of the interests of Israel. The Murdoch Empite, the Israeli lobby, these are amongst the interests that actually run the exploited citizenry of this poor wracked old country. Every now and then glimpses of truth emerge.
But must not be pursued.
And Giles, both her elevation and now the attempt to destroy her political career have absolutely everything to do with the fact that she is a black, Muslim woman.
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Unelected and with no discernible talent other than ticking the right boxes, yet despised by a large portion of her own community, the only reason you defend the Tory Baroness is that she is a black, Muslim woman, which is deemed reason enough by the establishment to have elevated her in the first place. Having survived surprisingly long, despite being deeply unpopular within the Party as well as with the public, and having failed to garner the support of British Pakistanis, an opportunity arises to get rid of her, and in doing so take the heat off the far more serious allegations of corruption at the heart of government. Sacrificed, yes, and the timing stinks, but the victim of racism and Islamophobia? I think not.
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There is no point attempting to deny the existence and importance of racism in the UK.
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Doubtless there wouldn’t be if virtually your entire existence is predicated on finding racism in everything. I mean, come on, Suhayl, if real racism ceased to exist in this country – which largely it has – what on earth would you write about? You’d have to invent some in the hope that the patronage of right-on Guardian-reading whites doesn’t dry up.
Hope that this survives and that the ‘authorities’ do not get them out.
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http://electronicintifada.net/content/palestine-place-brings-resistance-heart-london/11377
I’m rapidly losing count of how many allegedly bent politicians there are.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/scotland-yard-launches-investigation-into-tory-cashforaccess-affair-7831955.html
Further to Alex Thompson’s claim that our friends the Syrian rebels tried to set him up to be shot in crossfire from the Syrian Army, others have now come forward to tell similar tales of how the Syrian rebels tried to put them in harm’s way, with the intent to blame the Syrian govt:
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http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1339252671.html
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These incidents certainly raise questions as to how many false flag events the rebels have been engaged in, subsequently to be used as propaganda fodder for the likes of the BBC. In light of these developments which surely the BBC knew about, it seems reasonable to conclude that the BBC is itself colluding in the murder and attempted murder of journalists in theatre. The rebels wouldn’t use such tactics unless they knew they had willing accomplices such as the BBC, for example.
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It raises questions too about the killing of Sunday Times journalist Marie Colvin who seems to have been similarly badly advised as to a safe location from which to operate.
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I realise we’re in a very corrupt period, financially, politically and journalistically amd indeed every other way one cares to imagine, but surely even BBC journalists must have some regard for the health of their colleagues and cease their encouragement of such deadly tactics by the rebels.
Craig Murray…”Last week Jack Straw came out and argued strongly for the effective abolition of the Freedom of Information Act. Now there is a coincidence for you.”
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Here is another “coincidence”
http://euobserver.com/18/116533
At least now the BBC is being more balanced about its Syrian coverage, unlike the Guardian.
Why on earth would Assad permit the murder of women and children, at such a delicate stage in his quest to stay in power? It doesn’t stack up. As the Beeb itself (Radio 4) said yesterday, the killings have all the hallmarks of al qaida in Iraq – allies, supposedly, of the rebels.
There are certain interest who want “us” to invade Syria, and they will do anything to make that happen.
“Syrian rebels” “al qaida”
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More like mercenaries paid for by the US and UK governments or the friends off!!!. Wonder if Blackwater/Xe Services LLC are in all this somewhere.
Herbie, I agree; that is an accurate assessment. I have written a sharp letter to the BBC Trustees copied to the Foreign Office advising them we are examining litigation focused on a breach of the BBC’s Editorial Values:
. http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/editorialguidelines/page/guidelines-editorial-values-editorial-values/
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that promise truth, accuracy, impartiality, editorial integrity and independence, fairness, transparency and accountability. The Editorial Values also require the BBC to “ask searching questions of those who hold public office and others who are accountable, and provide a comprehensive forum for public debate,” and to “be rigorous in establishing the truth of the story and well informed when explaining it.”
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A judgement in our favor would most certainly send shock waves across the whole spectrum of main stream reporting on violence in Syria and also strengthen the legitimacy of the Syrian UN Peace Plan.
How about this? Wrap up the propaganda for killing (Wood did a good job of that for NATO in Libya) in a nice invitations to dinner at the White House with jokes thrown in from Obomber and hand out some awards. AIPAC lives.
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Williams is the BBC’s World News Editor. Bloom’s provenance is below.
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BBC’s Paul Wood & Fred Scott’s reporting from #Syria. Won #RTCA’s “David Bloom” award in Washington
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Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon)
09/06/2012 08:02
Big prize overnight for BBC’s Paul Wood & Fred Scott’s reporting from #Syria. Won #RTCA’s “David Bloom” award in Washington. Richly deserved
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69th Radio & Television Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner
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WASHINGTON, DC
Friday, June 8, 2012
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Radio and television correspondents gather Friday for their annual Congressional Correspondents’ Dinner featuring tongue-in-cheek humor about current events and press coverage of politics.
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Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) and comedian Wayne Brady gave speeches poking fun at themselves and the political and media establishment.
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The dinner also included an awards ceremony for excellence in Washington-based reporting. Honors include the Joan Shorenstein Barone award for superiority in political affairs journalism, the David Bloom Award for excellence in investigative reporting and the Jerry Thompson Award for exceptional contributions to the news industry.
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The dinner is traditionally attended by The President, the Congressional Leadership, media executives, Capitol Hill journalists and leading news makers.
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http://www.c-span.org/Events/69th-Radio-Television-Congressional-Correspondents-Dinner/10737431344/
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David Bloom
Iraq reporting and deathHe will be remembered for his creation of the “Bloom Mobile,” an Army tank recovery vehicle (M88 Wrecker) retrofitted by Miramar, Florida-based company Maritime Telecommunications Network, with live television and satellite transmission equipment so he could continuously broadcast reports as troops made their way toward Baghdad.[1]
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Bloom was traveling with the U.S. Third Infantry Division in Iraq when he suddenly died due to deep vein thrombosis and a pulmonary embolism. [2] The David Bloom Award was established by the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters in 2006 to honor excellence in enterprise reporting. ABC World News Tonight co-anchor Bob Woodruff received the award in its first year.
{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Bloom}
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Last year’s winner was Engel, the son of a Goldman Sachs financier.
Broadcasting career
After graduating from Stanford, Engel left for Cairo, Egypt, because he felt that the region was where the next story would be. He first lived in a ramshackle seven-story walk-up, learned the Egyptian Arabic and worked as a freelance reporter out of Cairo for four years. Next he moved to Jerusalem, continuing his freelance reporting for three more years until the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (where he has been predominantly since). He was offered a position as a foreign correspondent with NBC.[6]
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He filed a number of reports from Lebanon during the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict. In mid-May 2008, Engel interviewed U.S. President George W. Bush, largely about his then recent speech to the Israeli Knesset. Engel was stationed in Kabul, Afghanistan in 2008 covering the country’s presidential election. More recently, in 2011, Engel reported on the Egyptian revolution[7] and Libyan civil war.
{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Engel}
The printing presses are going to be busy this weekend.
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Spain banks get up to 100bn euros – 29 minutes ago
Spain is to get up to 100bn euros ($125bn; £80bn) in loans from eurozone funds to try to help shore up its struggling banks, it is announced.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-18382659
“Spain banks get up to 100bn euros”
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It ain’t going to help them
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/06/06/the-economy-comes-unglued/
“propaganda for killing”
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Surprising so much mildew and blight exists in the low-life Mary when your spade digs deep enough into the mycelia network of self-connecting snot.
Spain gets fuck all,i reckon.
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Skin colour not quite right.
When you look back at all the stuff in the link below it looks really tame compared to all that the US/UK governments get upto today, and don’t forget Murdoch
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/woodward-and-bernstein-40-years-after-watergate-nixon-was-far-worse-than-we-thought/2012/06/08/gJQAlsi0NV_story.html
Nice point, Guest. I would imagine that official oversight is far more tenuous when it comes to how private “security” firms operate overseas. Using them to target undesirable regimes by inflaming existing ethnic tensions is I would say perfectly plausible. The big question is: Are multinationals now that powerful that they can do this with minimal state involvement, or are they doing the “free” world’s bidding?
“Only 6 days left to watch Scorsese’s Surviving Progress.”
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I saw the later half and found it authentic, very Very good and i was a little relieved to find that an honest and intelligent tv program can still get made and aired.
Must watch the whole thing again before its off. It might get a bbc2 showing later.
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01jrlsf/Surviving_Progress/
Mike,
With regard to your comment,
‘There are certain interest who want “us” to invade Syria, and they will do anything to make that happen.’
I’ve just been told that the reason for a Western invasion of Syria is so that the short range missiles of Hizbollah aimed at Israel can be put out of action before Iran is invaded.
Many of the massacres in Syria may well have been carried out by the intelligence services of the West. Do you remember the two SAS caught wearing Arabic clothes?
‘British soldiers have been caught posing as Arabs and shooting Iraqis in the occupied city of Basra in southern Iraq. A group of them was caught yesterday by Iraqi police. They were driving an Iraqi car, wearing Arab clothing, and carrying weapons and explosives.
The Iraqi police were patrolling the area looking for suspected “terrorists” or “insurgents”, and they noticed that the men were acting suspiciously. Suddenly, without warning, the suspicious men started shooting at people, but the new Iraqi security forces managed to capture some of them before they could escape. Obviously, if these men had not been caught, the mass media would now be reporting the incident as just another attempt by evil “terrorists” to create civil war in Iraq.’
http://www.theinsider.org/news/article.asp?id=1556
I can quite believe that, Ruth. For me, there’s also the disaster capitalism angle, where capital seeks to break open closed societies by force to keep the accumulation wheel turning. Oil, Israel, and Iran – the completion of hegemony – are of course important factors.
The darkest hour is before dawn.
“Nice point, Guest”
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In those days they couldn’t get Ellsberg, today it seems they can get Assange.
CS: “but how you maintain a following even among the most simple-minded is astonishing.”
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CS, Most of us on here are the ONE that is circled in the picture
http://www.howtovanish.com/images/Political-Privacy.jpg
Only sweat the small stuff…again. It’s the Spanish people who are being shafted.
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Spain’s banks and the con-trick of the century
http://www.infernalmachine.co.uk/?p=1797
Osborne’s get out. Blame it on the others.
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George Osborne says eurozone crisis killing UK recovery
Mr Osborne said banking union was a “natural extension” of the euro
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Continue reading the main story
Eurozone crisis: Spain in numbers
Q&A: Spain’s woes
Q&A: Is Santander UK safe?
Why Spain’s regions owe so much
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The UK’s hopes of economic recovery are being “killed off” by the eurozone crisis, the chancellor has warned.
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Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, George Osborne said European leaders faced a “moment of truth” which could determine the economic future for over a decade.
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He added that British businesses were “being held back because of uncertainty about the future”.
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/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18383804
In the above article, there is no mention of the amount of quantitative easing between 2010-2012 in the UK.
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‘So the Bank injected £75bn into the economy in March 2009 through a process known as “quantitative easing” and expanded the programme to £200bn later that year. In October 2011, the Bank announced a further £75bn of quantitative easing, and it extended the programme again in February 2012 by £50bn, taking the total size of the programme to £325bn.’
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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-15198789
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Funny people are in charge of the funny money.
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Well, Giles. I think it is clear from what I wrote that I didn’t/do not think much of Baroness Warsi. I also agree with Craig that she seems to be being targeted and that this warrants further scrutiny.
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1) If you have any written evidence that you can present that my work is based solely on one subject – not that there is anything wrong with work that derives from such an important subject – or that The Guardian has been a promoter of my work, please feel free to present it. I think that any unbiased observer would find that neither allegation holds any water.
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2) Can you share with us some of your own work? Would you tell us, please, Giles, what you have written recently, so that we can enjoy reading it.
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3) Your contributions here on this and related subjects repeatedly have seemed to suggest that racism is of no systemic importance in the UK. Can you evidence-base that assertion?
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4) It has always been clear to me that Warsi was promoted largely for the reasons to which Craig alludes – having a brown face, being a Muslim and sporting a Northern, working class accent – for the benefit of the Tory Party’s PR machine. Might that in itself not suggest the glaring truism that the power dynamics in this country and in the Tory Party are centred elsewhere and that such factors continue to be used cynically in the manipulation of the people and of course of the puppets who participate in the process?
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5) Giles, I would ask you to remember please that the subject of this post is Baroness Warsi and the Tory Party, not me.
Thank you.
Mary,
Those “funny bastards” have effectively stolen the wealth of the ordinary savers by devaluing the money (the more money in circulation = the less the value of the said money) that has been underwriting the high rollers gambling debts.
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Never in the history has there been such a blatant theft of vast sums of money form the lower strata of our societies to the ever so “needy” higher strata of the said societies. The sense of entitlement of the said bunch of very unfunny bastards knowing no bounds has further robbed 99 percent of people’s pensions, and health insurance too, resulting in less pensions and longer working lives, all in the way of propping up the casino banking lark.
Yes, Mary, I have a lot of respect for David Davis on this specific issue of civil rights; he has been consistent on it over the years. I wasn’t suggesting that he didn’t resign because of the issue of civil rights – clearly, he did – but simply that there were a number of other relevant factors at the time which may have contributed to the resignation. Otherwise, he might have stayed in the Shadow Cabinet and fought it from a position of power. And that these factors are of relevance in relation to this analysis of class (in Davis’s case) and race/class/religion/gender (wrt Warsi’s case) in the Tory Party and maybe also in the ruling classes of the UK in general.
My comment has been diverted down the crapper chute into the memory-hole, evidently.
Your assumption is spot on Ruth and your source is accurate. Britain is directing more special services to Syria. I am aware that Special Boat Squad members are supporting the Free Syrian Army from media reports:
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http://www.eliteukforces.info/uk-military-news/290212-british-special-forces-syria.php
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However I know that SBS marines are seeking out(farsi) and fighting Quds forces. SBS deaths in Syria are not reported in the media, but British families are informed. I am certain a successful result for the West in Syria is a precursor for a combined attack on Iran.
Germany’s leading daily, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, claims Houla massacre committed by anti-Assad Sunni militants
http://t.co/ZRYpu1NZ
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Which makes a lot more sense as an answer to “Cui bono” than “Assad did it”. I have believed from Day One that it was carried out by the “rebels”.
Britain’s secret proxy war in Syria (Feb 2012) http://t.co/iWLSL8IW