After such an extended break from blogging, you will be deeply disappointed that I restart with something as mundane and trivial as Jeremy Clarkson. I have defended the man in the past, because I much enjoy Top Gear and consider that much of what he has been criticised for in the past had been an amusing winding-up of the po-faced of the kind I employ myself. But nasty, indeed vicious bullying of a subordinate should always be a sacking offence.
That did not ought to be the question, though. He hit someone and they had to go to hospital. Where are the police? They are incredibly fond of sweeping up scores of teenagers for thought crime, but here we have an actual violent assault that spills blood, and it seems completely out of the question the perpetrator is brought to account. Why is that? I had a personal experience a couple of years ago when I was very mildly hurt – less than young Oisin – in an assault, and the police insisted on arresting the perpetrator despite my repeated requests to them not to do so. They told me rather firmly that the idea that it is the victim who has a say in pressing charges, is a myth. Why was Clarkson not arrested?
I cannot in my mind dissociate this from the non-arrest of Jimmy Savile for his crimes, despite their being well-known and reported at the time. That seems to link in to the wider paedophilia scandal, and the question of why no action was taken even in the most blatant of cases when there was compelling evidence, such as that of the extremely nasty Greville Janner MP.
But then I think still more widely as to why, for example, Jack Straw has not been charged with the crime of misfeasance in public office after boasting of using his position to obtain “under the radar” changes in regulations to benefit commercial clients, in exchange for cash. I wonder why a large number of people did not go to jail for the HSBC tax avoidance schemes or the LIBOR rigging scandal, which involved long term dishonest manipulation by hundreds of very highly paid bankers.
At the top of the tree is of course the question of why Blair has not been charged for the crime of waging illegal war. The Chilcot Inquiry heard evidence that every single one of the FCO’s elite team of Legal Advisers believed that the invasion of Iraq was an illegal war of aggression. Yet now the media disparage as nutters those who say Blair should be charged.
Then I think of all the poor and desperate people who get jailed for stealing comparatively miniscule amounts in benefit fraud, or the boy who was jailed for stealing a bottle of water in the London riots.
The conclusion is that we do not have a system of justice in this country at all. We have a system where the wealthy and governing classes and those associated with them enjoy almost absolute impunity, broken in only the rarest of cases. At the same time those at the bottom of the pile are kicked hard to keep them there. There is no more chance of justice against those in power in the UK than there is of the killers of Nemtsov being brought to book in Russia.
But what has really scared me is this thought. This situation has been like this my entire life: and I have reached the age of 56 before I realised it. A very great many people have still not realised it at all.
What does not scare me is this. I realise that if the system of justice is completely corrupted, then there is no obligation on me to follow the laws of the state. In fact it would be wrong of me to do so. I must seek my ethical compass elsewhere than in the corrupt power structure which weighs so hard upon the people.
Yes, that certain commenter does know enough about it but would dispute another certain commenter’s opinion that the first certain commenter is unique in that knowledge.
Further more, the first certain commenter would comment that the other certain commenter must have been very immersed in his studies or of a very much another-worldly disposition if he was really unaware if the club’s existence during the four years he was up.
“The SNP has become “intellectually dumb” thanks to Alex Salmond’s success in creating a “totalitarian” party that quashes all internal dissent, its former deputy leader has said.”
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/scotland/9533614/Jim-Sillars-SNP-a-totalitarian-and-intellectually-dumb-party.html
Apparently Alex Salmond is complicit in 9/11 and Nicola Sturgeon is being investigated over involvement in a sarin gas attack in Syria. In other news, a 15 year-old girl witnessed SNP candidates throwing babies out of incubators.
A full report is available from our special correspondent Fred.
Mystery royal ‘was part of suspected paedophile ring being investigated by Scotland Yard but the inquiry was shut down for national security reasons’.
“I suppose that if one REALLY wanted to impress, one would have to add to an Oxford education and service in both the navy and army a former high level post in the administration, a visiting fellowship or two at some prestigious think tank or university and the authorship of a couple of standard works on something or another.”
Maybe. But what would be the point? In the case of an anonymous poster, nobody could verify any of those claims. And it would tell us nothing about a person’s character.
Labour’s dirty secret.
http://labour25.com
The Tories dirty secret.
http://conspiracytruths.co.uk/mpscovictedofsexoffense.html
Indeed. I have mentioned some details about my past when they seemed relevant to making some point I was making. Otherwise, I have avoided such self-referential posts. I am much more interested in discussing issues than in impressing anybody.
Indeed. I have mentioned some details about my past when they seemed relevant to making some point I was making. Otherwise, I have avoided such self-referential posts. I am much more interested in discussing issues than in impressing anybody.
………………….
Lysais,a word of warning if I may,don’t under any ccircumstances rise to Habbs requests he’s testing your metal.
Tell him no personal details,he’ll try and use them against you at a later date,if he can.
” Likewise, although most NATO countries, including Poland and peace-loving Sweden, ”
Sweden is not a member of NATO; never has been.
The Montreux Convention allows warships of nations without a Black Sea coastline 21 days. The Donald Cook’s first deployment lasted 16 days and it’s second 19. It had only been in the Black Sea for four days on it’s first deployment when the so-called buzzing incident occurred so at no time was it’s presence there illegal.
Non-NATO nations that took part in the multi-nation force in Iraq:-
Australia
El Salvador
Moldova
Ukraine
South Korea
Tonga
Azerbaijan
Singapore
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Macedonia
Kazakstan
Armenia
Mongolia
Georgia
Japan
New Zealand
Thailand
Philippines
Honduras
Dominican Republic
Nicaragua
NATO members that did not participate:-
France
Germany
Belgium
Luxemburg
Greece
Turkey
Slovenia
Croatia
Yes obviously a NATO operation…
Obama was indeed really pissed off with Netanyahu and has phoned him (eventually) to make the point. But the allegation here is that White House did bother to return NATO phone calls
OopS “not bother”
With sincere best wishes to Nevermind…
Israels Premier Netanjahu irritiert mit Äußerungen zur Zwei-Staaten- Lösung, und was sagt der Nahost-Gesandte Tony Blair dazu? Die Briten sitzen zu Hause und beschäftigen sich mit der Frage, ob der pöbelnde BBC-Moderator Jeremy Clarkson rausgeschmissen gehört und dass Labour-Führer Ed Miliband nicht nur eine Küche hat, sondern zwei. Zwischendurch jubeln sie am Straßenrand den Gebeinen eines vor mehr als fünfhundert Jahren verstorbenen Königs zu.
(mehr hier -)
http://www.tagesspiegel.de/meinung/grossbritannien-vor-der-wahl-ihre-eigene-geschichte/11551208.html
Says it all really.
Which you don’t do unless you’re trying to make some point. The return call didn’t have to come from Obama personally.
Neither was it Stoltenberg leaving the messages. Unlike the Netanyahu incident where the WH were clearly briefing on what they were doing, it was not Obama’s people who put this story into circulation
And to criminal Blair. It shows w(h)ere Pinchuck is at.
Actually my point, if you look at the context. However, I hope you will agree that Mandelson’s Putinist chum, Oleg Deripaska, is no better?
http://www.kyivpost.com/content/russia-and-former-soviet-union/reuters-rusal-creates-new-role-for-founder-deripaska-promotes-deputy-ceo-372232.html
These shits transcend borders and nationalities. Pointless to condemn one side.
President Hadi of Yemen has fled Aden, the Saudis and Egyptians have evacuated their diplomatic missions, and the Houthis have taken Aden airport outside the city. The fall of the city is presumably imminent.
I have seen little or no “discussion” of issues from a certain transatlantic commenter. What I have seen are a lot of links , half of which appear to refer to newspaper reports/speculation about paedophilia and the other half to a rag-bag of subjects.
Mary 03.42
Absolutely shocking – thank you for finding this.
Dreoilin
As you said to me recently : I was being sarcastic.
Oisin Tymon: Top Gear producer at centre of Jeremy Clarkson fracas sacking subject of vicious Twitter trolling.
Absolutely horrifying comments after this Independent article.
This is quite a low key discussion of a rather central topic:
Basically, interest or usury is the fundamental problem.
Love the way he uses the terms “extract” and “extractive”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zIkk7AfYymg
Here’s the same issue discussed by another chap:
He explains how wealth generates up from poorer to richer, which is why the gap between rich and poor is getting wider and wider. It’s built into the system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwWmDOtLW8
For those who are genuinely interested in the nature of the Putin regime and what it is playing at in the Ukraine – the following from Andrei Piontkovsky, a very brave and decent man, is well worth reading. The Kremlin bots will of course not agree.
http://imrussia.org/en/opinions/2210-andrei-piontkovsky-putins-concept-of-the-russian-world-threatens-all-territories-with-a-russian-population
@RobG
“RD, get your links right, because I can’t find anything there about child abuse.”
NO problem with the link – minors are children not people who go underground to extract minerals – and then follow the links in the article concerned.
@Herbie
“Because Russia’s in favour of a multipolar world, as are they.”
Since when have the far right and fascists become interested in a multipolar world – the historical precedents hardly point to this being one of their key aims in the past – of course agrressive nationalism, invading neighbours especially into their homelands (come on Mr Goss we are all still waiting) racism, corporatism, suppression of free speech and dissent might be other things that they have in common.
Macky,
I am a lawyer and a human rights activist. Craig was a diplomatic and human rights activist. I respect Craig’s courage and his tenacity in the defence of human rights. I do however question his logic and reasoning at times. Let me make my point as follows:-
” Jon Goss; “I will not try and convince you any more. It is impossible.”
So there you have it yet again, Clark’s admittance that his views on Russia/Ukraine are because of his loyally to Craig, so no amount of rational reasoning will shift such blind loyalty anymore than you could appeal to reason against the zealous fanaticism of any cult member.
What makes it worse is that Craig’s own analysis/pronouncements iro anything to do with Russia are so deeply flawed as to appear almost comical, because his starting point is not objective considerations, but the twisting & bending of the missing objectivity to fit into his Russophobia. Many of the more intelligent Posters, do realise this but politely say little, and indeed a few have even actually left this blog, to go elsewhere for more astute & serious analysis.
Clark of course just merely imitates Craig’s shallow and flawed arguments, further causing more people reading this blog to realise that it’s not at all a serious place for intelligent & meaningful analysis; effectively, self-imposed sabotage.”
My analysis as regards Ukraine is that the West is pushing up ( if you like) on Russia to de-ball or discredit on the basis that the retake of Crimea via referendum and the issue over East Ukraine in an environment where:-
A. The government of Ukraine relates to a Western backed operation now supporting aa non-democratic government, fascists and Nazi sympathizers.
B. The UK over the Falklands war relied on the referendum/will of the Falklanders to remain British – yet – Craig’s Foreign Office compatriots fail to see the total hypocrisy and totally discredited position of the FO when it comes to a very similar referendum over Crimea.
C. The West is willfully depressing global oil prices for adverse impact on Russia – yet – shooting itself in the foot because of the structure of the costs of production for fracking versus the alternative costs for production of Russian oil and gas.
and – approaches A,B and C – constitute credible US/UK foreign policy?
Now – as a very astute international commentator on international affairs – with first hand experience of these and other issues – I very much would like to see not only astute commentary from Craig but rational and logical consistency.
CB
@Herbie
“Basically, interest or usury is the fundamental problem.”
Mr Werners system of the State allocating money for investment has of course been tried rather more recently than Winchester in the Middle Ages – perhaps Herbie might wish to comment on the success or otherwise of Gosplan in the Soviet Union.
I am far from believing that banks (and capital markets – bearing mind in that not all finance comes from banks)should be entirely unfettered with regard to their lending decisions or in saying that there is a role for the state (I am a Keynesian social democrat) but to entirely dismiss the market as a mechanism for people getting across what they want form investments and to ration what are necessarily limited resources strikes me impractical to a degree verging on madness – Mr Werner seems to think allocation can all be done using IT rather than the price mechanism – well that worked with asset backed securities didn’t it and who would control and write the IT programmes (concentrates rather a lot of power in a few hands – and IT programmers for those who know them are a rather strange breed).
There is a petition against the SNP plans for a state appointed guardian for every child in Scotland.
http://no2np.org/
Re Bullers: 1) not secret & 2) not limited to aristos ?
I did wonder a bit about that, Habbabkuk.
Never mind.
Interesting that the commenter @ 6.03pm takes a day to pick holes in my comment on the coverage of the plane crash. I happened to watch the news as it unfolded and noticed all the nuances.
That comment was the first of eleven he has made so far this evening! Presumably he has nothing more useful to do.
PS The word ‘terrorism’ is included in many of the reports on the net, if only to say that it is not thought to be the cause.
PS Shame the new gravatar is not Israeli Blue. It is actually very similar to that of Republic of Scotland’s LOL.
@Resident Dissident
“For those who are genuinely interested in the nature of the Putin regime and what it is playing at in the Ukraine – the following from Andrei Piontkovsky, a very brave and decent man, is well worth reading. The Kremlin bots will of course not agree.”
Your the bot. In fact it’s pathetic can`t you do better than the above. The guy’s a propagandist for the CIA.