“You have had to live with the missile threat from Gaza for fourteen years now. But now you face a new threat, the tunnels Hamas have built running here from Gaza. How concerned are you about that?”
Incredibly, that really was a question asked by BBC journalist Stephanie Bell of an Israeli man, just broadcast on BBC1. So far over 600 Palestinian civilians have died compared to two Israeli civilians (one of whom was a Bedouin who as a matter of policy are denied air raid shelters). Yet the BBC continues to pump out the narrative that the “problem” is Hamas attacks on Israel.
There are many other more interesting questions Stephanie Bell might have asked. Here are some:
“Do you ever wonder about the lives of the Arab families who lived here before they were removed by force? Whether any of them are now living in Gaza and under those bombs and shells”
“Do you honestly believe that this land is yours because God said so?”
The BBC had also been reporting as credible Israel’s appalling denials that it massacred those families in the UN school, and completely unsubstantiated claim it was stray Hamas fire that did it. The UN have confirmed that Israel has regularly been hitting UN schools and medical facilities.
“First, string theory predicts that the world has 10 space-time dimensions, in serious disagreement with all the evidence of one’s senses. Matching string theory with reality requires that one postulate six unobserved spatial dimensions of very small size wrapped up in one way or another. All the predictions of the theory depend on how you do this, but there are an infinite number of possible choices, and no one has any idea how to determine which is correct.
The second concern is that even the part of string theory that is understood is internally inconsistent. This aspect of the theory relies on a series expansion, an infinite number of terms that one is supposed to sum together to get a result. Whereas each of the terms in the series is probably finite, their sum is almost certainly infinite. String theorists actually consider this inconsistency to be a virtue, because otherwise they would have an infinite number of consistent theories of gravity on their hands (one for each way of wrapping up six dimensions), with no principle for choosing among them.”
http://www.americanscientist.org/issues/pub/is-string-theory-even-wrong
Ba’al and mike; The great gap in Quantum is the conundrum Einstein faced with his Unified Field, and there is growing evidence that the same dichotomy of particle/wave light characteristics make the one-dimensional Strings another seeming contradiction , but is being recognized with more credibility and Quantum theorists are seeing this as filling that gap as research continues.
Now all that goes barmy for Quantum science when String also suggest multi-dimensions. Add to that the real objection to String or EU theory; Free will versus Determinism. That’s an argument which will outlast or children’s children.
“The “something absolutely fundamental” that is missing in our explanation of gravity and quantum behavior is the electrical structure of matter. Here we are not talking about negative electrons and positive atomic nuclei. We must “go down” one more level and propose that all subatomic particles, including the electron, are resonant structures of electric charges of opposite sign that sum to the charge on that particle.
The electron is not a fundamental, point-like particle.4 It must have structure to provide its dipole magnetic field. There must be orbital motion of charges within the electron to generate the magnetic dipole. The transfer of electrical energy between the charges in their orbits must be resonant and near-instantaneous for the electron to be a stable particle. The same model applies to the proton and the neutron. This model satisfies Einstein’s view that there must be some lower level of structure in matter to cause resonant quantum effects.”
http://www.holoscience.com/wp/a-real-theory-of-everything/
Now I’ve really stepped into it. 🙂
Ben, there used to be a theological answer to the free will thing: God can see the whole of creation, from beginning to end – that’s his frame of reference. But that doesn’t mean to say we can’t make choices within our frame of reference. Maybe there is a quantum analogue.
In the meantime, Nick Clegg is a knob. Russia didn’t shoot down MH17 and had nothing to do with those who did. How do I know?
I don’t, not for sure. But the BBC, as it has done in the past, will ignore evidence that doesn’t fit the official version of events. And the official version, in the battle for unchallenged hegemony, is that Russia did shoot the plane down, or at least had something to do with those who did.
Cui bono? Not Russia, unless an important piece of your brain is missing.
It is disgusting that the Israelis are using a dead beduin to show an Example of ISraeli civilian deaths. When it comes to access to bombers, shelters, schools or even running water. The Israelis call the beduin, the enemy and deny them all the above and much more. But now one has died, they count it as one of their dead. One who they chose to die, because they don’t guard Arab villiages with the Iron doom or give them bomb shelters.
@Ben “The “something absolutely fundamental” that is missing in our explanation of gravity
Newton said Masses are impelled together not attracted.
Heart-eaters in Syria; child-killers savaging Gaza.
Big Israel will soon get tired of punching a guy once they realise they’ve already beaten him into bloodied unconsciousness; most bullies know when they’ve over-stepped the mark. It’s almost time for John Kerry to frown, but he only does that if he gets really, really cross with Tel Aviv.
“I said a few dead kids, guys, but, come on, you’ve really gone to town on this one, so how about parking the jets, huh?”
First, string theory predicts that the world has 10 space-time dimensions, in serious disagreement with all the evidence of one’s senses.
So is most of physics after 1920.
A little known extrapolation from quantum theory which has not been explored sufficiently IMO, is that there is only one electron. And it’s everywhere.
Certainly there’s a substructure to be understood – we haven’t touched bottom yet, by a long way. Going by the recent history of physics, the next step* will not be identifiable as any of the current sub-quantum theories, but will involve some accommodation of several. I wouldn’t lash myself to the mast.
* and that won’t be the bottom, either
@Mike: Nick Clegg may be a nob, but he’s Deputy Prime Minister, and people like me helped him get into the position of holding the balance of power. Now, every time he opens his mouth the betrayal gets worse… he has it in his power to end this awful government now, but he prefers to go for cheap tricks like trying to get the World Cup to England in 2018.
“but he prefers to go for cheap tricks like trying to get the World Cup to England in 2018.”
As opposed to the rather expensive tricks that were tried to get it to Russia and Qatar.
He’s a knob with or without the ‘k’, Peacewisher.
Maybe we should practice a new rule: vote for the meaningful choice. It kinda narrows it down.
Komodo, ain’t that superposition? Given that gluons seem to pop in and out of existence yet account for most of the mass of baryonic matter, nothing would surprise me.
Well, RD, it was regarded a “very cheap” when first suggested in a titillating tabloid. So what is Clegg doing? Cheap tricks like that could “help” the neocons towards ww3. Someone said something about Life and Death, and football being more important than that… maybe our Liverpool friend can provide the full quote.
“However, we have undergone a similar “selling of the family silver” to corporate oligarchs, so probably not too much difference there, and David Cameron certainly seems to be a puppet of the corporate oligarchs. Maybe Putin is trying to stop this process going any further… ?”
The difference is that we have got our oligarchs under rather better control than Putin – who if you look at what has happened in Russia has encouraged rather than tried to stop the process going any further – we have a top rate of tax of 45%, Putin lowered it to 13% in Russia – public expenditure on health in the UK is 7.8% of GDP compared with 3.8% in Russia (World Bank 2013 figures)- and we are miles ahead of Russia on Education, Pensions and Social Expenditure. It is no wonder that when oligarchs move their homes and their ill gotten gains to London they feel so comfortable with the worse elements of the Tory party – and if you have had the pleasure of meeting these New Russians you will notice that they share many of the characteristics and arrogance of the Victorian Gradgrinds that our ancestors spent so much effort putting in their place. You are being naïve in the extreme if you think Putin is trying to deal with them.
Interesting facts about tax, and to my way of thinking Putin should be charging them more. However, there is plenty of evidence that Corporate Oligarchs in the UK are trying not to pay any tax at all.
You don’t provide any stats about pensions, or education spending in Russia, but I’ve a feeling that the UK might not be showing up so well in 2014 and 2015 on these measures. Glad you raised these three areas; they have to be a main concern regarding the future direction of my country.
Peacewisher
I would rather clean up our own game first before starting on FIFA – strict enforcement of the fit and proper rules for owning stakes in our clubs would be a good start, especially at Chelsea and Arsenal – and then deal with the pernicious influence of Sky and the Premier League. Clegg is an irrelvance – some of us were never taken in.
Ukraine is over 7% and the US almost 18. But as we all know, that’s not a good measuring stick for quality care.
http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.XPD.TOTL.ZS
“However, there is plenty of evidence that Corporate Oligarchs in the UK are trying not to pay any tax at all.”
Take my word they are not paying any in Russia – look into how the Double tax treaty between Russia and Cyprus works for starters. Remember that Putin only declares an income himself of just over $100k per year – so lying about income is institutionalised and expected in those circles.
The other statistics on Russian Govt spending are available if you bother to look – and I assure you they will show social provision by the State in the UK is far healthier than in Russia – but if you want more examples then the standard Russian state pension is about £70 per month and lets just say that there is rather less private pension provision, but then it is better than the £20 per month that is the norm for unemployment benefit.
“Ukraine is over 7% and the US almost 18. But as we all know, that’s not a good measuring stick for quality care.”
It may not be the best – but I wonder if you have ever seen any state run Russian hospitals? Take my word if you had you would not want to be ill in one of them.
I’ll take your word for it, RD. French hospitals used to be best, I believe.
As Ben says, spending not a good measure.
2000 WHO study shows US top spender but only 38th in world league table. Russia 130th!
France No. 1 as expected. UK 18th.Year
WTF re Russia. Did the 1980s Afghanistan war ruin them that much?
BBC agenda seems increasingly out of touch with other mass media channels including lack of publicity of pro-peace jewish groups.
Channel4 and now even CNN more even-handed.
The footballer Joey Barton has 2.6 million (and rising) supporters on Twitter, and he is openly critical. Huge numbers of retweets.
Kerry is openly criticising Israel destruction.
UN demanding a lasting ceasefire
The worm has turned. I suspected that the Ukraine conflict may have unexpected effects, and this appears to be one of them. Brilliant picture on twitter of a big Rotterdam protest against Gaza:
https://twitter.com/HHMIQ/status/493472842651271169/photo/1
The BBC agenda – well they ignore these in this country:
Killed for missing an appointment. Starving soldier died ‘as result of Iain Duncan Smith’s welfare reform’
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/killed-benefits-cuts-starving-soldier-3923771
This should be a huge scandal. Instead there are zero BBC results. Three news results in google in total.
That link didn’t appear properly in the post. Its on the Mirror’s front page at the mo’. Maybe other papers will take the story up.
It seems Nuland’s war is in deep trouble now, with Ukraine’s women.
No Russian gas, but plenty of draft papers to burn.
Respect!
…
Je.
Maybe there’s a lesson there for UK mothers and sisters.
…nothing would surprise me. (Mike)
I think that is probably a good attitude to have. The concepts of 3-space and time are probably essential to a parsimonious brain working out where the nearest supply of protein is, but I have a nasty feeling they are irrelevant to any Theory of Everything. The idea of any particle having an identity is looking increasingly shaky. And proof-of-concept is getting harder and harder.
Sorry to bang on about Blair, but I’d like to see him recognised universally, rather than just widely, as the conscienceless manipulator and freeloader that he is.
Here’s a neat little analysis of what he’s about.
http://karl-naylor.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/tony-blairs-role-as-special-envoy-for.html
Resume of last week’s Blair diary:
21st: Self-promoting speech to Progress, in London
23rd, a.m. Is given reception by PM of Vietnam, Nguyen Tan Dung, in Hanoi. Offers to share his expertise in attracting investment. This is code for nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
23rd, p.m. Dinner with Vietnamese businessmen in Hanoi
24th – possibly somewhere else.
25th, a.m., local time – Guangzhou, to participate in conference hosted by Chinese construction magnate Yan Jiehe. Bill Clinton also attends this gig.
25th – p.m. Ostentatious party at Blair’s home (one of them) to celebrate Cherie’s 60th. She isn’t 60 until September
27th – Blair’s aircraft flies to Los Angeles.
From which it is apparent that the claim by his spokesperson that Blair was in the UK for most of the week is being a little economical with the truth.
Who’d have thought a “cool” Brit with a posh voice could turn out so bad, Ba’al? They certainly can mould them…
Just watching Daniel Taub on Channel 4 plus 1.
So many lies, so little time given to the interview.
Why didn’t Jon properly hold him to account? This was a poor interview.
Great piece early by Jonathan Miller
The BBC has partly redeemed itself,I was listening to PM http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04bn28c at approximately 5.10 today and there was an interview wiyh the Israeli spokesman Lerner in which he accused the UNRWA of lying or being mistaken about the 15 killed in the school. He suggested that dead bodies were moved into the school,presumably for publicity.
Lerner,shifty,evasive and aggressive.
At least they admitted it was their mortar round, Geoffrey. The latest line suddenly to develop is that civilian deaths are due to misfiring Hamas rockets. Maybe. But consider the statistics re. outgoing explosive vs incoming explosives before making up your mind.
Anyway, this is going to get a whole lot worse, and it looks as if Israel is about to condone any bestiality used to, er, demilitarise Gaza. Rather than just getting its military out, that is.
“Early reports from the ground had said an Israeli drone appeared responsible for the attack.”
http://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/middle-east-unrest/strikes-near-gazas-shifa-hospital-refugee-camp-kill-least-10-n166571
Didn’t stop the BBC promoting the Israeli Hamas rockets to blame line. Promoting as in xyz happened… the Israelis say Hamas responsible… end of story. That was the short Radio 4 news bulletin treatment of it earlier.