What comes out to me from the “Black Spider letter” correspondence of Prince Charles published today is how utterly obsequious Tony Blair and New Labour ministers were to him. No sign whatsoever of radicalism from the former “People’s Party” as they fell over to ingratiate themselves with the heir to the throne. I rather enjoyed Charles quite sharp tone to Blair.
I am fundamentally opposed to the existence of the monarchy. It will hopefully be replaced by a better system, but no human system is perfect. Given that we have a monarchy at present, you will perhaps be surprised to learn that I do not see anything wrong in Charles’ letters, which put forward views which are much what we would have expected him to hold. Of course there is interaction between the monarchy and government, and of course we should get rid of this hereditary element. But Charles’ lobbying is hugely less damaging and pernicious than the corporate lobbying I witnessed throughout my Whitehall career. At least Charles is not lobbying them for corporate advantage and giving large political donations at the same time.
While in my view he did nothing wrong in writing the letters, he and government are both very wrong in arguing they should be private. It is when it is secret that such attempts to wield influence between two branches of government – and monarchy is a branch of government – can be most simply perverted to ill ends. That such publication will not occur again because government has legislated to keep it secret, is an example of the privileged arrogance that prevents this from being a genuine democracy.
Altogether not that big a story and it gives Rusbridger and the Guardian the chance to pose as radical. I find the fact that what is published is so anodyne and unobjectionable rather suspicious – what has not been published? Rusbridger is of course the editor who complied enthusiastically with a GCHQ instruction to smash the Snowden hard drives. The existence of other copies does not justify this any more than it justifies book-burning.
By coincidence, a very worthwhile article by Michael Gillard that had been excised from the net has recently been republished, setting out how Rusbridger in 2002 conspired with Andy Hayman of the Met to bury an investigation into police corruption, including the burglary of the Stephen Lawrence inquiry. By a further coincidence I was having a pint with Laurie Flynn in Sandy Bell’s four days ago.
Hayman went on to be the promoter of the stream of lies about the murder of Jean Charles De Menezes and the publicist of numerous fake terrorist plots, before having to resign in a scandal involving nubile police officers at public expense in tropical islands.
Rusbridger and his extraordinary wig go on and on as a pretend opposition outlet, their reputation much dented by recent hysterical unionist output which exceeds the Daily Express. But Rusbridger’s continued usefulness to the establishment is not in doubt. The pose of publishing the most harmless of Prince Charles’ letters does little to help a threadbare disguise.
Marr has Nicky Morgan on. Gove MkII. The latest plan is to destabilize head teachers and thus their schools. She will achieve her plan to set up more academies, ie the privatisation of education as initiated by BLiar and continued by Cameron. Schools become businesses.
Coasting schools ‘to be taken over in new drive’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-32750738
The head teachers’ union makes this pathetic response. No arguments against the wrecking of the state system.
‘Russell Hobby, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said there was unlikely to be capacity to intervene in thousands of schools, but added it was his first priority to find out exactly what the new Conservative government was proposing.
He said: “Do they really have the capacity in the system to do this? There aren’t enough academy chains, multi-academy trusts, system leaders or national leaders of education to intervene in so many schools.”‘
Morgan on Marr was as voluble as Gove but not as swivel-eyed. She has the same outlook and beliefs though.
John Goss.
How are you going to get the money past the banking Jews to the people of Palestine who desperately need it?
Given they have allegedly blocked everything else for Palestine?
Following on from Marr is Nicky Campbell and his Big Questions programme. Today’s question is ‘Will the counter-extremism strategy undermine liberty?’ which gives Douglas Murray HJS a further opportunity to demonize Muslims.
University academics on the programme are very worried by what is happening already and what is being proposed to curtail free speech from whatever quarter.
“Russia too is ditching dollars and the BRICS bank is going to be the next major challenge.”
Well the Central Bank of Russia has been ditching dollars as it uses its reserves to prop up the Ruble. Russian oligarchs on the other hand are all too keen to get their hand on as much hard currency as they can as they continue to rape and pillage Russia (or capital outflows as it is more traditionally called). Strangley enough all those British estate agents and public schools don’t accept Rubles and my guess is that their whores don’t have much use for them either.
@Fedup: “Suffice it to say that whilst WWII was raging and pitting nation against nation, and man against man, the banksters of the warring parties would often gather in lavish parties held in Switzerland and in a very civil manner deal with each other!”
You say “man against man”, but it wasn’t solely men who were caught up in WWII, Fedup. With mass bombing campaigns of cities, fanatical nationalist regimes who made no distinction between soldier and civilian, with much of the area that was fought over putting the civilian world on the frontline, WWII was not like one of those 19th century conflicts where it was all about the men going off to fight and the women waiting at home.
You mention the role of the banks: tbh I’m not very well up on what you say so I can’t really comment on that. However, I do know that there was a big controversy regarding Deutsche Bank who raked in all the assets of stuff that the Nazis stole from people as they murdered and rampaged through Europe and Russia during the holocaust.
@Mary: Mary, you caution against people ‘smearing’ Putin but whilst our leaders may be a hypocritical to condemn his actions when they are using the same pretext to claim Las Malvinas, it has to be admitted that the Putin regime has homophobic, biphobic and transphobic laws and much of the propaganda I’m seeing coming out of Russia lately is highly misogynistic and reactionary in content – particularly with regard to gender issues. It seems the Russian Orthodox Church has got the country by the balls – so to speak. Witness what happened to Pussy Riot when they got imprisoned just for singing a song – although admittedly having heard the video of the song I prefer the original version by The Nolans LOL:)
“the fifth column attempts of Nemtsov”
Mr Goss yet again resorting to his natural fascist terminology – but perhaps rather than insulting a dead man he could explain how Nemtsov’s action went beyond legitimate protest. Or is anyone who opposes Putin or his dear Muammar or other his other murderous friends a “fifth columnist” and therefore to be denigrated and liquidated.
…plus in WW2 several countries actually conscripted women as well.
Re the brutal face of the Putin regime in a video from YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivT-I-yxtdY
Pussy Riot attacked by Cossack Militia with whips in Sochi…betcha thought that was all part of the show, eh Craig?;)
Ironical that the whipster guys all try to be so butch and macho when you look at the one fella in the video whose martial arts techniques are mostly based on hair pulling like some bullying high school girl…..
He’s probably more used to dealing with horses
Mary don’t worry the oligopoly you hold with Mr Goss on smearing using family connections is one that you can keep – interesting how touchy you are in defending your heroes and what you see as your property rights.
Becky Cohen.
All women should learn karate!
Google, Rika Usami.
What a lady!
Resident Dissident 17 May, 2015 – 6:40 am : “A node you forget that zero hedge has one supporter here”
You are the one who posted the link and are therefore responsible for the information it contains being available on this blog. You are the one who claims the link provides evidence that North Korea executed a general because he fell asleep at a meeting.
If any readers are unsure about Resident Dissident’s credibility, they should read his “evidence” and judge him accordingly. Here’s his link again:
http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2015-05-15/execution-anti-aircraft-gun-photographic-evidence
Becky Cohen, 10.35am
You say that “the Putin regime has homophobic, biphobic and transphobic laws.” I’m afraid you have fallen for a propaganda campaign orchestrated by Western media to discredit Russia when it hosted the Winter Olympics. A gay Western journalist researched the subject intending to write an article condemning Russia’s attitude. He discovered that Russia’s LGBT laws are more liberal than those of the USA and many other Western countries, and that the supposed anti-gay law was actually about protection of minors and never refers to homosexuality. He published this thorough analysis : “Russian Federation Anti-Gay Laws: An Analysis & Deconstruction”
I think you’ll find it very interesting. Please read the introduction at least.
http://static.prisonplanet.com/p/images/february2014/white_paper.pdf
http://www.banthebomb.org/index.php/news/trident/1789-whistleblower-exposes-trident-shambles
Perhaps Node should read this as well
http://www.hrw.org/news/2014/12/15/russia-impunity-anti-lgbt-violence
You only need to spend sometime in Russia to know that the general level of bias against gays in Russian society is at a much higher level than it is in the West and that it is something that the Putinistas encourage rather than discourage.
Meanwhile in Venezuela the screws tighten another notch. Teodoro Petkoff belongs to the democratic left despite what the “left” fascists here might say.
https://cpj.org/2015/05/venezuelan-court-bars-media-executives-from-leavin.php
More heat than light from RD.
You know b all about my ‘property rights’ assuming you are referring to where I live. You don’t even know whether I am a tenant or an owner occupier.
As I keep having to repeat to you, I do not live in Dorking nor is there a Duchy there.
However the whole of Surrey’s 11 constituencies are represented by privatising, right wing and reactionary Tory Cons. A depressing thought that I live in a political wilderness.
http://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgMemberIndexMP.aspx
Of course not a single gay person in Russia has complained about the law, just like no one complains about the regime in N Korea or in Saddam’s Iraq, or Ghadaffis Libya or Stalin’s Soviet Union
http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/01/23/russian-prime-minister-not-a-single-gay-person-in-russia-has-complained-about-the-propaganda-law/
Mary – I wasn’t referring to your residential property rights – but the right you think that you possess to attack the families of those you disagree with.
Yes very sad about the political complexion of Surrey – and what did you do to try and change it apart from your disparagement of those who tried to change it? Perhaps Gorgeous George shoul;d apply to be the Duke of Dorking given your reluctance to take up the mantle – or are you eyeing the Regina of Reigate?
How about RD moving seamlessly from smearing Russia to doing the same to Venezuela. A man after Habakkuk’s/Habbabkuk’s heart.
Putin scored 8 goals yesterday in an ice hockey match in Sochi.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-32766918
Glad the BBC resisted the urge to insert knocking copy on the video commentary.
Suggest you go outdoors into the sun and get some rays RD. It’s such a beautiful day.
Trident nuclear subs are rusting buckets,which leak and are a danger to the crew and society as a whole,as weapons engineer blows thd whistle on a nuclear accident waiting to happen.
William McNeilly is on the run from the UK’s police and security services after blowing the whistle on the dangerous state of the UK’s nuclear fleet.
Which includes nukes stored in the gym toilet rolls stored next to nuke power cables,missile launch tests failure 3 times in a row.
Missile saftey alarms muted because they go off constantly, sprinklers constantly flooding nuke compartments, hydraulic pumps breaking down regularly,and many other serious issues.
Mr McNeilly also lays bare the cover up collision between the UK sub HMS Vanguard and the French sub Le Triomphant,in 2009 and very poor condition of the British sub.
http://www.heraldscotland.com/mobile/news/home-news/trident-whistleblower-says-nuclear-submarimes-are-insecure-unsafe-and-a-disaster-wait.1431860917
Scotland must campaign even harder to remove these mobile Fukishima’s from its waters,as they’re a dreadful accident waiting to happen.
‘Navy probes leaked Trident safety claims’
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-32771925
“Suggest you go outdoors into the sun and get some rays RD. It’s such a beautiful day.”
At last Mary says something sensible but only after making the mistake of confusing Putin with Russia – I love Russia my wife is Russian and my children are dual nationals – but of course I’m a fifth columnist in Mr Goss’s fascist terminology.
Do you deny it RD?
“Our enemy is an insidious one, seeking to divide us and destroy the very foundation of our great nation.”
Myself, I do seek to divide the fascio. It’s all you’ve ever done to us.
So Harriet Harman had an ex-MI6 spy parchuted in to help Jim Murphy keep his leadership job as head of London Labour in Scotland.
Meta Ramasy a former chair of Labour Friends of Israel,was sent north to instruct the party faithful to keep Murphy in his job,Murphy himself a member of LFI succeeded in holding onto the leadership by the narrowest of margins,later stood down.
Murphy who had the audacity to vote for himself won by 17 to 14,no doubt Murphy will have another lucrative position lined up somewhere,as it wouldve been very unlikely of him to stand down,without something in the pipeline.
Kezia Dugdale has been tipped to take over,as the leader and be the sacrfical lamb at the 2016 Scottish elections.
Resident Dissident 17 May, 2015 – 12:00 pm : “Perhaps Node should read this as well”
The point of my comment is that there is an orchestrated campaign in the West to misrepresent Russia’s LGBT legislation. Thank you for proving my point. Your link refers to “the adoption of the federal anti-LGBT “propaganda” law in June 2013. The law effectively legalized discrimination against LGBT people and cast them as second-class citizens.”
The actual title of the law referred to is “On Protections of Minors from Propaganda of Non-Traditional Sexual Relations”. It is aimed at the international entertainment industry. I challenge you to quote anything from it which supports your claim that “The law effectively legalized discrimination against LGBT people and cast them as second-class citizens.”
Tim
“As an economist I am condemned to follow the dismal science.”
As an economist you are condemned to mistake faith as science.
Robert Crawford
“How are you going to get the money past the banking Jews to the people of Palestine who desperately need it?”
World jewish banking conspiracies? Fucking piss poor racist analysis that only feeds the real empire. Get over this juvenile shit.
A few weeks back Resident conformist was telling he is a Labour activist, and busy knocking on the doors! Now it is busy shoving the conservative line, and so forth. All the while pushing the narrative straight out of the Sun/ceebeebee/etc.
The total immersion propaganda includes the lgbt in Russia and Russian cultural attitudes, indeed a terrible event. The same breath this bleeding heart concerned lgbt advocate could not give a flaying fuck about Rohingya and their fate in Burma, Thailand, Malaysia.
Evidently mass expulsions, mass slaughter, mass incarcerations akin to those of the 1940 Nazi Germany are not of any concern to the Labour activist LGBT protector general!
=====
Becky man other than the male also refers to human being man against man is a genderless expression used in this context.
You are aware that the house of Rothschild and Prescott Bush helped (banking) to set up Hitler, and kept at it until the closing days of the war?