Bloody hell. Read this. Brilliant.
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Bloody hell. Read this. Brilliant.
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if there had been no Western sponsored coup, the Crimea would still be part of the Ukraine.
Translation: if Ukraine had had a warm and loving relationship with Russia there would have been no incentive for Putin to take a chance and invade Crimea. His attempt to reconstitute the Soviet Union (or Imperial Russia, if you like) was otherwise in jeopardy. However, there was no need anyway. Nothing had changed, or was likely to change, in the standing agreement on the Black Sea Fleet’s use of Crimea. And there was no legal basis whatever for seizing Ukrainian ships.
The West hasn’t meddled in the situation any more than Russia has; this is a classic faceoff between two equally decadent forces, complete with proxy war. Poor bloody Ukraine.
Sorry Ba’al, your translating skills are as bad as your Realpolitik analysis, and your understanding of the concept of Existential Threat.
Here’s some real Realpolitik analysis;
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article40962.htm
And more;
http://www.counterpunch.org/2015/02/11/will-the-german-chancellor-bring-peace-to-ukraine/
Message received. Russia GREAT, your country SHIT. No wonder we’re heading for the Third World.
Now pay attention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPpiW9jcgBs
And at least lighten up.
Totally, totally O/T, like most of the comments on this thread, but what’s with the Telegraph?
Not a peep about the growing HSBC, HMRC, government, tory party donors, bank bosse and the peerage scandal!
It couldn’t be that the Barclay bros. rather fear that their names might be on a certain list, could it!?
Ba’al; “Message received. Russia GREAT, your country SHIT”
Thanks for a non sequitur classic, so typical of those used by others whom you rightly call trolls, & urge the use of blocking tools against !
Finally, finally the story is emerging in the Telegraph, maybe three days later than it broke in the Grauniad.
Difficult for them to avoid it as it’s now the main topic of PMQs and the public accounts cttee!!
Aha, so the dodgers were mainly non-doms, so that’s alright then!
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/blog/live/2015/feb/11/cameron-and-miliband-at-pmqs-politics-live-blog
.
So David Cameron has been speaking to the (BCC) British Chambers of Commerce. Cameron said, “Put simply, its time Britain had a pay rise.”
Since David Cameron, became PM, in 2010, the average wage is worth £2.500 pound less a year, the worst fall in living standards, since queen Victoria, was on the throne, said Francis O’Grady, general secretary, of the Trade Union Congress.
David Cameron obviously doesn’t give a monkeys, about you or I with regards to a wage rise, no Cameron is spouting his popular politics agenda, in the run up to the GE in May.
Watch out for more political pandering, from both Labour and the Tories, “A we’ll give you, what you want” politics, as long as you vote for us.
Meanwhile, “Project Fear mark II” is well underway from the Labour branch office in Scotland,this time its Margaret Curran, and her rancid speel of vote SNP get Tory.
If that were truly the case then why didn’t we get Labour in the years of 1970,1979,1983,1987,1992 and 2010, when Scotland did vote Labour but got Tory anyway.
Margaret Curran, whose constituency, in Glasgow, has one of the highest poverty rates, in the UK, voted for deeper welfare cuts and the renewal of Trident, which will cost billions, wants you to vote for Labour, who in all honesty, are virtually no different the Tories.
The joke(r) of the night. Perhaps Swire would like to be homeless and hungry.
Joke of the night
‘Auctioneer Hugo Swire, a Tory MP, inviting bids for the flight, said: ‘For an extra £1,000 we will throw in a case of wine. For an extra £5,000, we will throw in Greece as well.’’
Porn barons. Shady financiers. Hedge fund kings.
Welcome to the secret Tory ball: ANDREW PIERCE reveals what went on behind closed doors
Tory Black & White Ball took place at Grosvenor House Hotel last night
Some guests covered faces on arrival while others snuck in back door
Michael Spencer attended, alongside porn baron David Sullivan
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2948470/Porn-barons-Shady-financiers-Hedge-fund-kings-Welcome-secret-Tory-ball-ANDREW-PIERCE-reveals-went-closed-doors.html
Britain reserves the right to arm Ukraine and will not allow the Ukrainian army to collapse, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond told parliament on Tuesday.
“It’s a national decision for each country in the NATO alliance to decide whether to supply lethal aid to Ukraine,” he said in a statement to MPs.
Britain and its NATO allies “share a clear understanding that, while there is no military solution to this conflict, we could not allow the Ukrainian armed forces to collapse.
http://www.france24.com/en/20150210-britain-reserves-right-arm-ukraine-minister/
………………………
What the hell is that, buffoon Hammond, getting us into, is the UK going to actively arm, a conflict in Ukraine, this is exactly the kind of thing, that the UK should keep out of.
The US and Obama say, jump, and the UK replies how high, are we really going to be part of a regime that, could possibly lead to the onset of a world conflict, the UK, has become a nation of warfare, instead of welfare.
CONFERENCE, 9th May, Glasgow:
Ending Scottish Arms Trade with Israel
May 9th, The Renfield Centre, 260 Bath Street, Glasgow G2 4JP (Map)
Registration 9am (£10/£5) – Finish 6pm http://www.esati.org/conference/register/
Ending Scottish Arms Trade with Israel on May 9th brings together a range of speakers to make the case that ending this commerce in death is both necessary and possible. It will be an opportunity for participants to build a broad, dynamic campaign to end the sale of weapons to Israel that are used in the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Read more
Speakers include:
Ayah Bashir
Musheir El Farra
Salma Karmi-Ayyoub
Dr Esam Hijjawi
Kat Hobbs
Shir Hever
Yotam Feldman
~~
Barclays ‘Blood Bank’ protests
Barclays Bank finances arms companies that massacre Palestinians. Join SPSC protests at Barclays Banks each Saturday:
Glasgow (Argyle St), 1pm
Edinburgh (Princes St), 12noon
and other cities and towns across Scotland.
Saturday February 28th, 12 noon, support the all-Scottish protest at Barclays ‘Blood Bank’ on Princes St, Edinburgh (opposite Waverley)
~~~
SPSC Fact-Finding Visit to Palestine
1st-10th June 2015
How does Israel violate Palestinian rights?
What is the reality of apartheid, occupation, colonisation and ethnic cleansing?
How do Palestinians live, work, organise, resist?
What role do corporations play in sustaining Israel’s occupation and violation of Palestinian rights?
What can we do in Scotland to offer the most effective solidarity to Palestinian people?
fact-find at scottishpsc.org.uk
07852 44 66 69
*Spaces are limited. Please wait to have your place confirmed before making any travel arrangements or bookings.
~~
Israeli surveillance systems in Scotland
CCTV cameras in Glasgow City Centre are now linked to a central operations room where Israeli ’emotional recognition’ software identifies the name and mood of pedestrians, including demonstrators, and can then link the person on the camera with social media postings, police records, and more to home in on ‘persons of interest’. Technology designed to crush the Palestinian people’s freedom is now on the streets of Scotland’s largest city.
The UK Government paid for the sinister Israeli surveillance system to be installed in Glasgow City Centre. Israeli Army Brigadier General Elkabetz promoted this surveillance technology: ‘We have learned lots from Gaza. It’s a great laboratory.’ Scotland is now a laboratory for Elkabetz’ goods; we are the guinea pigs.
Write to your Councillors
All from http://www.scottishpsc.org.uk/
A guest who appeared on Voice of Israel, Israel’s biggest English language broadcast network, sensationally claimed that ISIS faked the burning of Jordanian pilot Youssef al-Kasasbeh and that the highly produced video was acted out.
Host Mottle Wolfe and Voice of Israel video director Ryan Lifchitz agreed that the video was probably staged
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bsRubIzUlaM#t=174
……………………..
Keep an open mind, things aren’t always what they seem.
Excellent speech today from Nicola Sturgeon. Will have done Craig a power of good. Might move the debate on beyond the preoccupation with deficit. Might even make Labour move a bit to try to catch up.
The UK Government paid for the sinister Israeli surveillance system to be installed in Glasgow City Centre. Israeli Army Brigadier General Elkabetz promoted this surveillance technology: ‘We have learned lots from Gaza. It’s a great laboratory.’ Scotland is now a laboratory for Elkabetz’ goods; we are the guinea pigs.
Write to your Councillors
…………………………
Good post Mary, the last time Glaswegians, revolted against the government, they sent tanks into George Square.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_George_Square
I think its now common knowledge of the amount of Westminster MP’s that are members of Friends of Israel, and the influence that goes with it.
Quote Macky:
“Here’s some real Realpolitik analysis;”
________________
What, from “informationclearing house” and “counterpunch”?
You’re pulling our leg, right?
“It couldn’t be that the Barclay bros. rather fear that their names might be on a certain list, could it!?”
_____________________
No, probably not because I believe the brothers are not UK residents for tax purposes.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Question to anyone or all :
This Geneva list has been around since 2007 and available to HMRC and the UK govt since 2010 (BTW, also available to the Greek tax authorities and the Greek govt since that time with fuck all effective follow-up there of course).
We see the name of HSBC – as the facilitator – splashed all over the media but I have seen no mention in the UK press of the names of any/all of the individuals and companies involved*.
Does anyone know whether the list of names – at least the UK ones – has been leaked and is available for perusal on the internet?
* the list of Greeks and Greek comanies on the list was actually leaked pver a year ago(cf the newspaper “Proto Thema”).
@Clark
10 Feb, 2015 – 10:14 pm
I don’t want to keep banging on about my computer problems, but at the moment I’ve had to fall back on a laptop that’s 17 years old. Since yesterday I haven’t even been able to access YouTube without the damn laptop immediately crashing. Likewise, the amount of javascript used thesedays on most web pages makes it very difficult for me.
The posts I did make on the Independence Rally thread involved lots of links, which I don’t post willynilly (ie, I’m familiar with everytning I link to); and likewise, other people post links which I can’t always access at the moment.
I enjoy a good debate, particularly about something as important as depleted uranium, and although I’m sometimes seen as a rigorous debater I’m always happy to be proved wrong.
I’ll get back to you in the other thread, but please bear in mind what I’ve said above; ie, at the moment I’ve got one hand tied behind my back.
I suppose he realised that if he lied and then found out, he would be finished. Of course it was discussed.
Cameron Challenged Over HSBC Swiss Accounts
The Prime Minister stops short of revealing whether he discussed tax avoidance with former HSBC boss and Tory minister Lord Green.
Wednesday 11 February 2015
Play video “Fierce Clashes Over HSBC At PMQs”
David Cameron has been challenged to reveal whether he discussed tax evasion at HSBC with Lord Green, the bank’s former boss who was subsequently appointed a Tory minister.
There were fierce clashes at Prime Minister’s Questions amid revelations that wealthy donors to political parties were among those who legally held accounts with HSBC’s private Swiss bank.
/..
http://news.sky.com/story/1425665/cameron-challenged-over-hsbc-swiss-accounts
Palestine has opened its first embassy in Western Europe in the Swedish capital city of Stockholm amid Israel’s anger.
According to official Swedish sources, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom attended the inauguration ceremony of the Palestinian embassy in Stockholm on Tuesday night.
—————————-
One down many more to go, well done Sweden.
Crikey! Lord Green of Hurstpierpoint. Lay Minister CoE.
HoL Register of Interests.
The words ‘Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal……’
Register of Interests
4: Shareholdings (b)
Baxter International Inc (medical products)
BB Biotech AG (investment in biotech companies)
Biotech Growth Trust plc
Capita plc ( business process management and outsourcing solutions)
Citigroup Inc (finance)
Cochlear Ltd (implantable hearing devices)
Comcast Corp-Class A (media and technology)
Crescent Point Energy Corp (oil and gas)
CVS Caremark Corp (pharmacies/medical prescriptions)
Google Inc
London Stock Exchange Group plc
Microsoft Corp
Oracle Corp (computer technology)
Roche Holding AG (medicines and diagnostics)
Safran SA (aircraft and rocket engines, aerospace)
Ses Sa (global satellite owner and operator)
Sonic Healthcare Ltd
UnitedHealth Group Inc
10: Non-financial interests (a)
Chair, International Advisory Council, British Chambers of Commerce
10: Non-financial interests (c)
Chair of Trustees, Natural History Museum
Chair, Natural History Museum Trading Company
Trustee, Asia House
10: Non-financial interests (d)
Chair of Advisory Council, TheCityUK (promoting UK financial services industry)
10: Non-financial interests (e)
Trustee, Archbishop of Canterbury’s Anglican Communion Fund (registered charity)
Trustee, Wintershall Charitable Trust (registered charity)
Trustee, the Bishop Radford Charitable Trust (registered charity)
Vice President, Iraq-British Business Council
Chair of Trustees and Trustee, Friends of Anglican Communion Trust
Trustee, Natural History Museum Development Trust
~~
The Iraq-British Business Council is of particular interest.
When he was Cameron’s Business Minister and a Foreign Office Minister (dual role), were the above holdings held in trust at arm’s length?
Minister of State (Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) (Trade and Investment) (also in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) 2011-13
Minister of State (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) (Trade and Investment) (Jointly with the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills) 2011-13
~~~
Not forgotten either. The US money laundering charges against HSBC in 2012.
Agenda
The Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations held a hearing, “U.S. Vulnerabilities to Money Laundering, Drugs, and Terrorist Financing: HSBC Case History,” on Tuesday, July 17, 2012, at 9:30 a.m., in Room 106 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building.
The Subcommittee hearing examined Boldthe issue of money laundering and terrorist financing vulnerabilities created when a global bank uses its U.S. affiliate to provide U.S. dollars, U.S. dollar services, and access to the U.S. financial system to high risk affiliates, high risk correspondent banks, and high risk clients, using HSBC as a case study.’
http://www.hsgac.senate.gov/subcommittees/investigations/hearings/us-vulnerabilities-to-money-laundering-drugs-and-terrorist-financing-hsbc-case-history
The campaign for divestment from companies that assist and profit from Israeli violations of Palestinian human rights took a big step forward in California this weekend.
The board of the University of California Students Association (UCSA) passed two resolutions at its 8 February meeting in Los Angeles urging university governors to divest from companies including Boeing, Caterpillar and Hewlett-Packard that make weapons and systems Israel uses to commit violations of Palestinian rights.
UCSA, which officially represents hundreds of thousands of students in the University of California (UC) system, passed both measures by a 9-1 majority with six abstentions.
http://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/pro-israel-appeal-us-patriotism-fails-halt-historic-california-divestment-vote?utm_source=EI+readers&utm_campaign=60c5e2bc32-RSS_EMAIL_CAMPAIGN&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e802a7602d-60c5e2bc32-290660781
…………………………
Resenment seems to be building against, Bibi and his military state.
@ Mary 11 Feb, 2015 – 3:41 pm Scotland is not alone in being analysed…
from https://s3.amazonaws.com/s3.documentcloud.org/documents/1658374/pages/iran-current-topics-interaction-with-gchq-p1-large.gif
ISNU from wikipedia, is known as Unit 8200 or Central Collection Unit of the Intelligence Corps or in the GCHQ docs above as Israeli SIGINT National Unit Good work chaps!
I just found an email, with virus attached, dated August 2008, which bears all the hallmarks of GCHQ.
When I say ‘found-it’ the AV software finally recognised it today, after nearly seven years. It wasn’t even sent to me but to my minor child, his/her user-space on my pc.hilariously [not really] – the mail was [apparently]from BBC Worldwide and contained a genuine subscription request & log-in credentials to a CBBC children’s programme “The Secret Show”
my kid is allegedly going to show this attack-mail to all his classmates, and their friends. Oops, I’ve just mentioned this on Craig’s excellent blog.
Needless to say oil, petrochemicals, oil, oil and oil
http://www.webuildiraq.org/our-work/
‘The Iraq Britain Business Council brings together business, trade and investment, for the benefit of the Republic of Iraq and its members.
It is a powerful network of some of the most important global corporations as well as key Iraqi and British companies and trade chambers and enjoys the highest-level of support from governments and the European Union.’
Ticker…
Shell signs $11 billion deal to build petrochemicals plant in Iraq
SOMO allocates 3.3 mil. bpd of Basra crude to ship out in February
Members http://www.webuildiraq.org/members/
Every general election brings with it the irksome task of reading the manifestos of the political parties. Now the Board of Deputies of British Jews have launched their very own Jewish Manifesto.
The 40-page document is intended to persuade policy-makers and politicians to promote key aspects of Jewish life in Britain and do some big favours for the abhorrent Zionist regime in Tel Aviv.
“It will form the centrepiece of the Board’s drive to ensure that all the political parties take the concerns of Britain’s 300,000-strong Jewish community into account when setting out their own proposals for government,” it boasts.
At the heart of the manifesto is a list of “policy asks”, some of which attempt to demonise Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran and portray them as Britain’s enemies as well as Israel’s.
Others aim to perpetuate Israeli dominance in the Holy Land at the Palestinians’ expense, like this one from the “Ten Commitments.
http://www.bod.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/BoD-Manifesto.pdf
Here are a few more Manifesto gems:
They want restitution for private property the Nazis stole during the holocaust leaving many survivors living in dire poverty and without a legacy for the descendants.
They don’t like to see Israel boycotted.
“We urge resistance of calls for boycotts of Israel. By their very nature, such measures attribute blame to only one side of the conflict, and through this stigmatisation they perpetuate a one-sided narrative.
At the same time they want our help in boycotting Palestinians.
The manifesto urges the British government “to refuse to engage with Hamas politicians, officials or supporters until the movement agrees to recognise Israel, abide by previous diplomatic agreements and desists from terrorist attacks
Other bizarre “asks” include these:
The manifesto wants us to “promote awareness of the acute threats to Israeli and regional security, and encourage further security cooperation between the UK and Israel
It really is worth reading the document for yourself.
Ha RoS – It appears we are witnessing the minds of psychopaths:
Warning that the Islamic State could ultimately pose a threat to the U.S. homeland, President Obama on Wednesday asked Congress for broad, formal war powers against the terrorist group and laid the groundwork for a three-year military campaign.
The authorization for use of military force, or AUMF, includes no geographic restrictions, meaning Mr Obama could target Islamic State fighters anywhere in the world.
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/11/obama-sends-congress-3-year-force-authorization-is/
BLiar in Capetown
’10 Feb 13:29
Blair: I am off to the East Coast of Africa now. I get a huge sense of joy and optimism whenever I am in Africa.’
http://www.fin24.com/Economy/Mining-Indaba/LIVE-Tony-Blair-speaks-at-Mining-Indaba-20150210
It’s more like the smell of money that excites him.
A proud Ukrainian, Peter Pomerantsev, has written his viewpoint in the latest London Review of Books magazine.
He goes through a long list of externally funded color-revolutions, before considering what the 2014 Maidan means for himself and for the country. Peter describes the changes in politics in the last year…