One of the ironies of the Ukraine situation which has drawn no comment I can find is that the Ukrainians have been lectured on democracy by Baroness Ashton, who heads EU foreign policy despite never having been elected to anything. A distinction she shares with Baroness Amos, now in charge of beating the drum for a war on Syria at the UN. Amos was closely involved as a minister with the UK invasion of Sierra Leone, and shortly after resigning from office became a Director of Sierra Leone’s rutile mine, the single most profitable mine in the world.
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Craig
Hold on there. However she might like to see herself, Ashton is a EU bureaucrat and not a politician. Therefore the question of being democratically elected or not doesn’t arise.
Apart from which, you know that there is no such thing as an EU foreign and security policy per se – whatever the Treaties say, it’s the Member States that call the shots in those areas?
I remember that Alun Chalfont was a junior minister when he was sent (I think) to the UN, but as far as I know Amos no longer holds ministerial rank, hence she is also a mere functionary at the UN. So democracy is not really relevant here either.
Sorry to cross swords.
OK Kempe. Not in Physics but in hard science. So I know from reading widely that you are spouting absolute crap when you present pseudo-knowledge about mini-nukes. Therefore – since clearly you do not wish to present your (non) credentials publicly on this forum – can I request that you send your (verifiable) cv to Craig and I will do the same? He can then decide who is talking shit.
[“Clarence” used to comment as “Gideon”, but changed username after posting the following]:
http://www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2014/03/putin-and-international-law/comment-page-2/#comment-443771
Isn’t it Amos who features at the end of Craig’s Orangemen book?
Latest roundup of those Fascist Friends of the West, currently in power in Kiev:
http://www.globalresearch.ca/whos-who-in-ukraines-new-semi-fascist-government-meet-the-people-the-u-s-and-eu-are-supporting/5372422
Golly gosh!
Clarence
“OK. I give in and just acknowledge that such a non-answer is the mark of a true diplomat.”
_______________________
Well, to me it seems that there was no answer to something that was not a question. Symmetry has been preserved.
By the way, you should really brush up a little on the institutional framework of the European Union. What do you mean by “the bureaucratic creatures of the European Parliament : are you referring to the MEPs or the civil servants of the EP? If the former, they are elected, if the latter, they don’t need to be.
Next bit of homework for you : examiine the interaction of Commission and Council (=Council of Ministers) in the legislative process.
Putin is DA MAN ! Nobody but nobody (including the mighty PRC which hold $2 TRILLION in USD Treasury Bills) had the guts to give Snowden refuge. Ok you can repent now, Craig !
Lawrence
“since Hitler’s Reichstag fire targeted the Jews,..”
_________________________
It didn’t. It targeted the Communists.
History refresher course needed, suggest you take the same one as Tovarish Goss.
KinfOfWelshNoir
“Last month the Guardian did a feature showing how we have been at war every year for the past century. And yet William Hague has the audacity to lecture the Russians on how bad it is to invade countries.”
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Good example of conflation designed to mislead for the sake of trying to make a “point”.
As an easy example: the UK was at war from 1939 to 1945 but wasn’t invading anyone (except for Germany is 1945 of course).
@Clarence – In case you didnt know Kempe,Resdis,Habba,ESLO are trained hasbara diploma holders. CM tolerates them in this blog so the innocent can learn to read HuffPosts and like with better comprehension. Extremely highly cunning dershowitzery but you will learn to see through their yarmulke in due course.
Plllock
“The EU is an elitist, self-serving killing machine!”
___________________
Sorry, who has the EU (qua EU) killed?
The threat to dump the dollar leaves an opening for BRICS which the West must stop at all costs.
China has it’s own regional concerns (Hong Kong/ Taiwan).
http://thebricspost.com/ukraine-crisis-has-had-its-reasons-china/#.UxtO_ygcWFK
“There have been reasons for today’s situation in Ukraine,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said when responding to a question on China’s stance after Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, authorized President Vladimir Putin to use military forces to protect Russian citizens and soldiers in Ukrainian territory.
“China is deeply concerned with the current Ukraine situation,” added Gang urging all sides to seek a political solution.”
Interesting look at Ukrainian oligarchs living in London, the Ukrainian protests against them and the tensions between democracy and robber baronism:
http://www.dw.de/ukrainian-oligarchs-stash-their-cash-in-london/av-17480029
The UK govt leaked their intentions directly to media via the old photo the doco trick, revealing they’re more interested in mafia moolah than in any silly old democracy and law nonsense:
http://news.sky.com/story/1220388/ukraine-document-reveals-uk-stance-on-crisis
Ukrainian protestors, please take note.
Marcy Wheeler of Emptywheel said in comments the other day that many of her colleagues (journos) had been contacted by sources at CIA who were seeking info on events in Ukraine. I don’t know if that was cover or if they truly got caught, again, with their intel pants down.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/05/us-ukraine-crisis-intelligence-idUSBREA242I720140305
“Sources familiar with the intelligence reporting and analysis presented to policymakers said it had some gaps, which they did not identify in detail. Even after Russia moved its troops into Crimea, there have been holes in what U.S. agencies know about Russian activities and intents, one source said.”
BTW Habba – Can we finally have the “esoteric” point you were trying to make underlying Russian population statistics. I could see you were struggling to say it.
Clarence / Gideon
“isn’t Herman Van Rompuy yet another of these unelected EU bureaucrats”
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Yes indeed. He is a bureaucrat and as such isn’t elected. No more than the nice official at your local social security who gives you your monthly welfare check. Lesson : bureaucrats are not elected, politicians are
“..who are leading us to the brink of another world war? ”
Incorrect. He isn’t leading anyone anywhere; he is, like Lady Ashton, a figurehead at the behest of elected politicans (in his case, the members of the Ruropean Council( PMs and Heads of state all).
Refresher course in EU Institutions urgently needed!
Herbie; I think there is like 15 billionaires worth over 40 billion in the Ukraine. I think a one-time tax of 50% of net worth would go a long way toward reducing the burden of debt the oligarchs helped manufacture.
Time to scuttle this private fleet of pirates.
Blancmange (aka Black Jelly)
“BTW Habba – Can we finally have the “esoteric” point you were trying to make underlying Russian population statistics. I could see you were struggling to say it.”
_____________________
sure, once you’ve stopped quivering.
“A Struggle Amongst Oligarchs in Ukraine Pt.1”
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=11553
Habby
You’re very defensive of this EU monstrosity, its nomenklatura and institutions.
You on a pension from them or something?
Eh.
Re my change of username listed above by the anonymous moderator – no doubt to discredit my opinions and comments. Few people use their own, real name (eg Black Jelly, Fool or Someone) but an internet pseudonym. As I do. Nor am I consistent. Not to deceive concerning my opinions or personality, often I cannot remember the name that I use on different forums, but just as a matter of course (although I am sure that it does not really protect me from the NSA spies) as as a weak protection against intrusion. So my posting under Gideon was not to deceive – and if you look at the thread it was entirely consistent with what I had written previously under Clarence – but because I changed browsers and this browser “remembered” my prior Gideon name even though I had forgotten myself. I do think that the anonymous moderator knows this quite well but is annoyed by my criticisms of Craig and has thus chosen to present the name change as a deception when, actually, his/her addition is the true deception.
Habba
http://qz.com/107970/scientists-discover-whats-killing-the-bees-and-its-worse-than-you-thought/
Eu’s policies killing Bees.
Not mentioned is Russia’s policy towards GM. Un proven theories, as we know but worthwhile to have an understanding of possible detrimental outcomes.
The link is about America but as is the situation is the same I believe.
Hmmm
Someone’s a bit annoyed at London:
“It boils down to this: Britain is ready to betray the United States to protect the City of London’s hold on dirty Russian money. And forget about Ukraine.”
http://tiny.cc/e7yecx
“Ben Judah is the author of Fragile Empire: How Russia Fell In And Out Of Love With Vladimir Putin published by Yale University Press. He is an associate fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations.”
“The intricate 363-page PATRIOT ACT, plopped on the desk for Congress with superhuman speed.”
Not sure if it’s common knowledge but the Patriot Act was written in the Pentagon in the 80’s, just in case we needed it.
@ Black Jelly,
Thanks for that enlightening comment about the Hasbara clique. Makes sense, especially their panic about recognition of the possibility of Israeli nukes being used. Wonder too why the moderator felt compelled to add a tag about my previous use of another name (“special” pressure}.
“I know from reading widely that you are spouting absolute crap when you present pseudo-knowledge about mini-nukes.”
I have a degree in physics, yes seriously but if you’re convinced I’m talking crap you shouldn’t have any trouble finding some evidence to present here.
http://www.atomicarchive.com/Fission/Fission3.shtml
Ben,
The problem is that Bush/Cheney fired what Intelligence remained in US intelligence, and replaced them with people who told them what they wanted to hear. They in effect constructed a virtual reality in support of the neocon agenda, which still wields massive power and influence.
I am convinced that there is a big division within the US Administration, such that Obama/Whitehouse policy is often overtaken by CIA/neocon engineered events.
What happened in the Ukraine was that the EU arranged talks and agreed a peace deal with all parties in Kiev – but excluded the neocons from the talks.
Everything was agreed re a coalition government, and then the neocons let loose their Gladio snipers – who killed both the Police and The Protesters. Everyone initially thought it was either the Ukraine Government – or the Russian FSB.
But for the CIA, this is standard coup strategy – nothing unusual.
However, they were not expecting the Russians to react – by effectively taking over the Crimea overnight.
Here is a great article giving some background re Obama/neocon division
http://www.opednews.com/articles/1/What-Neocons-Want-from-Ukr-by-Robert-Parry-Crisis_Iran_Neocons_Putin-140302-200.html
Extract
But now the neocons, in their single-minded pursuit of endless “regime change” in countries that get in their way, have taken their ambitions to a dangerous new level, confronting nuclear-armed Russia with ultimatums.
By Sunday, the Post’s neocon editors were “spelling out the consequences” for Putin and Russia, essentially proposing a new Cold War. The Post mocked Obama for alleged softness toward Russia and suggested that the next “regime change” must come in Moscow.
“Many in the West did not believe Mr. Putin would dare attempt a military intervention in Ukraine because of the steep potential consequences,” the Post wrote. “That the Russian ruler plunged ahead shows that he doubts Western leaders will respond forcefully. If he does not quickly retreat, the United States must prove him wrong.”
The madness of the neocons has long been indicated by their extraordinary arrogance and their contempt for other nations’ interests. They assume that U.S. military might and other coercive means must be brought to bear on any nation that doesn’t bow before U.S. ultimatums or that resists U.S.-orchestrated coups.
Whenever the neocons meet resistance, they don’t rethink their strategy; they simply take it to the next level. Angered by Russia’s role in heading off U.S. military attacks against Syria and Iran, the neocons escalated their geopolitical conflict by taking it to Russia’s own border, by egging on the violent ouster of Ukraine’s elected president.
The idea was to give Putin an embarrassing black eye as punishment for his interference in the neocons’ dream of “regime change” across the Middle East. Now, with Putin’s countermove, his dispatch of Russian troops to secure control of the Crimea, the neocons want Obama to further escalate the crisis by going after Putin.
Some leading neocons even see ousting Putin as a crucial step toward reestablishing the preeminence of their agenda. NED president Carl Gershman wrote in the Washington Post, “Ukraine’s choice to join Europe will accelerate the demise of the ideology of Russian imperialism that Putin represents. … Russians, too, face a choice, and Putin may find himself on the losing end not just in the near abroad but within Russia itself.”
At minimum, the neocons hope that they can neutralize Putin as Obama’s ally in trying to tamp down tensions with Syria and Iran — and thus put American military strikes against those two countries back under active consideration.
As events spin out of control, it appears way past time for President Obama to explain to the American people why he has collaborated with President Putin in trying to resolve some of the world’s thorniest problems.
That, however, would require him to belatedly take control of his own administration, to purge the neocon holdovers who have worked to sabotage his actual foreign policy, and to put an end to neocon-controlled organizations, like the National Endowment for Democracy, that use U.S. taxpayers’ money to stir up trouble abroad. That would require real political courage.”
““Last month the Guardian did a feature showing how we have been at war every year for the past century. And yet William Hague has the audacity to lecture the Russians on how bad it is to invade countries.”
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Good example of conflation designed to mislead for the sake of trying to make a “point”.”
From one trained in the art, who was doing just that by trying to divert from the message of the blog, without any mention of how international law is being broken. 3.59 p.m.
All these people who
@Kempe. Please see Black Jelly’s comment at 5.00pm. Go back to Tel Aviv.
“I am convinced that there is a big division within the US Administration, such that Obama/Whitehouse policy is often overtaken by CIA/neocon engineered events.”
Pretty well perceptive of you Tony. This has been discussed in vitro without corroboration, but it does seem POTUS is a ceremonial figurehead to give a PR face to covert activity. It’s been rumored that a Day-Timer with Obamas schedule was found in a gutter along with a note…”You could end up like JFK”.
World War 3 – Libya vs North Korea
http://www.cnbc.com/id/101477670