By chance I knew Margaret Thatcher rather better than a junior civil servant might have been expected to, not least from giving her some maritime briefings during the First Gulf War. On another occasion Denis and I once got absolutely blind drunk in Lagos – I had been given him to look after for the day, and the itinerary started with the Guinness brewery and went on to the United Distillers bottling plant, before lunch at the golf club. I had to reunite him with his spouse for the State Banquet and quite literally fell out of the car. Happy days.
I can say I was on first name terms with her – she always called me by my first name. Except unfortunately she thought that was Peter. I recall she came out to Poland when I was in the Embassy there and I was embarrassed because she knew me, and thus greeted me more warmly than my Embassy superiors. The problem was lessened by her continuing to call me Peter very loudly, even after I corrected her twice.
In person she was frightfully sharp, she really was. If you gave her a briefing, she had an uncanny ability to seize on the one point where you did not have sufficient information. She also had that indescribable charisma – you really could feel when she entered a room in a way I have never experienced with anybody else, not Mandela or Walesa, for example. You may be surprised to hear that in person I found her quite likeable.
Yet she was a terrible, terrible disaster to this country. The utter devastation of heavy industry, the writing off of countless billions worth of tooling and equipment, the near total loss of the world’s greatest concentrated manufacturing skills base, the horrible political division of society and tearing of the bonds within our community. She was a complete, utter disaster.
Let me give one anecdote to which I can personally attest. In leaving office she became a “consultant” to US tobacco giant Phillip Morris. She immediately used her influence on behalf of Phillip Morris to persuade the FCO to lobby the Polish government to reduce the size of health warnings on Polish cigarette packets. Poland was applying to join the EU, and the Polish health warnings were larger than the EU stipulated size.
I was the official on whose desk the instruction landed to lobby for lower health warnings. I refused to do it. My then Ambassador, Michael Llewellyn Smith (for whom I had and have great respect) came up with the brilliant diplomatic solution of throwing the instruction in the bin, but telling London we had done it.
So as you drown in a sea of praise for Thatcher, remember this. She was prepared to promote lung cancer, for cash.
My heartfelt condolences to you and you family, Glenn.
Welcome back Komodo, hope you had a refreshing break with lots of rotten flesh.
This to cheer you all up because it goes to the heart of the matter.
The Tories are hopelessly split, not just in Norfolk and the fact is that even on councils they control they cannot find a candidate. Their membership, betrayed over the Kings Lynn incinerator, RAF Coltishall, the NDR and Gt. Yarmouth port, have had enough of them.
http://www.edp24.co.uk/news/politics/red_faces_as_conservative_party_misses_deadline_to_field_candidate_for_by_election_at_tory_controlled_norfolk_council_1_2010164
So, what reads as, we forgot, means in reality that they could not find someone to stand for the council they control, priceless. That the council is led by Cllr. Fuller is most likely a factor in their refusal.
The following stinks of corruption to me. I don’t know why I’m surprised that this sort of thing goes on but I am!
Mrs Thatcher would be proud.
“Mrs Hodge said working groups set up by the government to discuss a series of tax reforms were too heavily dominated by those with something to gain.
“Legal changes which come in this year include tax breaks for companies which patent their products.
“Another controversial change allows companies which have offshore finance arms to pay just a quarter of the standard 23% rate of corporation tax.
“Two managers from accountancy firm KPMG were among those seconded to the Treasury to help formulate tax changes.
“Those managers are now named on brochures produced by KPMG for potential clients, telling them how they might use the changes to reduce their tax bills.”
“Some of the companies appointed to the working groups have been in dispute with HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) about their tax bills.
“In July 2010, Vodafone settled a long-running dispute over its Controlled Foreign Companies (CFC) arrangements with HMRC, agreeing to pay £1.25bn.
“Vodafone’s head of tax, John Connors, was named as a member of the Treasury working group helping to rewrite CFC rules soon afterwards.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21229862
Party time –
http://www.sunderlandecho.com/news/north-east/miners-party-on-day-of-funeral-1-5566698
I’ll be with them in spirit. Lived up there for a bit, saw what the bitch had done.
Thatch goes to hell. First face she sees is Jimmy Savile’s-
“What are you here for, then?” asks Jimmy.
“Shafting miners,” says Thatch.
“Oh. Same here.”
http://www.durhamtimes.co.uk/news/margaretthatcherdeath/10342224.print/
Lest we forget…
Mary, I don’t expect Carr did challenge the use of the word natives. However we need to be vigilant because there is a lot of false information being bandied about regarding what politicians say, or don’t say, about immigrants. I almost got taken in by an email concerning Gillard’s supposed “adapt or leave” policy. Of course it was a hoax and something you are more likely to hear from the likes of Nigel Farage.
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/gillard-muslims-leave.shtml
Slightly off-topic and just slipped in under the guise of ‘white supremacy’ was the magpie I saw yesterday for the third time since last autumn. White all over suggesting part of its genetic code is awry – perhaps in the form of albinism or, more likely, leucism. Anyway I got some very shaky footage as I chased it over uneven ground with my phone camera.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riV2mQvqxs4
Crab.
The only socialist movement that went against international finance was National Sociolism obvoiusly with the racism came surpression of minorities with a attack on individual freedoms. It seems that international finance continues the policies that enable control of the masses, of which are essential for order.
There are ideals yet untried but seems are readily surpressed.
Left wing fascism is the strongest opposition to the international financial system and the left wing has its roots imbedded in capatalist money supply.
International and global ideals could be supported by sense and reason and conduct itself around environmental and humanitarian alongside truly liberal ideas:
All all comes down to application and the means of education are firmly under control of the capatilist left and anti- fascist dictrine.
Fascism applied correctly would serve us well. The prospect of which is not negotable?
I assume this is true.
Gillard reassures Israel of backing despite UN vote
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-reassures-israel-of-backing-despite-un-vote-20121128-2ae77.html
I see Carr is a founder of their Labor Friends of Israel.
‘In Parliament, Ms Gillard said the decision to abstain was not a reflection on Australia’s support for Israel and a two-state solution in the Middle East.
She said, ”we all want to wake up in a world where Israel can live behind secure borders” and where Israelis no longer had to fear random rocket attacks.
The US Ambassador to Australia, Jeffrey Bleich, said the decision would not effect (sic) Australia’s strong relationship with Washington.
Senator Carr defended Ms Gillard, saying it was not about her leadership.
Senator Carr is a founder of the group, Labor friends of Israel. One of his colleagues said Senator Carr believes that ”as a friend of Israel, at times you’ve got to save it from itself”.
Are you sure you didn’t see any other magpies John? Three or maybe six?
One for sorrow
Two for mirth
Three for a funeral
Four for a birth
Five for heaven
Six for hell
Seven’s the Devil his own self
Her little boy defends the expenditure.
William Hague says it is right that MPs “commemorate the achievements of a leader of such historic proportions”
William Hague has defended the cost of Baroness Thatcher’s funeral, saying the UK can “afford” to contribute.
Speaking as MPs and peers prepare to pay their respects when Parliament is specially reconvened at 14:30 BST, the foreign secretary said it was right to commemorate a “historic” leader.
“I think that puts money in perspective,” he told the BBC.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22086690
Big deal. That’ll be a few £thousand out of £10million.
Her family is meeting an unspecified amount of the expense, thought to cover transport, flowers and the cremation, with the government funding the rest, including security.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JA0qQZfbDak Reminder of when he was 16 speaking at the Tory conference in 1977. His little joke at the end was spot on!
All Hail! The White Magpie of Peace!
Come to steal away our hoarded woes.
On the two previous occasions Mary it was with other (pied) magpies. But not this time. I don’t normally take my phone in case I end up like Dr David Kelly.
I like “The White Magpie of Peace” idea, Crab.
“…the foreign secretary said it was right to commemorate a “historic” leader.”
We should be just about due a memorial service for Attila the Hun (d.453), in that case…and I always thought Cromwell got a raw deal, too.
BTW, how come a civvy’s getting full military honours? Churchill was in the Army (where he saw action), and was First Lord of the Admiralty. Still, I’ve got to be fair. Thatcher didn’t get anything like the number of people killed for no very good reason that Blair did.
Mary, 10 Apr, 9:33am
“I don’t suppose he challenged La Thatcher either on her use of the word ‘natives’, meaning the settlers. The aboriginal people whose land has been stolen from them by the Occupiers just like the Palestinians, are Australia’s the (sic) true native people.”
So if one were to say .. The aboriginal people whose land has been stolen from them by the Indian Occupiers just like the Palestinians, are Fiji’s true native people. .. it would appear that you agree with Thatcher re Fiji. What would be an appropriate solution to such a problem? Forced repatriation of the foreign “occupiers”? Maybe a continual reminder to the indigenous population of the injustice they suffered until they are so outraged by their dispossession that they begin to hate the occupiers and resort to violence to redress their grievance. Any ideas?
Mary 11:02 am Quite true Mary.Carr is unelected FM being appointed by Gillard to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of the US stooge Arbib. One piece of s^%t replacing another. The new Attorney General (my local member)is another of the many
Israeli apologists in Labor.
Interesting to read about Carr and another Labor ex PM’s actions in days gone by.
In Wikileaks that is.
Dont you have to account for the timescales involved Jemand? What is historical review without that? Hostile settlement of the occupied territories is recent and ongoing. It is theft, and worse in current and recent experience. The perpetrators are at large – not their children. They could consider themselves lucky to be merely expelled, they might be prosecuted.
We can see where Jemand The Troll (well named) is coming from.
Yes Palestine belongs to the Palestinians yet the Israelis oppress them, torture them, lock them up, and their children, in prison and steal their homes, land, water and now gas.
Yes Australia belongs to the Aboriginal people yet the white settlers oppress them, stick them in settlements, steal their minerals and land and even their children in their eugenics programmes.
See John Pilger on this –
http://johnpilger.com/articles/the-invasion-of-australia-official-at-last
http://johnpilger.com/articles/australias-julia-gillard-is-no-feminist-hero
and many others on john pilger+ aboriginal on a google search
I take John Pilger’s words as definitive on this.
I recommend ‘Rabbit Proof Fence’ and ‘Samson and Delilah’ as two outstanding films on the subject.
PS If you knew a few Palestinians, amazingly most do not hate the Israelis.
Crab, I am on the side of the Palestinians. And, yes, timescales do apply. The colonisation of the Americas, Australia and other parts of the world were done by our primitive ancestors for reasons that made it inevitable. There’s not much we can do about that but try to deal with the after effects. But my point is Margaret Thatcher is reported as having warned about the problems of colonisation of land occupied by natives and being called racist for it, yet it’s perfectly fashionable to apply the same criticism of Australia and its current inhabitants.
Paul Hogan, as one of his characters, once said, “People fighting over land is like two fleas arguing over who owns the dog”.
My view is no one owns the world, and if someone did, on the basis of first arrival, it would probably be the Africans. Where does that leave the rest of us?
Mary, as usual, has done the old dump-and-run commentary with a touch of spite towards me because I dared to challenge her. You won’t get any answers, discussion, analysis or solutions to problems from her because she is an intellectual void (and has a vindictive streak).
Australia has had, and continues to have, it’s social problems. And mistakes have been made by the authorities. There were good people, tho’ it’s not fashionable to write about them. But being a rightful inhabitant of this country I can also see the outright lies, exaggerations and misconceptions that purport to tell the stories of my aboriginal compatriots to outsiders. Mary is an ignoramus on the matter of indigenous Australians so I encourage others to do their own thorough research on discovering the truth. If you have the opportunity of meeting and talking with an indigenous Australian in London, ask him or her their thoughts. However, bear in mind that there are many stories that can be told.
Those people knowing little of invasion, not just invaded, all but extinguished..
Terrible histories, dark valleys, who will ascend? Excuse my waffling.
I cant follow the apparent animosity between you two. I should think Mary is more defensive now than before. I’ve never regarded Marys takes as flawless, i think she would appreciate well intended corrections as much as anyone, considering the causes she/we examine are often so harrowing, a mistake can reveal some hope.
Criticism doesnt need to be flawless to be agreeable, shouldnt we save wind for fundamentals~
craig, 2:25 pm
So why was Thatcher deliberately calling Craig “Peter”? Anyone know of other instances of Maggie consistently using a wrong name?
Crab, when we discuss things here, we try to share discoveries of truth, analysis of how incidents seem to have occurred and what solutions or preventative measures we can take to ensure some bad things won’t happen again. (I’m interested in what people are doing to make an Iran invasion impossible)
But then the truth gets wrapped in lies, peppered with rumour, convoluted with plausible half-truths and so on. In the middle of these cross-talking conversations there is so much noise introduced by different commentators for whatever reasons they claim.
Phil popped in, not long ago, to observe how dysfunctional and aimless the commentary of this blog had become. I’m inclined to agree and will probably cease posting in the near future (which will delight some). If you ever wanted to disrupt a blog and scare away visitors, introduce noise, hostility and crackpot conspiracy theories. Is this actually happening here or is this blog just approaching high entropy?
” Thatcher didn’t get anything like the number of people killed for no very good reason that Blair did.”
A mere accident of History, Komodo. Maybe it’s because of the gender bias, but when she smiled I saw metaphoric frogs leaping to safety from her mouth. Blair had a far better public persona and seemed (and I emphasize ‘seemed’) to be less venal and acerbic.
“A mere accident of History, Komodo.”
Accepted. And she renewed a precedent after a long period of peace for the UK: posing as a great war leader increases your chances of getting re-elected. Blair picked up on that, as did Bush 43. But I wonder if Thatch would have even sniffed at the bait of Gulf 2. “Is it in the national interest?” would have been her first question, and she would have gone to the UK military, not the US State Department, for an assessment of the available intelligence.
“Maybe it’s because of the gender bias, but when she smiled I saw metaphoric frogs leaping to safety from her mouth. Blair had a far better public persona and seemed (and I emphasize ‘seemed’) to be less venal and acerbic.”
Glad you emphasised “seemed” there, Ben. Thatcher, though, had a clear sense of national purpose, however simplistic or plain cracked were its manifestations. Blair’s messianic impulse is to convert everyone in the world to Blair. And he can’t do acerbic properly, any more than Thatch could simulate charm. Venal? Both were/are on the take as long as their faculties lasted/will last. They’re politicians, remember.
I defer to your judgement, Komodo.
Welcome back. Now I have to scrub the image of a ‘Thatch’ from my puerile mind.
Thanks for the ad hominems and character assassination at 2.03 pm.
Anyway you know all the answers so I defer to one with a far higher intelligence and intellect than mine. We might be seeing you on some other blog maybe.
PS If you are not a troll, why call yourself one? Or is that ironic?
@Mary
You’re also a hypocrite. Yes, ironic – as one of your buddies called me a troll for daring to challenge you. Like a coward, you let others throw your nastiest punches and then hide behind the frailties of being a middle aged female. You’re snide, sarcastic and mischievous. Your contribution to this blog is interminable noise that gives casual visitors a bad impression. I don’t like you. Never will. You are a bad person. All high talk, no ideas. A streak of meanness and racism. People can disagree with me about that, but I will always know all of this to be true.
Kindly stop lying about my country.
@ Jemand (17h31) :
Seconded!
Writing as the founder member, welcome to the Club of those who have seen through Mary.
@ Glenn-uk :
(Belatedly) Very sorry to hear that your father died, Glenn; it’s always hard to lose one’s parents, no matter how old you are. But I hope you can console yourself by knowing that you loved him and were close to him and that he knew that as well.
Jemand – “The Troll”
10 Apr, 2013 – 5:31 pm
To Mary
“Kindly stop lying about my country.”
What country would that be Jemand?
Apartheid, racist Israel?