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Habbabkuk/Anon, bad news I’m afraid. From you both I’ve seen a number of snide attacks on other posters, discussions in bad faith and not a little unpleasantness. Unfortunately, the question as to whether or not you are here genuinely in a spirit of give-and-take is a subjective one.
Thus, I am sorry to have to turn up the deletions. Any long-term poster here will acknowledge that you’ve had an extraordinarily generous amount of leeway (see Juan Cole’s site for a sensible editorial policy). If you are interested in genuine conversations about current affairs, with occasional asides for how to eat your Wimbledon strawberries, then carry on. But don’t write long posts, since they may turn out to be a waste of your time.
Hope the author is wrong about a powder keg going off here. The population (242.3m) is larger than Egypt’s so a conflagration could be catastrophic.
Meet the Next Country That Might Explode into Protests Against Corporate Plunder and Slave Labor Working Conditions
Will the wave of global unrest crash on Indonesia next?
by Andrew Gavin Marshall / July 8th, 2013
http://dissidentvoice.org/2013/07/meet-the-next-country-that-might-explode-into-protests-against-corporate-plunder-and-slave-labor-working-conditions/
‘In a country of 240 million people, roughly 120 million live on less than $2 per day, though the government maintains that only 12% of the population – 30 million – live in poverty (which it defines as less than 86 cents U.S. per day), while 40% of children under the age of five suffer from moderate to severe ‘stunting’ due to malnutrition.
Despite the mass poverty and increasing growth of slums, a small section of Indonesian society has witnessed a remarkable growth in wealth, with the explosion of shopping malls, luxury cars and goods, and high-rise buildings. For Indonesia, “wealth and poverty are both on the rise.” The combined wealth of the country’s 40 richest individuals equaled that of its 60 million poorest citizens. Standard Chartered Bank noted that, “despite the rhetoric about middle classes contributing to growth in Indonesia, 82 percent of the population is living on less than four dollars a day.” Further, most of the economic ‘growth’ was experienced only by the consumer elite within the country.’
[Mod: removed nine items, disruptive. Actual discussion, in good faith, is welcome]
Looks like the Yanks are just a little concerned that Snowden has more stories to tell:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/12/edward-snowden-amnesty-international
Latest speculative rumour – he’ll apply for asylum in Russia:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10175540/Where-is-Edward-Snowden-live.html
Venezuela has not yet received a reply to its formal offer (allegedly)
How many more secret prisoners has Israel got tucked away in windowless cells?
Israel ‘secretly holds second Prisoner X’ in jail
By Yolande Knell
BBC News, Jerusalem
Ayalon prison near Tel Aviv, where Prisoner X committed suicide in 2010 (13 Feb)
The second “Prisoner X” is also reportedly held at Ayalon Prison
Israel clears Prisoner X’s jailers
Israel’s Prisoner X ‘hanged himself’
Israel’s Prisoner X ‘leaked secrets’
The existence of a second “Prisoner X” being held in top-secret conditions in an Israeli jail has prompted comments in the Israeli parliament and media.
The case was revealed in legal documents released this week concerning the original “Prisoner X”, an Australian-Israeli who hanged himself in his prison cell in 2010.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23187419
You go on deleting my posts, Jon. I’ll take comfort from the fact that you’ve seen them and had it put to you what a hypocritical little shite you are! Funny how Komodo turns up right after you start deleting my posts, pathetic runt that he is.
Good for Frankie Boyle.
http://imgur.com/fcySZA7
Jon
Please don’t delete Anon’s rather revealing effort at 4.31pm.
Such a long long way from Proust to there…
Herbie, Jon’s specialism is selective deleting. By removing selected posts, he can make the contributor look quite angry/aggressive. Without the context it would be easy to conclude this, but a balanced and objective overview of Jon’s behaviour from seeing all posts intact would reveal him to be out of line and abusing his position as a moderator.
There’ll be a few P45s in the post this weekend, I fear.
Looks like someone’ll be having to do without their Wimbles, wombles and cream next year.
In case anyone is confused the Anon with [email protected] gravatar is definitely not this Anon with a different email address.
Having had some rather fundamental disagreements with Jon in the past, over matters which are very dear to Jon’s heart, I can say that Jon is the most conciliatory of people and perhaps overly moderate in moderation.
Have a great weekend, Jon.
Thanks Herbie, you too.
Old Anon, may I suggest a more distinctive moniker, or perhaps an avatar? The latter will help differentiate your old contributions too.
Yeah, right. Deletion of post of me sockpuppeting Dreoilin, which was obvious to all, but no deletion of Dreoilin sockpuppeting me, until after hypocrisy was pointed out, after which Dreoilin’s post was edited out, so as to remove all evidence of it. Deletion of completely inoffensive posts so as to give the impression that my presence on this blog is disruptive. Removal of posts that would add context to a dispute, so as to make me look irrational. Removal of all posts critical of Komodo. Removal of post deemed offensive towards Dreoilin, but no deletion of offensive post towards me. Deletion of posts deemed “off-topic” , while virtually the entire thread is off-topic. And most of all, deletion of all posts critical of Jon/mod, fair, inoffensive and sound though they were.
Old, new or in between
Late, great or merely sedate
I am not anonymous
Or synonymous
Or eponymous
Or giganticololymous
I am a free man!
I think
🙂
“Summary
“Here are the key points from Edward Snowden’s statement to human rights groups at Sheremetyevo airport, as published by WikiLeaks.
• He said that his revelations of his professional “capability without any warrant to search for, seize, and read your communications, anyone’s communications, at any time” had drawn attention to “a serious violations of the law”, under the US constitution and the universal declaration of human rights. He hit back at US claims that secret court rulings legalised such surveillance, saying: “These rulings simply corrupt the most basic notion of justice – that it must be seen to be done.”
• He invoked the second world war and the crimes of the Nazis by claiming he was acting according to principles set down at the Nuremburg trials, namely that individuals have a duty to humanity over and above their duty to their country. “individual citizens have the duty to violate domestic laws to prevent crimes against peace and humanity from occurring,” he said.
• Snowden said that he had not aimed to enrich himself by passing on his secrets, and nor had he “partnered” with any foreign government to guarantee his safety.
• He said the US had violated international laws in putting pressure on other countries not to take him in, something he said represented a threat to “the basic rights shared by every person, every nation, to live free from persecution, and to seek and enjoy asylum”.
• He said nations including Russia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Nicaragua, and Ecuador had offered him asylum and said he accepted all of the offers and any others he may be given in the future. Referring specifically to Venezuela, he said his “asylee status” was now formal and said no country had a right to limit his right to take up that offer. But because of the “unlawful threat” of the US and European countries it was currently “impossible” for him to travel to Latin America to take up such an offer.
• He asked Human Rights Watch and Amnesty to assist him in securing guarantees of safe passage to Latin America, and to help him with his asylum request to Moscow.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/12/edward-snowden-to-meet-amnesty-and-human-rights-watch-at-moscow-airport-live-coverag
” ‘… individuals have a duty to humanity over and above their duty to their country.’ ” [Dreoilin, 5:36pm, today]
And that, dear people, is why Craig Murray’s blog exists.
Clive Stafford Smith is on hunger strike since 10 July in solidarity with Shaker Aamer
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/12/hunger-striking-solidarity-guantanamo-detainees
Anon, what would you like to discuss? My view is you’re not here in good faith, but you are welcome to prove me wrong. See my notes on the UN thread if you are annoyed about deletions.
I’ll kick off with this. A few months back I saw a terrifying documentary about the Israeli secret service, Shin Bet, in which six former heads of the service talk about the Middle East crisis. It was a challenge for people who, like me, regard themselves as supporters of the Palestinian cause, but it really is worth a watch. It’s an Israeli film, but didn’t do so well on home turf, because – from what I understand – there is not much demand for documentaries from the cinema-going public. It created much more of a stir in the US, of course, where film docs are much more popular.
On the one hand, the sheer disregard for life is shocking – a Palestinian who was allegedly a key figure in Hamas was delivered a mobile telephone that blew his head off at the touch of a button whilst he was speaking to his father. But, equally, Shin Bet stopped an attempted bombing of the Dome of the Rock by a Jewish group, which it was thought would have created a world-wide conflagration against Israel.
I mentioned on another thread recently that the Israel/Palestine issue is hugely complex (even if it wasn’t before, it is now, and unfortunately we have to start from where we are!). This film hugely supports that view. Some of the opinions from these former heads are really quite surprising – one of them admits ruefully that “in retirement, you become a bit of a leftist”. There’s several in the same vein, which I’ll leave interested folks to discover themselves.
In short, it really isn’t a piece of propaganda, tempting though it is to believe it might be. Some of it is disturbing viewing. But, recommended I think.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gatekeepers_%28film%29
Discuss!
Jon, it’s all very well coming across all conciliatory, but do you deny any of what I have written in my 5:34pm post, or any other of the sound criticisms which only you and perhaps a few others have seen? I won’t engage with you in any meaningful discussion until you admit that you have abused your position as a moderator.
Suhayl @5:43pm,
A bit one-sided, though, isn’t it? And therefore not intellectually honest. Continually berating Britain, the US and Israel does not not constitute a service to humanity – it’s just taking sides!
I know what you mean, Anon (6:11pm). Sometimes some of the comment seems more reflexive than deeply thought-out. I think some of the posters do point that out from time-to-time. It’s a feature of most political blogs.
Nonetheless, throughout the history of this blog, there regularly have been dissenting voices and also disagreements b/w regular posters. People drift in and out and there are lots, I think, who seldom or never post, but who read the posts (at least that’s what I keep telling myself!).
So, just providing that dissenting viewpoint (dissenting in terms of the blog but not in terms of the mainstream media/political culture of this country) is valuable, necessary and very useful. So long as, you know, it doesn’t get personal, from either side.
“Clive Stafford-Smith is on hunger strike” – betcha he won’t go all the way!
“Solidarity” – this is a real lefty word, like “nuanced”, which is used to denote something far too in-depth for anyone else to understand. By being “in solidarity”, one is immediately absolved of any criticism. The state of being “in solidarity” with someone or something turns one into a kind of Sufi-like figure. While at university, I met a lot of people who were in a state of solidarity. It was like a form of psychosis. “Excuse me, I’m in solidarity”.
Ah, I see that the gloves have come off.
You could just about put up with me, but when Anon came along, who’s equally skilled in exposing the imbecilities which so often appear here (strawberries and cream at Wimbledon – spitting in the face of austerity Britain!!) – you panicked. Two critical commenters are too many, eh?
You ask me to discuss – please refer to my long posts on the deportation of Abu Qatada ; I think you’ll find it was the most respectable Mr Goss who chickened out rather quickly.
Also, there’s no point you posting on Israel/Palestine and asking Anon to discuss; as moderator, you’re supposed to be neutral and posting on that particular subject, a subject beloved of many of the Excellences, is not a neutral act.
It is obvious that you can apply the comments “disruptive”, “off-topic” and “not in good faith” to whomsoever you please in a purely subjective manner.
Anyway, if you persist in this censorship and “pensée unique”, I shall get in touch with Craig directly. And as this blog is apparently the third most read political blog in the UK, I’m sure that other political figures in the blogosphere would be very interested to hear that Craig’s blog has started to censor.
I like your posts Suhayl, not least because you are prepared to stick it to Islamic extremists, as well as the British state for its crimes in Iraq, etc. Yours is a balanced mind amidst a stream of invective directed at this country that would be considered seditious, were it not for the fact that we have free speech (at least when Jon is not around!). It would be worth Mark and others noting that before the proclaim that freedom of speech is dead in this countey.
“… turns one into a kind of Sufi-like figure.” Anon, 6:43pm
Huu!!
But huu’s in solidarity with yuu? Give us your heroes, Anon, even if they are anti-heroes, or flawed protagonists.
Thanks, Anon (6:57pm).
Strange how the lies about this poor bastard who was murdered have been continuing unabated. This prisoner X (there is another one too) was held in a close supervision cell, ie with cctv and as glass house rules were applied, his hanging could not have gone unnoticed, hence he should have been hung ie others ought to have killed him and he did not hang himself.
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Fire on Boeing 787 Dreamliner at London’s Heathrow
Boeing cannot blame this one on the pilots, on this occasion; Dream liner (nightmare liner more like) was parked up and pilots were not in the vicinity of the stick! Although, soon we may find the rumours about; Pilots were smoking Ganja in their colourful hats and got carried away!!!!!!
However the investors are offloading their Boeing shares, obviously they can see the troubles ahead!
=====
The explosion in front of the mosque, is a clear benefit of the constant stream of hate poured on Muslims, who find themselves not only they are subject to being verbally abused and physically beat upon, but now their lives are threatened too.
However this rag with hatred as a an inherent systemic element; its head line goes: ‘Loud bang’ outside mosque in UK may be a terrorist attack: Police
Note not an explosion, not a bomb, but a mundane none event a “bang” OK a “loud” one, could have been a car back firing for all the editors know!
ITN’s headline makes it out as though the bombing was the work of the Muslims:
Mosque leaders condemn ‘senseless’ attack
This particular rag is more concerned about the traffic delays:
Traffic delays near Dudley look set to continue as police probe terrorist incident
Evidently hatred against Muslims has gone institutional so far as the press are concerned.
“About sums up what New Labour is ALL about…”
Don’t you think there was something just a bit ropey about the candidate selection process in Falkirk?
Don’t you think state funding of political campaigns would be a fairer system? He who pays the piper and all that.