We are directly responsible for the disasters in the Mediterranean. The bombing of Libya into failed state status is now coming back to haunt us. The ludicrous idea, propounded by Blair, Robert Cooper and the Henry Jackson Society, that you could improve dictatorial states by massive bombing campaigns that targeted their basic infrastructure, is now a total bust. Sadly so are Iraq and Libya, to the permanent detriment of many millions of people. We caused both the Islamic State and the Mediterranean boat disasters, and we caused them with bombs.
But the lack of any effective policing is only part of the problem. What makes people so desperate that they are prepared to give all of the small amount they own, to ruthless gangs, in exchange for a dreadful sea crossing with a one in ten chance of drowning? Most of the refugees are sub-Saharan African. We only see the European end of the saga, not the terrible conditions on the cross Saharan journeys that they start with.
There will be no security anywhere if the world does not address the terrible scourge of African poverty and under-development. That is a huge subject on which I have written extensively and worked much of my life, and I do not wish to open it here. But what it does show is the utter stupidity – inhumanity yes, but also stupidity – of UKIP in thinking that cutting development aid will increase the economic security of the UK.
Cheers too Macky.
~~~~
G R O A N He’s back and no welcome. I went to hospital with one of his unpleasant comments and another from Villager. Eternally grateful to both. NOT.
I did manage to read the comments in hospital although my small tablet was covered in clingfilm. The walls of the pod are made of thick concrete and there is a small maze to negotiate from the door so internet was patchy. I was on The Cloud via a private setup paid by the hospital to provide ‘patient media services’. That is Nuspeak for arm and a leg costs to watch TV and use the phone in the wards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpWmlRNfLck
slightly o/t, if secret unregulated warfare could be termed as such. It is very likely part of the reason why Europe is seen as the last peaceful vestige in the world for many. Western hegemony has set the Magreb alight, from Morocco to Iran to Pakistan war is the greatest generator of refugees. Armed Boko Haram and Al Shabab are carving out their own African caliphate and those who armed them really do not care one iota, they are the real villains, dangerous irresponsible people.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/ramstein-base-in-germany-a-key-center-in-us-drone-war-a-1029279.html
closely followed by the reason of climate change, sub Saharan countries are getting ever more arid, weather patterns more chaotic.
The dichotomy at this election is between a same same choice of main party political fry and lie, or parties that have progressive long term policies that take climate change into account. The longer we dither and watch it all happen, the harder and bigger the steps become, the higher the risk of nothing happening at all, a world consumed by its consumption, unstable and unsustainable.
I love my children and grandchildren, just as the robin who helps me dig in the garden, would like them to have something to share with their grandchildren when they grow up, I want to discard the current system, fast, long winded change is tediously dragging itself along, short term fixes, patches and more unadulterated eye washing.
I can’t vote in the nationals, but I’ll plead for you better understanding and judgement, that you will choose the future before your present and vote for one of the progressive parties.
Still waiting for the SNP to offer support to English voters a choice on proportional voting systems. This si not moving the Erskine bridge, its simple, many want a fair proportional voting system.
Last nights Dimblecrack programme, were the wondrous establishment bias really showed its ugly face, also showed public reaction to PR, they clapped in response to what Ms Bennett said.
Mary; “G R O A N He’s back and no welcome.”
Take it as a badge of honour; it’s not the first time certain known trolls just happen to mirror your appearance cycles here.
The Messiah was wheeled out last night in Fife,I am of course speaking about Gordon Brown,this time Brown was addressing a closed die-hard Labour seminar,in Kirkcaldy Old Kirk.
The Labour messiah was offering a extra £1million pounds of aid towards topping up food banks,but there’s just one fly in the ointment with this offer,and its this.
Brown has no power,he’s a opposition backbencher on the verge of retirement and to further compound his lies,I mean’t offer,none of what he proposes is actually in the Labour parties manifesto.
Sitting in the front row of the acolytes was the deputy leader of London Labour in Scotland Kezia Dugdale, all doe eyed as Gordon’s Orwellian doublespeak,the enthralled the punchinellos,they applauded as though their strings had just been pulled.
How many more times will a frantic and desperate Labour party roll out,a mediocre politician on the verge of meltdown to a closed shop,in the hope that they con voters into believing that Labour actually care,about anything other than power.
The rise of a 20 year old SNP candidate in Paisley,which at present is a seat held by Labour’s Douglas Alexander,by a 16,000 majority,is being looked upon by some as a possible “Portillo Moment.”
Mhairi Black,is going to toe to toe with the shadow Foreign Secretary,she’s been an SNP member since 2011,and according to Lord Ashcrofts latest poll,she’s 11 points ahead of Douglas Alexander in the polls.
Remarkable.
Ivan McKee (Business for Scotland) and Roger Mullin SNP candidate for Kirkcaldy,Fife & Cowdenbeath,will give a talk this evening on the social case against austerity.
At the Strathearn Hotel Wishart Place Kirkcaldy at 7pm all welcome.
I’ve heard Ivan McKee speak,if you’ve got the time and live nearby,I recommend you go along,you won’t be disappointed.
A ship the Hamal has been boarded by the Royal Navy 100 miles off Aberdeen and escorted in to be searched on suspicion of carrying drugs.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-north-east-orkney-shetland-32447064
Only Hamal I have found in the vicinity of Aberdeen is IMO 7719698 a tug owned by Kiev shipping and trading company.
an opinion from New Zealand on the HORROR of TERROR
” it’s the not the terrorists themselves, but those meant to be our protectors, who are most adept at creating a sense of terror. Rather than getting sucked in, we should view government and spy agency claims with the air of scepticism they deserve. We may not be able to see behind their [secret one-way] glass, but we still know there’s someone standing on the other side.”
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1504/S00163/how-the-one-way-mirror-of-secrecy-generates-fear.htm
[cm-org.uk – spam filter false positive]
One devil has awoken from the sofa and the other is pondering how to bury this and this !
but that was from the other side of the world, is there any ongoing Intelligence Community ‘blowback’ in Europe?
Oh, this might do, from a server based in Amsterdam: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-04-23/german-spy-accusations-resurface-as-merkel-cites-deficiencies-
overcollecting again!
” The Superintendent Radiographer in the Nuclear Medicine department that is dealing with me is doing a sponsored group bike ride to France in the Summer in aid of the hospital. 800kms!”
Good for her/him Mary.
Good news Macky, if it’s true. Waiting for the release of Shaker Aamer is like waiting for the Chilcot report. I think the son he has never seen must be almost a teenager now. As for Yemen detainees I have severe concerns that when they get back to Yemen they will be taken out by Saudi bombing or, more likely drone strikes, where coordinates can be put together from mobile phone signals. They do not want anyone alive who can testify first-hand to the torture.
Talking of drones, a US and Italian hostage, were killed in Pakistan in January, President Clinton, reported this week, yesterday I think.
“‘FM – SNP MPs to vote to restore England’s NHS”
When is she going to stop underfunding Scotland’s NHS though.
http://www.shetlandtimes.co.uk/2015/04/24/nhs-cuts-could-see-end-of-weekend-clan-stays
NHS spending fell by 1% in Scotland since 2009, it rose in England.
Female John. She is my old boss. She greeted me warmly and said I was missed! Seeing them doing their jobs made me grieve somewhat for my former self, knowing I could not do the job now. Their workload is much increased as a result of the increase in cancer diagnoses. Her daughter is in training to be a physio so you see the streak of wanting to care for their fellow men and women runs deep in some families.
I am so sorry for Shaker and his family here. I naively believed that he was going to be freed. Not so. What evil empires the US and their other puppet, the UK, have become.
Just back from a walk along the river. Spring has definitely sprung. The massive amount of dandelions in flower are in tune with Nicola I reckon. Go SNP!
http://www.saveshaker.org/about
The Bundesnachrichtendienst is reportedly considering their position, having been pwned by the NSA, potentially the BND director Gerhard Schindler may shortly be “retiring”.
a rather excessive 800000 targeted Europeans, including many politicians, had their ‘selectors’ fed into the BND SSEUR/NATO/TIER B Focused Cooperation over the last decade or two, it seems the politicians are complaining, according to Die Zeit
Another solution to the migrant problem:
http://www.newsweek.com/israel-deport-eritrean-and-sudanese-infiltrators-rwanda-and-uganda-319065
Not unconnected with the fact that even the Israeli legal system finds the prison the migrants are being held in completely unacceptable.
There is some doubt about whther Kagame will actually honour the agreement regarding right to work, or, indeed, refrain from relieving the lucky customers of their $3500 as they exit the arrivals lounge. Obviously.
Video of a Guantanamo-type camp which was almost finished in the region of Donetsk before the People’s Republic gained control of it. In Russian, but the visual aspects are there for all to see.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QwUv7LJgzPc#t=135
More on the Guantanamo-type prisons being built by the coup-government in Ukraine (in English).
http://en.hunternews.ru/?p=1056
fred 24 Apr, 2015 – 12:26 pm
“‘FM – SNP MPs to vote to restore England’s NHS’ When is she going to stop underfunding Scotland’s NHS though.”
Funny. In 2013, your favourite newspaper said …. “Health service spending in Scotland, at £2,115 per head, is the highest in the UK.” Are you claiming Scotland is no longer the highest spender?
http://www.scotsman.com/news/uk/public-spending-per-head-in-scotland-revealed-1-3197170
As it was Fred I thought I would check out the Shetland Times article and was unable even there to find his claim.
“NHS spending fell by 1% in Scotland since 2009, it rose in England.”
So I thought I would see this was true. It can still technically be true but this suggests otherwise. What is true is Scotland, Ireland and Wales all spend more per capita on their NHS services than England, though only Wales has a currently falling expenditure per head.
http://www.nuffieldtrust.org.uk/data-and-charts/health-spending-head-country
Another answer to the migrant problem…
http://imrussia.org/en/opinions/2077-russia-will-deport-refugees-back-to-north-korea
All heart, is Vlad (sic)
“Funny. In 2013, your favourite newspaper said …. “Health service spending in Scotland, at £2,115 per head, is the highest in the UK.” Are you claiming Scotland is no longer the highest spender?”
According to the IFS they aren’t.
http://www.ifs.org.uk/publications/7366
Ba’al, I get the impression you don’t like Vladimir Putin. Would you care to explain why? You obviously don’t like his name. But I am interested to know.
I would have thought somebody with your intelligence would have been careful not to post an article like that at this time when the Americans have totally abandoned US citizens in Yemen, many of whom have been rescued by Russia, adding to its refugee problem. The article you link does not say that they are being sent back, just that a draft has been agreed.
I should though be very interested in what is wrong with President Putin. Or are you just hitching a lift on the western propaganda roller-coaster of if anything goes wrong “Blamd Putin”?
It definitely said “Blame Putin” before I posted the comment.
Yo, John.
I don’t actually dislike Putin as such. He’s a pretty nasty piece of work, but hey, there’s plenty of them about, and it’s possible to acknowledge their good points, such as not being Alastair Campbell, and, by and large, having some concern for the interests of his country.
Which are very much not the interests of my country. Perhaps that’s what’s causing the confusion in your mind.
https://meduza.io/en/lion/2015/04/03/this-victory-day-in-moscow-buy-your-son-that-nazi-figurine-he-s-always-wanted
(No, you can’t)
Can a 14 yr old British boy be capable of inciting an Australian adult to commit acts of terrorism?
The boy appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court today.
Sounds just Israel.
District Judge Emma Arbuthnot turned down the bail application.
Sounds just like Israel.
Baal Zevul (re Mr Goss’s hero President Putin):
“.. it’s possible to acknowledge their good points, such as not being Alastair Campbell, and, by and large, having some concern for the interests of his country.
Which are very much not the interests of my country.”
_____________________
Which more or less sums it up on a nutshell: some people on here object to Putin because they believe he is NOT in the interests of their country, the UK, whereas others on here (probably the majority) appear to love Mr Putin for precisely that reason.
“It definitely said “Blame Putin” before I posted the comment.”
__________________
Of course it did, Mr Goss. Probably MI5 or Mossad changed your text in order to make you look senile.
District Judge Emma Arbuthnot is married to James Arbuthnot MP, one time parliamentary chairman of Conservative Friends of Israel. Arbuthnot is famous for claiming for his swimming pool cleaning on his expenses. He is not standing in this election.
He was the chair of the Commons Defence committee and member of others including Intelligence and Security, National Security Strategy, Liaison, etc. See his record on UK Parliament.
Predictive text can easily change words in the text.
If I type troll, troop or trill can appear.