Listening to the BBC and Sky, and reading The Guardian, all on the subject of whether the UK establishment knew about CIA torture or not, the realisation dawned on me that I had imagined my entire life story and in fact I had never actually existed. For a little while it was like being in a particularly scary Japanese film.
Then fortunately, I started to look through the comments threads and discovered that even though every journalist in the mainstream media does not know that I blew the whistle on all this a decade ago, the general public do apparently know of me and know a very great deal more than the so-called journalists. So it seems I do exist after all.
That is really quite a relief, because I was about to cancel my walk to Sandy Bell’s on the grounds that if I was merely a metaphysical concept, I probably would not be able to drink anyway.
“So Jim Murphy is the new leader of Scottish Labour. I wonder what his position is regarding torture and extraordinary rendition…”
You should get a hat-tip PW.
New thread on that very subject.
ResDis writes where is Mark Golding’s condemnation of the torture employed by the Assad monarchy against its people for many many years?
The many images (11,000 odd) and documentation originating from SOHR, the London based public-relations propaganda apparatus are a single dubiously sourced, poorly documented dossier on torture by the Assad regime.
While the images (800 off) are likely genuine in that they show tortured people, the source of the material is more questionable and has a definite agenda.
They have been provided by an opposition movement funded in no small part by Qatar – a nation that, along with the other Gulf states, has a vested interest in seeing Iran’s main regional ally, President Assad assassinated or deposed. Although this should not make us discount the pictures out of hand, it nonetheless raised some red flags which needed further analysis.
Interestingly the research undertaken by Sri-Lanka volunteers from London Uni for COIA found proof of torture undertaken by Syrian thugs when the U.S. government outsourced the ‘enhanced interrogation’ of suspected terrorists to Damascus’s secret police truncheon and electrode-wielding goons in the years after 9/11. It can only be without a sense of irony, given the questionable reports of ‘red line’ use of chemical weapons and nerve agent sarin gas then, that some British and U.S. officials were reputedly shocked and horrified by the images of torture and gassed victims contained in the Qatar-funded, sexed-up report.
In other words, unlike Craig’s factual, undeniable and truthful experiences of torture, such as boiling people alive, the facts about the Assad ‘monarchy’ recent excruciation are conjectural at best and downright lies at worst.
Is that the best you can do? Go into denial?
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/syria-new-report-finds-systemic-and-widespread-torture-and-ill-treatment-detention-2012-03-13
One thing’s for sure they’ll be no Syrian Craig Murray or independent Syrian Senate report to blow the whistle on Assad’s four secret police forces.
Erm….did I say something to rattle a few cages? 😉
I thought the phrase “conspiracy theory”, was a “thought terminating cliche”. A linguistic device employed to suppress dissent and assist totalitarian authority.
Habbabkuk
KingOfWelshNoir
“The fact that someone has not specifically posted to condemn a regime’s use of torture in no way indicates that they support it.”
________________
You may have a point – but perhaps only at first sight.
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Habbabkuk, the point is unassailable, at first second and third sight. If you want to argue that a poster is guilty of supporting all the cases of torture he doesn’t specifically post to condemn, then we are all damned on numerous counts, including you.
Resident Dissident
13 Dec, 2014 – 9:55 am
“…where is Mark Golding’s condemnation of the torture employed by the Assad monarchy against its people for many many years?”
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I’ve never heard you condemn torture used by Israel for many, many years ResDis; maybe I missed it.
Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
13 Dec, 2014 – 12:59 pm
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Habbabkuk you have never posted any comments denouncing torture used by the friend of Thatcher – General Pinochet.
Why not?
Nevermind
13 Dec, 2014 – 12:13 pm
“As an arch zionist, peacewisher, Jim Murphy supports Israel’s right to imprison children, harass masses of women and young teenagers, kill just about anybody who fishes further out than five miles of sea in Gaza, incarcerate elected representatives at will, shoot at them with tear gas canisters…”
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Jim Murphy said:
“It’s entirely unacceptable and morally wrong that the Palestinians live nine years shorter lives than the prosperous Israelis, and are three times more likely to take their own lives.”
“I’m proud of the limitless potential, but we should be unsettled that Arab Israelis don’t share in it – so the mission isn’t just to unite the country but to build a nation created on social justice.”
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-30461687
Only kidding, I changed a few words.
Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
13 Dec, 2014 – 1:16 pm
“How fortuitous that the “local man” just happened to have some eggs on him when Mr Murphy “didn’t answer his question”
“Perhaps he was on the way back home from his local supermarket?”
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Well that’s just about what happened, Habbabkuk.
“When the East Renfrewshire MP failed to answer the question “what do you have against democracy” posed by MacKenzie, the 45-year-old decided to take action.”
“He walked to a nearby Tesco store and bought half a dozen eggs before returning to the town’s High Street.”
“Mackenzie then hurled his first three eggs at Mr Murphy — missing each time.”
“He then repositioned himself and tried again — missing from four yards’ range — before approaching the MP and “physically striking him” with the eggs before making off.”
http://www.thecourier.co.uk/news/local/fife/kirkcaldy-yes-supporter-sentenced-for-egging-jim-murphy-1.558970
So it wasn’t pre-planned as you try to imply.
@ Doug Scorgie – but what a waste of half a dozen eggs no matter and the culprit received 80 hours community service for his trouble which is 80 hours more than the egged MP has probably ever done. Nevertheless “Every little helps”.
Yes you do exist and you speak a lot more sense than that pack of idiots.
Habbakuk, you know about as much about fishing in the eastern Med than a horse knows about brewing a cup of dragoneye jasmine tea.
The cease fire stipulates a 20 nautical miles zone, not six miles. Israel has repeatedly violated cease fire agreements and has pis.ed on their very own signature.
What value, what guarantee in a zionist signature? they might as well sign in wet sand.
@Doug… phew you had me for a nanosecond, Jim Murphy has said something?
Unless he distances himself from Bliar and Straw’s torture agenda, nobody will believe his neeps n’ baloney.
KingOfWelshNoir (and Mr Scorgie – pls pay attention)
“Habbabkuk, the point is unassailable, at first second and third sight. If you want to argue that a poster is guilty of supporting all the cases of torture he doesn’t specifically post to condemn, then we are all damned on numerous counts, including you.”
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No, that wasn’t what I was saying, and your reproduction of my post of course misses out an essential part of it.
My point – and you know it perfectly well – was about people who post about torture selectively, focussing on some countries and completely ignoring others. I asked you why you thought that should be so.
If someone never posts about torture anywhere, then you are right. But some people on here who do post about torture do so selectively.
What is your explanation for that?
Nevermind
God, you really are thick. My point was a biological one and not about the ceasefire: in general, there are greater numbers of fish within what used to be called “coastal waters” than further out.
So the Gazans have plenty of fishing possibilities within the 5 nautical miles.
Mr Scorgie
“So it wasn’t pre-planned as you try to imply.”
________________
As so often, Doug, you are being weasely.
The egg throwing was not spontaneous but premeditated – the man got pissed off and took the trouble to go to a supermarket, buy eggs and then go back to where Murphy was to throw them. As you yourself quote:
“When the East Renfrewshire MP failed to answer the question “what do you have against democracy” posed by MacKenzie, the 45-year-old decided to take action.
“He walked to a nearby Tesco store and bought half a dozen eggs before returning to the town’s High Street.”
Fool!
Murphy has some bother yesterday as he was being heckled, He is deeply unpopular.
http://news.sky.com/story/1391358/murphy-named-scottish-labour-party-leader
Habbabkuk
I didn’t misunderstand your point, I understood it perfectly. The key phrase is this:
‘You may have a point – but perhaps only at first sight.’
in which you purport to agree with the main point that one cannot legitimately infer from a poster’s silence on a human rights abuse that he/she agree with it, and then suggest by sleight of hand that, well, maybe one can, because ‘Whatabout’ people who post selectively condemning torture etc.?
Well what about them? Either we can infer from their silence on some cases that they therefore support torture or we can’t.
Which is it?
I’m absolutely clear that we are not entitled to make that inference.
What about you? Do you really believe that a poster who expresses horror at torture in Guantanamo but not Chechnya can be regarded as supporting torture in the latter? Bearing in mind that this would be a gross slander for which ordinarily one would require powerful supporting evidence.
Instead of muddying the water by asking ancillary questions, why not state your position clearly?
If you do, I will answer your ancillary question as to why posters post selectively on issues.
Although I think you will find it is an example of what is called, Normal Behaviour on a Blog.
KOWN (to Habbabkuk); “If you do, I will answer your ancillary question as to why posters post selectively on issues”
This should be fun; I hope Iain Orr is paying close attention to these proceeding.
KOWN
Might I suggest you read Golding’s comments on the Assads and then do a little research on the subject.
Scorgie – do uou understand the meaning of the word universal?
@Resident Dissident, – have you yet learnt the meaning of the word Causality ?
Resident Dissident
Look matey, if you want to accuse people on this blog of supporting torture it’s up to you to provide the evidence to support your dubious claim, not send me off in search of it.