Honoured to give the keynote speech at Amnesty’s conference on torture in London yesterday. Then dashed back to Edinburgh for a very romantic evening with Nadira – and Cameron!
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@Clark – which is more or less Swiss defence policy
The question for the UK is how much responsibility to take for the rest of the World – who is going to provide peacekeeping forces if no-one has a margin beyond the minimum?
” precede, supersede, its virtually the same”
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Would some kind soul like to explain the difference between these two verbs to Republicofscotland (aka SuperLiar)?
Thanks.
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precede..
go in front or ahead of.
source:
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=precede%20definition
supersede
take the place of.
source
https://www.google.co.uk/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=supersede%20definition
………………………..
Both could be used to explain, your advocating the priority of the military above all else, could they not.
Example The renewal of Trident, has (taken the place of) the upgrading of social housing in the UK.
Example The renewal of Trident, is (ahead of) the upgrading of social housing in the UK.
Tell you what lets look at your definition, it ought to be fun.
Lavrov at the UN today.. note this a western source, the only one I could find on the worlds fave search engine. Perhaps I was using the wrong keywords…:
http://news.yahoo.com/russias-lavrov-accuses-west-trying-dominate-world-185216656.html
It’s the germs, the communist GERMS, they’re comin’ to get us! They sneak in under our skin! They’re in the air that we breath, those communist GERMS! Red Chiiina is plotting to take away our bodily fluids, red Chiiina! The communist GERMS are invading our essence and eating through our life force! Red Chiiina is comin’ to get us!
Meanwhile, in the real world:
https://www.caat.org.uk/issues/introduction
“Fred, I think you’ve spotted it. Habbabkuk wants to ensure that his tax havens can be defended.”
The military does a lot of things apart from fight wars. They are there in case of natural disaster not only in Britain but across the world. If there are floods, earthquakes, epidemics, meteorite strikes we have the men and the equipment to offer aid. If any part of society breaks down there is a reserve to move in and take over. With global warming we can expect weather conditions to get more extreme, we should be preparing for the worst.
Britain doesn’t spend that much on the military as a percentage of GDP and we have a lot of dependencies.
“The question for the UK is how much responsibility to take for the rest of the World – who is going to provide peacekeeping forces if no-one has a margin beyond the minimum?”
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An admirable gesture Tim, but, its shot down in flames, when you see atrocities carried out in the likes of Palestine, and the supposed world peace keepers turning a blind eye.
Biting comment Fred – spot-on; we must remember Obi-Wan was a General in the Army of the Republic, has a comforting pension and enduring connections with the military. ((La Vita È Bella)
Peacewisher, if I remember correctly, when Russia granted asylum to Snowden, Putin made a similar speech, although he couched it in much more diplomatic terms.
Whilst I have no great love for Putin, and see him as a fellow amongst scumbags, he really showed-up Obama, Cameron, et al, none of whom could find any sort of retort, apart from the usual BS that Thunderbird puppets like Kerry are paid to come out with.
Fred
23 Feb, 2015 – 10:32 pm:
“The military does a lot of things apart from fight wars. They are there in case of natural disaster not only in Britain but across the world. If there are floods, earthquakes, epidemics, meteorite strikes we have the men and the equipment to offer aid.”
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I’m sure you are aware that the British Navy has more Admirals than it does ships, and currently has to make use of a French aircraft carrier because it doesn’t have one of its own.
So what are all these huge sums of ‘national defence’ money being spent on?
“So what are all these huge sums of ‘national defence’ money being spent on?”
The way you couched it it looks like the Admirals to me. Perhaps we should get rid of a few. 🙂
“I hope whatever happens it happens peacefully and the western-backed forces there cede.”
As opposed to the Russian heavy armour pissing off back to where it belongs in accordance with the ceasefire. I think you will find it was a ceasefire rather than a surrender agreement (look up the meaning if you wish).
As for you perpetual comebacks would Mr Goss realise that despite his constant tipping of his hat to the local mafia boss his singing voice makes it quite clear he is no Frank Sinatra – the evidence is out there – Pyongyang my kinda town will never catch on I’m afraid.
Interesting little fact – in the last election in Crimea Zhirinovsky’s fascists got three time the vote of the Ukrainian ones in the parliamentary elections.
“So what are all these huge sums of ‘national defence’ money being spent on?”
Just recently it was spent on building hospitals in Sierra Leone.
” I’m sure you are aware that the British Navy …. currently has to make use of a French aircraft carrier because it doesn’t have one of its own. ”
Which aircraft carrier would that be? The French only have one and that’s currently deployed against ISIS in the Med.
It’s one big floating disaster area anyway.
Interesting how the rewriting of previously rewritten history continues following Putin’s volte farce on Molotov Ribentrop – at yesterday’s anti Maidan rally one of the official endorsed speakers refers to the Nazi massacres in the forest at Katyn (see attached video at c4:00)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAwPZgwzdbM
Of course some never stopped believing.
I might have guessed Resident Dissident would be there lurking in the background ready to back up the unelected fascist coup government that started a war on those who had voted to secede. Resident Dissident claims to believe in democracy but is really a fascist.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68RErgHOzN8#t=10
“So what are all these huge sums of ‘national defence’ money being spent on?”
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RobG, no one would attempt to claim that there are not inefficiencies and waste within the defence budget – in the same way that no one would attempt to claim that there are not inefficiencies and waste in every other area of govt spending – eg the NHS, social security, procurement and so on.
As to amounts, well, if 2% of GDP represents “huge” sums, then it must follow that the much higher percentages of GDP which are spent on health and social security represent “much hugher” sums.
“…at yesterday’s anti Maidan rally one of the official endorsed speakers refers to the Nazi massacres in the forest at Katyn”
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If that is true then it demonstrates that the present day Russian govt and leadership are as shameless as their Commie predecessors and as shameless as the Nazis. Indeed, more shameless.
And these are the people trumpeting on about Nazis in Kiev……??
I was wrong in my post at 11:19pm – in my fury at the shrieker in red I assumed she was referring to the more famous Katyn massacre where the KGB shot the pride of the Polish army – the reference was to another Khatyn massacre conducted by the NAzis with the help of Ukrainian collaborators.
Mr Goss
“Interesting little fact – in the last election in Crimea Zhirinovsky’s fascists got three time the vote of the Ukrainian ones in the parliamentary elections.”
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You are apparently an expert on matters Russian and Ukrainina, Mr Goss.
Can you confirm what is written above the line or is it untrue?
“Resident Dissident claims to believe in democracy but is really a fascist.”
You’ll be telling us next that the Austrian anscluss was a free and fair election – no need to do so with Crimea however since you friends in the Kremlin have already let it slip that they fixed the result. Ukraine did not respond militarily to the occupation of the Crimea – and did not do so at first to the occupation of government buildings in Eastern Ukraine.
Perhaps those championing the right of Crimeas to secede from Ukraine (despite the little matter of the Budapest Accord) might wish to ponder why Mr Putin has not offered this right to other members of the Russian Federation – when in fact he has done the opposite and strengthened central control and removed democratically elected governors and parliaments. Yet strangely enough cunts (there is no other word for perpetual liars – ask Fred) such as Mr Goss turn a blind eye to such “fascist” (at least in their stunted political vocabularies) activity.
“I had the impression that our partners have more trust in us than distrust, and in any case believe in our sincerity,”
Russian President Vladimir Putin
22 February 2015
Probity and honor, the key to representative or indirect democracy, never, at no time existed in British politics and that fact is proven today with our senior politicians implicated in selfish, self-serving nest feathering.
While humility promotes self-consciousness a leader must ejaculate controlled strength; that is this:
While answering a question about the possibility of Russia waging war with Ukraine, Putin said that “such an apocalyptic scenario is hardly possible, and I hope this will never happen.”
http://rt.com/news/234831-putin-france-germany-compromise/
Perhaps Resident Dissident might wish to write a comment sometime without the words “perhaps so-and-so might wish to…” etc.
“While answering a question about the possibility of Russia waging war with Ukraine, Putin said that “such an apocalyptic scenario is hardly possible, and I hope this will never happen.”
Now I’m really worried.
Resident Dissident and John Goss,
You two treat this blog like it’s your personal arena for your personal spat. Insults and sarcasm, on and on for weeks on end. You’re putting others off. You’re pissing me off. I’m starting to wish that China would nuke both of you just to shut you up.
Habbabkuk; “Actually, far from confirming, I think Glenn’s telling you that “ad hominem” is the incorrect expression and that you should be saying “poisoning the well”.”
“Poisoning the Well” is actually just another form of ad hominem, which also does apply to your tactic of trying to rubbish sources in order to avoid addressing the content; I still prefer the “playing the man” analogy, because rational debate has one golden rule, being that it is the arguments themselves that should be addressed, not the source from which the arguments emanate. Your desperate avoidance of having to address pov’s that you can’t rationally argue against, exposes the constant fraud of your pov’s.
@Resident Dissident, whilst I’m still awaiting evidence for your assertion that Russia planned & carried out the Coup in Kiev, perhaps Ron Paul can inspire you to have a go at replying;
http://original.antiwar.com/paul/2015/02/22/interventionism-kills-post-coup-ukraine-one-year-later/
Clark
I find it somewhat nicer than issuing commands as certain commenters here are prone to do.
John Goss, you reveal ABSOLUTELY NOTHING by calling Resident Dissident a fascist and then linking to some propaganda video. It’s not even wrong. Get a life.
Resident Dissident, you achieve very little by acting as if John Goss’ opinion is the only one that matters. Start thinking about the THOUSANDS of others who read this blog. Give them information, instead of sarcastic side-swipes to interpret if they can be bothered.
“You are apparently an expert on matters Russian and Ukrainina, Mr Goss.”
Thank you.
Zhirinovsky certainly did not himself stand in Crimea. He is an opponent of Putin in the Liberal Democratic Party, whereas Putin is in the United Russia Party. I am not fond of Zhirinovsky. He is a loose cannon and reminds me of Yulia Timoshenko (who prefers Tymoshenko)and who wanted to carpet-bomb Russia. Still some seem to like his party.
Macky
Read what I said a little closer – you will find that your question is based on your own invention – as you know only too well.
As for your thesis on ad hominem well I am glad that you are now concentrating on something where you have undoubted expertise.
As for Ron Paul he is wrong as he is on most things – but interesting to see how fans of Mr Galloway are now embracing the fans of von Hayek and other monetarists.