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3,629 thoughts on “Amnesty International Conference on Torture”

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  • Herbie

    Of course they’re talking to themselves.

    For them the issue is NATO versus Russia, which is the propaganda.

    For me it’s much broader than that.

    It’s NATO versus the rest of the world.

    Trying to characterize someone who points up the broader context as a Putin supporter is just foolish and dim.

    If this is to be a politics blog with a focus on foreign affairs you’ll have to do a bit better than repeat mainstream propaganda.

    I know it’s difficult, but please give it a try.

  • RobG

    Dave, honestly, no traps or anything, and I am honestly interested in what you are saying.

    Outline it clearly here, for the majority of egits who won’t have a clue what you are talking about (the same egits who are all dropping dead from cancer).

    I still don’t understand how cold fusion overcomes the neutron problem?

    But maybe I’m stupid.

  • glenn_uk

    Clark: Thanks for that little trip down memory lane… how time flies! Lord above, were we really all ranting at each other back then, in just the same high-handed manner? Back then, we didn’t know just how good we still had it. As we will be saying again, another five years hence.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Never believe things can’t happen to you..tonight..or tomorrow..Life ain’t like that…sure its possible..If I can do it..anyone can..its never too late to find the love of your life…what else have you got??

    So they all turn up with their cameras and words and everything so us blokes do our Best Dancing at The Front..and they ain’t looking at me..though pretending to photograph the band..well maybe a bit…

    They are all looking at The Girls..and thinking..well probably not even that..

    Cos I was looking at Her Too

    Fxck The Band..

    This is My Girl.

    She is My Wife.

    How The Fck Did I Get So Lucky in Life?

    I Love Her So Much..and Everyone Can See.

    Tony

  • Iain Orr

    Coming back after an absence, I’m struck by how self-referential – mostly in reference to private vendettas in ill-tempered language – many of the postings here are. With Craig on Afghan service and unable to provide the punctuation of new posts, us occasionals get lost in 2K+ of private wars.

    A non-topical but always topical recommendation: Clifford Harper’s “Anarchy – A Graphic Guide”. He illustrates the Guardian’s Country Diary. Worth googling.

  • glenn_uk

    What do you expect, Iain? Threads drift badly. No supervision here on the direction, none whatsoever – not even some section/topic list.

    I’m actually rather surprised it’s as self-organised as it is – general disagreement and accusations staying remarkably close to the actual points around Ukraine. Even being as specific as to reference each others’ points on satellite pictures that might concern military equipment, and having discussions very closely to the actual points up for consideration.

    Thanks for the recc’, but please – let’s not turn a hideous, state-sponsored spymaster of a money grubbing organisation into a cosy verb just yet. Not voluntarily. “Worth checking”? Hmm – too American. “Worth looking up”? Slightly better. There are lots of search engines, many of which respect your privacy, and even the simplest will do for nearly every query. Let’s not turn “Vacuum cleaner” into “Hoover” quite so obligingly for this rather vicious invader of our privacy.

  • Iain Orr

    bit more topical, copied from an email I sent some friends a few hours ago:

    “I supped (metaphorically) with a long spoon on 4 March when I paid to hear Lord Ashcroft present his latest polling results. I had a dual interests in him: : A) as a pollster and B) as someone whom several of my friends in the Caribbean regard as a criminal, but one up with which justice has not yet caught. On the latter front there was no opportunity to ask him what he thought about HMG’s governance of the UK’s overseas territories, especially in the Caribbean (and notably in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where his friend ex-premier Mike Misick awaits trial on corruption changes see eg http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jun/02/lord-ashcroft-relationship-construction-firm ).

    However, on A) Ashcroft was quite convincing in his persona as an objective pollster and not a Conservative Party strategist [subject to a minor qualification, see below] providing snapshots and not forecasts or policy endorsements. The media headlines have mainly been on his evidence of the huge swings to the SNP from Labour, notably strongest in some seats where the independence referendum voting was most strongly “NO”. Both in his presentation (at a Conservative Home event at 1 Birdcage Walk (the home of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, which I know well from lunches in the mid-1990s when it was the UK’s turn to host monthly Anglo-French polite disagreements over Eurotunnel finances) and in informal conversation afterwards, he interpreted the rationale as being that as long as Scotland was part of the UK, many voters, including those opposed to independence, believed that Scottish interests would be more resolutely defended in Westminster by SNP MPs rather than by Labour ones (with wider interests and pressures to take into account).

    So far so disquieting for Labour; and comforting for the Conservatives. However the media failed to pick up adequately two other themes that emerged from both the polling questions and discussions with carefully selected focus groups, both of which had disturbing implications for the Conservatives. First, there were a number of what appeared to be safe Conservative-held marginals – where Labour would need to achieve a swing of 8 to 9 % to win the seat – where the polling showed Labour and Conservatives as being neck-and-neck. Second was the relative importance for voting intentions of the perceived Values, Policies and Personalities. Here Cameron was far ahead of Miliband as a plausible Prime Minister, and the Conservatives had clear (if smaller) leads on “can be trusted with the economy” and “ready to take hard decisions”. However, on Values questions (“Do you think the Conservatives/ Labour (or the other parties) understand your concerns?” “Are they like you?” [NB these are not verbatim] ), Labour had a significantly stronger showing; and Values appear from the polling to be “more salient” than either Policies or Personalities in determining how people expect (at this stage) to vote in May.

    A lady beside me, who I later learned set up an animal welfare website (Blue Badger) – asked a question about animal welfare issues as being ones which (other) polling showed to be surprisingly important for some voters, including traditional but anti-hunting Tories. Ashcroft was rather dismissive – he’d need to know a lot more about how the poll referred to had been conducted – and unsympathetic. Nevertheless, in his presentation and in response to one or two questions, he did concede that, especially in marginals, those who had no great respect for any parties or their leaders might well be casting negative tactical votes – to keep out the party they most hoped would not win or which espoused a policy to which that voter was so strongly opposed that it mattered far more than the traditional individualistic vote for “the party that will best look after my economic interests”.

    I asked whether his polls had tried or would try to take into account differential rates of applying for postal ballots, both between constituencies (especially marginals) and by past or current voting intentions. He said it would simply be too expensive to do this; besides having to make too many assumptions to be able to use the results to improve the accuracy of polling. Nevertheless he did agree that the timing of when postal ballots were cast could influence an election. He speculated that as Cameron had done badly (and Nick Clegg well) in the first of the three 2010 TV debates, and as he thought the first postal ballot forms were issued a few days later, that could have hurt Cameron/Conservatives since votes cast early would not have been influenced by Cameron’s improved performances in the second and third debates. [ I would still like the media to monitor – if it is possible – constituency rates of applications and granting of postal ballots, a known area where fraud and corruption are possible influences.]

    Ashcroft also made the important qualification that not only were polls snapshots rather than forecasts; they were part of the information increasingly available to voters and helping them to decide, especially for the growing number who were more tactical voters than diehard party loyalists. He did not need to spell out the fact that it is primarily his polling and example which is making more information available. In practice, of course, he hopes that tactical voting will maximize the votes for Eurosceptic Conservatives and UKIP candidates.

    A final touch. In opening his presentation, Ashcroft said that how much polling mattered to him was shown by this being how he was spending a significant slice of his birthday. In informal conversation afterwards he added that he was not surprised that he had only had a Happy Birthday message from one party leader … Nigel Farage.”

  • Iain Orr

    Glenn

    I take your point (being myself a Lenten failed Amazon boycotter): brands are insidiously attractive: I still prefer biros to ball-point pens. I will try not to google, but I expect that to be harder than giving up smoking – which I did succeed in doing on 2 August 1981, but I still dream quite often of puffing on a fag.

  • Tony_0pmoc

    Yesterday on The Daily Telegraph..I was accused of being a racist..

    I simply replied after enormous provocation over several days..

    Oh Piss Off..which of course got Deleted

    And so I just wrote this…

    My friend hadn’t done anything wrong..I just happened to be working with her at ICL in Manchester..it wasn’t as if she was my boss..or I was her’s..were just work colleagues..we were both about 19..look I am just trying to write the truth maybe I was 21 or 22 and she was 19 or 20..

    But we swapped records..She said..Here Listen To This..She Gave Me Neil Young..I had never heard him before in my life..I gave her Led Zeppelin…

    And then suddenly she was gone and my Dad dropped Dead

    She was a Manchester Girl..and She Was Beautiful and Intelligent..I was From Oldham..and we got along fine..

    I used to take my work colleague to West Gorton Working Mens Club..and She Woul Drink Pints of Shandy

    What Else Was I To Do Except Fall in Love With My Girlfriend

    I didn’t notice the colour of her skin..nor her Parents Religion

    And She was Gone..Sent To a Country She had never been to before and knew nothing about..

    For an Arranged Marriage??? wtf was all that about???

    I hope she is O.K. and has survived all that..and is happy and in love.

    She had no idea..and so wtf..I was brought up as a Catholic..and gave the Religious Nonsense up when I was 15..and She Was Just So Polite and Really Gentle and..well just a Good Mate..I Guess She was Like Me..and Gave Up Her Religious Programming Too when She was 15

    I Don’t think She Was Brought Up as Jewish..But If She Had Been I wouldn’t have
    minded..

    Her Muslim Parents Sent Her To Pakistan..

    wtf was I supposed to do..there was no way I could get her back..but she had given me the Music of Neil Young..and I very Nearly Flew To New York to See Him..

    But She had given me something really Special…Heart of Gold..so I had to find her..She would Love Her…

    She is My Wife..Lancashire Too..Talks Just Like You.

    Tony

  • YouKnowMyName

    I was talking to Dick Marty recently, he mentioned how it is a symptom of illness in our society when an individual inside the system feels required to ‘blow a whistle’ to tell us ‘the truth’

    He explained that Snowden, Assange, Ellsberg et al are all very brave courageous individuals who have acted as an antibiotic on our sick-society’s, that no longer respect the rights we claim to respect.

    At his meeting in Geneva yesterday, Marty announced the asylum request of Snowden to the Confederation Helvetique , but he didn’t mention how likely it was to be accepted. Switzerland is having a big debate over accepting 3000 poor desperates from the 16 million affected by the failed Syrian regime change. It’s not clear if or when Snowden will leave his current ‘land of the free’ for Lac Lèman.

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    Quoth Guano

    “I have noticed that ridicule of Habbabkuk shuts him up to lick his wounds for a while, like a dog that has burnt its feet on hot-coals. Stop the ridicule and he starts swaggering around like the PM.”

    ___________________

    Well, that is just wishful thinking, if course.

    But, much more importantly, Guano’s “comment” raises the troubling image of people making animals walk (or not) on hot coals.I have read that in some peasant societies traveling showmen used to do just that with bears, who were presented as “dancing” (they were in fact just attempting to avoid the hot coals).

    I don’t consider Guano to be a member of a peasant society but his posts on here would certainly lend credence to the thought that he is quite a traveling showman.

    Habbabkuk says: Guano, it’s time to retire and put your feet up! 🙂

  • Jay

    Are society and system synonymous?

    Are they? Take the blue or the red pill! Personality or prejudice.

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    From Herbie

    “Don’t get bogged down in the details, until you understand the bigger picture.”
    _________________

    Which us a wonderfully slimy way of saying “never mind the facts, just follow your prejudices”.

    What a plonker!

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    Mary

    “I see the old rogue finger came into play again @ 4.12pm.”
    ________________

    Two fingers actually, Mary – see it as a V-sign in your direction.

    Can you answer the following.

    You (and others, btw) remained completely silent on here when we were hearing about horrifying cases of organised child grooming, beating, rape and trafficking by gangs of men of predominantly “Pakistani heritage”. Cases in which the perpetrators have been tried and found guilty in a court of law.

    But you were most quick to inform us – on here – that former Conservative MP Harvey Procter was being investigated by police for alleged involvement in paedophile acivities.

    Would you care to explain why you were so quick to post about Harvey Procter, while ignoring completely the child-abuse gangs?

    Failure to do so might give rise to the suspicion that you are a disgusting old hypocrite.

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    “Agreed, which is why I always start with an earnest effort for reasoned rational debate; only when this produces a litany of piss-poor counter arguments that rely on suspect or no evidence base at all, and/or illogical reasoning, which all repeatedly fall apart on close inspection, and yet the other party keeps persisting, then you are force to consider if they are indeed interested in an honest debate with an open mind, or are they trying to push an agenda.”
    ________________

    Thanks, Macky, you’ve just made my day!

    Hilarious!!

    And get some help quickly!!!

  • Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)

    The excellent Technicolour to Ms Macky:

    “I can’t help noticing that you often write in extremely long and convoluted sentences, which become more confusing as they go on:

    If you want to be understood, I’d say you can afford to take the time to write in shorter sentences. This small tool can be a marvellous aid to clarity.”
    _________________

    Seconded, in spades.

    On the other hand, is “Ms Macky” worth understanding?

  • Mary

    Ref the sexual abuse perpetrated against children in the Thatcher Witch era, the brother of Martin Allen is outraged that the names of the contents of the four files found in the Cabinet Office (one of which was about to be destroyed) are still being kept secret.

    His brother was last seen in the company of an unidentified man before his disappearance.

    Family Demands Names Of New Child Abuse Files
    The Cabinet Office’s refusal to give details of four new child abuse files has angered many, not least the family of Martin Allen.
    http://news.sky.com/story/1440318/family-demands-names-of-new-child-abuse-files

    ‘While the content of the files may be sensitive, refusing to reveal the names means the public has no way of tracking them or knowing how they are being dealt with.

    It follows a Sky News investigation which unearthed another classified file in January that the Cabinet Office had kept closed on grounds of national security.

    After MPs raised the issue in the House of Commons, government officials were forced to release it to the National Archives.

    The documents revealed former British diplomat, the late Sir Peter Hayman, was the subject of the secret file. The papers documented his “unnatural” sexual behaviour and his activities within the Paedophile Information Exchange group.

    Neither the Hayman file nor the four new files were found during an earlier Home Office-commissioned search for documents relevant to ongoing abuse inquiries.

    The Cabinet Office declined to make Mr Maude available for interview.’

    PS Methinks the troll doth protest too much on this matter. Why is that?

  • Mary

    Iain Does Ashcroft derive any financial benefit from his polling outfit or are the findings issued free and gratis?

    http://lordashcroftpolls.com/about/

    I see he is one of those Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George. Hilarious.

    Motto – Token of a Better Age. 🙂
    Awarded for – At Her Majesty’s Pleasure

    What nonsense. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_St_Michael_and_St_George

    Also a Privy Counsellor. Scary.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_members_of_the_British_Privy_Council

    Whence cometh his wealth?

  • Calgacus

    I can see that there are many clever passionate people on this blog. Please, instead of being polarised into opposing camps on the Ukrainian crisis, could we not come together to assist in preserving the precious ceasefire that presently exists?

  • RobG

    Some French perspective, but in English…

    Mysterious drone sightings in Paris and beyond. These have been going on for weeks now, and seem to have started after the Paris murders in early Jan. It should be noted that with regard to the use of drones, France has some of the strictest laws in the world:

    http://www.france24.com/en/20150304-dozen-drones-fly-over-paris-latest-sighting-france/

    Also, a Paris court ruled on Thursday that it has jurisdiction to judge a case against Facebook, which blocked the account of a French teacher who posted an image of a vagina by 19th century artist Gustave Courbet.

    http://www.france24.com/en/20150306-france-facebook-court-vagina-courbet-row/

    Lastly, Mr Socialist goes to Cuba…

    http://www.france24.com/en/20150304-france-cuba-hollande-visit-us-competition-business-fabius/

  • RobG

    @Habbabkuk (la vita è bella)
    7 Mar, 2015 – 8:36 am

    The race card, ay.

    There was a phone-in on LBC radio the other morning, about the Rotherham sex abuse scandal, and sex abuse in general. What I found surprising was the number of callers who said that they worked in care homes, knew abuse was going on and reported it to the police, but the police did diddly squat about it.

    It’s all the fault of the immigrants, innit. That’s why the health service is falling to bits, innit, and not because a bunch of pervo fascists are deliberately running down the health service in order to flog it off and make bucketloads of money out of human suffering.

    I think I’ll report them to the police…

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