An Apology 2256

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I am so committed to getting my book finished I really don’t have time or energy to blog at the moment, and realise it has been very desultory the last few weeks. I am well and happy, it is just that writing a properly researched history is incredibly intensive. I realise there is much of great interest happening in the world, but I must sometimes cut myself off from it.

This is why I don’t ask for donations for the blog…

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2,256 thoughts on “An Apology”

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  • Ba'al Zevul

    [ Mod: Caught in spam-filter, timestamp updated ]
    —

    In which we learn that Cherie enjoys the comprehensive and unquestioning support of the UK legal establishment:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3507044/Outrage-Cherie-s-law-firm-let-hook-210-000-stolen-cash-Decision-branded-strange-critics-demand-know-firm-escaped-sanction.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

    The (Solicitors Regulation Authority) did not contact the Mail during its investigation into Omnia, meaning the newspaper was unable to pass on bank records detailing the irregular payment.
    John Glen, Tory MP for Salisbury, said: ‘It seems very strange that this extremely irregular arrangement is not of interest to the SRA.
    ‘It would seem reasonable for them to want to see the evidence before they dismiss these very legitimate concerns.’

    …and yet…

    The SRA said: ‘We looked at all the available evidence and decided to close the matter without taking any further action.’

    Also intriguing:
    Questions also remain about Omnia’s recent links to the regime. In a statement last month, the firm claimed that it stopped working for the Maldives government following ‘unpredictable domestic events’ there in October and November*.
    But the Mail can reveal that a senior lawyer listed on Omnia’s website has since visited the Maldives three times.
    Toby Cadman’s** latest visit came last month, after the Mail published details of the irregular payment. Contacted by the Mail, he said he is no longer employed by Omnia.

    Did he jump, was he pushed, or was he simply shunted into deniable space? Is he even now punting Cherie’s services to this very questionable regime? So many questions.

    *I.e. Omnia’s failure to prevent ex-president Nasheed from seeking medical treatment in the UK. As Nasheed’s lawyer, Amal Clooney said,

    … (Blair’s firm, Omnia Strategy, was retained by the Maldives government to help “strengthen democratic institutions” and “promote a culture of respect for human rights)
    Headlines focusing on the battle between the two women are a “distraction,” but she dryly noted that “we don’t see that there’s been any improvement in the conduct of the government since they hired expensive advisors.”

    **Offered to represent Nasheed before Omnia decided to take the Yameen shilling instead. See above.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    What remains wholly inexplicable is why any media anywhere take any notice of Blair at all. He has no new insights, his views are depressingly predictable, and he is absolutely without official position. In the last week or so he has opined, via press releases, that we must stay in Europe, that there is no desire for terrorism in Northern Ireland (he has yet to answer the NI Committee’s detailed questions on how the victiims of IRA violence during his watch were mysteriously denied compensation), that what he describes as flabby liberalism must be abandoned when dealing with terrorism and migration, and today that ground troops must be deployed against Daesh. And all media reproduce this generalising tosh.

    Well, sure, Tony. But are you some kind of authority on any of these? The last time I have you anywhere near NI was overflying it en route to the US last year. You have a vile track record for not listening to military commanders, and you have no practical experience to back your gungho exhortations to intensify the awful conditions in Syria. In any case, Putin and Hizb’ullah are well ahead of you there. Europe? Not a costed practical reason in sight – though admittedly those are hard to discover on both sides of the debate.

    Flannel, Tony. The BBC loves it as filler, but it’s flannel. I’m not even going to link to your maunderings. Instead:

    http://uk.ma.tn/news/tony-blair-aide-was-paid-8k-of-taxpayers-money-to-give-armenia-media-training

    How does that go down with your Azeri contacts, Tony?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Now I am at least as tolerant as you, my only reader, have any right to expect of a poisonous carnivorous lizard who smells of long-dead cadavers and shit. But Tony Blair’s latest, widely disseminated, apercu breaches even my disgust threshold. Here ’tis, with apologies for propagating it further:

    http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/many-millions-of-muslims-fundamentally-incompatible-with-the-west-says-tony-blair-a6954796.html

    He said that “many millions” of Muslims hold a viewpoint that is “fundamentally incompatible with the modern world.”

    This is just the latest of his many sly smears against Islam, and conforms with any definition of dogwhistle politics. Not the probable adherents of antiwestern jihadis pursuing a romantic, if utterly barbaric and mediaeval, dream, who might at most number hundreds of thousands, and whose activists a tenth of that, but “millions of Muslims” – orientation left hanging.

    We don’t have to look too far for the source of this: the (self-styled) European Council for Tolerance and Reconciliation, of which Blair was recently appointed chair. Here he is justifying his employment by this offshoot of the essentially Islamophobic European Jewish Council – whose claim to represent Europe’s Jews is unverifiable.

    Just as his chickenhawkish belligerence in calling for greater involvement of European and in particular UK armed forces in support of the Saudis to Wahabify the Middle East can be traced to his recent co-founding with Leon Panetta of the CSIS Commission on Countering Violent Extremism (see above), we feel safe in assuming that once again Blair’s views conform comfortably with those of whichever outgroup lends him credence.

    Question: If he had said this:

    “many millions” of Jews hold a viewpoint that is “fundamentally incompatible with the modern world.”

    …would he still be allowed to feed his trite opinions to news aggregators worldwide? And it’s true. Think Haredim.

    • fedup

      Thanks Ba’al you are a good lizard for digging this out, and keeping your relentless pursuit of that scum bag liar. Keep up the good work mate.

      • Ba'al Zevul

        Thanks very much, Fedup. It’s worth it if anyone reads it and your support is valued.

        • John Spencer-Davis

          I second Fedup. I am always interested in Blair’s antics. What does he suggest we do with them – extirpate them? Wouldn’t surprise me.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    I have great pleasure in linking to this, in the spirit of right-of-reply. And Dr Wahid highlights the real issue underlying the problem. Dissaffection with Blair’s ‘modern world’ isn’t restricted to one faith or another. No Book faith can be easy with unbridled materialism. No concerned citizen of any country, or none, can support the systematic transfer of resources and wealth from the poor to the extremely rich. But his words are better than mine.

    http://www.hizb.org.uk/current-affairs/dr-abdul-wahid-replies-to-blairs-comment-many-millions-of-muslims-fundamentally-incompatible-with-the-modern-world

    …It is a world that insists that people live as lonely individuals who are free to express themselves in ways that harm themselves and society, rather than live as families, communities and cohesive societies.

    It is the world of your ideology Mr. Blair – and I suspect over a billion Muslims, and even millions of non-Muslims, are happy to be incompatible with such a world-which is incompatible with human beings, and so in need of change.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    DIARY:

    God’s representative on earth will be blairing in Brazil on April 14th, unless he videoconfs it or sends Mandelson to read His Word to His worshippers:

    https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=pt&u=https://www.uninorte.com.br/uninorte-transmite-conferencia-com-tony-blair/&prev=search

    This is a Laureate bash: Laureate monetises other peoples’ resources to provide wonderfiul profits from education for very rich people, like Bill Clinton*, and, without any doubt at all, Blair.

    According to the Washington Post “Laureate is backed by several of the biggest names in finance, including Henry Kravis, George Soros, Steve Cohen and Paul Allen.” Laureate’s annual revenue is approximately $4 billion.The company holds $3.5 billion in debt.[35] Laureate spends in excess of $200 million per year on advertising, including television commercials, online campaigns and billboards.Laureate Education is highly dependent on adjunct faculty and contingent labor. For example, more than 90 percent of Walden’s faculty is employed on a part-time basis. (Wiki)

    Unsurprisingly, Blair will be blairing about education and globalisation. Mind you, as “many millions” of Brazilians enjoy a level of income “that is incompatible with the modern world” it is debatable whether he will be reaching a mass audience.

    *..In April 2015 Clinton ended his ties with Laureate after being paid $16 million and amidst ongoing financial problems at four of its six U.S.-based universities. (Wiki)

  • Ba'al Zevul

    News just in of Tony “many millions of Muslims” Blair’s arrival in Cairo. Yet again. Via Riyadh (where some decidedly mediaeval Muslims are in power) and from Cairo on to Israel (where they aren’t)…phew, Tony. Back to the modern, global, all-inclusive world. Those Gazans just don’t get it, do they?

    http://www.el-balad.com/2106513

    More details as and when any emerge.

    • fedup

      A little additional information for you, the current trends in Cairo streets identify the al saud for all intents and purposes as zionists. Could this be the reason for the emissary travelling between Cairo and Riyadh with the relevant bags stuffed with petrodollars for al Sisi?

      Also it should be added that Egypt has not classified Hezbollah as a “terrorist” organisation that al saud have decreed it to be, after Hezbollah comprehensively handed the arse of the “opposition/moderate opposition”* back to them in Syria with a few more holes drilled in it, just for the sake of retuning the favours.

      * the same woman decapitating, child crucifying methamphetamine crazed lunatics that are known as as Daesh/isis/isil/is to the rest of the world and are sponsored by the al sauds pederasts.

      • Ba'al Zevul

        I’m really more concerned here just to record what I can of Blair’s diary, keep to the facts, indulge my snark, and leave the speculation to others, Fedup. There are all sorts of reasons, which we will never know, for Blair’s peregrinations. All of them involve globalised money. I do find it charming that Blair’s next destination after his emissions regarding Muslims and the modern world, might have been Riyadh. Or maybe not. El-Balad is suspiciously forthcoming, as I have the impression that Blair is now keeping rather a tight lid on his doings.

        • Ba'al Zevul

          PS If you check back on this thread you will find that this is not the first time blairing has been inflicted on a Laureate audience. Education-wise he’s also linked to Pearson’s publishing conglomerate. It’s astonishing how many pies his fingers contaminate…basically he likes to mediate between hedge funds, government aid budgets and exploitable economies. Take a stiff dram and read it all.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    In about 15 minutes or so, M-ASRI, the Sawiris’ Global Express, will come to a halt, at Luton, by the look of it. From Cairo. Coincidence? Pretty certain the Sawiris organisation (one of the big four oligarchies currently calling the shots all too literally in Egypt) has found Tony hitching by the side of runway 05R before…ten minutes…

  • Ba'al Zevul

    One take on Tony’s pet project, Rwanda:

    http://www.africagovernance.org/what-we-do/rwanda

    Our team support the systems and structures of effective government in Rwanda….

    Another:

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/rwanda-president-kagames-deadly-autocracy-after-the-genocide/news-story/cffc5811ed8c2c92491545572bf50923?nk=1d9a490dd31193da229848772e62ea9c-1459547955

    Rwandans live in an atmosphere of fear and intimidation. Gibson, a friend of Sundaram, says: “We hide from the government, which wants to see us all the time. So you now see the truth in our country is hidden, you need to look not for what is there, but for what they hide. You cannot pay attention to what they show you, but need to listen to those who are kept quiet. You need to look differently in a dictatorship, you need to think about how to listen to people who live in fear.”

    But it’s effective, so we support it, guys ‘n’ gals.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Fedup (Mar 30th) inspired a rather closer look at Blair’s Egyptian presence, which caused some intriguing pieces to slide into place.

    First off, as will be recalled, Blair is acting in some kind of advisory capacity to Sisi, and has an entree to the current government. Here he is, as usual, plugging the bounty that will flow from Egypt turning into a giant shopping mall with investment and banking services provided by (eg) the UAE’s Mubadala state fund/conglomerate, JP Morgan, and Zurich Insurance. In other words, the usual shit. Flashback:
    http://www.middleeasteye.net/news/former-british-pm-tony-blairs-uae-egypt-links-2095338217

    Second, Blair has just published worldwide his opinion that many millions of Muslims are incapable of living in such a global shopping mall, which is what he understands to be meant by the modern world. Google it, it’s disgusting.

    Third, Blair is undoubtedly on first name terms with Naguib Sawiris, who runs an opposition party and is a globalist par excellence. Whose private jet has very likely conveyed Blair at least twice this year. And who has just (brave man!) publicly expressed his fury at Sisi’s government’s failure to embrace the global market with the love it deserves:

    https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/articles/middle-east/24799-sawiris-vicious-attack-on-sisi-wake-up

    Not that this is entirely disinterested – Sisi has evidently spotted Sawiris as a threat, and Naguib’s real bitch is about being thwarted in yet another globalist takeover:

    http://www.reuters.com/article/sawiris-ci-capital-idUSL5N16Z0FT

    So Tony’s playing both ends against the middle. He’d call it reconciliation, though. Simultaneously acting as UEA’s commercial attache in Cairo, and the UK’s back channel to Sisi, and supporting Sisi’s nice compliant market-motivated opponent will probably result in the price of some more expensive London property transferring itself to one of Tony’s invisible accounts. Nice work if you are a conscienceless two-faced c**t can get it.

    • Ba'al Zevul

      /”UEA” My apologies to the University of East Anglia. I meant UAE, of course. And, pace my earlier remarks, speculation is sometimes irresistible. Guilty.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    DIARY:
    That-awful-woman will be opining at China Exchange on July 14th. China Exchange exists to promote trade relations with China, like cheap steel imports, and is the brainchild of one David Tang, global entrepreneur and mingler.

    http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/prudential-series-60-minutes-with-cherie-blair-tickets-24288600859

    Still, it’s only a tenner a pop. Might be worth it if you can get a hurlable dead cat through security’

    At Tang’s chav Chinese New Year party in 2013, Cherie was visibly pissed and frisky, possibly aroused by Tony’s Sir Oswald Moseley-style outfit…

    http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get2/I0000AtnfcCC4PHI/fit=1000×750/13tan20634.jpg

  • Ba'al Zevul

    A topical morsel: among other ventures, Sir David Tang KBE (Dèng Yǒngqiāng) owns the Pacific Cigar Company, which has exclusive rights to sell Cuban cigars in the Asia-Pacific region, notably China.

    http://www.siteleaks.com/www.pacificcigar.com

    The Pacific Cigar Intl Co Ltd
    Tech Street: c/o MOSSACK FONSECA CO. P.O. Box 3136 Road Town
    Tech City: Tortola
    Tech State/Province: NA
    Tech Postal Code: NA
    Tech Country: VG

    VG = British Virgin Isles. Wonder if being a KBE involves tax-exempt status?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Cherie Blair laps up the love….

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3522957/Cherie-Blair-laps-love-old-friends-celebrates-Baroness-Scotland-s-Commonwealth-role.html

    Not from me she doesn’t –

    http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/scottishnews/2652125/Baroness-Scotland-should-have-been-sacked.html

    (Which is the prettier philanthropist? . Levy, Cherie? Cherie, Levy? Hurry, hurry, place bets now-

    http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2016/04/04/15/32D622B100000578-0-image-a-15_1459780262031.jpg )

  • Ba'al Zevul

    And on to Dubai, for two pretty obscene pics:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3525633/Sir-Cliff-Blair-hit-dance-floor-wedding-Asian-billionaire-s-son-Singer-shows-moves-former-PM-poses-Bulgarian-model.html

    The bash was for one Surinder Arora’s sprog. Arora owns hotels for a living, most of them, appropriately enough for Tone, near airports.
    The Curse of Blair may be active in this case – or it may simply be the Mentality of Blair*; loan interest exceeding income:

    http://hotelanalyst.co.uk/2015/01/18/arora-loses-hotels-to-financiers/

    *In power. His financial advisors seem to be doing a better job these days.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Careless of me. While Cherie was dancing the heavy phantasmagoric at Baronness Scotland’s promotion bash, I completely missed the connection. Baroness S is on the advisory board of Omnia Strategy.

    And as Commonwealth Secretary General, she’s responsible for the Maldives’ upward climb towards banana republic standards of democracy. Omnia disengaged – we have yet to learn at what cost to the Maldives – from its advisory contract, but not from its representation of the Yameen government against the former president Nasheed. Which it lost.

    More cosiness here:

    http://maldivesindependent.com/politics/talks-are-an-exercise-in-futility-mdp-tells-commonwealth-rep-123428

    The US Senate has meanwhile unanimously called on the Maldives to redress the injustice of Nasheed’s imprisonment. The parliament of the European Union has also urged member states to impose targeted sanctions over human rights abuses.

    Cherie’s operation was paid $$$ (allegedly by a criminal, in still-unexplained circumstance) to think otherwise.

  • Phil the ex frog

    This thread, an honorable virtual contribution to the great Haw tradition, deserves to be listed under “Still Discussing” if not elevated beyond the merely dull and entirely useless. Ideally it needs to be a searchable, index linking timeline web app thing. In the meantime, give it a link mods.

    I take my hat off to you Baal.

    • Ba'al Zevul

      TY, Phil. Appreciated. The possibility of promotion to official irritant has been mentioned, and I’d be happy with that, but it may be that Craig is agin it. It’s his blog; fine.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Cherie adds to her buy-to-let portfolio and beats deadline for stamp tax hike, saving herself a couple of grand (which the nearly-destitute bag lady can ill afford) Who needs to offshore their loot? There should be a Mossack Fonseca branch in Salford…

    http://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/apr/12/blairs-add-manchester-flats-to-property-empire-before-stamp-duty-deadline

    Tony’s been very quiet meanwhile. The world has been deprived of his illumination of the bleeding obvious for a couple of weeks. I do hope his tax affairs haven’t been distracting him.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Opportunites and Challenges of Globalisation have been a Nice Little Earner for Talkative Tony. Tomorrow won’t be the first time they got a blairing at a Laureate joint in Brazil:

    http://www.laureate.net/OurNetwork/LatinAmerica/Brazil/FMU-Education-Group/Content/Public/AnnouncementContentFolder/2015/12/Tony-Blair-Remarks-on-Challenges-of-Globalization-During-Event-at-the-FMU-Education-Group-Complex

    See also:

    http://www.dw.com/en/eu-leaders-to-avoid-tough-topics-at-summit/a-1749550 (Euro-bash theme)
    http://heyevent.com/event/lsbpcr3vahl7ua/denounce-war-criminal-tony-blair (US)
    http://www.infomongolia.com/ct/ci/5767 (Mongolia)
    https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=zh-CN&u=http://wenbo.tv/ielts_writing_globalisation/&prev=search (Australia)
    http://en.wsd.or.jp/activities/international-cooperation (Japan)

    …etc. Plenty of opportunities to make a buck, with very little challenge, then.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Pope of Soap’s* A-level blairing yesterday:

    https://twitter.com/CardinalVaughan/status/720165676971855873/photo/1

    On Europe. He’s probably preaching to the converted as Cardinal Vaughan is a posh, Catholic-only, school in Kensington. Something of a contrast to the favelas of Sao Paulo, near, but not in which, blairing is expected to be conducted today.
    That contrast in full (Paraisopolis on right of frame)

    http://www.rickrubens.com/SP-L.JPG

    *For younger readers – ‘soft-soaping’ used to describe just the sort of emollient, faux-humble patter which characterises Blair’s public utterances. Since this became the universal default among politicians, the term has regrettably become obsolete.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Looks like the touted Brazilian blairing is in fact a recorded session at FMU Sao Paolo last year, which is being e-networked to Laureate outlets, possibly globally. No doubt a commission is involved, but, sadly, Blair will not be exposed to Zika-laden mosquitoes or the interesting political situation in the country. We try hard to get it right, but sometimes our sources are just too ambiguous. And Blair’s self-promotion is becoming less and less newsworthy – a trend to which we cannot realistically object, though we are sworn to follow his descent into oblivion as far as we can.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Mr. Blair’s silence lately is no less in respect of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which has repeatedly asked him to appear before it in order to clarify their understanding of his involvement in the denial of compensation to victims of IRA violence. UK victims, that is. US victims have had compensation agreed. In February, Blair submitted a terse list of uninformative ‘answers’ to the questions NIAC had raised, rather than appear, as requested, in person. The list effectively denied Blair’s reponsibility in the matter. NIAC has not yet published its response to this, the second time Blair has considered himself too important to be questioned in person on the subject by the committee.

    This, however is not Tobias Ellwood’s opinion. Summoned before NIAC on March 22nd, and asked who could most usefully be called to shed light on the compensation issue being discussed with the Libyan authorities, he said this:

    Mr Ellwood: The person who is pivotal to all this, if I read between the lines as to where this question goes—as I say, my focus and my contribution to this is on what we can do, looking ahead, to provide that bridge for discussion on the potential for compensation and discussion with Libyan Government, once a stable Government is formed. It is clear in my reading that Tony Blair is the person who would be helpful to provide some clarity as to what happened in the past and the decisions that were made. We obviously had a period when Libya was coming in from the cold and discussions were had in relation to the various terrorist incidents that took place. The Americans had an approach, as this Committee is more than aware, and it was also tied in with two UN Security Council resolutions—748, which I have here, is one of them, and 731 from 1992—that obliged Libya to stop pursuing any forms of terrorism but also to answer the questions in relation to what has happened. How these were then concluded and how we then moved on from that—how we went from a point whereby questions were being raised to there being no requirement for the Government to pursue further questions—I think is where Tony Blair could help you. ….#*

    Could, but currently won’t. Silence.
    *
    http://data.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/committeeevidence.svc/evidencedocument/northern-ireland-affairs-committee/hm-government-support-for-uk-victims-of-ira-attacks-that-used-gaddafisupplied-semtex-and-weapons/oral/31037.html

  • Ba'al Zevul

    The Times today leads with some further work on the Blair financial labyrinth. It has identified what may be a previously-unknown member of the Windrush Ventures nexus of companies, an interest-in-possession trust, but this is not named in the piece. Rather than promise Murdoch £36, the price of breaching his paywall, I had to buy the print edition. This explains that Blair, having previously slapped a 20% entrance fee on IIP trusts – prior to 2006, these were a recognised tax dodge – apparently came to an arrangement with HMRC’s Dave Hartnell by which Blair didn’t pay his own entrance fee. Blair (‘s spokesman) continues to insist he pays his full whack of UK tax.

    The Times publishes a speculative and incomplete map of the presumed Windrush Ventures structure, and the IIP’s place in it; shown as a means of taking income from the Windrush shell, BDBCO No. 819, and passing it towards Tony. There is an interesting wrinkle to the principles of an IIP: should the owner cease trading, the trust is then considered to have no value. An accountant’s input would be much appreciated here, if any are interested. The Times has omitted from the map BDBCO No. 822, which reportedly holds the shares of No.819, and which is manned by Bircham Dyson Bell staff – BDB is the firm which set all this up. This is suggestive of an arrangement by which any convenient amount of income will pay tax on its way to Tony, and any inconvenient amount will become buried in some very flexible shareholdings.

    The Times doesn’t seem to have looked at Firerush Ventures, which in all other respects is structured exactly like Windrush, and which handles Tony’s financial activities, as opposed to charidee and governance advice. More may be forthcoming.
    The Times has not yet sent its reporters to Gibraltar, either.

    For those who have made the appropriate donation to Newscorp, here’s the link:

    http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-blair-rich-project-tx9cxjx78

    The Telegraph and Mail have edited versions of the story.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Cherie Blair will be attending the World Economic Forum’s shindig in Rwanda (May 11-13). Having last year sprung the country’s security chief, Karenzi Karake from custody in the UK, facing an international arrest warrant (see link below and elsewhere in the Apologetics), she will no doubt be doubly welcome.

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3195870/Monster-Karenzi-Karake-saved-Cherie-Blair-human-rights-champion-helped-general-accused-appalling-crimes-avoid-trial.html

    It’s clear from this –
    https://asokoinsight.com/news/rwanda-prepares-to-host-its-first-world-economic-forum-on-africa/
    – that the intention is to emulate/parody Davos, and that the carefully screened delegates will remain unconcerned by the lack of press freedom, a democratically elected government, and the physical disincentives to criticism of Paul Kagame. And no-one will jeopardise their opportunity to schmooze with Mrs. B by questioning the beneficial ownership of the country. Or indeed the inflation rate, which has been close to the stated ‘growth’ rate for some years, unsurprisingly since the main industry for 80% of the population is subsistence agriculture, and likely to remain so. Go, Cherie. And hopefully, stay.

  • Ba'al Zevul

    DIARY (also previous entry)

    Mrs Blair will also be addressing the Milken Institute (believed to have got Tony his ‘job’ at the ECTR, something of a front for hasbara financiers) on May 4th. At the Beverly Hilton. On maximising shareholder profits from developing countries “How to Sustain Strong Growth in Emerging and Frontier Markets”. But not just anyone is welcome:

    New Security Policy: There will be heightened security at Global Conference involving new, enhanced admission/check-in and parking procedures. Entry to the Beverly Hilton will be limited to guests who present their Global Conference credential. To pick up their credentials, guests must register off-site, in advance, using government identification.

    http://www.milkeninstitute.org/events/conferences/global-conference/2016/panel-detail/6333

    Hubby isn’t listed as speaking, but on past form will probably be there too.

  • Ba\'al Zevul

    The Mail covers Tony’s little problem with his IIP trust in more detail: questions are being asked about his privileged access to this without paying the 20% entrance fee he himself had introduced the previous year:

    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3544958/Tony-Blair-faces-quiz-tax-allegations-claims-used-secret-trust-manage-multi-million-wealth-contact-head-HMRC.html

    Moving on, the Times has found a convenient coincidence between his ‘advisory’ role(s) in Kazakhstan and his encouragement of Chinese investment in one of its better gas fields. Paywall, but perhaps the Mail will echo the content shortly:

    http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/fwd-sun-for-mon-part-time-jobs-refile-tlr0q7pwh

  • Ba\'al Zevul

    CURSE OF BLAIR:

    http://www.nairaland.com/2312323/bukola-saraki-pictured-tony-blair

    Comment: All of them are gleefully taking pictures with Mr Blaire like my four year old will do with a father christmass. Nigerias political elite now needs British/western validation before they can feel comfortable in their skin! I don’t know whether this is a sign of habitual inferiority complex or not but what has become very self evident is the fact that in their desperation to solidify the hausa-fulani/Yoruba political dominance in Nigeria, politicians from this part of the country have more or else smuggled Nigeria back into colonialism. . Unleashing a very anti nigerian brand of politicking that neglects the ordinary Nigerian while auctioning off this countrys economic assets to western multi nationals. We are more or else a colony my people. . , beholden to the whimps of our western overlords ably represented by some empty politicians always excited at the prospect of exchanging a handshake with any prominent western politician of ‘note’. Zik of Africa must be spinning in his grave.

    Travelling Tony is understood to be advising Preasident Buhari on good governance. Buhari’s colleague, Sraki, became the President of the Nigerian Senate in the wake of Buhari’s election (with Blair’s support for both) One item of his uniquely-informed advice was to overhaul the corrupt national oil corporation and prepare it for privatisation. Not sure if that advice was taken, but Buhari’s certainly been overhauling the law to ensure that his mate Saraki doesn’t get done for corruption himself…

    http://venturesafrica.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-bukola-saraki-saga/

    Saraki…has been accused of falsely declaring assets and converting government properties while in public office

    Who does that remind me of?

  • Ba'al Zevul

    Dear Tony hitches a ride on the royal image….gilt (sic) by association…

    http://www.itv.com/news/2016-04-18/the-week-that-threatened-to-topple-the-queen/

    Or,’ How I saved the monarchy from an outbreak of synthetic emotion to which I had largely contributed’. But lest we forget:

    http://www.standard.co.uk/news/tony-blairs-freaky-weekend-with-the-queen-at-balmoral-6508590.html

    http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/07/24/cherie-blair-avoids-her-old-enemy-the-queen.html

    In the words of a putdown which Ba’al Himself once received from a horsey woman – “Do you really think you’re that important?”

    Tony?

    • Rose

      God you’re relentless Ba’al – no wonder the poor sod is looking haunted.

      Glad you posted this link in the main thread – I tried to find your page the other day after reading the latest outpouring of effluent but got lost.

      Thanks for all your digging and delving – hope the tusk holds up.

      • Ba'al Zevul

        Thanks, Rose. I value your good opinion. You can now access this archive of depravity by clicking on ‘Blair Miles’ in the Still Discussing section, on any page.

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