Four more years of drone killings, Guantanamo, crazy FBI agent provocateur plots, whistleblower prosecutions and surveillance of citizens were going to come whoever won. Goldman Sachs funded both candidates royally. I probably prefer the slightly tempered or disguised neo-con to the red meat neo-con, but let nobody pretend it makes a vast difference.
A respected retired African President told me last week that George Bush did more for Africa than Obama. Amazingly, I believe that to be true; whatever his motives, a number of Bush initiatives pumped real money into useful African infrastructure. Obama’s relations with Africa have almost entirely revolved around location of military bases.
Perspective changes as you move around the globe.
This goes with my post above at “7 Nov, 2012 – 3:07 pm” and at “7 Nov, 2012 – 9:22 pm”
““The day we see truth and do not speak is the day we begin to die.”
– Martin Luther King”
http://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2012/08/20/amerikas-future-death-paul-craig-roberts/
Blair was supposed to have the use of a whole floor of that hotel which is very expensive. I believe he has moved to a rented house in Jerusalem now.
The daughter Katherine, about whom there was much speculation at the time when her father invaded Iraq, has been called to the Bar. Brother Nicky not doing so well. Euan – what is he doing? And young Leo. I actually feel very sorry for these children having such parents.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2226123/Proud-parents-Tony-Cherie-Blair-daughter-Kathryn-called-Bar.html
Dispiriting. One of my best friends was on Facebook, urging the US to vote Obama. Shared links with pictures of Obama’s back – ‘I’ve got his back’ as the tagline. Basically, Macdonalds is food for people who don’t pay attention to the contents, and Obama is the President for people who don’t pay attention to politics.
I’ve no idea who Mr President Iconography really is, but he’s not who his supporters want him to be. He never will be, never was.
Did anyone notice or are my eyes blind?
Hold on a moment, where is secretary Hillary Clinton? We know she is not running for a second term, yet why is she not congratulating President-Elect Obama after the call or after his acceptance speech.
Must we conclude a rift twix friends and never the twain shall meet on foreign policy?
I think so – LEAVE SYRIA and IRAN alone!
@Mark Golding
Good observation. According to reports, she is stepping down as SoS to retreat to private life – total bullshit, of course. Hillary’s ambitions are very much tied up with ol’ Bill’s, and he wants another two terms as president – thru her.
I think that the Clinton’s need to get out of public view for a while and work behind the scenes to secure Democrat nomination for the next election. Four years will be needed to get the money together and the time will help erase some history so she can reinvent herself as a fresh candidate. (*vomit*)
http://p.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/nov/7/obama-win-doesnt-change-clinton-plans-step-down/
Obama is certainly not in the same class as Alex Salmond.
That’s the problem, you think that having ‘free and fair’ elections (US 2000 and 2004? UK postal vote rigging in the 90s and 00s?) between two parties funded and controlled by the same group of people is somehow better than a one-party state with no elections, or show elections. People in Russia speak out against their government every day without ‘fear for their life’. Regarding RT, it provides a much needed counter balance to the Western media’s monotone view on everything – i.e. the West is good and the East is bad.
Re: Syria. Who’s being more rational (and moral), the Russian’s Lavrov or the West’s Clinton and Hague?
A good graphic. Election results.
https://twitter.com/LandDestroyer/status/266412004623921152/photo/1/large
Yes, I’m the wren, Mary. Very common in Irish and Celtic folklore.
Ubiquitous. Loud and irritatingly monotonous song. Mmm.
O/T, but not very far, cause bollox Obomber stole the BBC’s attention. One of three letters to the EDP today, after the BBC’s hysteria over their US election brief, so much more legitimate than our PCC election, as it looks like, has died down.
It is from the totally discouraged and fed up ex agent to Chloe Smith, Margaret Eastham.
Dear Sir
I ready today’s information on the Conservative PCC candidate and I am very concerned. There is a gaping hole in this information which I feel that people of Norfolk have a right to know about. Colonel Athill says this is alluded to on something called LinkedIn (whatever that might be) but it is not on his website and it was not mentioned in the EDP today.
At the beginning of this year Colonel Athill took up the post of British Territorial Director of an official body of the Czech Republic licenced by their Ministry of Trade. This body called the Czech Middle Asian Chamber of Commerce promotes trade with Russia, the Ukraine, Belarus, Kazakhastan, Afghanistan Pakistan Libya and Iraq with Colonel Athill in Great Britain. These are the only countries they promote trade with and they are all failed war-torn areas each with their own horrendous human rights records, details of which are readily available on the worthy website Human Rights Watch. And we dont have to look further than our own newspaper every week for news of Afghanistan.
I quote Colonel Athill verbatim from an email to a concerned member of the public as saying his special role with this body is to “facilitate trade by British firms through the Czech Republic to new markets”. All goods from this country that can be exported to these dictatorships openly (if they are not under sanctions which they often are) can be done so through an export licence granted by the British Government. I will leave it to the imagination of the people of Norfolk what sort of goods need to be sent under cover through the Czech Republic to the failed states on their client list. Colonel Athill tries to brush his role with this Czech Government outfit to one side by saying that he is not being paid for being a director. That is irrelevant and we all know it. However as a Director of a Foreign Political Entity I am not sure he is entitled to stand as Police Commissioner in any event.
I find it beyond disgraceful that the Conservative Party in Norfolk has given us this candidate without being fully open and transparent. I could never vote for someone with this background. It is distasteful and does not rest lightly with my conscience. It is not enough for Colonel Athill to say that he would consider resigning as the British Director of a Czech Government go-between if he is made Police Commissioner. He has those contacts and they will not cease being known by him and it is impossible not to feel uneasy. So for the first time in my adult life I shall not be voting Conservative. I have written to the person I have been most impressed with in his promises to us, especially his refusal to sign up political chums for the post of second in command. Mr Morphew assures me he has never tried to promote trade with war torn dictatorships in Central Asia so I shall vote for him.
Don’t be mean Komodo. Their song lifts one’s heart. Fesity too if you go anywhere near their nest.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PssapL-2taM
Yes Mark and Jemand, as I said yesterday Shillary is nowhere to be seen or heard, for a change.
There is a lot about her standing next time so I assume that this message has been coming out from her lair. Even mention of Chelsea. I think they watched too many episodes of Dynasty.
Clinton 2016? Hillary is top choice as Democrats turn to next election
Outgoing secretary of state is bookmakers’ favourite for presidency despite having said repeatedly she will not run again
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/07/hillary-clinton-2016-election
They sound like uniselector switches in need of oil, Mary.
http://www.mkheritage.co.uk/ttm/IMAGES/Uniselector.jpg
Give me a hedge sparrow any day.
Further to Athill: his election leaflet attempts to link his candidacy with the Tory-led council, and is designed to look like a council handout. Some of the images may indeed be the property of Norfolk Council. Couldn’t find the actual publisher on it (I think this is illegal), but it would obviously be the Conservative Party.
The mans on radio Norfolk Nick Conrad show, now Komodo.
go go go, I can’t get on, been on the first phone in.
“People in Russia speak out against their government every day without ‘fear for their life’”
Tell that to Anna Politovskaya and the many other Russian journalists who have been murdered.
And there were not just two candidates in the US presidential electorate – and if you think the two parties in the US were saying the same think you must add stupidity to your many defects.
And regarding your question on Syria the answer is clearly Clinton and Hague.
Mark Goulding
And of course Syria and Iran never meddle in the affairs of other countries do they? Strangely enough your are somewhat quiet on this matter. What is it hypocrisy or your keyboard somehow freezes.
“The daughter Katherine, about whom there was much speculation at the time when her father invaded Iraq, has been called to the Bar. Brother Nicky not doing so well. Euan – what is he doing? And young Leo. I actually feel very sorry for these children having such parents.”
Not as sorry as i feel for your parents who probably tried so hard to teach you decency and manners. But even if they failed in that task perhaps you should reflect as to whether references to the Blair children actually add or detract from your arguments with Tony and Cherie.
@John Goss
You are right that you don’t entertain trolls or otherwise. The Islamofascists (and that is clearly their politics) were not extradited to the US because of connections with a website – rather more serious offences like conspiracy to murder and money laudering were the reasons. You might also wish to consider how they would have been dealt with in your beloved Russia (and also China given their treatment of their Muslim minorities) – your argument just defies any serious analysis. You might also consider whether you would be allowed similar freedom to use the www in China.
Ignore the troll.
Maybe it’s my old eyes, Nevermind, but I couldn’t find the required info on the leaflet that came through my door yesterday, and I don’t have it to hand. It’s not the same as the .pdf on his website, either.
More significantly for leaflets everything published in support of the campaign must contain an imprint stating who printed and published the leaflet and their address. This usually takes form of a small print line at the foot of any leaflet saying “Printed by Anytown Printers, 30 High Street, Anytown, Anyshire and Published by John Smith, 25 Main Street, Anytown.” In this example John Smith is not the candidate, but the agent and the campaign headquarters or committee rooms is at 25 Main Street. This does not have to be John Smith’s residence but it does have to be where the campaign can be contacted. Your imprint must appear on every leaflet, poster, calling card, press release or anything else you produce as part of the campaign. Failure to do so could put you in breach of the Representation of the People Acts and your opponents will soon let you know if it does.
http://www.howtowinelections.co.uk/leaflets.shtml
In the free west, where everything is open, nobody in the press is allowed to mention the names of the lying, Anna Ardin and Irmeli Krans, or even Sofia Wilen. There is good news for us all. A new book by Guy Sims is available in English which covers chronologically Julian Assange’s time in Sweden and is now available in English. It is very reasonably-priced at less than $3. Arbed posted a link to it yesterday on ‘Why I am convinced Anna Ardin is a Liar’ and I bought a copy. I can tell you it is well worth the money.
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/233304
What I cannot understand is why the Swedish police and prosecution services are not on trial for perverting the course of justice. I would chip in if Assange’s lawyers were to put a case together. I am sure many others would too.
“In the free west, where everything is open, nobody in the press is allowed to mention the names of the lying, Anna Ardin and Irmeli Krans, or even Sofia Wilen.”
That may or may not be the case – but you can certainly mention it on the internet; which is considerably more freedom than you would be allowed in your beloved China if you were to make similar accusations of corruption against one of its “rational” leaders.
By troll – I presume you mean someone who disagrees with and demolishes your stupid arguments.
And here we have a ridiculous and petty attack on a sincere and informative long-term poster from Komodo, who, when they’re not claiming to be writing ‘as a bit of a cunt’ links approvingly to lies and prejudices from the Daily Mail. Possibly because their views have been challenged, which is, of course, unforgivable enough to take personal insults onto the next post. Well done!
No you (expletive deleted). It was a ridiculous and petty attack on a ridiculous and petty bird. Grow up.
Suhayl, I have Tariq Ali’s ‘The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad’ on my ‘to read’ list. I’ve been trying to contact you to see if you would join this Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/371661099578187/?fref=ts
That goes for any other most capable writers and entertainers who enliven this blog.
Of course it was, Komodo. Have you tried taking your personal feelings about our feathered friends here? –
http://www.rspb.org.uk/
Chris Hedges: sobering.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/page2/the_sm_election_20121105/
Hugh Muir has picked up on Athill, Nevermind
A week until the police commissioner elections that nobody much wanted and a whole new era of accountability that nobody really understands. Not much focus on Norfolk thus far, but a rich mix there has been made richer still with the candidature of the Tory James Athill. Who he? He left the army as a colonel last year, having led British and Gurkha units and commanded a training regiment. He also held “diplomatic and operational positions in the Middle East, south-east Asia and, most recently, central Europe”. It’s the diplomatic stuff in central Europe that’s exciting interest. Fingers in quite a few pies, has the candidate, and though his website is exhaustive, one thing not immediately apparent there is his grand and curious title of UK territorial director for the CSOK, the Czech Middle Asian Chamber of Commerce. What’s that, asked a curious voter. Oh, it’s innocuous, said Athill. It’s about British firms trading in new markets via the Czech Republic. Then why didn’t you declare it on campaign literature? Well, it’s on my LinkedIn page, he said. And I did tell the Tories before they selected me. Might have been nice, in the new era of accountability, if he had mentioned it to the electorate. For he was the defence attache at the British embassy in Prague. And among the activities proclaimed by CSOK are industrial and defence undertakings in Iraq, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan and Libya. Nice chap, apparently, but people watch James Bond, Tinker Tailor. In a vacuum they think all sorts of things.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/nov/07/hugh-muir-diary-chris-grayling
Nuclear dimension to Athill –
http://www.da.mod.uk/da-news/nuclear-department-students-train-at-czech-technical-university