A particularly mendacious lie by Danny Alexander puts the institutional start-up costs of Scottish Independence at £1.5 billion. That is a cool half billion pounds cheaper than Scotland’s share of the costs of the Iraq and Afghan wars, even on the Westminster government’s blatant under-estimate of the war costs.
So Scotland can afford criminal invasions killing hundreds of thousands to ‘bring freedom’, but cannot afford the smaller cost of its own freedom!!!
The £1.5 billion estimate is mendacious in two ways. Firstly, it is a simple recycling of a Canadian lie at the time of the Quebec independence referendum, apportioning with no argument 1% of GDP to startup costs.
Secondly, as nearly all the money will be spent in Scotland it is not a loss at all, but actually an increase to GDP, as any but the most nutty neo-con would be forced to acknowledge. And it would be the precursor of government money spent annually in Scotland rather than England for ever thereafter.
Thankfully Alexander won’t have a job much longer – and if he thinks a penny of Scottish public spending is going in future to support his huge arse and deceitful mouth, he is very wrong.
Mr Goss
“German Nazis thought they were immune. They knew what crimes had been committed hence the cyanide capsules.”
_________________
Sloppy thinking, once again.
If they really thought they were immune why did they feel the need to carry suicide pills?
Think!!
My post at 4.13pm should have had this link at the end.
For info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiriyah_shelter_bombing
Mary is again urging us to sigh a petition
“There are 146392 signatures and counting on this 38 Degrees petition. Why not add yours?
The petition to demand a real recall law – so that voters can sack MPs who don’t do their job properly – is growing fast.
Already over 130,000 38 Degrees members have signed the petition. The bigger the petition – the more pressure David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband will be under to do the right thing. Can you click the button to add your name?”
________________________
This is bollox – and irresponsible bollox at that.
Where, in the petition, are the details??
How many voters to force a recall?
For any reason at all (your local MP might oppose hanging but most of his electoral might not) – or if not, for which reasons exactly?
And so on.
(If I have somehow overlooked a fuller text for what is being demanded by this petition, please indicate where I can read it).
Little or no American commentary on the EU elections. This is James Petras.
The Rise of the European Right: Reaction to the Neoliberal Right
by James Petras / May 30th, 2014
The European parliamentary elections witnessed a major breakthrough for the right-wing parties throughout the region. The rise of the Right runs from the Nordic countries, the United Kingdom, the Baltic and Low countries, France, Central and Eastern Europe to the Mediterranean.
Most, if not all, of these emerging right-wing parties mark a sharp break with the ruling neo-liberal, Christian and Social Democratic parties who have presided over a decade of crisis.
The ‘new Right’ cannot be understood simply by attaching negative labels (‘fascist’, ‘racist’ and ‘anti-Semitic’). The rise of the Right has to be placed in the context of the decay of political, social and economic institutions, the general and persistent decline of living standards and the disintegration of community bonds and class solidarity. The entire existing political edifice constructed by the neo-liberal parties bears deep responsibility for the systemic crisis and decay of everyday life. Moreover, this is how it is understood by a growing mass of working people who vote for the Right.
/..
http://dissidentvoice.org/2014/05/the-rise-of-the-european-right-reaction-to-the-neoliberal-right/
Spot on.
Try this e-petition, Habby (and anyone else…):
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64756
I’ve signed Peacewisher. Thanks for posting the link.
Habby
She’s a neocon.
And fuck off with recommending her drivel. If you want to contest my points, then do so yourself.
If you’re capable.
You haven’t managed it yet.
=================
John
That interview was recorded over a year ago, but I suspect that the realities that Yanukovych faced will have to be faced up by Poroshenko too. He knows Putin well, obviously but recently Putin turned down his desire to meet.
The Ukraine coup momentum has stalled, and Putin will be letting the dire gravity of their situation unfold for a while yet.
They’ll soon learn that the West is but a fair weather friend, using them as it uses everyone else.
US now trying to bully France into selling the ships it is building for Russia… to a country in NATO:
http://rt.com/news/162412-france-warships-sale-russia/
First practical example of Obama’s new foreign policy in action?
Back to the real world… the US economy actual shrank (yes, negative growth) in the first quarter of 2014. You would have thought they’d be looking after their own at such times!
Herbie
“…since their foreign policy is fronted by here today gone tomorrow, British educated Bullingdon boy, Radosław Sikorski.”
_________________________
Radoslaw Sikorski has been the Polish Foreign Minister since 2007.
Hardly “here today gone tomorrow”, Herbie.
Idiot!
I was actually urging people to SIGN a petition, not SIGH one! Duh! again.
The original which is easily found by anyone with some nous is:
‘Dear …
It’s splashed across The Telegraph today: a group of MPs have come together to say that they need to regain our trust. [1] And they’re right. Many of us think that politics in the UK is broken. MPs can be sent to prison, can fiddle their expenses or break their promises and we can only get rid of them on election day. [2]
But, we’ve got a chance right now to make things better. It looks like the government is making plans to announce new powers to sack – ‘recall’ – MPs who don’t do their job properly. Good huh? It would be, but it’s a stitch-up. [3]
Their plans could put the power to sack MPs in their colleagues’ hands – not their constituents. The MPs speaking out today don’t think this is good enough. They’re backing real recall – so if enough people wanted to hold a by-election to sack their MP in between elections, they could.
Today’s news will put the government under pressure. So let’s add to it. Let’s build a HUGE people-powered petition so they know we’re watching. Can you sign the petition now?
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-2014
A real recall law is not the answer to all of our democracy’s problems. But it’s a step in the right direction. And above all, it puts the power into our hands rather than MPs’.
Real recall won’t mean that by-elections happen every day. There would be checks and balances in place so that MPs can get on with their jobs. It’s only the bad MPs who will need to worry.
We need to send the government a clear signal, which means the petition needs to be big. Every signature will build the pressure they’ll be under.
Here’s what one Conservative MP, Zac Goldsmith said:
“As an MP, I’ve seen how public pressure can force the government’s arm – and they’re particularly sensitive about public trust in MPs right now. A massive petition could give David Cameron and Nick Clegg no option but to go back to the drawing board – and produce recall with bite.”
Please sign the petition now:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-2014
Thanks for being involved,
Becky, Blanche, Amy, Ali & the 38 Degrees team
PS: The petition is to David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, (who’ve all said in the past that they’re committed to it). If Ed Miliband backs real recall – this could put David Cameron and Nick Clegg in an even trickier position.
Sign the petition:
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/recall-2014
NOTES:
[1] The Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/10850163/Let-voters-sack-underperforming-politicians-MPs-say.html
[2] House of Commons Library: Recall Elections:
http://www.parliament.uk/documents/commons/lib/research/briefings/snpc-05089.pdf
[3] BBC: Recall plan for MPs ‘is a stitch-up’:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-22784664 ‘
Baal @ 3.09pm
It makes a change from milking us, I suppose.
But what’s he bought a farm for? Wouldn’t he prefer to live somewhere vibrant and diverse?
Herbie
She’s { ie, Anne Applebaum } neocon.
And fuck off with recommending her drivel. If you want to contest my points, then do so yourself.
_______________________
I’d have been glad to answer any points you might have made at 15h57. But there were none to answer.
It was however clear that you needed educating (unfortunately you’re too late for Michael Gove’s reforms) and that’s why I recommended Anne Applebaum.
Since you’re obviously keen to get stuck into her works, I’d also recommend her “Gulag – a History” once you’ve finished “Iron Curtain – the crushing of eastern Europe 1944-1956”. Enjoy both!
************************
La vita è bella, life is good!
Richard
“But what’s he bought a farm for?”
Perhaps he wants to branch out from spouting bullshit to breeding bulls?
“Hardly “here today gone tomorrow”, Herbie.”
Well habby, rather like the Polish entity itself, he’s existed there and then not existed there, and should it all go wrong again then both he and Poland will not be existing there again for a while.
They’re well used to it by now, it being their history over the past few hundred years, but never learn the lesson.
Idiot!
Mary
Another long comment from you but the DETAILS of what is being proposed by 38 degrees (and what you are asking people to sign up to) are STILL MISSING !!
Instead of sneering, please supply.
Or don’t you have a clue yourself?
*************************
La vita è bella, life is good! A petition a day keep the heebie-jeebies away.
Herbie
“They’re well used to it by now, it being their history over the past few hundred years, but never learn the lesson.”
_________________
You sound quite pleased about that, Herbie….:)
But don’t worry, the days when Russia could kick Polish ass are long gone. It didn’t dare do anything against Solidarity and it would dare to do even less now that Poland is a valuable member of NATO.
Get used to it, Herbie.
**********************
From the egregious Herbie
“…since their foreign policy is fronted by here today gone tomorrow, British educated Bullingdon boy, Radosław Sikorski.”
_________________________
Radoslaw Sikorski has been the Polish Foreign Minister since 2007, Herbie.
That makes 7 years so far (with more to come).
Hardly “here today gone tomorrow”, Herbie.
Longer than you’ve been commenting on CM and probably longer than you’ve been unwaged.
Get lost.
“The Ukraine coup momentum has stalled, and Putin will be letting the dire gravity of their situation unfold for a while yet.
They’ll soon learn that the West is but a fair weather friend, using them as it uses everyone else.”
It’s also a wounded beast bleeding to death from inequitable distribution of wealth. Wounded beasts are dangerous. Isn’t it typical that they are trying to get France to renege on its warship contract with Russia. At the same time it is cooperating with Russia on the space programme. What hypocrisy.
The equivalent here of getting blood out of a stone or sense out of a troll.
Chilcot Report Edges Closer Amid Icy Exchanges
The report into Britain’s role in the Iraq war could be published before the 2015 general election, as David Cameron has demanded.
http://news.sky.com/story/1271525/chilcot-report-edges-closer-amid-icy-exchanges
The Sky political editor reports.
Peacewisher
“Try this e-petition, Habby (and anyone else…):
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64756”
Sorry, but I won’t sign any petition instigated by hard leftist Lindsey German.
To explain, around about the time of the Iraq War many of us were utterly opposed to it but found that the main opposition, in the form of rallies, protests, sit-ins, occupations, lie-ins and the rest of it, was organized by the kind of socialist worker, pally solidarity type wankers you thought you’d got away from when you left university. No normal person wants to be associated with them or have their opposition to something so manifestly wrong as the Iraq War hijacked by anti-capitalist wasters waving trotskyist placards. Ditto the e-petition you have recommended us today. 🙁
Mary
What exactly does the 38 Degrees petition propose?
Surely you aren’t inviting us to sign up to a petition whose details are non-existent?
Sounds a little like that episode from the Southy Sea Bubble when investors were urged to invest now in a Company “the activities of which are yet to be revealed”
“and it (Russia) would dare to do even less now that Poland is a valuable member of NATO”
I’ve already pointed out that it’s not quite as valued as you imagine. And they know it. That’s why they’re crapping themselves.
The West is using these new NATO countries, to its own purposes and its own purposes alone.
Poland hasn’t since it joined in 1999 had the defensive support it has requested time and time again.
Only a week ago it asked for 10,000 troops.
Response lukewarm. A few fighter jets offered. Oh yeah, and exercises. Canada is sending 50 troops.
The reality is that you’re as clueless as the Polish leadership. It takes a bit more than idealism and bits of paper.
Then again it may just be the case that the Poles are pathologically incapable of understanding how you behave when next door to a major regional power. Their history would certainly suggest that that is the case.
There are so many many ways this can go wrong for them, and no sensible person places themselves in that position.
Even time itself is not on their side.
PR exercise by the Queen’s Navee. HMS Bulwark is at Greenwich until Tuesday if anybody is interested. Build cost £225m + £32million refit in 2011.
http://www.wharf.co.uk/2014/05/hms-bulwark-arrives-in-greenwi.html
Other Navee news. Work on the new carrier proceeds. Launch July 2014 Operational 2020.
https://navynews.co.uk/archive/news/item/10565
Any planes to go on the carrier yet Mr Hammond? Run out of money? What a shame.
Cost? We are told it is £3.5bn
http://www.queenelizabethcruises.net/hms-queen-elizabeth-aircraft-carrier/
Rat? Sinking ship? Or perhaps he cannot find the words any more.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney Quits
“I’m going to miss him a lot,” says President Barack Obama as he bids farewell to the podium veteran.
http://news.sky.com/story/1272403/white-house-press-secretary-jay-carney-quits
Habbabkuk, the recall law is an ongoing matter. It was proposed before the last election. However, as I understand it, the government has moved the goal-posts. Their recent proposal is that other MPs rather than the voters would initiate the recall process. If the debate were to proceed in that direction, public power of recall would never even get discussed. Hence the seemingly vague petition; the MPs already know what 38Degrees are complaining about. You can find all this on the 38Degrees site, though you may need to look about a bit.
Anon, even you could have a good idea, so I won’t go rejecting ideas just because they’re yours in case you do.
@Anon. I wouldn’t want to be seen to be supporting the Socialist Worker Party in any way. I was also on that 1-2 million march, and the reason that movement worked was because SWP was sandwiched between CND, the Muslim Council of Britain and the Trades Unions. I’ve never expressed this opinion before but from what I can remember the protests faded after February 15th at least partly because Trades Unions started running scared of being sequestered. Was that more important than the Iraqi people? From what I remember, Blair gave them their reward in the Warwick agreement (better pensions and working conditions) a year later. Of course Cameron has even taken those away now…
It is the petition that matters. I would have signed it even if Michael Gove had penned it.
” Only a week ago it asked for 10,000 troops. ”
Well actually it was at the begining of April and in response to Putin massing 40,000 Russians on the Ukraine border. Had NATO supplied the requested troops you’d have acused them of being provocative and Putin could’ve used their presence as an excuse to keep his army in place. As it is Putin has seen sense and withdrawn most of the Russians so the need to re-inforce Poland no longer exists.
” Then again it may just be the case that the Poles are pathologically incapable of understanding how you behave when next door to a major regional power. ”
So how would that be? Servile submission to intimidation and bullying? Anything Cuba could learn from their example?
Poland, and Russia, are well aware of the central tenet of NATO; an attack on one member state is an attack on all.
“Peacewisher
“Try this e-petition, Habby (and anyone else…):
http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/64756”
Sorry, but I won’t sign any petition instigated by hard leftist Lindsey German.”
It was a jointly signed epetition Lindsey’s name just happened to be at the top.
Lindsey German, convenor of Stop the War Coalition
Kate Hudson, general secretary of CND
Caroline Lucas MP
Jeremy Corbyn MP
John Rees, Stop the War Coalition
Baroness Jenny Tonge
Ken Loach, film and TV director
Mark Rylance, actor
Miriam Margolyes OBE actor
Michael Rosen, author and broadcaster
Salma Yaqoob, former leader of the Respect Party
Andrew Murray, chief of staff for Unite union
It might help if you read the letter too. It is not expected that somebody who supports UKIP would be opposed to NATO exercises in Ukraine.
”
No to Nato military exercises in Ukraine
Responsible department: Ministry of Defence
We note with great concern that UK and US troops are scheduled to participate in joint military exercises in Ukraine in July as part of NATO’s Rapid Trident manoeuvres. Ukraine is not a member of NATO. Its participation in military exercises by a nuclear-armed alliance with a first-strike policy can only further destabilise the country.
We call on the British government to urge the US and other NATO governments to cancel the Rapid Trident exercise, and to give a plain and public undertaking that Britain will not participate.”
You’ve sealed it now, John.