The disgraceful judges of Britain’s High Court – who have gone along with torture, extraordinary rendition, every single argument for mass surveillance and hiding information from the public, and even secret courts – have ruled that it was lawful for the Home Office to detain David Miranda, a journalist as information he was carrying might in some undefined way, and if communicated to them, aid “terrorists”.
Despite the entire industry, both private and governmental, devoted to whipping up fear, it is plain to pretty well everyone by now that terrorism is about the most unlikely way for you to die. A car accident is many hundreds of times more likely. Even drowning in your own bath is more likely. Where is the massive industry of suppression against baths?
I had dinner inside the Ecuadorian Embassy on Sunday with Julian Assange, who I am happy to say is as fit and well as possible in circumstances of confinement. Amongst those present was Jesselyn Radack, attorney for, among others, Edward Snowden. Last week on entering the UK she was pulled over by immigration and interrogated about her clients. The supposed “immigration officer” already knew who are Jesselyn Radack’s clients. He insisted aggressively on referring repeatedly to Chelsea Manning as a criminal, to which Jesselyn quietly replied that he was a political prisoner. But even were we to accept the “immigration officer’s” assertion, the fact that an attorney defends those facing criminal charges is neither new nor until now considered reprehensible and illegitimate.
As various states slide towards totalitarianism, a defining factor is that their populations really don’t notice. Well, I have noticed. Have you?
Nevermind
“Thanks for the link Pan. and Dreolin, there is no situation here, except that moderation has been resumed. I welcome it, thank you.”
_______________
If that is the case, Nevermind, then it has been resumed without notification and without any guidelines having been set out – which I find rather difficult to believe.
The drones are targeting terrorist (sic) cell-phones, which are not necessarily accompanied by a terrorist.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2014/02/10/us-government-reportedly-ordering-drone-strikes-based-on-cell-phone-location/
‘As various states slide towards totalitarianism, a defining factor is that their populations really don’t notice. Well, I have noticed. Have you?’
A 98 year old Jewish friend who died this month noticed the totalitarianism coming and wriggled out of Austria to this country.
As a Muslim I am excited by the Arab Spring, removing dictators , but I am cautious about one type of dictatorship and puppet-persecution being replaced by another type of thought crime.
The alliance between Tories and Al Qaida freaks out my brain. Like ultra-sound over-exciting mice instead of frightening them away. Too much is happening politically to not-notice at this particular time.
Dreoilin, what it read like you and what it appeared like to readers were two different things and I did try to support you and Phil in this. Even KingofWelshNoir was a bit taken aback.
“Yes, I did note with a certain exasperation I was being berated for wasting my time on a comment board by people who were clearly guilty of the same sin.”
He did not mean you Dreoilin, and we have all had comments deleted. You can think what you want about my understanding. Peace.
Sorry for responding off topic
“If that is the case, Nevermind, then it has been resumed without notification and without any guidelines having been set out – which I find rather difficult to believe.”
Don’t think it has anything to do with our believe systems, Habbakuk. Its not our blog, tough up as Tone would say. I accept moderation of my own/others comments, especially for when the blood curdles and words hurt.
Let me link again, for those who missed it, the presentation to Chelsea Manning (in absentia) of the Sam Adams award first linked by Brian Fujisan.
http://www.privatemanning.org/featured/chelsea-manning-acceptance-statement-of-sam-adams-award-for-integrity-in-intelligence
“People stripped of benefits could be charged for challenging decision”
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/feb/20/people-stripped-benefits-charged-decision
Someone – that’s neat.
I can see the cabinet discussion as if I were in the room;
Osborne: We haven’t got any money. What can you raise, chaps?
IDS: My people had this whizzo idea. Let’s charge people who haven’t got any money for having their income taken away.
All: That makes sense. Good lad. Fancy lunch now? (etc)
“Why Is The Obama Administration Putting Government Monitors In Newsrooms?”
http://newswatch.us/why-is-the-obama-administration-putting-government-monitors-in-newsrooms/
I thought they already had them!.
Coincidence department –
‘Between December 2013 and January 2014 the number of people claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance fell by 27,600 to reach 1.22 million, the lowest figure since December 2008. Between January 2013 and January 2014 the number of claimants fell by 327,600, the largest annual fall since March 1998.’
http://www.tradingeconomics.com/united-kingdom/unemployment-rate
(before going further: the usual definition of unemployment:
‘ In the United Kingdom, the unemployment rate measures the number of people actively looking for a job as a percentage of the labour force.’)
Someone’s Guardian link says –
‘Earlier this week figures showed that in the past year nearly 900,000 people have had their benefits stopped, the highest figure for any 12-month period since jobseeker’s allowance was introduced in 1996.’
Which makes it entirely credible that a third or so were kicked off JSA completely. They would then have had no statutory requirement to actively look for work (see definition) and would have miraculously become employed. Hence the amazing unemployment stats. And the proliferation of food banks.
Genuinely informed comment (not silly questions) welcomed.
“And the proliferation of food banks.”
http://www.greenbenchesuk.com/2014/01/a-sad-day-has-arrived-there-are-now.html
Thanks for that very depressing read, Someone. While it’s good to know that thousands of people care enough to supply and run food banks, it’s shameful that the government doesn’t care at all. And continues to slander the poor – as countered by this excellent report –
http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/files/truth_and_lies_report_final.pdf
Chris Floyd is right. Sinister is the word for Obama.
Sinister Illusions: Masking Tragedy in Ukraine
Chris Floyd
February 20, 2014 “Information Clearing House
It is no secret that Barack Obama is one of the supreme illusionists of modern times. The disconnect between his words and his deeds is so profound as to be almost sublime, far surpassing the crude obfuscations of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney. Their projections of unreality were more transparent, and in any case were merely designed to put a little lipstick on the pig of policies they were openly pushing. For example, they openly wanted to conquer Iraq and expand the militarist state, they openly wanted to redistribute national wealth to the elite, so they just gussied up this unhidden agenda with some fantasies about WMD and the occult magic of “tax cuts,” whereby enriching the rich and degrading all notion of the common good would somehow create a utopia of prosperity (for deserving white folk, at least).
There was a disconnect between their rhetoric and reality, to be sure, but it was easily seen through (except, of course, by the highly-paid credulous cretins of our national media). Indeed, the Bushists seemed unconcerned by how threadbare their lies were; they delivered their lines like bored performers at the end of a long stage run, not caring whether they were believed or not — just as long as they got to do what they wanted.
But Obama has taken all this to another level. He is a consummate performer, and strives to “inhabit” the role and mouth his lines as if they make sense and convey some sort of emotional truth. Also, most of the time his rhetoric, his role, his emotional stance are in stark opposition to his actual policies. He is not just gilding his open agenda with some slap-dash lies; he is masking a hidden agenda with a vast array of artifice, expending enormous effort not to prettify an ugly reality but to create an entire counter-reality, an alternate world that does not exist. Again, no one one was in any doubt about the Bushists’ militarism, their dedication to the financial elite or their disdain for anyone who was not, in their view, a “normal American” (white, traditionalist, bellicose, greedy). In fact, that’s exactly why millions of “normal Americans” voted for them. But Obama’s image — cool, compassionate, progressive, peace-seeking, non-traditionalist, anti-elitist — is so far at odds with his actual policies, and with the world as it actually exists, that you can get severe whiplash turning from his rhetoric to reality.
Take his astonishing attack on Vladimir Putin for “interfering” in Ukraine. That Obama could make this charge with a straight face — days after his own agents had been exposed (in the infamous “#### the EU” tape) nakedly interfering in Ukraine, trying to overthrow a democratically elected government and place their own favorites in charge — was brazen enough. But in charging Putin with doing exactly what the Americans have been doing in Ukraine, Obama also fabricated yet another alternate world, turning reality on its head.
/..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37710.htm
RT (CAVEAT: its remit is to illuminate the less attractive aspects of Western government while remaining opaque on Russia’s many problems) went into some depth on that report.
For “opaque” substitute “downright dishonest”
You are notably “opaque” on facts you don’t like, too, ESLO.
To the mystery Censor/(?) Moderator
“Do all the moderators at the Guardian etc. reveal their identities? Rhetorical – please don’t answer.]”
_________________
No, but at least contributors are made aware that there is moderation.
And The Guardian’s moderation criteria are public.
What a whiner.
My objection to CCTV is the “CC”; Closed Circuit. No one seems to object to public web-cams. CCTV takes information about the public and places it exclusively in private hands. If these cameras could be controlled from and viewed via the Internet they’d become a valuable public resource. There would also be far more people watching (and probably recording) what was being captured, rather like “Linus’ Law”:
Regarding moderation, when I was moderating here I was repeatedly insulted, came under psychological attack, and was later subjected to attempted blackmail which another contributor supported. Jon came under intolerable criticism and pressure. Consequently I think it’s quite sensible for moderators conceal their identies, especially if they wish to continue participating in the debate. Why shouldn’t they? Plenty of contributors, often the most troublesome, don’t even submit a valid e-mail address with their comments; when you see the “dark glasses” avatar, they’ve submitted “[email protected]”. Maybe some contributors just have a problem with authority, though I see that quite a few have welcomed the new arrangement despite their own comments having been deleted.
A friend who’s coming to visit me for a few days texted to say that she’s chatting with a young Uzbek woman on the train, so hopefully I’ll have something interesting to report when I’m not so busy.
Noticed and warned about this for a very long time, shame it will have to take people dragged literally through barbed wire and family members tortured, for any one to realise that this has been going on all around them, all the time, and people never realising or even when told, believing it.
“Consequently I think it’s quite sensible for moderators conceal their identies, especially if they wish to continue participating in the debate.”
Moderators should not participate in debates – bound to lead to a conflict of interest on their part.
This American Army veteran gets hassled when returning to the US.
Harassed by the Empire
They Do It Because They Can
By Anonymous
February 20, 2014 “Information Clearing House – I’m a WASP, in my late 60s and retired after spending most of my working life in finance. I’m a US Army veteran. And I get harassed by Customs and Border Protection each time I return to my home in the USA.
/..
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article37712.htm
“UK economy faces Lehman-type crisis, says leading economist”
http://www.scottishtimes.com/uk_economy_faces_lehman_type_crisis_says_leading_economist
‘Moderators should not participate in debates – bound to lead to a conflict of interest on their part.’
BS. Mods ‘volunteer’ from the poster pool, where else? So what’s their interest in moderating if they can’t debate?
Still, feel free to start your own blog, where the rules you make up won’t be ignored. Or moderate here, and STFU?
ESLO, you’ve enjoyed plenty of freedom of speech here; maybe you should reflect upon what you have gained rather than what you may possibly have failed to gain – I was going to write “lost”, but you’ve lost nothing, comparing with the blog not existing or not accepting comments at all.
This is one individual’s blog; “conflicts of interest” don’t really apply. Craig can check the deleted items for any “censorship” and can post a moderation policy if he wishes. Moderation has only just restarted; if its nature eventually reveals itself as unacceptable for you, there are plenty of other places on the ‘net you can comment at.
That’s enough of this from me; it’s irrelevant to anything outside this comments section, and I have a visitor to prepare for.
This thread is about the abuse of human rights and freedoms in the UK, while this clearly does not suit some comment-makers it is an important issue that really needs to be addressed before it is too late. Arresting and detaining David Miranda because he was carrying important document about the NSA spying on everybody is just one such example of UK bending over backwards to serve US interests. Likewise the interrogation of Jesselyn Radack just because she is Edward Snowden’s lawyer is another such breach of trust in the British public. We did not elect our parliamentarians to make decisions to our disadvantage without our consent.
The US telephone, telecommunications and electronic communications-tapping station at Menwith Hill, near Harrogate, was built and expanded without parliamentary debate. It may also be providing co-ordinates for extra-judicial drone strikes as GCHQ is almost certainly. All this has been done without my consent. Do not vote for anybody who does not pledge to make these military bodies answerable to parliament, and yourself.
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/jan/28/gchq-mass-surveillance-spying-law-lawyer
Someone – you have a knack of finding chilling and I am afraid horribly accurate pieces.
‘He added that the UK has the largest “hot money” economy in the world and sounded the alarm that when the “game of asset price inflation is over all the regulation that let England accumulate financial wealth in the last 20 years will go into reverse because it will be so easy to pull the money out of the economy”.
Explaining why the UK economy faces a Lehman-sized crunch and will experience a contraction far worse than the US has already experienced, Mr Keen said that it is “because you are a far more speculative economy than the Americans were and you’ve got a far bigger debt overhang and you’ve got far hotter hot money than even the Americans had.”‘
Even Carney admits (and has produced the voice tape for the clockwork Osborne) the ‘recovery’ is unsustainable.
As anyone who knows of the Gods of the Copybook Headings has known for a long time.
“Magistrates should sit in police stations, report says”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26277087
I beat you to it on that one Someone. 5.13am earlier today. Could not sleep last night!
“Even Carney admits (and has produced the voice tape for the clockwork Osborne) the ‘recovery’ is unsustainable”
I think they know that
3 May 2012
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-17925477
“I beat you to it on that one Someone.”
Mary,
You have done that before, lol.