In the week they took hundreds of pounds from people in severe poverty, MPs and Lords claim up to £3,750 each to return from their luxury holidays to spout off in honour of Margaret Thatcher. Meantime the media are busy classifying any potential protest or expression of opinion at the taxpayer funded funeral jamboree as “potential terrorism”.
Whether protest at the funeral is tasteful or not is a fair question. But there is no question it is perfectly lawful. There is virtually no understanding of the very notion of civil liberty in the mainstream media.
We should be grateful to Mrs Thatcher for the good things she put her hand to, including the opening up of free enterprise (excluding selling the family silver, privatisation) and the collapsing of the Soviet Union. Look who’s causing havoc in Syria by supporting Assad the polytheist, torturer, murderer dictator.
I only criticise her because she inadvertantly damaged so many people during her reforms, including myself. But, the reforms that she brought enabled me eventually to become a Muslim, whereas previously everybody had to stay in their own place in the social order.
Rough with the smooth. She is entitled to her state funeral, in my opinion, because that’s what she used to do.
craig
3 Nov, 2012 – 9:10 am
English Knight
Have deleted another post of yours. if you want to post stuff about “Jews, gays and dykes” there is a whole internet out there for you but you will be banned from this bit of it if you continue that stuff.
Thanks for digging that up, Tech. I had been under the impression that English Knight had already been banned. But I see I was jumping the gun.
Tehnicolour,
I am aware Craig has warned English Knight but never banned him. I do not believe for a second Craig actually supports “Knight”‘s views but either through illness, incompetence, alcoholism, or some other undetermined reason, he allows the poster to continue. I sincerely hope the reason isn’t illness.
In any case Knight’s recent comments are clearly a police matter.
CNN has been covering protestors at the funeral I note.
A reminder. It is a lie that Big Ben was silenced for Churchill’s funeral. That has been added to “history” later.
Queen greeted by the “Lord Mayor of London”. No that’s not Boris but it is another can of worms.
Dick “dildo in Central Park” (what did he do to deserve that setup?), Quest manages to say covertly that the reason no protestors are in shot (some have got through though) is because they are not allowed to be anywhere but a predefined area. To CNN’s credit they do have a camera crew there and did talk to them earlier.
Habbabkuk (La vita è bella!)
16 Apr, 2013 – 10:40 pm
“Can you give sources to back up your assertion that Capriles campaigned on a “Jewish-holocaust-survivor-of ticket”?
I’m not going to do your homework for you.
While Mrs Thatcher’s funeral is to have a Faulklands war theme the UK is staging military exercises around the… err…Faulkland Islands.
The Argentine government has condemned the British government’s new military exercises in the Malvinas Islands (Falklands) and has filed a complaint with the United Nations, the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) and the Mercosur.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/04/17/298760/argentina-raps-uk-malvinas-mil-drills/
Why don’t you apply Habbabkuk?
“Applicants wanted for a one way ticket to Mars”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22146456
I thought it was a fair topic to try to examine who had/not been sent to attend the funeral.
Anon – I dont think there are any moderators about, or that the police could be much help with problems. I think it is enough for sane commenters to occasionally flag the insanities foisted upon this open channel. There is little to no resource to moderate it, so if thats not enough, the lot would have to be deactivated. In the future, the archive might even be deemed illegal and removed from the net.
Hey ho. The Witch is Dead!
But a moments thought for all the good witches and not so witches tortured and killed for heresy and alternative activity.
I will happily leave that up to the police. I do have some ability to gain some publicity for my complaint. I will leave it there.
Basically I’ve had enough of it. If it is simply a lack of mods then we need volunteers.
“either through illness, incompetence, alcoholism, or some other undetermined reason, he allows the poster to continue”.
Or perhaps, as he has frequently made clear, *he does not often read the comments*. If you don’t like it, you can always go somewhere else until the issue is resolved. Youtube, for example, will reveal a wealth of comments far beyond poor English Knight’s insane capabilities. Are you planning to inform the police about them too?
I full understand and support your disgust at the repulsive nature of anti-Jewish anything, and indeed, stopped posting for a while after some of the more charming posters accused me of being ‘hasbara’ as a result. But isn’t the suggestion of alcoholism, as well as an apparent and sad attempt to smear, libellous? I think it may be but then you, unlike CM, are, of course, hiding behind anonymity.
Technicolour,
How do you know I don’t actually know Craig?
Sometimes he needs a kick up the arse. Once again I trust and hope he is not seriously ill.
“Basically I’ve had enough of it. If it is simply a lack of mods then we need volunteers.”
There has never even been a certain “we”. This is just the poorly attended commentspace under Craigs sporadically attended blog. If you are calling for increased legal attention on the comments – and are successful, you could put hbk and co out of work. It is frustrating to see people poison open air with curses and hate and made up nonsense and everything else. The best thing you can do is make your best noise now and then where it counts most. Lightly moderated/rem-mediated channels are not good things to get frustrated with and call police in on.
Crab
Bollocks. It has got much worse since the last main moderator resigned. Can we have him back please? Or someone for goodness sake.
Only 45 days to reach 50,000 signatures not wanting taxpayers to fund the Thatcher’s last £16 million farewell.
http://www.causes.com/actions/1745911-disallow-the-funding-of-margaret-thatchers-funeral-through-publc-finance?token=91DWZbjljg_I2jo1DNJuxU80&utm_campaign=recruitment_mailer/activity_recruitment&a
Arbed @ 8.29 a.m. Any chance of pasting the text since I’m being told that Divshare will download, and I’m suspicious of downloads having just cleaned up my computer.
George Osborne crying
https://twitter.com/richwilliamssky/status/324469934866432000
and Jonathan Freedland said,
Rare feeling for me: sympathy for Osborne. As others note, funerals stir memories – not always of the person being buried
Anon said
“It has got much worse since the last main moderator resigned. Can we have him back please?”
There were two moderators, Clark and Jon. Sometime after Clark resigned, Jon went quiet – I don’t think this has been adequately explained.
I think there may have been some disgreement regarding whether moderators should be allowed to express their personal views in the comment section, or not. But that’s a guess on my part.
I didn’t get the impression that Clark wanted to return as a moderator. But perhaps he can comment on that. He doesn’t seem to be around at the minute.
Jeremy Clarkson followed immediately by Simon Weston on BBC.
“Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.”
@Anon
English Knight posts infrequently and his comments are always kooky so there is minimal damage. An occasional slap down by Mr M. usually suffices.
@Komodo
Guano can confirm or correct this, but Islam is necessarily political. He bemoans American and Zionist attempts to gut it of political relevance, motivation and expression. I didn’t realise what was going on with American efforts to contain Islam until he broached the subject in his many comments that describe an internal struggle within the Islamic world between forces that seek political expression against those who want to neutralise it.
While the US has been traditionally secular from its foundation, Reagan saw an opportunity in tapping into evangelical Christian networks for political advantage. Zionists have since been able to convert many Christian branches into pro-Israel supporters by encouraging the notion of a messianic return that will be centred in the land of Israel. Therefore many Christians support defence of the state of Israel against Islamic threats.
I don’t understand people’s rationalisation of their objection to political religion. If God is real, and divine edicts communicated via prophets are valid, why would you marginalise the highest authority and principles when constructing a political system? Why should sincerely religious people diminish the practice of their faith to that of a weekend hobbie?
Komodo, part of my comment addressed biodiversity which, for you, is an existentialist problem. There aren’t so many dragons around these days.
@Guano
You have described, correctly I believe, the common Muslim view of graven shrines as anathema to Islam and (my words here) the neccessity of removing them for their obstruction of, or distraction from, the process of implementing Islamic principles. Correct me if I am wrong about this or any other intepretations.
. . . .
I think Stephen Hawking gave us about one thousand more years before we become extinct, which is not very long when you look at the last thousand.
Again for the avoidance of doubt
This blog should not be silenced. It will be if it carries on like this. That is what will happen. Nobody will need to close it down.
I don’t think Clark would – or should – return. Although I thought him a conscientious and effective mod; it was doing him no good at all. Trouble is, mods are drawn, or draw themselves, from the ranks of the posters on a blog or BB. Which means they have opinions to express too. I guess the best solution is to have a pretty abrasive mod whose freedom of expression is unimpeded as long as it is responsible. And the mod’s decision is final.
Anon – ive gotten into the habit of skipping useless comments so i missed the particularly vile one of EKs that rightly angered you. Although its racism is coded almost to deniable obscurity and i agree with Jemands summary on this occassion.
The moderation efforts put in by clark and jon without doubt involved hundreds of hours of very rare and measured discipline through interaction and action, restraining ones own muses and judgements. It is extremely difficult do that kind of work well as it was done, and whoever is able, might be better employed in some other project than try and civilise this zone!
Well, excellent organisation and a wonderfully dignified and moving ceremony graced by the presence of Her Majesty and with a splendid sermon by the Bishop of London. Much applause from the public along the procession route and outside St Paul’s and little if no protest, both of which a tribute to the common sense and decency of the normal 99%.
I hope it will not be seen as ungracious if I were to speculate that some of you must be most disappointed.
Komodo,
I agree. Opinionated Mods who remain more or less impartial in implementing deletion policy, such as you describe can be found. Even the Habba troll could probably do it even if it meant deleting a few of its own posts.
I’m just saying this forum badly needs one.
Craig puts out the message of his blog, as and when he would do as and when he should do.
These comments just hold the reaction and noises of semi-anonymous online comment and blether.
I think it is better that reprehensible comments can be made and attacked on their own grounds, than wiped on suspicion or identification of intent. Because in the fullness of time we could see that not only the ‘hatespeak’ topics of the day where reprehensible.
That idea of hbk being capable of moderating is one of the most absurd ever.
Jemand:
The US may have a secular constitution, but its underpinning is religious. We exported several shiploads of religious fruitcakes* – the Pilgrim Fathers – whose millenialist beliefs and certainty that they are the Chosen People took them to the New Jerusalem (near Boston), and have persisted ever since as a part of the cultural mythos. As you suggest, no harm done….until it entered politics under Reagan. It’s the combination that’s lethal.
*personally I get on better with the descendants of the malefactors we sent in the other direction…
You say: “I don’t understand people’s rationalisation of their objection to political religion. If God is real, and divine edicts communicated via prophets are valid, why would you marginalise the highest authority and principles when constructing a political system? Why should sincerely religious people diminish the practice of their faith to that of a weekend hobbie?”
Because sincerely religious people would not wish to make other peoples’ lives a misery?
Seriously, if you want to base your politics on the Ten Commandments, that’s fine by me – better still on Christ’s summation of them- love God and love your neighbour. Politics would be the better for their consistent application, unknown to date.
But, no-one knows, and no-one can demonstrate, whether God is real or not. It is therefore presumptuous to assert that you and your tribe have God’s unique favour based on your unique understanding of his alleged word. In theory, and I have a damnable task convincing myself of this, admittedly, if there’s a God we all participate in his existence and he in ours.
I appreciate your thoughts on the environment though, and largely agree.
Crab,
This blog and Craig will vanish into insignificance (or worse) if this goes on. I continue to wonder if that is what Craig intends.