The Lord President of Scotland’s judges, Lord Gill, has made a complete fool of himself by leading British judges in a walk-out from the Commonwealth Law Conference. The action is in protest against Julian Assange’s participation by video-link in a panel discussion on surveillance and the role of the security services.
The walk-out happened after Julian’s talk, not before it, which rather gives the impression that what Lord Gill and his fellow judges objected to was the content of Assange’s talk, rather than the fact of it. Assange stated among other points that nationalists were right to believe that MI5 were active against them in the referendum campaign.
The Assange talk proved extremely popular with lawyers and judges from all over the Commonwealth. In fact it had to be shifted to a larger room to accommodate them all. So it seems Lord Gill’s disinterest in the concept of freedom of speech is not widely shared in the Commonwealth.
What Gill and his Scottish and English colleagues could have done – and I presume actually did – was to boycott the Assange panel and simply attend other panels on at the same time. What they have now done is to boycott all the panels happening after the Assange talk is gone, at some of which some of the boycotters were due to be talking or chairing, as an attempt to mess up the conference as some childish kind of spiteful revenge.
The members of the English Supreme Court who took part in this action have demonstrated their extreme prejudice against Assange – who has exercised his right in law to claim political asylum and who has never been charged with anything.
Julian has today told me that he is concerned that their action is also prejudicial to the cases currently before the Swedish Supreme Court and the UN Committee on Arbitrary Detention. Quite why the English and Scottish judges were moved to this peculiar display of prejudice is not immediately clear; I suspect they were pushed. Lord Gill is an interesting example of the self-made lackey. If you always promote the interests of the Establishment, even a man of talent but humble origins can get to the top, provided he is an entirely unscrupulous character.
STOP PRESS
In an effort to make Lord Gill and the judges look less like asses, it is being assiduously put about that they did not know Julian was going to speak before his appearance, and he unexpectedly appeared at the session. That this is a blatant lie is easily proved. Julian’s appearance was at short notice – a week. His name was in the conference programme, and the event was announced in the Scottish Legal press the day before it happened. Everyone at the conference knew Assange was appearing, that is why the room had to be changed for a larger one.
That our judges are not just asses but lying asses ought to be the source of some concern. Where is Lallands Peat Worrier when you need him?
Kipling – your loss. I have no idea whether Krishnamurti finds him acceptable. But his contribution to the language is IMO immeasurable, and in practice he was slightly more of an iconoclast than Shelley.
Villager – no idea – it opens for me. But there’s a script being blocked by NoScript on the page – it may be your system doesn’t like it. Google Kipling + Tomlinson to find another site with the poem.
“Kipling – your loss. I have no idea whether Krishnamurti finds him acceptable. But his contribution to the language is IMO immeasurable, and in practice he was slightly more of an iconoclast than Shelley.”
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George Orwell also thought highly of Kipling as a literary figure and would probably have shared Baal’s view of Kipling’s and Shelley’s iconoclasm.
But you see, Mary never looks at facts or thinks for herself, she just precedes along well laid-down rail tracks:
Shelley = “revolutionary” = very good
Kipling = “imperialist” = Mary doesn’t read him.
http://www.heretical.com/miscella/kipling1.html
She is wedded to convictions – in default of grosser ties;
Her contentions are her children, Heaven help him who denies! –
He will meet no suave discussion, but the instant, white-hot, wild,
Wakened female of the species warring as for spouse and child.
Unprovoked and awful charges – even so the she-bear fights,
Speech that drips, corrodes, and poisons – even so the cobra bites,
Scientific vivisection of one nerve till it is raw
And the victim writhes in anguish – like the Jesuit with the squaw!
Ba’al Zevul
17 Apr, 2015 – 1:31 pm
“Villager – no idea – it opens for me. But there’s a script being blocked by NoScript on the page – it may be your system doesn’t like it. Google Kipling + Tomlinson to find another site with the poem.”
Grazie mille for that introduction, Ba’al. Truly a brilliant piece. Now I’m going to memorise it! 😉
Here’s an alternative link should anyone else be afflicted by NoScript. Perhaps a MacThing.
http://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poems_tomlinson.htm
@ Habbabkuk (La Vita È Bella)
Habby, thanks for your discerning appreciation and apologies for not having acknowledged your remarks several thread upstream.
All good wishes!
So our resident troll proves that it is his view that any criticism of Israeli leaders is criticism of “the Jews,” because they are Jews. It presumably follows that it is also anti-Semitic.
Lord Janner is also a Jew. So was Leon Brittan. Is criticism of them criticism of “the Jews,” and therefore anti-Semitic?
Villager don’t give up your day job to turn your hand to poetry.
As to your comment at 1.21 pm I did notice that the Guardian article only hinted at JSD’s link being true. I shoul have written suggests it is true and meant to change it but got distracted and then had to walk the dogs. So thank you for pointing it out.
It probably is true because I also noticed the Guardian report was more than two years ago and there is a lot more information available now. Anyway it has kept the debate going. It is not often I don’t correct my mistakes myself. So apologies for that.
Meanwhile on a separate topic I know you will share my sadness at the abuse of Palestinian children arrested by Iraeli’s often from their beds in the middle of the night.
http://falastinews.com/2015/04/01/40-of-palestinian-children-detained-by-israel-are-sexually-abused-virtually-all-are-tortured/
The invisible debater aka David Cameron,,spent all, of 10 minutes in Glasgow,trying to drum up support for the Tories to a closed shop.
Of course like labour and the LibDems,the Tories are flogging a dead horse in Scotland, with regards to anyone taking heed.
http://www.medialens.org/index.php/alerts/alert-archive/2015/790-when-free-speech-becomes-dead-silence-the-israel-lobby-and-a-cowed-academia.html
Ongoing.
Another invisible debater,although I’m sure David Cameron tokd Nick Clegg not to attend the BBC debate.
Was the leader of the LibDems,Nick Clegg, Clegg is in Gordon,Aberdeenshire today,urging, no begging,Labour voters to back his party candidate Christine Jardine.
It’s all to do with thwarting Alex Salmond in Gordon,what a pathetic bunch the LibDems are.
I suspect Julian Assange has a police guard outside the Ecuadorian Embassy because the US has threatened to drone-strike him if he makes a break for Ecuador, and they’ll strike on British soil if necessary. No western government would survive the public backlash of such an attack and I think the police are guarding British sovereignty as much as one man.
If what you say is true, wouldn’t the British government defend its sovereignty more effectively by making the threat public?
Mick McNulty
“I suspect Julian Assange has a police guard outside the Ecuadorian Embassy because the US has threatened to drone-strike him if he makes a break for Ecuado”
That sounds truly shocking, Mick, but did the US threaten that or a Time reporter on Twitter?
Meanwhile the Labour leader Ed Miliband,was at the centre of a staged event at a coffee shop,in Crouch End.
Apparently members of the public bad register,prior to meeting Mr Miliband register what?
Like David Cameron, Ed Miliband,won’t meet and greet the public,if and when.
I suppose when your popularity in recent polls shows you in the negative,that should ring alarm bells,and your advisers should at least make you seem more accessible,and plausible.
John Goss
“It probably is true because I also noticed the Guardian report was more than two years ago and there is a lot more information available now. Anyway it has kept the debate going.”
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That article is dated 17 January 2011 which is over 4 years ago and is old hat. I take it that you can only count to two, or are you just bone lazy?
Btw, what is the “lot more information available now.”? Is it anything to do with the 90% of MP’s that JSD was enquiring about? What is the ‘it’ that has “kept the debate going”? Which particular ‘debate’ are you referring to and how has a four-year old article kept it going? And, last question, perhaps the most pertinent, what are you smoking?
Meanwhile, your apology is noted but, given your intellectual laziness, I’m not sure it is properly placed. You definitely need to find yourself another day job, John, than on here. And I wouldn’t consider journalism.
Across the channel,Nicolas Sarkozy is attempting to make a political comeback,he’s tipped to stand for France’s 2017 elections.
Mr Zarkozy wants to rename his UMP party the Republican party, in reference to France’s Fifth Republic.
Mr Sarkozy,has a bit of a checkered past,previously, facing charges of corruption,over €50 million Euros.
Mr Sarkozy, was eventually told, that he had no case to answer to.
Sarkozy has a good chance of winning, because his most serious opposition comes from the Front National. On the other hand, the leader of the Front National, Marine Le Pen, also has a good chance of winning, because her most serious opposition comes from Sarkozy.
Yes Lysais,Marine Le Pen’s father,all but sank his chances of making a comeback,when he publicly made light of the Jewish Holocaust.
He did his daughters political career no favours either,with that throw away remark.
A foolish thing to do,at anytime but after the Charlie Hebdo incident,it appears he committed political suicide.
As for Sarkozy,if he became president of France again France would lurch to the right,he’s a bit of hardliner with conservative tendencies.
I think Sarkozy would be a bit of a shock to the system,for the French,after, the tenure of Hollande.
According to Washington Post columnist, Ed O’Keefe, Jed Bush is determined to follow in the footsteps of his father and brother,when it comes to foreign policy.
O’Keefe claims Jed Bush as president would,tighten sanctions on Iran,and deploy more NATO troops to Eastern Europe,to counter president Putin.
Of course endorsing his father and brothers views may well turn voters away from voting for him,but Jeb Bush believes that,America must lead from the front,rooting out evildoers,as he puts it.
The mere thought of another warmongering Bush family member, at the helm of the USA,war machine should fill many with dread.
Hillary Clinton stepping up her game,in the run for US president by hiring some of Obama’s winning team.
The likes of Teddy Goff and Joel Benenson,who worked on the Obama campaign,that defeated Hillary Clinton,in the 2008,have taken up positions within Mrs Clinton’s camp.
An interesting look into Uzbekistan’s Islam Karimov’s brutal regime,and who’ll succeed the 77 year old dictator.
Uzbekistan’s closest ally in Europe is Germany.
http://m.spiegel.de/international/world/a-1026885.html
I wonder whether Hillary Clinton will be faced with any challengers for the Democratic Party nomination for the forthcoming US Presidential race.
I also wonder which of the Republican Party hopefuls will carry the day in the primaries.
That’s a lot of wondering, but there you go!
I wonder whether Greek Wunderkind Alexis Tsipras will get any joy at the imminent meeting of the IMF? If not, it looks like curtains for Greece.
Mind you, a Greek exit from the euro should make those who disapprove of the euro in general quite happy.
Reports have it that there is more than one candidate for the forthcoming French Presidential election with a good chance of winning.
The Socialist Party and a couple of other political formations will of course also be contesting that election; it appears that their chances of winning are less good.
That’s a lot of wondering, but there you go!
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Hmmm…..Yes, you do appear to be one of the modern wonders of the world.
Wondering whether or not,people actually believe a word you say.
The US and the UK, despite being firm allies, are in different continents. Opinions vary about whether that is a strange thing, but it looks as if there is a good chance that matters will remained unchanged in this area for quite a long while.
“Mr Zarkozy wants to rename his UMP party the Republican party, in reference to France’s Fifth Republic.”
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Ah, I thought it might have been “in reference to” the Second Empire.
Good job we have a scholar and historian on this blog!
Kipling – Yes I have read it. Had a basin full of the jingoist stuff at school. The British Empire is dead, dead, dead but the ‘Blood Never Dried’*.
His warmongering ceased when his son was killed.
I have even visited his house, Batemans.
* Recommended. https://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/British/jolly_good.html
As another eminently sensible commenter has noted on here, there are some posters who make sure they point out the religion of the public figures they are criticising in their posts.
Except, of course, when the public figures in question are Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Confucians, Shinto, Hindus or animists.
I wonder (again!) why that should be so.