Confirmed speaking dates at the moment are
26 August St Andrews
28 August Insch
29 August Dundee
30 August Cupar, Fife
I will post details of times and venues shortly – these are all evening events. I am still open to invitations on dates around these, and indeed any daytime events. Don’t mind dashing all over the place. A number are in the pipeline already. Contact me using the button at top of page.
Have been rather unwell the last couple of days, so please forgive lack of regular posts. BBC Hardtalk interview with Anders Fogh Rasmussen of NATO made me feel much worse. Totally incapable of acknowledging the disasters NATO and NATO members have inflicted on the world since the collapse of the Soviet Union – and the BBC totally incapable of serious questioning on the point.
@DL: But no picture of Yasmine. Not like the Daily Express to miss the chance to show a pretty face. Obviously we are not intended to take her seriously… just some kook!
I had the painful experience of flicking through this pile of garbage to get to the end.
What a complete waste of time – I will be out campaigning for a Yes over the next few weeks as it is far more important to try to win this referendum.
Craig – best wishes for a speedy recovery.
I had an interesting chat this afternoon at Fettes about OO. Give me an e-mail and I will update you in a few days if I get a sensible response out of them.
No point in posting it here as a discussion point with all these trolls about.
P.S. Blog is great – shame about the morons posting on it – religious nutters and BT No Thanks UKOK – a strange alliance? Well maybe not.
@Ben: Good comment, and you may be surprised that a former UK military commander appearing on BBC Newsnight said more or less the same thing. No-one really knows what’s going on! He said it was like that at the start of the conflict in Bosnia. It could be that USUK may have to… wait for it… side with Assad.
Everyone doesn’t hate NATO. Some countries like India which is not member of NATO, wants NATO to stay in Afghanistan forever. On the other hand, Iran which has the second longest border with Afghanistan after Pakistan, wants both the US and NATO to get the hell out of Afghanistan.
http://rehmat1.com/2014/07/21/india-is-against-us-nato-pullout-from-afghanistan/
Really Peacewisher. Watching ISIS is like watching a clone of Walking Dead spliced with Terminator minus command/control software.
P.s.
Craig,
you need to get one of these blue arrow up/down things that Rev Stu and Derek Bateman have in the bottom right corner.
I think they are called “Avoid Pish” buttons or something like that?
Ben-American Fascist Flechette – Don’t tell anyone that Bibi said ISIS is good for Israel.
Last month, Netanyahu in his first comment on ISIS victory in Iraq, said that Washington should stay out of the Iraqi conflict – and let the Sunni militants defeat the Shia-dominated government of prime minister al-Maliki and break-up Iraq. “This will weaken Iranian influence in the Arab region,” said Netanyahu during his address at Tel Aviv University’s INSS think-tank.
http://rehmat1.com/2014/06/30/netanyahu-isis-is-good-for-israel/
@Ben: as it was in Bosnia. The great Western military can’t really get involved until they decide who are the good zombies/robocops/terminators and who are the bad ones. Are Cameron & Obama up to the job? Were Clinton & Major?
http://wemeantwell.com/blog/2014/08/16/satire-u-s-plan-in-place-to-defeat-isis/
Fred: Wikipedia isn’t all fact as I am sure you know. To call it history is generous to say the least.There were many people with links to Nazi Germany.Our Royal family,Zionists,A Palestinian Mufti.The Bush’s and British Rothschilds bankrolled Hitler.And of course there was ‘”Peace in our time”.
MI5 has been responsible for a muckle o mischief and their Wikipedia entries are just as see through as their exploding pillar boxes and telephone poles.
Get back to your sheep.She’s missing you !
Or visit the country you purport to stay in before letting your belly rumble.
Troll
18 Aug, 2014 – 9:34 pm
I know exactly why I was selected for your channelling of me. Because of my support for the Palestinians.
“Love in the Time of Genocide” performed by Haidar Eid
The Palestinian intellectual and activist Haidar Eid,
in Gaza, performs “Love in the Time of Genocide,” adapted from a poem
by the late Egyptian poet Abdul Rahim Mansour.
The words are unadorned, but Eid’s performance is haunting, set
against images from Israel’s most recent massacre in Gaza
/..
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/listen-love-time-genocide-performed-haidar-eid
Thanks Sashimi MLMB
And I found this on Medialens too. Kirsty Wark floundering when Cornel West states some truths including US torture and Israel’s recent crimes in Gaza.
Newsnight accidentally highlights Obama’s hypocrisy
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/thread/1408400053.html
There is a YT of the segment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USc_LZeRYug&feature=youtube_gdata_player
No irony at all. Can’t see any mention of Crawford’s masterclasses but this is all about ‘churnalism’ at which the Guardian excels as we all know.
http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/journalism-courses?
INTCMP=mic_233676
~~~
See what you missed. A snip for £250.
http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/powerful-public-speaking-course-charles-crawford
http://www.theguardian.com/guardian-masterclasses/negotiation-in-action-charles-crawford-negotiation-course
Thanks for the pics of Maha and above Mary. Isee your cyberstalker/schoolmaster is once again lording it over Craigs blog, speaking to commenters in a derogative way because he wants to destroy what Craig has achieved here.
Sad socket, we now know who you are and its remarkable that such an educated mind can be as blinkered as you are.
@all the latest poll over the weekend shows a remarkable change, only 4% between the two sides now. I expect that after the DTRH, many young festival goers will spread the word, Glasgow will be abuzz with campaigners for the positive yes side.
Those poor souls in Westminster who tried their Machiavellian distortion and falsification of facts will have to realise that a way to a scottish heart is with music and debate, not with bullying and bluster.
three cheers to the Independent campaign. Hipp hipp hurrah!
“No links then, thought so.”
As I said but you didn’t have the brains to understand, loads of links, just google “SNP” and “NAZI” to see them all.
Here’s one to start you off with.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Donaldson
“Liar.”
Retard.
@DoNNyDarKo
RoS posted about Zionists at Westminster so I posted about Nazis in the SNP.
You respond with personal insults, against myself.
This is why I will be voting a resounding “NO”. I showed how the SNP were Nazi sympathisers during the war but you have demonstrated that the SNP still use those Nazi methods today. I have always said that the SNP were no different to the BNP and the EDL. You prove me right.
Anybody who votes for the nazi thugs and bullies must be wrong in their head. Didn’t they learn anything from 1930’s Germany. I see they started arming the police in preparation for something, maybe it’s in case everything doesn’t go Herr Salmond’s way at the referendum.
“P.S. Blog is great – shame about the morons posting on it – religious nutters and BT No Thanks UKOK – a strange alliance? Well maybe not.”
Know what you mean Mackies old bean, this blog is full of people decidedly lower classes, probably those Chav fellows…either that or Dundonian.
Anyhow must dash now, toodleoo, pip pip, what ho and do give my love to mater.
Did you read it Fred ? Your own link.It’s even less believable than WMD in Iraq.
You probably believe that Free prescriptions and bus passes provided by the SNP are really Nazi pary memebership cards !! If that’s the best you can provide then give my regards to Dolly.
“Donaldson was never charged, and no evidence for the MI5 allegations has ever been produced”
His wife denied them too.He was never convicted of anything as there never was any evidence.
“Did you read it Fred ? Your own link.It’s even less believable than WMD in Iraq.”
Well I’d sort of expected you to only believe what you want to believe but if I’m going to be reading RoS going on endlessly about Zionists and paedophiles at Westminster then I’ll be talking about the Nazi sympathisers at Holyrood.
So, I posted my evidence, now it’s up to you to show which regiment Donaldson was in and how much he did to help the war effort if you want to disprove it.
Don’t have to Fred.Donaldsons crime was trying to stop Scottish women being forced to work in English factories. Guess the Govt. looked upon that as Nazi behaviour. A bit like you really.Pretty much anything Scotland does or has achieved is knocked by you. Why do you live here if you dislike the people ,the place and its politics so much ?
You have posted “zero”evidence,or do you presume people to be guilty before they are proven innocent.That’s pretty Gestapo of you Fred !!Do you wear jack boots or wellies ?
“Don’t have to Fred.Donaldsons crime was trying to stop Scottish women being forced to work in English factories.”
So, not only did he do nothing to help the war effort he did his best to hinder it.
While brave Scots were out there giving all for what they believed in where were the SNP?
Both my parents, all the aunts and uncles did their bit, made sacrifices to prevent Britain being crushed by the same regime which sent millions to the death camps. The very vast majority of the people of Scotland did the same, I’ve had many friends who stood up for freedom in WWII, heard their stories, I know from them the gallantry and sacrifice of the Scots. Each November many still hold their heads up with pride and recall those who sacrificed everything so that their fellow Scots and their children could live in freedom.
So Donaldson spent most of the war hiding under beds shaking like a leaf then did he? Come on. What did he do for the war effort? For our side I mean, we know how much he did to help Hitler.
O/T I left these petition details on the Mark Simmonds thread. Please sign it and swamp the jerk. There are 88,000 signatures already.
‘Dear Jeremy Hunt,
Our local GPs play a vital role in our communities and helping everyone access the care that they need. They’re the first people we turn to when something goes wrong.
If you go ahead with your plans to strip away millions of pounds from some GPs, hundreds of thousands of us could lose the local doctors that we know and trust.
The Government’s reforms could hit some of the poorest communities in the country. The funding needs to be fair and ensure all communities get the level of support they need.
As Health Secretary, you have the power to save our GP surgeries. Please don’t cut the funding for our local doctors.’
https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/jeremy-hunt-don-t-close-our-gp-surgeries#petition
Deary me Fred.Suffering from a hormonal problem ?
The Scots men were canon fodder in all the great British wars of the past 300 years.
All of my family history as far back as I can go on both sides were in the forces,so don’t give me you’re Vera Lynne experiences.
I cannot for the life of me see what standing up for womens rights has to do with hiding under beds.There were plenty of politicians,mainly English that did not fight during WW II.
It did not make them cowards did it ?
The women of Scotland at that time spent much of it helping on farms or as in my mothers case,packing parachutes.No reason to pack the women off to England to work when there was plenty here. You really are a bit of an authoritarian,so answer to last question is “jack boots”.
BTW Fred, when are you going to provide proof of anything which you’re stomach rumbles about ?You really are a toom tabbard.
The day that the UK government announces a further 3.5% rise in rail prices just happens to coincide with a day of action by “Bring Back British Rail”:
http://www.bringbackbritishrail.org/
https://www.facebook.com/bringbackbritishrail
Event details:
https://www.facebook.com/events/298970503603897
Protests all round the country, including of course Scotland. Disgraceful policy of condem coalition to reprivatize the East Coast main line. This is an impressive pressure group. Shows that people can still get a message across with non-violent protest. Don’t expect any media coverage, but you never know…
There’s was no case against Donaldson as your wikipedia link is forced to admit. MI5 could if the informant story had any substance and any credibility, even today name that informant or admit they made it up. Arbitrary arrest on made-up grounds even in time of war is nothing to be proud of. It wasn’t all Worker’s Playtime and singing ‘Deep in the Heart of Texas’, looting in the aftermath of bombing was widespread, cutting off fingers to obtain rings wasn’t uncommon.
In the case of Roland Muirhead I referred to above, he had been a publicly vocal pacifist and socialist and thorn in the British state’s side since the first Boer War, fully forty years before ww2 and his views and his principles had not changed, the only change was the British state’s growing liking for totalitarian methods. We also find Guy Liddell, one of the Cambridge spy ring, traitors to a man, at that very time actively betraying every secret they could get their hands on, involved in framing Donaldson and Muirhead.
http://nationalcollective.com/2012/08/18/yes-heroes-r-e-muirhead/
Child Poverty Action Group
The Cost of a Child 2014
CPAG has just published its annual report on the cost of a child, which is based on the public’s view of the basics in life every family should be able to afford.
The report finds that families with both parents working full time on the minimum wage are 18% short of the basic amount needed to maintain a minimum standard of living. For families on out of work benefits, the shortfall is 43%.
Read the report (PDF)
http://www.cpag.org.uk/sites/default/files/Cost_of_a_child_2014_1.pdf?dm_i=5MH,2Q0L8,CD5OQ2,9X9PY,1
New Statesman Blog
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2014/08/minimum-cost-raising-child-adulthood-83000?dm_i=5MH,2Q0L8,CD5OQ2,9XD1W,1
Only in Monsewer Hollande’s France.
‘A Muslim engineer has been denied access to French nuclear power stations where he normally works over alleged security issues, according to reports.
The 29-year-old project manager, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was allowed on to the sites as part of his job between 2012 and 2013.
But in March this year he was refused permission to work at the Nogent-sur-Seine nuclear power station in eastern France after a police investigation.
The man was employed by a firm subcontracted by French energy giant EDF and his pass was reportedly revoked by management after he failed a vetting process.
His lawyer has reportedly said the move was “pure Islamophobia”.
The decision to stop his access was covered by “Secret Defence” – which means authorities are not required to publicly justify the decision.
In June this year his lawyer Sefen Guez, who works with France’s Anti-Islamophobia Collective (CCIF), was able to get the ban overturned by an appeals court
However, when the engineer turned up for work a month later, he was once again refused access.
He has now launched a second appeal and while he waits for a decision, expected at the end of August, he has been reassigned to administrative work.
Mr Guez said: “This country respects the rule of law and my client, a qualified man with no criminal record who practices his religion in a normal way, like many other French Muslims, would quite naturally like to know the reasons for this ban.”
He told France 24 that “considering the current atmosphere in France, his religious leanings cannot be ruled out” as a reason behind the ban.
But officials from the police chief’s office said: “It goes without saying that the ban was not based on criteria such as religion or race… Our judgement is based on security issues.”
A spokesman for EDF told Sky News the energy firm was unable to comment on the matter as legal proceedings were under way.’
http://news.sky.com/story/1321137/muslim-engineer-banned-from-nuclear-plants
Declassified minutes from the Secret Ministry, 1941:
Minister M1: What’s this about Donaldson? Leftie Scottish Nationalist against women’s conscription, isn’t he?
Mandarin M2: Minister, a security-service-that-mustn’t-be-named said that a large cache of weapons was discovered in his house.
M1: That’s mustn’t-be-named in public, you idiot. We get to know everything.
M2: You’re right, M1, sorry. M.I.5 said that a large cache..
M1: Yes, yes, what did this cache consist of?
M2: A large quantity of bows and arrows, M1.
M1: Good heavens! The prefect way to foil any search for guns. What a cunning plot!
M2: Shall we arrest him for, M1 – for what charge?
M1: Yes, arrest him -and, er, let him go aftet 6 weeks. Just teach him to behave himself.
M2: Yes, Minister.
Subject: Zionist Censorship of the British “Free” Press
To: letters at thejc.com
The Editor
The Jewish Chronicle
Sir,
Yesterday I arranged with Daniel Barres in your advertising department for the placement of an advertisement as displayed below. This morning he informed me that due to the content of my book — condemnation of Apartheid Israel’s crimes against humanity — you had decided that the advertisement could not be placed in your paper. Would you therefore be good enough to confirm to me in writing that you, Sir, are the sole arbiter of what British Jews are and are not allowed to read. After all, why should you have to shield from criticism a nation that not only claims to have been chosen by God Himself, but also vehemently insists that it is the “only democracy in the Middle East.” You, Sir, may not be aware that Apartheid racism and crimes against humanity do not constitute a democracy, but a blatant, criminal hypocrisy.
I don’t suppose you will have the courage to publish this letter in your “Letters to Editor” column, because guys like you are only couragous when it comes to bombing the hell out of innocent and unarmed civilian old age pensioners, women and children. YOU MUST BE VERY PROUD OF YOURSELF.
Yours
William Hanna
P.S. You will be pleased to learn that you are not alone: apart from the BBC, another gutless, two-faced editor — Ian Hislop of Private Eye — also without explanation refused my ad. You guys really should officially form a news censorship club.
The ad was for his book – http://www.amazon.com/Hiramic-Brotherhood-Third-Temple-William/dp/1909425915