The Respectability of Torture
St Mary’s University College, Thurs 1st August, 7.30pm
Craig Murray, former British ambassador to Uzbekistan, was a whistleblower who was removed from his ambassadorial post by Tony Blair for exposing the Tashkent regime‟s use of rape and systematic torture, including the boiling to death of political opponents. He has also spoken out against Central Asia‟s appalling dictatorships, regimes which are allies of the West, involved in torture and rendition, and was accused of threatening MI6‟s relationship with the CIA. Now a human rights activist, author and broadcaster, he outlines the dynamics of torture and the hypocrisy of incriminated Western governments.
My first public appearance for a while will be in Belfast on 1 August where I shall be giving a talk. Long term readers of this blog will recall that, while my focus is largely on international affairs, the domestic political achievements I most hope to see are a united Ireland and an independent Scotland.
Villager; Have you read Ram Dass’ ‘Be here now’? Former Richard Alpert was a peer to Leary, and his travels and commentary while in India is quite interesting.
But ‘living in the here and now’ was the most powerful learning.
BTW; You seem to be your old self. Good to observe and record.
Minor CME impact from trailing edge of ejection from a blast a few days ago just recorded by both ACE spacecraft and earth based magnetometers. Just below lowest level warning threshold. Planet geomagnetic K Index jumped from 1 to 3.2. Not a concern in the slightest though but might get a bit higher.
There was lots of debate on some forums about whether NASA had intentionally downplayed that one. Some professional forecasters even doubted NASA official forecast and were calling for geomagnetic storming today. But looking like NASA had it right.
But we will see what’s coming over the rest of solar max.
Suhayl: Thanks for the little primer on Pakistan there.
And thank you for the personal message you sent a few months back, much appreciated.
AA; Do you recall me asking about ISON and potential impact with Sun? Were you impressed with an atmospheric explosions effect of the small comet which didn’t even reach the surface?
“I have caught certain phrasing from some solar physicists that suggests they do not fully feel free to “speculate” too far.”
In my experience engineers/scientists are quite conservative and authoritarian as a general rule.
Yes feelin’ alright. but the clock says its time to go now….
more discussion tomoro re Ram Dass — did skim thru some years ago.
Peace and joy!
Ben,
Sounds like you have been talking to scientists/engineer in the nuclear power industry!
Britain’s leading public face of astrophysics is the ex keyboard player from a 1990s UK pop band. Still looks like he is permanently on Ecstacy every time he is on tv.
Still I’m sure you can shut up almost anyone with enough persuasion.
And of course there was Brian May ex Queen before he came along
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_may
AA; Exceptions which prove the rule? Can astrophysicists/astronomers be bullied through denial of grants? I would prefer if they were iconoclastic in general, say like, Tycho Brahe.
Ben,
Not enough info on sun grazers and CMEs to offer a view (yes I’ve read all the theories including the “electric charge” stuff). I’m still not 100% sure that the CME was directed at it as a “target” from the video. Looked like it was aimed straight at it certainly but it also looked like there was a direct hit coming for us a couple of days ago and there wasn’t.
Sadly I don’t have my own copy of the 3d analysis model to run myself.
Thankyou
Someone
20 Aug, 2013 – 7:07 pm
I appreciate that link.
Fracking – Fukashima – Civil Liberties; the denotation is dire.
Technicolour has presented the quintessential paradigmatic experience that is both extremely interesting and alarming.
As for Fracking and Fukashima nobody seems to care a number two!
Thanks, Lysias, for priceless evidence which will be helpful to treaty bodies and charter bodies alike, as the international community drags the crown kicking and screaming back to the civilized world:
“This is the border. You have no rights.”
In fact, Ms. Goodman and everyone else in Heathrow has the right to privacy under Article 17 of the ICCPR, signed by the UK 16 September 1968 and ratified 20 May 1976 with no reservations regarding Article 17. Furthermore, under the provisions of Article 14, clause 3g, no one may be compelled to testify against himself or confess.
The ICCPR is binding on the United Kingdom as conventional international law with which national law at all levels must be brought into compliance. Interpretation is governed by General Comments of the Human Rights Committee, inter alia General Comments 13, 16, and 32.
So when some dim-witted chav at the border tells you that you have no rights, it is always entertaining to ask him if this is the official position of his organization. The crown is not anxious to have this stance adjudicated.
Temporary derogations of specified rights including Article 17 are permissible in emergencies that threaten the life of the nation, subject to the provisions of ICCPR Article 4. Accordingly, if the government chav calls his cretinous pleb supervisor to parrot some half-baked terror slogan, it is appropriate to ask her the date and relevant content of the applicable Article 4 notification, which will have been submitted to all treaty parties through the UN Secretary-General under clause 3.
To while away the time while in detention, you can repeat the process with Article 8 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.
Alcanon
Some quarters have Nova Delphi at Mag 4.4 / 4.5 thus putting it in the top 35 in history, do you know if it’s started fading again
Ben,
The recent NASA solar twice-daily text reports suggest they will report any Solar Doom there even if nowhere else. It will probably say: “Initial model runs suggest an impact sufficient to take down all power grids worldwide in the next 6-8 hours. A further update will be issued in 12 hours time.”
🙂
AA; @ 12:37 Do you have a precise link for that?
Brian,
I think it reached Mag 4.7 max (maybe a bit higher and it got to 4.5 very briefly) and is now at about 5.0. There are a load of bollocks values (I don’t think I believe the 4.3s or the current 5.5s) submitted to the database by recently signed up amateurs skewing the results so I went for ones from reputable observers.
It may flare higher again depending on what fusion reactions happen next.
Ben,
Latest copy at http://solarham.net/swpc.htm. Issued at 00:30 and 12:30 GMT/UTC (zulu even)
AA; Thanks, man. Happy Trails.
Oh and the (first) Gamma flare was observed AFTER the (first) optical peak. So it was brighter in gamma after its apparent optical peak. We do not know what if any gamma emissions were recorded in the last two days since the latest update.
Kool Alcanon, all interesting stuff,
But i hope it flares just enough once more, haven’t had the good fortune to have seen a nova before
For the peeps here. We cannot stop hydraulic fracturing in Britain; it is protected by the energy ‘matrix’ and a thread connects directly to the Rothschilds and the glitterati.
We can, I think, gain strength by unity; that means connecting and by provocation towards agent Cameron’s ‘Dash for Gas’ strategy. We know the dangers. Methane is highly inflammable. Methane affects global warming. Chemicals in the process seep back and pollute and poison the water tables. Voids deep down can collapse underground producing instability. Waste from a mile down and a mile across is both radioactive and toxic.
I have asked this government(DECC/BGS/UK/UKERC) for the detailed GEOLOGICAL SURVEY map of all viable shale sites including proposed drilling sites. I have received no replies.
I am supporting Green Party MP Caroline Lucas who was recently arrested in Balcombe.
Perforating this matrix is a demonstration of our power. Thus far who cares about that?
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it’s evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don’t you know that you can count me out
Don’t you know it’s gonna be all right
All right, all right, all righ, all ri, all r, all…
Ben,
Hurricane Ike.
At the very last possible moment, where a warning could still be effective, the US National Hurricane Center put out an official warning that basically said “If you stay in these areas and do not leave now you will probably die”. Caused a panic and a lot of fuss. But apparently succeeded in getting almost all of those who had ignored earlier warnings to leave that kill-zone.
The tone of that warning broke all the rules but the forecaster in the chair at the time did the right thing and was later backed even though I think he thought he was going to be sacked.
Just something that came to memory.
Brian,
Even if it doesn’t flare again it is still visible to the naked eye. Easy with binoculars.
@Habbabkuk “And you could have added that they are not spread more or less uniformly through the country either (relatively rare in more “developed” southern Wales, I believe)”
I take it you can’t conceive that the language was originally spoken all over the country, yes even in the “developed” areas too. Imagine that. Cardiff used to be majority Welsh speaking until only a century and a half ago. It still has a pretty healthy representation – an average of 11% with some areas as high as 25%. That compares with native English language speakers in areas of Bradford, Luton and London. The language is taught in all schools as a second language at the very least and demographics are always evolving due to work and new opportunities. But what do you think causes a less uniformly more sporadic spread on such a large basis? Could it possibly be centuries of state sanctioned colonisation and wealth extraction policy by the British state combined with characters such as yourself who would like to think they know it all?
“No, I am correct and you and anyone else can check my statement by googling something like “distribution of Welsh speakers in Wales” – Crispin exclaimed indignantly whilst the plucky natives rolled their eyes again. A great start to a novel if you ask me.
Cheeky chappy Doug Scorgie deserves recognition too. In an earlier post he went to work on Villager, stating:
“Your tactic Villager is to demand freedom of speech regardless of what is said so that you and others here can attack certain posters with impunity; the purpose being to upset those certain posters to a point where they are intimidated into keeping quiet or reducing their contributions on subjects you don’t like. That is an attack on freedom of speech in itself. You, and other clowns posting on this blog, need to engage more in legitimate discussions of controversial subjects instead of using diversion; distraction; obfuscation and personal attacks simply because you have no argument to put forward”
And then both he and Habbabkuk go on to condone Bernard Levin’s quote which derided schoolchildren in Wales being taught their own native language and culture in their own country. Cheeky chappy Doug Scorgie then goes on to imply Glenn_uk of being a nationalist just because Glenn plainly stated that people have a right to speak their own language in their own country. Doug then goes on to question why anyone should “maintain” a Welsh culture in Wales, further asking “Are you suggesting that all these residents of Wales should be mandated to speak Welsh and eat leeks?” (vaguely funny if you were mates having a few pints and messing about) The great banterist then goes on to question why Welsh children should be taught their own ‘restrictive’ language in their own country and wouldn’t it be in their own interest to learn a ‘modern’ language instead of Welsh, which according to Doug is now dead anyway.
A few facts Doug. Welsh is the second most spoken language in the uk after English. It’s a modern language (like Chinese, and Spanish) But you haven’t come across it so you just decide you know better. Up to 1 million people speak it around the world. It obviously hasn’t crossed your mind that Welsh kids are bilingual, trilingual and more and make great linguist precisely because of this opportunity. Welsh speaking schools have better results than monoglot English schools. Welsh doesn’t belong solely to the present day Welsh of course –it belongs to modern day England and the rest of Britain too – a part of the heritage of history of this island. Even part of the identity of bigots like Doug Scorgie and Habbauk
I would question the moderators on this blog why do they think this kind of xenophobic discriminatory and vulgar cultural racism seems to be allowed by some in the case of anti Welsh discrimination but not ok against other nationalities and peoples? I’m no proponent of political correctness but a bit of consistency would be good to see – ‘When they come for you’ and all that..
Regarding my points about Bernard Levin, Habba asks:
“This nonsense merely shows that you are ill-acquainted with the man and his writings. He (Bernard Levin) was no Zionist, lived off his journalism and other writing and was not a spreader of bigotry or xenophobia whether deliberate or otherwise. He was a free-thinker (even iconoclast) of conservative tendency”
I see I have to stick another pin in to your bubble Habbabkuk but Levin was a long standing member of The club of Rome – created from Tavistock, and the author of a work entitled “Time Perspective and Morale” which is a Club of Rome publication concerning how to break down the morale of nations and individual leaders. When you have time away from your self imposed verbal diarrhoea try looking at some real history and what it is that the club of Rome do. His work at the club of Rome certainly explains a lot about the anti Welsh and other nonsense he was allowed to peddle in the mainstream media of his day, such as his Times column.
If the citizens of England think they are immune from this kind of Zionistic breakdown attempts of their own culture/s too they would be very much mistaken.
http://vaticproject.blogspot.co.uk/2011/06/committee-of-300-overview-and-some-case.html
After condoning and promoting anti Welsh language discrimination a la Levin, Habbabkuk also added “Hebrew is the official language of Israel and has been since its foundation (along with Arabic). It is therefore hardly surprising that most Israelis are Hebrew speakers and that much effort is put into instructing newcomers in the language”
So Hebrew children, or any other children, shouldn’t be derided for being taught their own language in their own country but Welsh children and newcomers to Wales being taught the language and culture of their own country in their own country for some reason should? Habbabkuk actively promotes discrimination against others whilst attacking those who defend such discrimination – Anti defamation League cultural racism at its most stupifying
Shall give that a Try Alcanon, Pluss my camera will pick it up Too
Have you heard anything of the poss Supernova
ASAS-SN Discovery of a Likely Supernova in NGC 1954
During the ongoing All Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN or “Assassin”), using data from the double 14-cm “Brutus” telescope in Haleakala, Hawaii, we discovered a new transient source, most likely a supernov
A confirmation image (4 x 900sec) in the IR filter (close to I-band) was obtained on Aug. 20.77 with a 16-inch RCOS telescope at Coral Towers Observatory (Cairns, Australia). This figure shows the discovery and confirmation image, which shows a new source at the location consistent with the ASAS-SN position.
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=5303
Hi Mark @ 1;15 am
Did you see may post of 7;25 pm yesteday
it deals with some of those matrix areas
here’s some further extracts from Dean Henderson’s new book, called ‘ Stick it to the Matrix ‘
The matrix is built primarily of consciousness. If we all changed our worldviews tomorrow to a “Love of Life” philosophy, the matrix would disappear by tomorrow evening.
Conversely, if we submit to its servitude, its cynicism and its general meanness, the matrix is reinforced, resulting in more war, more famine, more disease, more confusion, and less happiness.
This truism is why I believe we need a massive de-urbanization movement worldwide. If people continue to gravitate towards cities – to leave the garden – we will surely destroy this planet and we will never be liberated from the matrix.
Around the turn of the 20th century the vast majority (85-90%) of Americans still lived on a farm. A century later only a tiny percentage (2%) still resided in rural areas
That’s pretty serious stuff. And it’s going on all over the planet.
To make a long story short, the matrix has stolen our land – robbed us of our birthright. Land is the economic base that everyone needs in order to become a producer rather than a debtor/consumer.
Once you own land in the country, you can begin implementing your plan for even greater independence from the matrix.
Some interesting points he makes, and mant truths methinks
http://www.veteranstoday.com/2013/08/19/get-back-to-the-garden/
http://www.astronomerstelegram.org/?read=5304
Quoting my earlier post
Astrophysicists wrote: “mimicking a sort of pre-halt”
Glad that’s clear.
There has been something interesting about the nova spectrum that is apparently not “allowed” to be discussed, I read somewhere else I tend to trust.
Weird.
I think they cover up anything these days just in case.