Those suddenly concerned about the European Arrest Warrant in Westminster last night were notably silent when it was used against Julian Assange, with a case that had more holes in it than a condom torn by Anna Ardin, the noted CIA agent.
Not only was the evidence against Assange not tested, the Supreme Court accepted that a Swedish prosecutor with a screaming political agenda was a “judicial authority”, despite her being neither a judge nor a court. That extraordinary ruling was itself dependent on two even more extraordinary false premises, directly stated in Lord Phillip’s judgement.
1) That the French term “autorites judiciaires” has a “wider meaning” than the English term “judicial authorities”. That is simply untrue.
2) That the French language version of the treaty is “authentic and original” and to be preferred to the English version. That is absolutely untrue – the different language versions are explicitly equal. That is a fundamental rule of EU (and UN)treaties, both of which I have personal experience of negotiating.
The bottom line being, if the Establishment wants to get you, it will, irrespective of the letter of the law.
Ba’al Zevul
12 Nov, 2014 – 11:09 am
“Sierra Leone remains the arsehole of the universe.”
Correction Ba’al:
We live in a multi-arsehole universe. Tony Blair; Jack Straw; Thatcher; Cameron; George Bush; Cheney…
JA on the genuine ‘establishment’
Martha Rosler: Are you, for example, a social democrat? Do you have any philosophy of the state and of governance that you would care to share?
JA: Oh, that’s one. We’ve spoken about this, but perhaps she’s giving me license to go into it a bit more. I’ll go more into that example in the United States. When I was in Russia in the 1990s, I used to watch NTV in Moscow. NTV was the freest TV I have ever seen. I don’t know if you’re familiar with Spitting Image. It was a British public satire that was very politically aggressive, but NTV and other Russian channels had far more guts. And that was because at that time, Russia had something like 10 independent points of power. It had the army. It had the remnants of the KGB and the external KGB, which ended up becoming the SVR. It had Yeltsin, and his daughter, and that mob. It had some broader mish-mash of bureaucracy that was left over from the Soviet Union. And it had seven oligarchs. That meant, in terms of media control, the state plus the oligarchs with own their own independent media. As a result, you could actually put out almost anything you wanted under the patronage or protection of one of these groups. And when Putin came in, he tamed the oligarchs. Some were arrested, some had their assets seized, and some were exiled. The result was that they fell in under Putin’s centralized patronage pyramid. The ownership of the TV stations also reined popular democracy under Putin’s pyramid. And now, in order to get anything of scale done in Russia, you have to have a sponsor in the pyramid somewhere.
I see in the United States that there is now a rivalry between the modern form of the military industrial complex and Wall Street for this central pyramid. And the military industrial complex has been broadening and expanding its share of that patronage system aggressively. There are now around 900,000 people in United States that have top-secret security clearances. Ten years ago, the National Security Agency dealt with about sixteen private contractors. The National Security Agency is the biggest spy agency in the United States, and its combined budget is more than that of the FBI and CIA combined, or at least it was around eight years ago when I had the last statistic. Now, it has over 1,000 contractors. Similarly, US involvement in Iraq created around 10,000 different private contractors. So the patronage is now moving into the private sector. It’s less contained than it was. Its tentacles are spreading into all walks of our society and the number of people who are connected through family and business relationships, to that structure, continues to increase. My guess is that something like 30 to 40 percent of the US population is now either directly connected to that structure, or one step removed, through family and business relationships. In the past two years, US tax revenue has decreased nearly 25 percent, while the same time the amount of tax revenue flowing through to that sector in the first year of Obama was around 6% to 7%—the amount of money being soaked up by this sector is increasing. So that shows you that as a patronage network it is increasing in its power, because it’s starting to eat up more of the pie, compared to other groups. That’s a real problem for the United States. There’s a vast shadow state of private companies hooked into the secrecy system, into national security system, and an ever-expanding number of new government bureaucracies as well. It’s very worrying that in the United States, that area is heading towards a Putinization. What Putin and the siloviki did to Russia, that system is doing to United States. And it’s not just the US, but a broader Western patronage network.”
https://wikileaks.org/In-Conversation-with-Julian,107.html
Doug – I apologise for appearing to categorise Sierra Leone in the same terms as obviously apply to Tony Blair. And I referred to the conditions there, not the people who endure them. But if we are being particular, I regard Blair and the rest as the product of a cosmic arsehole-of-the-universe rather than that probably indispensable organ itself. It’s just a pity they all landed on earth at once.
The bankers’ wrongdoing is only ‘alleged’ don’t you know according to Radio 4 Today.
Comment on Medialens.
‘Alleged’ wrongdoing
BBC R4 Today this morning: the headline news at 8.30 was that
‘financial regulators have fined five banks a total of two billion pounds for alleged manipulation of foreign exchange rates…a sixth bank, Barclays, is still negotiating with regulators and has yet to settle’
(The 8 o’clock news had used the expression ‘…after an investigation into an alleged rigging of foreign exchange rates’. I guess ‘an alleged rigging’ was deemed a bit too harsh…)
An interview with Angela Leadsom, Economic Secretary at the Treasury at 8.22 revealed that fines on banks used to be used ‘to reduce the ongoing costs of the (banking) industry’; now the money ‘goes to the taxpayer’. Money from Libor fines went to support the military covenant, ‘to give back to the military who do so much for us…’
Jesus, I’m so happy.
http://members5.boardhost.com/medialens/msg/1415790330.html
Mrs Leadsom has some form.
Andrea Leadsom received £70,000 donation from family firm with parent company controlled in tax haven
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/andrea-leadsom-received-70000-donation-from-family-firm-with-parent-company-controlled-in-tax-haven-9603559.html
Back to Sierra Leone. This is as transparent as it gets.
http://devtracker.dfid.gov.uk/countries/SL/
£79m 2014/2015
It’s a 10.5 billion km billiards shot off four moving cushions to hit a 40,000mph bullet. Respect to Rosetta team.
And humankind.
Yes, Rosetta lander appears to be down and safe.
https://twitter.com/ESA_Rosetta
Craig is of course right – “autorité judiciare = judicial authority, but that is irrelevant to the argument.
What is reevant is the following (from the Council Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant (13.06.2002)):
“Article 6
Determination of the competent judicial authorities
1. The issuing judicial authority shall be the judicial
authority of the issuing Member State which is competent to
issue a European arrest warrant by virtue of the law of that
State.
2. (Idem for the “executing judicial authority)”
Which means, of course, that what N_ wrote at 10h37 is correct.
A votre service, Messieurs (et c’est gratos)!
Oh, Oh, spoke too soon.
Harpoons didn’t fire.
Is Philae anchored to comet?
Fingers crossed.
Mr Scorgie
“We live in a multi-arsehole universe. Tony Blair; Jack Straw; Thatcher; Cameron; George Bush; Cheney…”
__________________
Please do not encroach on Ben’s domain, Doug.
Ben is the “arses and turds” man on here.
You, I have observed, are more into “tossers”.
Stick to what you’re most comfortable with, Doug, that’s my advice to you. 🙂
The march of global de-dollarization continues. In the last few days, China has signed direct currency agreements with Canada becoming North America’s first offshore RMB hub, which CBC reports analysts suggest “could double maybe even triple the level of Canadian trade between Canada and China,” impacting the need for Dollars.
But that is not the week’s biggest Petrodollar precariousness news, as The Examiner reports, a new chink in the petrodollar system was forged as China signed an agreement with Qatar to begin direct currency swaps between the two nations using the Yuan, and establishing the foundation for new direct trade with the OPEC nation in the very heart of the petrodollar system. As Simon Black warns, “It’s happening… with increasing speed and frequency.”
_______________________________
Watch out China and Canada the US won’t tolerate a rival to the Petroldollar.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-10/petrodollar-panic-china-signs-currency-swap-deal-qatar-canada
As CBC reports,
RepublicOfUncontrolledLongings
Calm down, it’s not going to happen.
Israeli settlers have launched an arson attack on a Palestinian mosque in a village in the occupied West Bank, torching part of the holy place.
“The settlers set fire to the whole of the first floor of the mosque” in the village of al-Mughayir, near the West Bank city of Ramallah overnight, Palestinian security officials said Wednesday.
In a similar incident in 2012, another mosque was set afire in the same village, which is located near the Israeli settlement of Shilo.
The settlers, mostly armed, regularly attack Palestinian villages and farms and set fire to their mosques, olive groves and other properties in the West Bank under the so-called “price tag” policy. However, Tel Aviv rarely detains the assailants. Price tag attacks are acts of vandalism and violence against Palestinians and their property as well as Islamic holy sites by Israeli settlers.
___________________________________
The “Mad Mob” strike again, there must be something sinister in Tel Aviv’s tap water.
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2014/11/12/385706/israel-settlers-torch-palestinian-mosque/
“Watch out China and Canada the US won’t tolerate a rival to the Petroldollar.
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2014-11-10/petrodollar-panic-china-signs-currency-swap-deal-qatar-canada”
________________
The above website – which is lovingly quoted from time to time on here by some of the resident loonies – is obviously the financial/commercial/monetary equivalent of some of the other dubious websites appearing regularly here (voltaire.net, the grandiosely-titled “globalresearch.org”, chris.spivey….).
Interestingly enough, it – like those other websites – remains remarkably coy about telling us anything about itself – who runs it, who are the article writers, how it’s financed, etc, etc.
Go to the “Home Page” and you’ll find nothing. Go to the tab “Contributors” and all you’ll find is “comments” from readers (they seem as loony as most of the comments on here).
What are websites like this trying to hide and why?
Zero Hedge does have a Wikipedia page with some info https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zero_Hedge
Far-right group to IDF soldiers: If you feel threatened, shoot Arab in head.
Lehava, the right-wing, anti-miscegenation group whose main activity is to incite against Arabs as a way of dissuading Jewish Israeli girls from dating them, has taken its incitement beyond intermarriage and into the realm of security.
A new poster on its Facebook page encourages Israeli soldiers to act trigger happy when it comes to Palestinian protesters.
___________________________________________
Now I’m convinced,that the “Mad Mob” are truly insane.
http://972mag.com/far-right-group-to-idf-soldiers-if-you-feel-threatened-shoot-arab-in-head/98571/
“What are websites like this trying to hide and why?”
______________________________________
More rambling from the clown, who couldn’t string a comment of his own together if his miserable life depended upon it, never mind I’m sure his bum chum Kempe will boost his flagging morale.
Maybe some day in the distant future, he will actually produce a constructive and informative comment of his own, but don’t hold your breath just yet.
Resident Dissident
11 Nov, 2014 – 10:53 pm
“Putting shilling!”
………………..
What’s a putting shilling ResDis?
“Zero Hedge does have a Wikipedia page with some info”
__________________________________
Not good enough for you know who if a website doesn’t have a Royal seal of approval, then it doesn’t meet the grade.
Of course if he ever decided one day to post a link of his own, I’m sure we’d all be flabbergasted to say the least. Oh well you can only live in hope.
RoS 5.39pm Quite telling that the person of whom you speak has not made one comment on the ‘Racist Concept of Israel’ thread which now has three pages of comments. This is in spite of various exhortations and invitations to do so!
According the Jerusalem Post, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Martin Dempsey made statements Thursday praising the Israeli Defense Force (IDF) for taking “extraordinary lengths to limit collateral damage and civilian casualties” during Operation Protective Edge.
Dempsey told an audience at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs: “We sent a team of senior officers and non-commissioned officers over to work with the IDF to get the lessons from that particular operation in Gaza.” He referred to the group of officers as the “lessons learned team.”
But Ramah Kudaimi of the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation said Israel’s tactics should not be replicated.
“It is very disturbing and shameful that U.S. military commanders believe that what Israel did in Gaza is something to be applauded,” Kudaimi told Common Dreams. “Five hundred dead children does not seem to be evidence that Israel was trying to not kill civilians. The seven-year siege on Gaza is not a policy to avoid civilian suffering.”
__________________________________________
The “Mad Mob’s” sidekick the US applaud Israeli tactics in Gaza.
http://www.globalresearch.ca/critics-slam-us-militarys-disturbing-praise-for-israels-gaza-offensive/5412717
Oops! ***Website Alert*** this site doesn’t meet you know who’s standards. It doesn’t have Royal approval.
Nigel Farage has just asked David Cameron for an assurance, that any inhabitants of the comet will not be allowed automatic entry to the UK.
He’s back..I thought I would update you..she said are you ready yet..this is kind of live but wtf
I’m taking nowt mate..well except the important things…my missus (maybe my son if he is late..he said he would give us a lift to the trainstation..and he ain’t bloody turned up yet…but that is O.K…I said ortherwise we will get the Bus..They are All Seriously Jealous of It..
They Gave Me FREEMAN of LONDON
You made 60 you [email protected] the f did you do that?
Dunno..but I’m still here..and I really appreciate that…
Sorry..Was it Ken or Boris??
Tony
the equivalent of ‘throwing a hammer from London and hit a nail in Delhi’ someone said today.
NASA eat your little heart out, getting to the moon was easy, its there, you can see it.
but to slingshot twice round mars to get up to speed and zip off 300 million miles to deliver a fridge on to a comet surely must have it.
Philae is sniffing the comet out, chemically, and once the two inseparables get nearer to the sun, the fridge will melt away and has fulfilled its purpose.
Vorsprung durch Technik. So much to something we’ve never done before, our past will become a little clearer.
NATO’s Liars have another one of its PR campaigns against Russia going, beware the Bear is moving weapons into Ukraine, yawn,
what about NATO’s expansion into Lithuania and Latvia? what have NATO’s crack troops got to do there apart from winding up large Russian minorities?
Is NATO trying to provoke Russia? what a surprise, the old leopard, we failed to shoot when he was injured, has still got its spots.
Over 60’s Oyster Card..Oh Come On..Do They Do This in Manchester..I Bet You Have To Pay Get There To The Supermarket on the Bus to Buy Your Food To Keep The kids Alive (sorry i am trying to paint Bradford in Words.)
Are The Gigs as Good?
Tony
@Nevermind “… but to slingshot twice round mars to get up to speed …”
Agree with everything else you say, but for accuracy’s sake, and not to underplay Rosetta’s voyage, it was one slingshot round Mars and three round Earth.
Sounds like they got the screws in the feet to anchor on the comet, if not the harpoons. Fingers still crossed.
Simple gif graphic of voyage here:
http://i.imgur.com/TUkKuhf.gif
“RoS 5.39pm Quite telling that the person of whom you speak has not made one comment on the ‘Racist Concept of Israel’ thread which now has three pages of comments. This is in spite of various exhortations and invitations to do so!”
__________________________________
Apologises Mary just noticed your comment there, yes indeed I think we all know exactly what his agenda is.
Well well well, the corner stone of the no camp in Scottish independence referendum was “Separation shuts shipyards” Jim Murphy et al promised MoD contracts if we voted no. Well we voted no and now the MoD are considering pulling the £4 Billion Clyde Frigate contract.
http://wingsoverscotland.com/barely-worth-the-words/#more-63206
Thanks no voters, your Westminster masters, know a sucker when they see one.
Rosetta.
Looks like the landing was near perfect, right on target site and legs cushioning impact. However the harpoon anchoring system didn’t work so the micro-gravity on such a small mass as a comet wasn’t enough to prevent it bouncing away from the surface. Telemetry indicates that the lander rotated for a while before becoming steady again. ESA are saying this indicates they have probably made two landings not one, twice the reason to celebrate. Full marks for remaining positive. The landing site has rotated over the horizon from Rosetta, so no more telemetry for a while.
So it’s fingers crossed for a few hours, but from here in Scotland, it’s not looking good. An uncontrolled tumble and collision don’t spell good news. Apart from any other damage, you would imagine its 50:50 whether the solar panels and sample drill are even pointing ‘upwards’ and downwards respectively.
But we’ll see.
Nevermind, Node
yes The most exciting Space time since poor ol Comet Ison.
Node is correct 3 Slingshots by Earth One By Mars.
” the equivalent of ‘throwing a hammer from London and hit a nail in Delhi’ someone said today ”
yes Nevermind…all whilst the Comet was doing something around 45.000 mph… Stunning Work ..may be a problem though Possible Harpoon Fail… a wee waiting game noo… Still, Amazing Stuff.