One of my oldest and dearest friends has gone public on his support for Scottish Independence. I am greatly cheered by this. More thoughts later.
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Ba’al Zevul. 8:53 am
Done!
And I tried to ignore the items you warned me about. Impossible job, that one.
Dad says they are mementos from his time in the Met. I don’t think he is being 100% truthful. Nobody would forget being beaten over the head with a truncheon like that!
I’m sorry you had to see that*, Sofia, but desperate remedies, and that.
More on the Pollard rumours here:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/10735953/US-in-discussions-with-Israel-over-possible-release-of-spy-Jonathan-Pollard.html
Stiff opposition from the American military and intelligence community has deterred the White House (from releasing Pollard -BZ). Intelligence officials have argued that his release would harm national security and that the US must maintain a strong deterrent to allies by warning them of the consequences of spying on American soil.
The consequences of spying on US soil since 2001 have included free access to the State Department for Israeli spooks, and the penalty for Israelis selling F-35 plans to China being a slap on the wrist. Therefore…
But there are signs that that resolve may be softening. In recent years, former secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and George Schultz, along with prominent figures such as Sen. John McCain and former CIA Director R. James Woolsey, have all called for Pollard’s release.
Woolsey (AIPAC point man) would qualify in a civilised country as an absolute barking lunatic:
http://www.rightweb.irc-online.org/profile/woolsey_james
However Schultz, an old-school free-market Reaganite, shows occasional flashes of rationality.
The Pollard proposal has the attributes of a kite flown by the Israelis, not the US. In return for various attractive but nebulous concessions to the Palestinians, such as giving them some of their own land back, but without interfering with the overall ethnic cleansing scheme, Pollard’s case will be reviewed and he will be returned. Not long after he returns, to a hero’s welcome, the Palestinians, or failing that, Mossad, will fire a firework at Israel, and the concessions will evaporate during the ensuing punitive measures.
I hope the US isn’t stupid enough to buy this. But I fear it may be.
* that.
They are mementoes from the Met, Sofia. The masks were given to him by Charlie Richardson in gratitude for not noticing some of the working girls on his beat. And the Arifs donated some fluffy manacles. An ex-DI who knows your Dad told me so, and added that he was very proud of them. That’s history, Sofia, and you can be proud your Dad helped make it. Whatever went wrong later.
One of Cherie’s clients (see link above):
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1281887/President-Gabon-Ali-Ben-Bongo-Ondimba-sparks-outrage-buying-85million-official-residence–PARIS.html
I hope he can afford her “strategic counsel”. Most of his subjects can’t.
Damn. Wrong thread. Ali Bongo belongs on “A Good Idea”. Where you can find out why.
Ba’al Zevul (New Every Morning is the Love) and Sofia Kibo Noh. Thanks for the entertainment.
More entertainment: Anyone noticed that when Farage is being most daringly disparaging of the EU, he’s doing it on Russian TV? The Grauniad has –
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/31/nigel-farage-relationship-russian-media-scrutiny?CMP=twt_gu
His silence on Russian politics is refreshing by comparison. So, no doubt –
The Ukip leader has appeared so frequently that he is cited in literature for the TV station Russia Today as one of their special and “endlessly quotable” British guests. “He has been known far longer to the RT audience than most of the British electorate,” Russia Today claims.
Our next panellist is Hoodah Thunkit ….what do you make of that, Hoodah?
Last November…..Indian billionaire couple hosts Prince Charles’ birthday dinner
November 22, 2013
File photo of Prince Charles and wife Camilla, Dutchess (sic) of Cornwall
London-based Indian billionaire couple, Cyrus and Priya Vandrevala, hosted a gala event at (the) Buckingham Palace to mark the 65th birthday of Prince Charles, heir to the British throne.
The fact that the Vandrevalas were extended this privilege is noteworthy and thereby, by way of proximity to the British royal family, might have stolen a march over richer Indian businessmen resident in Britain, such as Lakshmi and Usha Mittal of ArcelorMittal and the Hinduja brothers and their wives of the Hinduja Group, both of whom were present at the function on Thursday, Raymedia reported.
Whereas four months later….
Billionairess who splashed out £500,000 for Prince Charles’ 65th birthday party faces £350million fraud probe
Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala sat with Charles at Buckingham Palace party
She and her husband have also paid a record £7,000 for a chocolate egg
Court in Isle of Man is due to hear case over ‘missing’ £350million
It was given to company she headed by London investors including HSBC
The socialite, aged 37, denies claims of ‘fraudulent misrepresentation’
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575978/Billionairess-splashed-500-000-Prince-Charles-65th-birthday-party-faces-350million-fraud-probe.html
Who will P Charles find to cough up for this year’s bash? Perhaps the tenants of the Duchy of Cornwall would like to show their gratitude in the usual way for their landlord’s munificence.
____
I see Vince was at that bash. He is being made the fall guy for Dave and Gideon’s prezzies for the Royal Mail vultures.
Vince Cable defends Royal Mail sell-off in Commons debate | UK …
http://www.theguardian.com › News › UK news › Royal Mail
2 hours ago – The business secretary, Vince Cable, has refused to apologise over the government’s privatisation of Royal Mail, despite a scathing report from
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2014/apr/01/royal-mail-sell-off-chuka-umunna-urgent-question
Came across this, as ya do.
Quite funny from a medja studies, how not to do it, perspective. Almost thought it an April Fool.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUq-N8GXvCA
Their website is very Web 0.5 too:
http://www.brugesgroup.com/
The cast of characters are pre-Web as well, like an 80s sitcom that was hot in its day, but:
http://www.brugesgroup.com/about/columnists.live
These are Conservatives who are aghast at developments towards global one-worldness and prefer old fashioned national self-determination.
There are many on the left in that camp of course.
There seem to be a lot of these old Conservatives in many countries arguing against what the neocons are up to.
One of those above even seems to carry l’imprimatur du Rothschild, the French branch.
What can it all mean?
I always look to see who is on the board and where the money comes from.
Their own website doesn’t say not does Wiki.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges_Group
…nor does Wiki.
Mary
The Conservative ones of them at least are mostly involved in finance and banking. Redwood, for example works for Rothschild’s French branch. They have similar views to the Reaganites. See Paul Craig Roberts, for example, or even the recent interview with Malcolm Fraser ex Australian Conservative PM.
I know we all used to knock these guys back in the 80s, but now we can agree with what they’re saying, at least on the biggest issue of the day which is the neocon global agenda.
Farage is connected to the City of London and you’ll often see him in alternative financial media attacking the direction banking has taken.
It looks very much to me that there’s some sort of split amongst the bankers themselves and that’s key to understanding what’s going on.
Redwood looked particularly worried when he was discussing the direction things were taking. His employer, French Rothschild aren’t insignificant in terms of the banking world, and I expect he represents their view.
So, what does it all mean.
It seems to me to go back to that dispute between the Atlanticists (the neocons) and those who’d prefer to run their own local show (I suppose the nationalists).
It’s not quite the way the debate is represented in mainstream media, nor indeed is it the debate as most people understand it, but the dispute is very real and between very powerful people.
UKIP are central to this of course and their fortunes may tell us a lot about the way things are going in Britain. The French recently elected French nationalists and Europe now seems to crawling with nationalists and fascists and whatnot.
The matrix is looking a bit bit glitchy, let’s just say.
Healthcare/NHS
A predictable reaction from that great defender of the NHS as is, Mary.
I post a couple of times, Mary responds (but not to the points I made), Anon replies to Mary by saying, inter alia, “No one is suggesting we adopt the American system. As has been pointed out, a Continental-style system seems to work well enough and yes, that involves the partial death of your sacred cow but does not entail a fully privatized service.”, and what is Mary’s “response” to that? Why, just the following:
“The t—-s are echoes of each other.”.
Wonderfully profound.
****************
Here is a question to Mary.
You are evidently unhappy with the NHS as is, and even unhappier with the NHS as you seem to believe it will be in the future. What, in your opinion, is wrong with the NHS as it operates at present, and what should be done to make it better?
Preferably in your own words, expressing your own thoughts, than cut-and-paste.
Mary, you of course don’t have to answer those questions if you believe – against appearances – that the NHS is just fine and dandy as it is.
“Thanks Technicolour and Herbie for those comments in support of OUR NHS. Wonderful use of the English language by Nye Bevan. Can you imagine the spivs in Whitehall at the moment being able to speak like that?”
____________________-
Bevan was indeed a master of the English language. I’m particularly fond of the expression he used when, as Shadow Foreign Secretary, he spoke passionately at a Labour Party Conference in favour of keeping Britain’s nuclear deterrent : something about “not being sent naked into the conference chamber”.
Comments?
What is the technical term, in the world of blogging, for someone who posts as two separate people conducting an animated exchange with one another? Is it a “Komodo”?
Sorry everyone.
Dad’s escaped.
Dr Bullstrode took all his clothes and said he had to stay in till he calmed down but He got that stuff out of the wardrobe and climbed down the wisteria.
Last seen heading down Surbiton high Street with a large crowd fleeing before him.
Mary- the idea of a neo-con Europe has moved closer to reality as Kiev approves a series of joint drills with the Western military alliance.
With increased criticism of Western policy towards Russia I have understood intelligence whispers to be that a false-flag attack within Russia financed and facilitated once again by Saudi Arabia is adjunct to NATO expansion in Eastern Europe. Such an attack would be blamed on certain fighting groups within Syria.
Interestingly Turkey has delivered 2,000 trucks of weapons and ammunition to these ‘insurgents’ in Syria.
The so called ‘leaked’ plans for false flag attacks on Turkey or Turkish property to justify an attack from Turkey on Syria is in fact a spun version of the plan I have exposed above. No such attack on Turkey is in the making. What is prepared is a ‘no fly’ zone over Syria to ‘assist’ Russian efforts to counter terrorism.
Currently Erdogan I believe has refused to endorse any US/Saudi tactics and tricks to concoct an attack on Russia; it would seem he considers this atrocity as breakneck, the fatal fallout of which would be a threat of nuclear war.
On the Royal Mail
Mr Goss says
“Mary, the Royal Mail giveaway was just that. Before hiving it off they pushed postage stamps up to twice their former cost.”
and
“Prepare for year on year stamp increases” (I suppose he meant pro-ice increases)
______________________
Could I just point out that
1/. the cost of posting a letter within the UK – and the cost of posting a letter overseas) is very similar throughout Western Europe;
2/. the price of stamps has risen steadily over the least 5, 10, 20, 30 and indeed 40 years. As has the cost of many other things and as, for that matter, have average wages and salaries.
Habbabkuk, 6:58 pm:
That was then, while the world balance of nuclear armament power was in the process of being forged. That process has been complete for decades; Bevan’s historical position is no longer applicable.
Clark
Very true, it’s no longer applicable. As you wisely say, “that was then”. In the same way, I suppose, as 1948, the date of the foundation of the NHS, was “then”.
Clark
BTW, any thoughts from you on what I said about the NHS and the Royal Mail (price of stamps)? In loco parentis for Mary and Mr Goss, so to speak.
Habbakuk: the report I linked to from the Telegraph demonstrating that the NHS was – then, and still – one of the best healthcare systems in the world is dated 2011. Not an outmoded 1948 invention.
Mary reports (breathlessly):
“Whereas four months later….
Billionairess who splashed out £500,000 for Prince Charles’ 65th birthday party faces £350million fraud probe
Priya Hiranandani-Vandrevala sat with Charles at Buckingham Palace party”
______________________
A probe, eh? Innocent until proved guilty, dear girl, innocent until proved guilty. But perhaps not in your grey absolutist world?
Habbabkuk, 7:36 pm; I disagree. The world nuclear power balance was a new thing, and thus in a state of flux. The relationship between human health and economy is ancient; it is susceptible to incremental evolutionary improvement. Bevan’s reforms were a milestone along that path of progress, and it is most disappointing to see modern politics retreating to a point before it. Even some hunter-gatherer tribes have a workable solution this problem; everyone pays the healer only while they’re well. To pay for treatment invites abuse of patients.
Technicolor
If I thought you’d appreciate a serious reply, I’d give it to you. Do you?
BTW, feel free to answer the questions I put to Mary at 18h51
Clark
You know perfectly well what I was getting at. Which was that the model which may have been perfectly fine in 1948 os not necessarily perfectly fine in the changed circumstances of 2014.
It is a mistake, I think, to say that changing a model is somehow anti-progress; indeed, the opposite is more likely to be true.
Habbabkuk, as I understand it, the changes to the NHS are not primarily concerned with improving healthcare provision, but are to do with (1) acquiring money from the process of provision and (2) enabling more money to flow to private rather than public revenues. I have read that to enable these changes, the declaration of nationwide healthcare provision has been weakened or revoked.
Crikey H must be getting smashed in a bar in a Spanish resort or similar. It’s ten posts in row since I last opened my laptop.
The state broadcaster should have a category called Old News in their news output.
Just saw this item on the TV text headlines –
Senate report ‘reveals CIA abuse’
A secret 6,000 page report says the CIA misled the US government over how effective its interrogation methods were, the Washington Post says.
1 April 2014
CIA HQ 14/08/2008 The findings relate to CIA practices under former President George W Bush (File photo)
CIA interrogation techniques exposed Watch
CIA ‘searched US Senate computers’
CIA probes Senate staff monitoring
The CIA repeatedly misled the US government over the severity and effectiveness of its interrogation methods, the Washington Post reports.
A long-awaited US Senate report said that the CIA used secret “black sites” to interrogate prisoners using techniques not previously acknowledged.
These included dunking suspects in icy water and smashing a prisoner’s head against a wall.
The findings stem from the time of former President George W Bush.
Officials familiar with the secret document said that the CIA’s interrogation programme yielded little useful intelligence.
They also said that this intelligence had then been exaggerated so that the interrogation programme looked more effective than it actually was.
/..
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-26831756
A horrible reminder of what went and yet the psycho Bush sits painting dogs and cats. By rights, he and Bliar should have had sticky ends by this time.
Habbakuk: certainly I would appreciate a serious reply; what makes you think I wouldn’t?
As to what should be done to the NHS: I’m in the middle of something but meanwhile would suggest that, while refinements to a working and valued system, or principle, can be helpful, wholescale alteration, or destruction, means that you no longer have the system, or the principle, from which you once benefited.